SA Affordable Housing July / August 2018 // Issue: 71 | Page 18

ADVERTORIAL - COVER STORY
THE BENEFITS OF A LONG-TERM
APPROACH
Altruism and a long-term approach very rarely apply
to public sector housing contractors, who win tenders
based on the lowest price. Government and municipal
buyers need to protect low-income homeowners
from the long-term expense of an unaffordable, high-
maintenance home. Revised SANS 10400-XA building
regulations currently under development, require
higher thermal performance standards.
Designing and building for sustainability is more
cost-effective than retrofitting after construction.
When a building is energy efficient, the cost to residents
is greatly reduced, increasing the affordability of home
ownership (Schweitzer, 2016).
“As we move forward into the future, we hope to see
this trend towards sustainable, environmentally-friendly
buildings in our urban areas,” concludes Lamont.
Averaged across South Africa, the CBA’s Social Life Cycle
Assessment found that:
• Four jobs are created per million bricks produced.
• 74% of supplies to brick manufacturers are provided
by SMMEs.
• R6.50 is spent on community development per
1 000 bricks produced.
“No matter where a construction site is located
there will be trained, local bricklayers to complete the
project,” explains Lamont. It is estimated that about 200
000 people are directly employed across the building
industry as brick makers, brick layers and plasterers.”
To support local skills development, free technical
manuals on bricklaying best practice are available at:
www.claybrick.org.
Clay brick outperforms the majority of other walling
systems in terms of thermal comfort, making it a
cost-effective, long-term investment.
REDUCING CLAY BRICK INDUSTRY’S
CARBON FOOTPRINT
The South African National Development Plan sets a
clear vision with regards to sustainability – to build ‘an
environmentally sustainable, climate-change resilient,
low-carbon economy and just society’.
In alignment with these goals, the CBA has launched
a three-year sustainability programme, co-funded by
the European Union and coordinated by Switch Africa
Green. Its focus is to promote inclusive sustainable
practices in the South African clay brick sector. The
programme encompasses several projects expected to
reduce the use of fossil fuel during brick manufacture,
as well as introduce education and research initiatives
for informal brickmakers.
For more information, go to The Clay Brick
Association of South Africa at: www.claybrick.org.
Communicare’s Bothasig Gardens is a social housing development setting a new standard for integrated human settlements.
16
JULY - AUGUST 2018
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING