Construction World October 2015

Ed’s note

Towards a SUSTAINABLE BUILT environment A few years ago I was a guest of the German government during which it showcased the extent of sustainable architecture in Germany. in a sustainable way. It provides various tools, training, knowledge and networks that help to promote green building practises and hopes to eventually change the way in which South Africa builds – given that the built environment is a main contributor to climate change. In 2002, five years before the GBCSA was

established, Construction World introduced a category to its Best Projects awards – a category that is now known as the ‘AfriSam innovation award for sustainable construction’. It was the first award to recognise sustainability in the built environment and therefore it makes sense that the magazine would publish a supplement – Sustainable Construction World – to recognise the achievements, advances and status quo of the South African built environment.

The German built environment is very impressive for various reasons: Germany is a first world country, it has a stable population (as opposed to the increasing South African population), unemployment is significantly lower than South Africa’s 25%, the built environment has a much longer history of ownership than here in South Africa, sustainability is part of the design (and not cosmetic as is often still the case locally) and finally, Germany envisions, that by 2050, all energy it produces, will be renewable. The South African movement to build in a sustainable manner is still in its infancy. The Green Building Council of South Africa, a non-profit company, was formed as recently as 2007. It aims to lead the greening of South Africa’s commercial property sector: to ensure that buildings are designed, built and operated

Wilhelm du Plessis Editor

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Contents

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LSFB – the most sustainable construction method around? There are claims that Light Steel Frame Building rates highly on most or all of the sustainability considerations. Moving beyond green buildings The engineering principles of creating ‘green’ buildings are both well understood and have been widely applied. Where to now?

EDITOR Wilhelm du Plessis constr@crown.co.za ADVERTISING MANAGER Erna Oosthuizen

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ernao@crown.co.za LAYOUT & DESIGN Lesley Testa CIRCULATION

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Principles of material choice with reference to the Green Star Rating System Coralie van Reenen says the South African government as well as each citizen, has the responsibility to ensure the protection of the environment. SA’s first socio-economic impact certification Karl Bremer Office Park in Bellville is the first project to achieve a Socio-Economic Category Pilot rating in Africa. Lesson in sustainable design Boogertman + Partners recently designed the company’s first six star rated green building for the Department of Environmental Affairs – and learnt some valuable lessons. EC metro gets SA’s first bioregional plan gazetted The gazetting of SA’s first bioregional plan is a milestone towards the more sustainable development of towns and cities. Brick buildings for a better world Simple clay brick construction goes beyond the important fundamentals of durable, low maintenance and aesthetic integrity. Asphalt gets progressively greener Much Asphalt has upgraded all but two of its 17 static plants in SA to include recycled asphalt in new asphalt mixes. 28 26 24 20 18

Karen Smith PUBLISHER Karen Grant SUPPLEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION WORLD Crown Publications cc P O Box 140 BEDFORDVIEW, 2008 Tel: 27 11-622-4770 Fax: 27 11-615-6108

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