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  E N Q U I R I E S

Sizo Sebake
CSIR Building & Construction Technology
Tel: +27 12 841-3116

    E M A I L

SB'04 Africa - Regional Conference on Building and Construction

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One of the objectives of the SB'04 conference was to establish a database of sustainable buildings that come from and are appropriate to developing countries. This was encouraged by the inclusion of the Sustainable Building Awards, which focused attention on a number of projects that showcased a commitment to sustainable building. The Awards were also seen as a mechanism for raising awareness about sustainable building amongst practitioners in these countries.

The submissions had to have been completed in the ten years preceding 13 September 2004; they could be located anywhere on the African continent or islands deemed as part of Africa (e.g. Madagascar and Mauritius).

All submissions made a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of sustainable development by showing a number of working examples and approaches.

The submissions were adjudicated by a panel arranged by Dr. Jeremy Gibberd, an architect and researcher at the CSIR. He developed a user-friendly assessment tool, SBAT lite, which formed the basis of the evaluation process. Apart from Dr Gibberd, the adjudicators for the Awards were:

• Prof. Tom Woolley, architect and sustainable building expert from Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland

• Mr Tanmay Tathagat, architect and Senior Programme Manager: Energy Efficiency, International Institute for Energy Conservation, New Delhi, India

• Prof. Kazuo Iwamura, professor at the Faculty of Environmental & Information Studies, Musashi Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan

• Prof. Paul Bowen, quantity surveyor, Department of Construction Economics and Management, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Awards and commendations

The following awards and commendations were handed out at the awards ceremony on 16 September 2004:

Awards

• Andy Horn for the staff housing for Twin Streams Environmental Education Centre, Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal (Residential)
  
  

  The client's brief was to design two semi-detached units, accommodating comfortable bachelor apartments with bathrooms and kitchenettes, serving as both staff accommodation and as an educational tool to demonstrate sustainable living.
  
  The adjudicators noted that the project is located in a dune coastal forest area where the climate is hot and humid. The design of the building is responsive to the site and incorporates innovative exploration of alternative materials, such as sand bags and locally grown timber poles. The use of renewable and efficient energy is also a strong feature of the project.
  
  The community participation, for example in making the sand bags, collecting sand and harvesting timber poles, as well as the building of a model to facilitate community involvement, are important contributions to the success of the project.
  
  

• Alastair Rendall for the Lynedoch Community and Educational Centre near Stellenbosch (Community)
  
  

  The project comprises renovations and additions to an industrial shed for a primary school, post-graduate Sustainability Institute, performing arts rehearsals and performances, small-scale business offices and storage. The client's objectives included the creation of a settlement for people that reflects the social and economic diversity of the area and to achieve maximum ecological sustainability.
  
  The use of compressed clay blocks made on site, the design and technology used, including rockstore heating and cooling, the use of passive, low-energy interventions, as well as the re-use of an existing building, display a sound understanding of environmental design and sustainable building.
  
  

• Steven Kinsler for the new facilities for the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies, Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Commercial)
  
  

  The project is a medical research initiative, comprising both office and field-based research into health and population issues, including HIV. The building is located in a 13ha rural setting close to the community being studied.
  
  The adjudicators noted that the building, comprising four discrete office research "pods", displays a distinctive "African architecture" style and uses local skills. The 15m-high water tower/solar chimney is central in contributing to the energy-efficiency of the building and also makes a strong visual statement.

Commendations

• Annie Sugrue for EcoCity, Ivory Park, Midrand (Community)

• Eric Noir for the New Headquarters Building for BP Southern Africa at the V&A Waterfront - still under construction (Commercial)

• Mike Schroeder for the Westlake Office Park building near Cape Town (Commercial)

The three projects that received awards will also be displayed at the 2005 Tokyo conference and the award winners will receive support to attend the conference (including the cost of the conference fee and four night's accommodation).

The Sustainable Building Best Practice winning submissions will be made available at www.sustainablebuildings.co.za as case studies.

Enquiries:

Sizo Sebake CSIR Building and Construction Technology Tel: +27 12 841-3166 Fax: +27 12 841-3504 Email: ssebake@csir.co.za

Jeremy Gibberd CSIR Building and Construction Technology Tel: +27 12 841-2839 Fax: +27 12 841-3504 Email: jgibberd@csir.co.za

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