sa affordable housing november / december 2013 | issue: 43

November / December 2013 // Issue: 43 SA R36 each incl. // R360 per annum incl.INFRASTRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT

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CONTENTSEDITOR’S COMMENT

COVER STORY

TRANSITION HOUSING

SAHF

SCHOOLS

OPINION PIECE

NEWS

EMERGENCY HOUSING

NEWS

CEMENT & CONCRETE

WATER RETICULATION

CEMENT & CONCRETE

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4

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12

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2013 ISSUE: 43

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2013 1

While we aspire, and work hard, to have decent affordable housing available for everyone, lament and try to mitigate the overwhelming backlog and despair at the conditions in which so many South Africans must live, we are often distanced from the reality of life without proper housing and the lengthy, often interminable, period between this and having a proper, decent place to call home.

Those liminal or in-between spaces are occupied by many, and although the construction and reconstruction of informal housing is wholly

removed from what we, at the SA Affordable Housing magazine, wish to promote, the reality is that transitional housing can and does alleviate the suffering and indignity of those at the mercy of circumstance - and is hopefully just a temporary solution.

In this issue, we share two projects, one national, the other international, that address the most basic housing needs of people in or near crisis.

“Forgotten, but not helpless” on page 8 highlights the plight of a community practically living on waste disposal site under terrible conditions and how they have taken ownership over their own living conditions through the e-khaya project, “which aims to help communities to rebuild their shacks with a fireproof, flood-proof, insulated, quiet, attractive, durable, and cost-effective small house, designed to de a transitional or interim solution until permanent housing is available.”

We also highlight an award-winning concept that offers a temporary housing solution in emergency situations. The article details that the Lantern “follows a simple, safe structure, in that the base and roof are constructed from metal profiles and natural recyclable materials, such as straw clay and mdf wood, for assured insulation, and the supporting structure consists of lateral metal profiles, based on the logic of an accordion.”

While we think about temporary living spaces in this issue, we also celebrate the many successes we have seen in the affordable housing market; beautiful projects, innovative property development and a sincere consideration for the communities involved, and hold these as prime examples of permanent housing that really works.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday period and a prosperous year ahead. Welcome to the Nov/Dec issue of SA Affordable Housing.

Enjoy the read!Jen

ED’S NOTE

In-between

ADVERTORIAL CORRECTION: With reference to the advertisement on page 35 of the September 2013 issue of SA Affordable Housing, the silos as depicted were supplied by, and are the property of, Pronto Building Materials (Pty) Ltd. (dry mortars & plasters division) and are not the property of Construction Warehouse. Any misimpression created is regretted.

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

Changing the face of the cement industryBuilding our cement operations from the ground up has taught us more than just the technicalities of constructing a plant. It has entrenched a camaraderie in our people, a certainty that nothing would get in the way of us entering the market, writes Pieter Fourie, chief executive of Sephaku Cement.

As our Delmas cement plant comes online early in 2014 and Aganang in the North West becomes operational during the year, the face of the country’s cement industry will change, and

there is no turning back. We have navigated our way through building leadership and operational teams from scratch, securing investors and safeguarding their investment, connecting with and involving communities, all the while designing and building the two plants.

Our entry into the market is based on belief in the long term sustainable growth of cement. Our country may have relatively good infrastructure, but there is still a lot to be developed. Added to this, ageing production facilities have made production static at a time when it needs to be cost-efficiently increased. Great competitiveness and cost-efficiency lie in the state-of-the-art technology backing Sephaku Cement’s plants.

DETERMINED JOURNEY Our company, a 64% owned subsidiary of Dangote Cement plc and an associate company of JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings, was established in 2006. Sephaku Holdings secured limestone resources and invested the initial seed capital required for the project to get started. By late 2010, the projects were fully funded, having attracted the largest inward investment in South Africa by an African company, Dangote Cement.

Through tenacity and determination, we navigated our way through the global recession, emerging with increased investment from Dangote Cement and backing from local market financial institutions, Nedbank and Standard Bank. With this heavyweight backing, the largest single cement plant in the country, our 6 000-ton-per-day clinker facility with a total cement capacity of 2.5 million tons per annum, is en route to being completed.

COVER STORY

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2013

Packing plant.

Cement silos.

Cement mill.

6

STRATEGIC DELMAS The construction of our 155-ton-per-hour cement milling plant in Delmas, Mpumalanga, is well on track to begin cement production early in 2014. Our operations here give us a distinct advantage. Not only are they close to Gauteng, but through efficiencies enabled by the latest technology equipment in this plant, we can secure a respectable share of the inland market.

From a process perspective, our cement process, which begins in Lichtenburg, after which the clinker is transported to the Delmas milling plant, is more cost-effective through transporting clinker rather than cement. In addition, our fly ash beneficiation plant at the Kendal Power Station, Emalahleni, adds to the economies of scale with our plant being just 35kms from Delmas.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONSince the early days of our journey to market, we have made a concerted effort to invest in areas where the needs of Verdwaal, Itsoseng and Springbokpan are supported. These communities are situated near our flagship plant and work done with the people here includes initiatives in education, employability, enterprise development and healthcare.

We work closely with the leadership of these communities and have an open door approach to find out how we can help. This year has seen the company fund a Grade 10, 11 and 12 Winter School, which was hosted by the Tswelelopele High School in Itsoseng and attended by three additional High Schools. We are also setting up five small business initiatives in the transport, logistics and pallet sectors.

PEOPLE FOCUS

Sephaku’s sales and customer service team is a cement force of experts. We want to ensure that every customer gets the best from our product. From the very beginning we will assist technically in designing mixes and selecting the optimal cement for customers’ requirements. We are also adding to value through support provided by our Sephaku Cement Technical Laboratory.

Looking back over our six year journey we have overcome some serious challenges. But we have never lost belief in why we are coming to market or the definitive belief that we will enter this market. Success is the only option for us as we remain committed to making South Africa’s cement industry all about the needs of the people who make the end product a reality.

Through taking a more hi-tech, progressive and passionate approach to the business of cement production, we will change the face of the industry. As Delmas becomes operational early in 2014, followed by Aganang, we look forward, with confidence, to the next steps of our journey.

For more information, visit www.sephakucement.co.za.

COVER STORY


Gypsum store.

Cement silos.

7

The community living at the Faure informal settlement in Blue Downs is estimated to number approximately 50. It came into being following the closure of the

Blue Downs waste disposal site more than a decade ago, where most had both lived and derived an income. Some individuals say that they have lived on the greater waste-disposal site for more than two decades and that the current location was temporarily allocated to them by the Oostenberg Municipality until permanent housing could be arranged. The majority are unemployed or continue to scrape an existence through the collection and sale of waste.

Living conditions are dire. Shacks are dilapidated. The ground is visibly polluted and appears to be a still-accessible extension of the adjacent waste site, now unused and surrounded by razor wire. There have been a number of shacks destroyed and injuries caused by recent fires and the presence of a high concentration of waste may be a factor in propagating these fires.

The health of the inhabitants has been acknowledged by relevant authorities to be very poor. It is very apparent to the casual visitor that the majority have severe and chronic health problems. Due to the extremely polluted environment, many children are apparently now living with relatives elsewhere. Most inhabitants have no identity documents and can therefore not access grants, apply for employment or a housing subsidy.

Recent attempts to provide them with documentation have not, as yet, been successful. They are situated far from health and other services and cannot afford transport. Some toilet facilities have been provided, but there is just a single functioning water tap. That fellow citizens of our city continue to live in such appalling circumstances, and, in some cases, have done so for over two decades, is an indictment on all. This is truly the epitome of a forgotten and disenfranchised community.

Forgotten, but not helplessIntolerable living conditions in Faure informal settlement, Blue Downs, addressed by the community itself through e-khaya Project

TRANSITION HOUSING


FORGOTTEN BUT NOT HELPLESS

With the assistance of SEEBO community trust and its director, Mr Raymond Mtati, they have started to dramatically improve their lot by ‘thinking out-of-the-box’. SEEBO encouraged the idea that they could replace their shacks with something safer, insulated, dry and fireproof. Mr Mtati introduced the ‘e-khaya Project’ to them, which aims to help communities to rebuild their shacks with a fireproof, flood-proof, insulated, quiet, attractive, durable, and cost-effective small house, designed to be a transitional or interim solution until permanent housing is available. e-khaya managed to raise enough funding for the community to build two adjacent e-khaya units for two disabled and partially sighted of their members. e-khaya homes have three features that are uniquely able to provide these qualities in a shack replacement situation:

• a re-usable building jig or frame, meaning that almost no building skills are required

• an arched, extremely strong, insulated, self-supporting but low-cost roof that is easy and quick to make, and means the footprint of the home is doubled and can be used for income-generating activities, such as secure storage, food growing, rearing of chickens and sale of eggs, secure locating of solar panels for an internet cafe or a quiet homework centre, etc.

• narrow sandbag walls that are thermally and acoustically insulating, durable, totally fireproof, inexpensive and easy to build

TRANSITION HOUSING



The e-khaya initiative is designed to not only provide transitional homes, but to create micro-business opportunities, through upskilling township entrepreneurs to own and rent out building frames and their own expertise, instructing people on how to self-build their homes. Income can be derived from renting out the roof space which, subject to further research, may support a second living level. The material cost for a single 14m² e-khaya module is approximately R8000. This means that it can be self-funded, and paid for in as little as three years, with no requirement for donor funding or government housing subsidies. This is a radical departure from the status quo.

The goal is a home that improves health, quality of life, comfort, security, education, whilst reducing living costs, environmental impact, social dysfunction and violence. Not all residents in informal settlements across Cape Town will have such an urgent need for a solution to their current circumstances as those of Faure, but there will be many who do. And the ripples of what is learned together with the people of this forgotten Blue Downs waste site will travel across our city and beyond.

Construction by the community of the first joint SEEBO/e-khaya home commenced in May of 2013 on the Old Faure Road. Sandbags were filled on a Monday, the re-usable frame was erected on the Tuesday morning, and the sandbag walls for the entire 28m² home were in place by the Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, the project was threatened with demolition by the Department of Human Settlements on the Friday, and it has taken over two months and intervention by the Premier to resolve this.

TRANSITION HOUSING

10

The project is now complete and includes various simple sustainable technologies – rainwater harvesting, cold and solar heated running water, solar LED lighting, daylighting, biomass cooking and space-heating stove, and unbreakable polycarbonate security windows. Future projects will include a dry sanitation system. The manufacture of these simple systems will create micro-business opportunities in the community.

This project has raised many questions around what shack-dwellers in informal settlements are permitted to do to improve their own living conditions. Some of these relate to land tenure, the definition of temporary versus permanent structures, types of materials that may be used, among other issues. The reality is that there are currently not many options to make a quantum leap in improving living conditions in informal settlements, at a cost that is realistic and that can perhaps even be self-financed. Various proposals have been put forward for small incremental improvements to shacks, but even these carry a high cost/benefit ratio.

The SEEBO/e-khaya shack replacement project is a radical departure from the current situation of shack or RDP house and nothing ‘in-between.’ It aims to address the urgent and critical social crisis of urban slums, by empowering people to help themselves to improve their own living circumstances in the communities in which they currently live. It is morally unacceptable that people are prevented from doing so.

And to gauge community acceptance of this type of home and construction, one only had to see and hear the reaction of passersby to the e-khaya exhibit, at the OpenDesign expo at the Cape Town City Hall until Tuesday 2 August. Not “When is the government going to give me one?” but “Fireproof and so solid. And as little as R10 000. I paid that for my wendy-house which burned down a year later. Where can I buy an e-khaya?” Now, that’s a mindshift of note.

Madiba said in 1996 “The majority of the urban population live in appalling conditions far from their places of work.” SEEBO and e-khaya are striving together to change that.

For more information, visit www.e-khaya.com.

Dr Johnny AndertonCell: +27 (0)72 102 7677

TRANSITION HOUSING


Introduced by Western Cape Minister of Human Settlements, Bonginkosi Madikizela and Councillor Tandeka Gqada, Mayoral Committee Member: Human

Settlements, City of Cape Town, the conference addressed a number of relevant topics around the roles that partnerships between public and private sectors can play right from strategic planning levels through to implementation.

A Keynote Address was delivered was by Mr Monwabisi Maclean, Chief Director of Capacity Development, National Department of Human Settlements, who addressed issues such as the 2,2Mil people who still need to be housed, and the incidences of rapid urbanisations and migration to cities and on how the Government’s National Development Plan 2030 aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030.

Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, Minister for Human Settlements, Government of the Western Cape, delivered a Keynote Address, which touched on the rapid population growth and tools that government uses to monitor an evaluate the state of management practices of government departments at both national and provincial level in the following four areas: Strategic Management, Governance and Accountability, Human Resource Management and Financial Management. Questions were raised around what interventions are needed to make PPPs work, with some solutions offered being for entities/people to align themselves with the 110% Green campaign, finding ways to make Alternative Building Technologies more socially acceptable and assisting with addressing the R20Bil infrastructure backlog.

SAHF highlights PPPs at annual housing conferenceThe Southern African Housing Foundation’s (SAHF) Conference highlighted the role of Public-Private Partnerships in a housing climate that needs a multi-dimensional approach to resolving the housing backlog in South Africa, and service delivery going forward.

SAHF

Opening of the SAHF International Housing Conference & Exhibition.


Mr Seth Maqetuka, Executive Director: Human Settlements, City of Cape Town highlighted issues on sustainable human settlements, which included the key themes of addressing poverty, innovation and sustainability, partnerships, progress of turnaround strategy and GIS data systems.

Mr Saul Ramirez, CEO: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) USA delivered a presentation on the “Groundwork to link Mission & Operational capability for Public-Private Partnerships,” and provided various examples of how the USA devises strategic planning and implements the plans in line with the company’s vision and mission statement, giving prudent advice as to how this might work in the South African context.

In the session dedicated to Education & Training for improved Public-Private Partnerships, which was sponsored by Framecad International, Andre Schlunz, Sales Manager: Sub Sahara Africa, Framecad International FZE, highlighted the possibilities of using cold formed steel in the construction of more affordable and sustainable social housing. Building on this, Dr Toni Lamont, Policy and Strategy Consultant delivered his paper, “Introduction to Human Settlements,” while Gerry Adlard, Development Consultant spoke about “Collaborative Housing Development” and Dr Jeffrey Mahachi, Advisor: Special Projects at the NHBRC discussed “National Building Regulations and the role of the NHBRC.”

In a session showcasing the positive outcomes of Public-Private Partnerships at work, Seth Maqetuka, Executive Director: Human Settlements, City of Cape Town delivered a paper entitled, “Mechanisms for strengthening partnerships between municipalities and social housing partners to achieve sustainable human settlements.” He was followed by Wayne Muller, Director: Housing Finance & Lease, City of Cape Town, who highlighted funding opportunities available between the public and private sectors, and Zaahir Jassiem, Senior Project Manager: Department of Human Settlements, City of Cape Town, who offered insight into CRU refurbishment projects.

Ending off the session were Fungai Mudimu, CEO: Cape Town Community Housing Company, who elaborated on the strategic partnership between the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Council and the CTCHC and its successes with Marius Nel, Relationship Manager: Affordable Housing, Nedbank, closing off the session with a presentation on “Nedbank Affordable Housing – Experiences with Public-Private Partnership.”

The session on Human Settlements, sponsored by PPC Cement (Pty) Ltd., was opened with Preston Prince, Senior Vice President of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), USA, who discussed working collaboratively to create vibrant communities in a US context, while Olebogeng Mojaki, Strategic Housing Planner for Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality delivered

a talk entitled, “Social and rental medium density housing as a tool to integrate low-income households into South African cities: The case of Community Residential Units (CRU) in Mangaung.” Egmont Ottermann, PPC’s Group Energy Manager, discussed the historical transition of energy systems and what lessons can be learned from these to prepare for and profit from the future. The session was concluded by Roger Matlock, General Manager of the GM South Africa Foundation, who used the Foundation to exemplify how corporate South African can achieve innovation and delivery in low-income housing.

Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, Minister for Human Settlements, Government of the Western Cape.

“When all is summed up, the SAHF Conference is the best of its kind in learning about housing industry success stories and innovative programs/services around the globe. I have thoroughly enjoyed the networking and connections with peers and colleagues.” - Akinola Popoola, Executive Director: Opelika Housing Authority, USA.

SAHF


SAHF

“Public-Private Sector Partnerships Through Innovation,” a session sponsored by GIBB (Pty) Ltd. began with a talk on public private partnerships within an affordable housing context, by Vuyisile Hlabangane, who drew on a case study to deliver his message. Prof. Billy Boshoff, Associate Professor: Civil Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch introduced and highlighted a number of viable alternative building materials for masonry units and Wibke de Villiers, Lecturer: Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch shared with the audience the “Full life cycle of the environmental impact of low-cost housing in South Africa.” Concluding the session was Paimaan Byron, Laboratory Manager at the NHBRC with his paper, “Eric Molobi Housing Innovation Hub: A case study and lessons learnt.”

A session on “The Built Environment” began with a talk by Louis Wright, Lecturer for the Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria, whose presentation detailed, “Building capacity for neighbourhood revitalisation and upgrading of settlements,” which was followed by a talk on “The impact of Health & Safety Legislation on Public Private Partnerships,” by Deon Bester, OHS Manager at the Master Builders Association, Western Cape. Furthermore, Adelaide Steedley, Data Centre Co-ordinator for the Centre for Affordable Housing in Africa spoke about drawing private investment to marginal areas and how evidence can help to stimulate development. This was followed by a talk on the Alexandra Urban Renewal Project and neighbourhood development, by George Onatu, Head of the Department of Town and Regional Planning, University of Johannesburg, and the session was concluded with a paper by Paul Solomons, Lecturer at the Department of Architectural Technology & Interior Design at Cape Peninsular University of Technology on “The effect of global warming on South Africa: The Cape Town Scenario.”

The conference continued with a workshop session sponsored by Garden Cities, and included a talk by Judith Ojo-Aromokudu, Lecturer: Howard College, University of KwaZulu-Natal on “South African housing scape: Subsidy criteria and the housing backlog.” The workshop component included a collaborative discussion on the subject of the evolution of affordable housing in the United Kingdom and included insight from Ian Beckett, Regeneration Director of the Peabody Housing Trust in the United Kingdom; Chris Moquet, Chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing (South East), International Housing Group, United Kingdom; Andy Staniford, Housing Strategy Manager, Brighton and Hove Council, United Kingdom; Jessica Haines, Senior Development Officer, Eastbourne Homes, United Kingdom; and Vipul Thacker, Head of Compliance: Governance & Compliance, Genesis Housing Association, United Kingdom.

The final day of the conference included a session sponsored by Calgro M3 Development Ltd. and was host to a talk by Prof. Kedibone Phago, Head of Department: MPA Programme, University of Limpopo, on “Housing Policy implementation and intergovernmental relations in South

Africa.” This was followed by the CEO of Calgro M3 Holdings’ Ben Pierre Malherbe’s talk on “PPP… competitive advantage or curse? – A practical guide to effective relationship building” and a presentation addressing the “Building public capacity for the delivery of sustainable human settlements through Public Private Partnerships,” was given by Lungi Mbanga, Business Development Manager of Aurecon SA (Pty) Ltd. The session was concluded by Owethu Pantshwa, Director of Planning & Development, Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, whose paper was entitled, “Addressing the impact of migration and urbanisation on housing delivery in small town through Public Private Partnerships.”

The closing session was opened by a presentation delivered by Akinola Popoola, Executive Director: Opelika Housing Authority, USA, on “Affordable Housing Collaborations – Making it happen,” a presentation was delivered by Prof Kobus van Wyk, Professor at the Department of Building & Human Settlement Development at NMMU, on “A framework of indicators for regulating social housing.” The session was concluded with a presentation on the “Provincial strategy on Public Private Partnerships,” which was delivered by Rayan Rughubar, Chief Director: Department of Human Settlements, Provincial Government of the Western Cape.

The day concluded with a guided tour of the South African Houses of Parliament and on the following day, delegates enjoyed a guided technical housing tour of housing developments within the metropolitan area of Cape Town which included site visits to Scottsdene, Mitchells Plain and Ocean View. Read more about the SAHF’s prestigious annual awards on page 22.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

(t) 021 987 7950/2585(e) [email protected](w) www.sahf.org.za

Cape Minstrels at the conference opening.


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The school will be ready for their first intake of students for January next year and it is expected that it will be able to accommodate approximately 800

students.

“This new building is impressive: it has a modern, well- designed aesthetic,” says Michael Bauer, managing director of the estate agency, IHPC.

Following this development, said Bauer, it is anticipated that the government will be building another new high school and two new primary schools as they have already purchased the land.

They have now surveyed the sites, which could mean that they are in their planning phases for those schools, said Bauer.

In addition to the primary and high schools, said Bauer, the new crèche facility (which will be run by a private operator), is also expected to be able to enrol its first intake of children in January 2014. They will be able to accommodate 140 children between the ages of two and grade R.

First high school nearly complete at Bardale Villlage One of the much-awaited high schools at the successful Bardale Village development is nearing completion and it is anticipated that construction will be fully complete by January 2014.

SCHOOLS


“The fact that the overall plan for an integrated estate at Bardale Village is now falling into place bodes very well for property values here. The safe, family-orientated lifestyle that we have worked hard to create is now coming together and this will go towards increasing property values even further in the area.”

“For many parents living here, knowing that their children can walk to school and will be inside the security estate and back home within a matter of minutes will make a huge difference and we believe this will make Bardale Village homes even more popular,” said Bauer.

Demand for homes should increase here because of the schools being added to the infrastructure and, because this estate is geared towards family living, with homes ranging from two to four bedrooms, at prices from R455 000 to R745 000, families can find the space they need at affordable prices, said Bauer.

“We have also found that banks have been approving more bonds recently and that there are more young professionals buying property at Bardale Village,” he said.

“The family orientated lifestyle and the way that the buyers in the scheme have been controlled, have attributed to the success of the development. At present the majority of the occupants here are owners, there are only less than 25% owned by buy-to-let investors.”

SCHOOLS

The first high school built at Bardale Village, which should be complete and ready for its first intake of students in January 2014.


It was one in a sequence of meetings that report back on the work of an exciting grouping of business leaders volunteering their time to what they call ‘Project

Nelson Mandela Bay.’ Under the direction of volunteers like Kobus Gerber, Michelle Brown and Andrew Barton, the project has, in very little time, identified a clear list of ‘doable’ projects that would turn this city and region around.

They speak about plans for public access high speed wifi, they speak about a clean, green city, they speak about the freedom precinct and they speak about a full calendar events strategy; great ideas, great clarity and an impressive commitment that comes from the sincere passion of people that know that Nelson Mandela Bay is yet to live its finest hour.

Sitting through the presentations in the Club’s grand and ornate colonial dining hall, I was reminded again that this city is not faced with a shortage of great ideas. It is not faced with a shortage of great individuals. It has incredible weather, no malaria, endless beaches, it is not in a warzone, nor is it a viable target for multi-national terrorists. So what are the obstacles? To be honest, I am not exactly sure, but with permission I would like to try out an argument to see if it resonates.

My argument is that the most significant obstacle to meaningful spatial transformation of South African cities lies not in a shortage of academic ‘know-how,’ public sector investment, or private sector mobilisation, but rather, it lies in the entrenched, dysfunctional relationship between the public, private and academic sectors.Each of these sectors operates increasingly as a silo, separate from the next, with no mechanisms available for true collaboration.

The public sector has become driven by a number of imperatives that require it to ‘procure’ the ‘services’ offered by the private sector in a standardised procedure designed to procure anything from light bulbs to toilet cleaning contracts.

The obvious fact that public and private sectors can best serve the urban crisis by contributing the best and brightest from their ranks to collaborate in providing, vision, leadership and direction is of no concern to the

faceless authors of our public sector’s supply chain management procedure. The unavoidable net result of this strategy is a contested, completely unproductive standoff between the public sector ‘urban silo’ and the private sector ‘urban silo.’ No vision emerges and no leadership emerges.

In a similar way urbanists in the ‘academic silo’ come under increasing pressure to focus not on the South African urban crisis, but rather on purer academic pursuits. A 23-year-old with a PhD that deals with some arcane branch of architectural theory is much more likely to assume a professorship in architecture that a practitioner with 20 years’ experience in city building. This trend seems unstoppable with a momentum developed from the very pinnacle of our higher education community.

Architects who teach are now actively discouraged from participating in private practice. Those from private practice who give of their time and share their experience do so as volunteers. Academics offering to serve the public sectors are treated the same as their private sector counterparts, as a commodity to be bought through a ‘procurement system’ with the same resultant frustrations.In this way the silos grow increasingly isolated and positions within them become more and more entrenched.

Urbanists, of otherwise impeccable credentials, begin to withdraw into cynicism and isolation. Great ideas are shelved, big visions parked and energy diverted.

The sorry fact is that no workable protocol exists that enables top urbanists from the public, private and academic sectors to collaborate and share thinking on the spatial transformation.

Instead we have developed the unsubstantiated and unscientific belief that a formalised, project level ‘public participation’ process will magically and miraculously manifest the big ideas we know are waiting to turn our cities around. Well, it hasn’t and it won’t.

In the world of city building I am afraid public participation amounts to no more than a series of noisy meetings in stuffy halls where the housewives, car guards and estate agents clamber for the microphone drowning out the voice of any academic or private sector urbanist with real value to add.

The three-headed city monsterMy wife and I missed our evening walk on Tuesday. I decided rather to attend a critical evening meeting at the Port Elizabeth St Georges club. I usually prefer to avoid evening meetings to do important family work and to ‘veg out’ on the couch with my dogs, but this meeting was different.


OPINION PIECE

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OPINION PIECE

Yes, it’s democratic. Everyone gets a say. But that does not mean that we are harvesting the best ideas from the minds of the few that are excellently placed to take us forward.

There is no meaningful collaboration, so we stay where we are – and where is that?

Is there any solution? Is there any alternative to these dysfunctional relationships? Is there any way out of the urban crisis, defined by the geospatial legacy of apartheid and entrenched by class and poverty hurdles? Of course there is. These challenges were made by people. And they can be overcome by people. It’s up to us to develop new protocols and to have the courage as activists, in whichever silo we sit, to do whatever it takes to push them through, to confront our management, to put ourselves at risk.

The re-shaped cities of the future depend on our action.

Tim Hewitt-Coleman is an architect and director at Ngonyama Okpanum and Associates and the chair of the Eastern Cape Institute of Architects (ECIA).

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17605 - November Ad 1 2013/10/22 11:41 AM

The SAHF annually acknowledges achievements in the housing industry, providing awards for Local Authority of the Year, Housing Project of the Year,

Housing Project of the Year under R125 000 per unit, Social Housing Project of the Year, Housing Project of the Year over R125 000 per unit, Lifetime Achievement Award, Special Merit Awards, and a cash prize to a student for outstanding excellence. The awards were handed over on behalf of the SAHF by Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, Western Cape.

Local Authority of the Year was awarded to Drakenstein Municipality in recognition for providing the local community with affordable, good quality environmentally friendly housing and services under adverse conditions. The municipality is commended for harnessing local labour and creating work opportunities for many previously unemployed residents, exceeding all targets set for 2012/2013.

The Housing Project of the Year was awarded to Calgro M3 for the Fleurhof Integrated Development in Johannesburg in recognition of the innovative approach to Public Private Partnerships with the provision of an Integrated Housing

Project comprising BNG, GAP and private funded affordable housing. The development accommodates all income communities in an aesthetically pleasing environment.

ASLA Construction was awarded the Housing Project of the Year under R125 000 per unit for Happy Valley in recognition of providing innovative, well-designed, good quality subsidy housing for low income families.

2013 SAHF International Housing Conference and Exhibition acknowledges achievements in the housing industryThe 8th Southern African Housing Foundation Awards Ceremony was held at an African evening experience which took place on Tuesday, 17th September at moyo, Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.


NEWS

Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, Kefiwe Sethoabane, Drakenstein Municipality & John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF.

Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, Ben Pierre Malherbe, CEO-Calgro M3 & John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF.

Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, Tony Byleveldt - ASLA Construction & John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF.

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The community was empowered with capacity building and participatory housing consumer education and technical training. The Public Private Partnerships managed by the developer greatly added to the success of the project.

The Social Housing Project of the Year was awarded to Imizi Housing Utility for Walmer Link in Port Elizabeth in recognition of a significant contribution towards providing quality, well-managed, affordable social rental accommodation, giving exceptional value to the community. In addition, the organisation provided support in the form of well-structured training programmes and community awareness with employer involvement.

Housing Project of the Year over R125 000 per unit was awarded to Motlekar Cape for Fountainhead – Blue Downs in recognition of providing an innovative approach to funding, well-designed good quality, value for money, low maintenance affordable housing.

The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award was Günter Koch in recognition of his passion, vision and professional approach to the promotion of housing through cement and concrete products for over 45 years.

He is acknowledged for tireless engagement with all sectors of the housing industry for the benefit of providing quality affordable housing for communities.

Wolwedans Housing Project, developed by Mossel Bay Municipality received a Special Merit Award in recognition of the project’s holistic and integrated upgrading of informal settlements, providing security tenure, a healthy and secure living environment, as well as community empowerment with the promotion of social and economic integration.

The Department of Human Settlements, Eastern Cape, received a Special Merit Award for Barkley East 802, in recognition of the developer’s approach to intensive community participation programmes imparting skills to the rural community to reduce the high unemployment rate. The project is acknowledged for the provision of good quality housing.

NEWS


Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, Anthony Ngcezula, CEO - Imizi Housing Utility & John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF.

Rieger van Rooyen, Motlekar Cape, Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, Gerhard Breedt, Motlekar Cape & John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF.

Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, Günter Koch & John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF.

Fanie Theron, Aurecon South Africa, Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, Cllr Cliffie Bayman, Mossel Bay Municipality and John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF.

23

NEWS

The Chartered Institute of Housing in the United Kingdom provided a R10 000 cash prize, which was awarded to Henri de wet, Jess Fendick and Natasha Venning in recognition of rising to the challenge and obtaining a first class pass, reflecting a sound understanding of the course material and a very strong work ethic in the Honours Housing Development and Management Course – Construction Economics and Management at the University of Cape Town. The cheque was handed over to the students by Jessica Haines, Neighbourhood Officer for Eastbourne Homes, United Kingdom.

Jess Fendick, Henri de Wet, Natasha Venning, Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlements, John Hopkins, CEO - SAHF and Jessica Haines, Eastbourne Homes, United Kingdom.

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The competition was launched by the International Union of

Architects (UIA) in collaboration with the Technical Chamber of Turkey, and the presentation and exhibition done during the 8th Conference of New Architecture, held in Antalya (Turkey).

International refugees are as a result of war, poverty, hunger, and uncertainty, which ultimately lead to migration. The majority of international refugees flock to the countries of South and Eastern Mediterranean.

The proposed project has the main objective of creating a temporary dwelling unit or cell, able to accommodate a four-member refugee family, whilst covering basic living needs. A combination of a few of these units will form structures such as health facilities or schools.

Lantern shelterEmergency housing for refugeesArchitects, Valia Panagiotou and George Pappas, have won the 3rd International Award for Young Architects (May 2013) as part of their participation in the International Competition of Young Architects - Temporary Sheltering Spaces , with the subject Shelter for Refugees ‘Lantern.’

EMERGENCY HOUSING


The Lantern is 14.50m² and is used as a shelter in emergencies. It follows a simple, safe structure, in that the base and roof are constructed from metal profiles and natural recyclable materials, such as straw clay and mdf wood, for assured insulation, and the supporting structure consists of lateral metal profiles, based on the logic of an accordion.

The interior is isolated from the external environment by way of a double-façade polypropylene skin, translucent in nature, which offers natural sunlight, while the ‘phenomenon of the chimney’ offers natural air-conditioning.

In following an alternative design methodology for temporary housing, Lantern proves to be a cost-effective and viable prototype emergency shelter for war refugees in the Middle East. This is reflected in the materials, construction, assembly, transportation and flexibility of the structure.

SOURCE:Article first appeared on: Architecture Lab. 2013. [Online]. Available at: http://architecturelab.net/2013/09/lantern-shelter-war-refugees/ [Date accessed 10 September 2013].

PROJECT DETAILS:COMPETITION: International Young Architects Idea Awards and Exhibition by UIA and Chamber of Architects of Turkey Antalya Branch

TITLE: Young Architects International Award – Temporary sheltering spaces

SUBJECT: Temporary shelters

DISTINCTION: Third (3rd) Award

ARCHITECTS: Valia Panagiotou – George Pappas

EMERGENCY HOUSING


The annual SAHF recognises achievements in the housing industry and projects that have contributed to the development of sustainable communities.

Staying true to their ethos of People, Expertise and Excellence, GIBB put people first with their role in the R200 million project that saw more than a thousand shack dwellers becoming proud home owners. GIBB, in close collaboration with the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Government and Asla Construction (Pty) Ltd., assisted with the project management, site monitoring and the contract administration component of this successful low-cost housing project.

The project serves as an example of the implementation of the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP), which supports the conversion of an informal area into a formal serviced township.

“The award is the pinnacle of a project that made a huge contribution to the City of Cape Town’s service delivery and capital expenditure for the 2012/13 financial year,” said City of Cape Town’s Human Settlements Project Manager, Quintus Welman. “Despite the challenges and community dynamics faced during the execution of the project, we were able to provide a superior product to the Happy Valley community,” he continued.

GIBB project honoured at SAHF AwardsThe Happy Valley Housing Project scooped the Low Cost Housing Project of the Year Award at this year’s Southern African Housing Foundation (SAHF) Awards. This was another feather in the cap for leading consulting engineering firm, GIBB, who formed part of the project team on this project.

NEWS


The involvement of GIBB leading to the project receiving the SAHF award, adds to a host of other accolades, which GIBB received this year. The firm recently managed the transport services in the construction of the new No.1 Silo office building in Cape Town, which received a 6 Green Star Rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).

The firm was also recognised for its substantial contribution to the project design of the Chevron Regional Office Building in Cape Town, which received a GBSA 5 Green Star Rating. GIBB’s Mechanical and Electrical Engineers designs and reports contributed 41 points out of the total 68 points which earned the award.

Furthermore, GIBB clinched the award for being first in the consulting engineering sector in the 2013 Top 500 Company Survey. This is the second year in a row that the firm has been rated number one in this survey.

Sean Molly, GIBB General Manager: Integrated Infrastructure, said it was encouraging to be noted among highly credible competitors. “As a company, we are very proud of our achievements, it is testament to our exceptional quality and service delivery standard as a market leader in the consulting engineering industry.”

NEWS

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Concrete has an advantage over other building materials in that concrete elements can be constructed to accommodate specific applications.

Tilt-up construction is a concrete building and construction technique where the elements are cast on site and lifted into their final position, maximising many of the unique and sustainable benefits of concrete for a cost-effective building technique and efficient construction method.

Elements that are to be tilted up are formed on a concrete slab, usually the building floor, but sometimes a temporary concrete casting surface near the building footprint. After the concrete has cured, the elements are tilted from horizontal to vertical with a crane and braced into position until the remaining building structural components (roofs, intermediate floors and walls) are secured. By forming the concrete elements on the ground as opposed to the final position, tilt up provides a convenient construction method, saving time, man-hours and formwork.

Conventional tilt-up panels are structural elements within a building that span from base to roof diaphragm, acting as beams and capable of carrying roof and slab loads. They combine the building envelope (façade), structure and final finish in one operation. Panels are set out in accordance with a predetermined casting layout drawing. Ideally, panels are cast on the surface bed of the project or on final concrete hardstand areas around the building.

CONSTRUCTION:Once the pad (casting surface or floor slab) has cured, forms are built on top. A high quality plywood or fibre board with at least one smooth face is typically used, but aluminum or steel forms can also be used. Carpenters work off engineered drawings designed for each panel or element to construct on site, incorporating all door and window openings, as well as architectural features and other desired shapes that can be moulded into the concrete. Studs, gussets and attachment plates are located within the form for embedding in the concrete. The forms are usually anchored to the casting surface with masonry nails to prevent damage to the floor slab. Next, a chemically reactive bond-breaker is sprayed on the forms and casting surfaces to prevent the cast concrete from bonding with the slab.

This allows the cast element to separate from the casting surface once it has cured. This is a critical step, as improper chemical selection or application will prevent the lifting of the panels, and may entail costly demolition and rework.

A reinforcement grid is constructed inside the forms, after the form release is applied, spaced off the casting surface to the desired distance with plastic ‘chairs.’

Concrete is then placed, filling the desired thickness and surrounding all steel inserts, embedded features and reinforcement. The forms are removed when the concrete is cured, rigging is attached and a crane tilts the panel or lifts the element into place. In circumstances when space is at a premium, concrete elements can be cast one on top of the other, or stack cast. Quite often, a separate casting pad is poured for this purpose and removed when the panels are erected.

Cranes are used to tilt the concrete elements from the casting slab to a vertical position. The slabs are then most often set onto a foundation and secured with braces until the structural steel and the roof diaphragm are in place.

Tilt up does not sacrifice quality for cost – instead it provides a finished product superior to most other alternatives, as it offers the strength and durability of reinforced concrete walls while simultaneously being able to economically achieve aesthetic effects neither possible nor cost-effective with other methods of construction. The end-result is attractive, aesthetically pleasing buildings.

Tilt-up construction for cost-effective aesthetics and durability Gary Theodosiou, engineer and lecturer at The Concrete Institute, says tilt-up construction is often overlooked in the design of structures, but can be one of concrete’s most cost-effective building techniques.


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Concrete elements are cast on site and lifted into their final position when the tilt-up construction method is used.

Gary Theodosiou.

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DPI Plastics to launch PVC-M couplings in larger diameter optionsDPI Plastics � a leading manufacturer of water reticulation, drainage and pipe-fitting systems in South Africa � is introducing larger diameter Ultralok PVC-M couplings to the local civils and mining sectors, following the continued success of its current range.

Ultralok, which is currently available in 110mm and 105mm diameters, is a first-of-its-kind patented product for the jointing of plain ended pipes. The

existing Ultralok offering has proven to be highly popular in mining and civils applications, thereby prompting DPI Plastics to expand the range.

DPI Plastics technical product manager, Renier Snyman, points out that the company plans to launch the 155mm and 160mm Ultralok variants to the local market by November 2013 and the 200mm and 210mm variants by May 2014. "Ultralok is ideal for repair couplings or primary joints in mining and civil pressure pipelines, due to the fact that it can be used with high-pressure PVC or HDPE pipelines up to 16 bar."

Snyman indicates that DPI Plastics originally developed the Ultralok PVC-M coupling in mid-2012 in response to requests from its clients in the mining industry who were experiencing substantial and costly damage to their metal pipelines as a result of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) in the water.

"When the metal pipes are exposed to sulphate-containing water, the interaction of water and metal creates a layer of molecular hydrogen on the metal surface. SRB then oxidise the hydrogen while creating hydrogen sulphide, which causes severe corrosion," he explains.

Snyman highlights the fact that the Ultralok system is fully protected against corrosion. "The lightweight, high-strength, low reactivity and corrosion resistance of PVC as a material makes it far better suited to heavy-duty and highly-abrasive mining applications."

According to Snyman, the design mechanism of Ultralok is unique in terms of its robustness and gripping nature. "The body is manufactured from high-impact PVC, incorporating a unique pressure-enhancing rubber seal. As the pressure increases, the design of the seal facilitates a distributed load, thereby alleviating the tensile load on the body of the coupling."

Ultralok is manufactured in-house by Johannesburg-based DPI Plastics, and is performance tested to the company's

stringent internal specifications to meet all criteria for use in 16 bar pressure pipelines where fully restrained joints are required. As a result, the Ultralok PVC-M range has successfully met the following test criteria for the SANS 1283 specification: one-hour test at 54,50 bar, ten-hour test at 50,60 bar, 100-hour test at 45,50 bar and the 1 000-hour test at 16 bar at 60°C.

Although Ultralok has been used predominantly in mining applications to date, Snyman states that the product is gaining ground in the civils market, and he is confident that the extended range of larger diameter couplings will lead to increased sales in this sector.

"We have sold a substantial number of Ultralok couplings, particularly for use in new potable water reticulation pipelines. As more money is invested in larger pipeline projects, I believe that the demand for the new diameter couplings will increase substantially in the long-term," he adds.

Looking to the future, Snyman notes that DPI Plastics will be promoting the benefits of the new Ultralok range through various tradeshows, publications and industry word-of-mouth. "The market is currently looking stable, and the promotion of DPI Plastics' proven quality and reliability will contribute significantly towards sustaining future market share," he concludes.


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