one on one
Dorah Modise, CEO of the Green Building Council of South Africa, with former CEO Brian Wilkinson
“We took a 150 hectare piece of land and built 26 production units comprising a housing unit, a chicken shed that can accommodate 1,000 chickens over an 8 week cycle, and a greenhouse for high value crops. In addition to these units, a central farm aimed at taking produce to the market was erected, as well as a market hall for direct retail on site. The housing units were fitted with rainwater harvesting tanks and solar water heaters, and the complex boasts a central borehole that channels sufficient water to all units, a state of the art septic tank system for sewage and wastewater management, a 100kw solar photovoltaic system as well as a biogas plant fuelled by biodegradable waste from the farming units, and sorghum planted on a 50 hectare piece of land within the centre. These features effectively rendered the Tshwane Food and Energy Centre as an almost closed system that ensures its residents live, work and play within the facility, and that there is no, or minimal, reliance on grid electricity and piped water. “This project appeals to the humanitarian in me,” says Modise. “Taking a small case study that we did in KZN, it demonstrates how, by expanding it a bit, we can make a difference to communities by making them self-sufficient. This pilot, done by the Tshwane municipality, cost about R40 million — and when you compare it with what any
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SOUTH AFRICAN PROPERTY REVIEW
locality would traditionally spend on social housing, this project utilises a relatively low capital budget for benefits that go much further than just housing provision. “Often, social houses are located away from places
“For us, the objective at the end of the day is to transform the built environment towards longer term sustainability and reduced climate change impacts, while keeping our members engaged and relevant.”
of employment, resulting in residents spending a high percentage of what little income they have on transport. This model ensured the provision of houses, a place of employment and a business opportunity, all at the same time, and each household
becomes a business unit in its own right. Broader roll out of similar initiatives will have far reaching economic benefits. “That said, what’s exciting me right now is my current role at the GBCSA and where the GBCSA itself is at right now. We know that the GBCSA has seen tremendous implementation of green development principles, therefore translating into green star certifications across the different sectors, with the biggest uptake being in the commercial building sector. While we will continue to advocate for and support work in this area, there is a need to punt more for other areas, the first being the residential sector. “Now that we have a residential, and the EDGE, rating tools in place, we can push ahead and tap into the conventional residential market. These tools allow for certification of both the individual household and the multi-residential complexes (a mainly EDGE tool). A lot of energy will be put into advocating for transformation of this sector — the ultimate objective will be to have individual property owners and seekers driving the demand for green residential units. “While there is legislation in place, such as SPLUMA, and there are building codes around energy usage, these regulations are perhaps a bit too tight and restrictive,” says Modise in answer to a question I pose on how she feels about certain legislation. “If we can look at the different rating tools, bring in the building codes as well as the land use policies and regulations, and encourage the property industry to be more self regulating through pro active measures such as green star certifications, we can at the same time continue to advocate for the sector through our engagements and partnerships with key government institutions. “We would like to work more closely with bodies such as the NHRBC, SAPOA and CESA on the advocacy side of our industry. How do we ensure that whatever comes out of government in terms of what’s being legislated for the built environment is in line with what we are planning to put in? Our relationship with the National Department of Public Works and SALGA, for example, is very important in ensuring alignment between government programmes and our member expectations. “For us, the objective at the end of the day is to transform the built environment towards longer term sustainability and reduced climate change impacts, while keeping our members engaged and relevant.