RDP home for Karatara
Construction has finally started on the first-ever RDP dwelling in Karatara, with the house expected to be built and completed within the next week or two.
Housing has been an issue for the residents of Karatara for many a year, and according to chairperson of the Karatara Housing Committee, Benjamin Daniels, the first step has finally been taken in mending this now that ground has been broken at the site.
The construction of the houses is a collaborative effort between a whole host of local and other SA construction companies and also formed part of Knysna Municipality’s Mandela Day initiatives.
Cape Island Construction (CIC) however, in coordination with Namandla Construction, are the two companies that have championed this project, making it possible with the help of the following local subcontractors and suppliers: B&V Civils, Knysna Roofing, Solutions Plumbing, BRC Electrical, BUCO, Traddirrs, ABT Aluminium Windows, Robbery Concrete and Quarries, TI Painters, and The Tile Shop.
CIC will also be making use of innovative building technologies (IBT) methods to construct the house by using autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks.
These blocks have numerous benefits, including having double the fire-resistance rating of a normal brick, they’re three times more thermally efficient, and are easier to build with in terms of speed and accuracy.
Houses have already been built using the brick in the Simola and Lifestyle Estates in Knysna, among others, but in this instance the end product is an RDP house that is built to last due to its innovative components and construction methods.
There have also been small design changes to the standard RDP house, thus ensuring the IBT AAC houses are easily identifiable.
The house will be approximately 40m2 in size, and is expected to take a mere two weeks to complete.