Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Garden Cities takes lead in green regime
94-year-old company well ahead in applying regulations in new construction code
THE WESTERN Cape’s oldest residential development company, 94-year-old Garden Cities, has taken a lead in the application of the building industry’s most up- to- date construction code.
T h e c o mpany a l r e a d y applies the new SANS 10400-XA regulations related to green building, and has drafted its own guidelines for interpretation of the code, as well as its practical application.
Produced by t he South African National Standards, the rules set the standard for environmental sustainability and energy use in buildings, and now f or m par t of t he National Building Regulations.
More than 200 Garden Cities houses have already been built according to the new specifications, which are applied and regulated by the company’s appointed architects.
As part of good building practice, the company has previously embraced many of the principles of the code well in advance of the publishing of the regulations and has now produced guideline documents at all levels to comply fully with the code, says chief executive John Matthews.
The documents include the company’s own environmental policy, as well as a technical green building framework, to serve as its reference for all involved in current and future development.
The company has also produced an illustrated document with written guidelines for use by buyers and occupants, to help them live in keeping with the green principles and benefit from options that are fast taking over the commercial and residential property environment.
Innovations under consideration include giving residents their own earthworm farms and recycling bins.
“The working documents and guidelines are all in line with the principle of ‘R to the power three’ – Recycle, Reduce and Re-use,” says Matthews.
“The Garden Cities board believes that with the scale of the company’s operation it is in a position to have a significant impact on changing the mindset of the wider community to adopt green solutions.
“After nearly 100 years of building, Garden Cities i s conversant and compliant with many of the principles enshrined in the new code, including concerns with insulation and fenestration, and many of the new principles have been part of its construct i on philosophy s i nce t he beginning.”
In advance of publishing the code, the company also took steps to introduce conservation measures such as heat pumps or solar panels for domestic hot water in its new residential construction.
Among the measures being taken in Garden Cities homes are under- roof- tile reflective insulation as well as eco-insulation.
Hot water storage cylinders are insulated and served by heat pumps, which use 70 percent less electricity than conventional geysers, or, in some instances, solar panels are installed.
Timing switches to disconnect pumps at low-use times are also provided.
Window sizes are determined by their position on the dif f erent elevations of t he house so that heat loss and gain can be controlled.
Windows, i n addition to being size- appropriate, will also be subject to further modification to prevent heat transmission.
Garden Cities also believes the code provides the way forward for South African construction and that it will make an enormous difference to the conservation of energy in the long term, and enhance the sustainability of resources.
The guidelines will shortly be available for download from Garden Cities’ website, www.gardencities.co.za.