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Contents
of October 1998
EDITORIAL
LETTERS
NEWS
BOOK REVIEW
INSPIRATION
An attempt at continuity
INSULT
Maltreatment of urban stream
TREE OF THE ISSUE
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
FEATURES
Millennium Public Spaces Competition
Finalists in the pocket parks category
1998 ILASA Merit Awards
Eco-tourism Projects /
Recreation for urban dwellers
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EDITORIAL
The past two
months have been hectic for The Urban Green File. We have moved to bigger premises in
Melville (see change of address and telephone numbers, above) and we have a website which
is ‘under construction’ as they say - the current issue (Sept/Oct ‘98) is
available to all, while back issues will, shortly, be available to subscribers only, by
means of passwords. The website can be accessed on: http://www.urbangreen.co.za . Our
Green Products stand at Interbuild ‘98 was a great success and we liked what
architect Henning Rasmuss, a member of our editorial advisory committee, had to say about
it: "Green File had such a fantastically eclectic stand at Interbuild." Thank
you to all the suppliers of green products and services that supported our stand and the
publication that went with it - and to the many readers of The Urban Green File who
visited our ‘very busy’ stand.
Held in
conjunction with Interbuild ‘98 was another hectic and thoroughly stimulating event -
the Sustainability in the Built Environment conference, where I met a host of interesting
people from all parts of South Africa and a contingent from overseas including Prof
Charles Kibert of the University of Florida, Prof Peter Schmid of Eindhoven University and
Alan Gilham of the Centre For Sustainable Construction in the UK. We heard innumerable
talks (almost too many, we were exhausted yet mentally invigorated) on subjects varying
from ‘Spiritual architecture - building for people’ and ‘Lateral,
visionary, ‘green’ architecture’ to ‘Energy efficiency in buildings’
and ‘The use of construction waste as a building material’. Case studies on
building with earth blocks and straw bales were given by a trio of architects from Cape
Town and this issue of the journal carries an interview with Etienne Bruwer on straw bale
housing for river rafters at the guest farm Oudrif near Clanwilliam. This fitted in nicely
with our mini-theme for this issue which is ‘Recreation for Urban Dwellers’ (see
pg 19). And thanks to Sara Sparks for her honesty about difficulties with earthworm loos,
under the same heading.
Future
issues will cover many of the other topics and case studies presented at the conference
and hearty congratulations go to the organisers, particularly Glaudin Kruger whose
enthusiasm for the subject knows no bounds. She tells me that the next ‘sustainability
conference’ is already scheduled for the middle of 1999, so watch The Urban Green
File for announcements.
Congratulations
also to the ILASA Merit Award winners (see pg 11), all from the Western Cape, and to the
finalists of the ‘pocket parks’ category of our Townscape Millenium Open Spaces
Competition (see pg 16), all from Gauteng, that we have given coverage to in this issue.
The Open Spaces Competition has attracted a lot of attention and we hope that our
subscribers will, once again, fill in the ballot form to help us decide on the winner.
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LETTERS
Timeshare’ with a view: they’re not inside...they’re on top!
The
wonderful thing about South Africa, and Johannesburg, is that it never ceases to amaze the
weary urban citizen. In this town, truth is always stranger than fiction.
Take the
Ponte Building, largest Coca-Cola can in the world, undisputed icon of the skyline,
rumoured den of iniquity, seventies urban dream turned urban nightmare, rumoured Nigerian
drug warehouse, then rumoured ‘city lodge’ for ANC returned exiles, then...
timeshare complex? Jo’burg by the sea? No, not quite. It would seem that this will be
a different timeshare...the involuntary type, for the few who do not escape the long arm
of the law.
We have
perhaps been stunned by too much incredible news material in the past. When a TV news
report announced last year that Ponte was being investigated as an inner-city prison, this
elicited only the wry ".... they just need to lock the doors, anyway!". And with
that, we turned a little further away from Johannesburg in mind and soul.
It would
seem that the project has been given the go-ahead at Cabinet level. The thinking behind
inner-city prisons is the construction of detention centres with in-house courtrooms, to
minimise the risks of prisoner escapes. Also, it is a possible use for derelict inner-city
buildings, which may be suitable for conversion. Ponte fits the part exactly: it is
efficiently designed to be subdivided into inward and outward-facing cells, and can be
made into a useful prison at half the cost of constructing a new one. These are ‘the
facts’: in America, inner-city prisons ‘work’. They make neighbourhoods
safer. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Or does it?
Consider
this: Would you want to live next to Ponte if it was turned into a towering prison? Guess
not. But geographical proximity apart, there are two very serious issues at stake.
Johannesburg
is under threat because of a lack of confidence and a lack of political will. It is dying
because there are still not enough people living close to the centre to sustain it as a
living environment - in spite of the demand. It is dying because living communities have
been ripped out of this city before: see Pageview, see Vrededorp. And here is a proposal
to take a large part of the living city and cut it off from its surroundings.
Like it or
not, Ponte is a world of its own, an own place, an icon, an address, a place with an
identity, with history, with ghosts. There can be few buildings that have less interaction
with their environment than a prison. Cutting Ponte out of the city will be another blow
to the fragile balance of forces that keeps our city intact and alive. Ponte is currently
occupied by a large contingent of students from the neighbouring Technikon, who enjoy some
of the best views in the city and the convenience and amenity of inner-city living. It
seems perverse and ill-considered to want to remove life from our inner-city. Crime and
many other problems of inner-city society stem directly from the lack of living space and
the prevention of access to amenities for the majority of the population.
At a less
measurable and yet more disturbing level, the symbolic impact of the conversion of a city
landmark into a prison cannot be lost on anyone. Imagine the Centre Pompidou as a prison?
The Empire State Building? Foreign journalists have been reporting on the Ponte story with
glee, as another peculiar sign of the visible subversion of our society by crime. Here,
no-one seems to take the real and symbolic impact seriously. It is a true measure of how
little we care for Johannesburg. Yes, perhaps no-one will see the difference from a
distance. But those who know, will be the sadder for it. And our threatened city will be
the poorer for it.
As a
project, it seems radical: inserting sky-level sports decks into the void, breaking
multi-storey openings into the sides of the tower... but could this not be considered as
an exciting redevelopment of Ponte into a building for ...free people?
A thought:
Have the citizens of Johannesburg been consulted on this? Have the students been
consulted? Have the inhabitants of Hillbrow been consulted? Ponte belongs to all of us. It
is part of our city, our place, our landscape, our pride, part of our urban history, part
of our brash and loud and direct architecture. Ponte deserves to live, in a real sense,
and so does Johannesburg! N
- Henning Rasmuss, architect
Ed: I contacted Conrad van Wyk of Osmond Lange Mosienyane, the project architects. He said
that he and his partner Paul Silver, an architect experienced in the design of
correctional facilities with 38 years of practice in New York, had been approached about
the scheme by a consortium of businessmen. The architects were asked to identify a
building and they decided that Ponte made sense. The need for an inner-city awaiting-trial
facility has been approved at Cabinet level and it is about to be put out to tender, with
the most important requirements being that the facility should be able to accommodate a
minimum of 2 500 prisoners and be within 3 km of the Magistrates Court. "We believe
that our concept will probably satisfy the tender as closely as possible - although we
have not seen the tender document," said Van Wyk. "This means we will be able to
put in a tender four or five weeks later." According to Van Wyk, the facility will be
privately run and the operator, an overseas company, will charge the government a daily
rate.
When the
consortium put in a rezoning application, the people in the area (Hillbrow, Berea,
Yeoville) were approached about the scheme through a series of three public meetings.
Seven thousand pamphlets were distributed to alert people in the area and inform them
about the proposed scheme. The first meeting was held with the Technikon students resident
in Ponte and there was a positive response to the deal that was offered them - the
leaseholders would be given alternative accommodation in unfurnished, therefore less
expensive, apartments and they could take the furniture from their furnished Ponte
apartments with them.
There have
been three objections to the rezoning - two of them, in the form rather of queries, have
subsequently been withdrawn. The contractors responsible for the Coca-Cola sign were
satisfied when they were guaranteed continued access to their large sign; and the
landowners, Johnnic, who were given the rights to the land in the days of Barney Barnato,
agreed to the idea once they understood that it was an effort to help cope with crime. The
third objection has been lodged by a DP Councillor who believes that the building is not
suitable for conversion.
The practice of Van Riet & Louw, landscape
architects and environmental planners, is in the process of doing an Environmental Impact
Assessment of the project.
The New Visitors’
Centre at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
David Lewis
of GAPP, architects of the Visitors’ Centre, replies to the critique by Peter Dayson
in the May/June issue of The Urban Green File.
Following
intensive developmental research and planning reports spanning some 25 years, the lower
garden precinct was chosen as the site for the new visitors’ interpretation and
information centre. The centre, together with the recently completed glasshouse and the
proposed new restaurant, were to form an eastern edge to the garden, and were planned to
be a natural limit to development within the garden itself. The demand for parking amenity
was limited to an area reclaimed from waste swamp and under-utilised bus repair sheds and
was purposely constrained, in line with trends to encourage bus and other public transport
alternatives.
The brief
for the Visitors’ Centre included a reception, restroom facilities, information and
video display areas, a guides’ office, ticket offices, ATM machines, the Botanical
Society office, a small coffee bar, a medium scale retail space, management offices and an
exhibition space which was later changed to a 350 seater multi-use conference facility.
The latter to foster cultural activities and assist in generating income.
Architectural
submissions were invited by way of a limited competition and were adjudicated by
representatives from the SA Institute of Architects and the National Botanical Institute.
The winning concept set out to address the following distinct themes:
*
The great tradition of
public space making - a forecourt to the greatest botanical garden in Southern Africa.
*
Civic scale, in its
position as gateway to the garden, reconciled with the need to create a welcoming and
hospitable environment.
*
Architectural unity
with the existing glasshouse and the range of programmatic functions.
*
Dialogue with the
specifics of the context, continuously reminding one of the presence of the garden beyond.
*
Grading the landscape
to achieve a flowing ease of access, across a steeply sloping site.
* Recognising
the potential for future activities, that go beyond the current brief, in the making of
public spaces.
The new
buildings are arranged around a stepped court, with the glasshouse at the head of the
compostion - its roof displayed proudly as the jewel in the crown. Views of the garden
bowl and mountainside dominate the low-slung buildings surrounding the sparse courtyard.
The presence of the garden, yet unseen, is palpable here, and it is intended that the open
sky quality of Africa is felt strongly in this space, prior to entering the lush green
slopes of Kirstenbosch.
The pavilion
building fronting onto the car park acts as the formal gateway to the garden. It is large
in scale so that it acts as a civic signifier of public entrance and so as not to be
overwhelmed by the buses that are to draw up outside it. The process of entry is
conditioned by a large loggia which in time will be covered in deciduous indigenous vines.
The columnar roof supports and lightweight steel members are metaphors of the Ficus trees
that form the western enclosure to the arrival space.
The eastern
side of the courtyard is bounded by shops arranged over three levels - the Cafe Botanica,
the Natural World Store and the Botanical Society bookshop. These are reached by means of
an internal street that has window boxes flanking the courtyard. The street opens up to
views of the garden bowl through the full height.
To the west
of the courtyard are the three Old Mutual Exhibition Foyers which open directly onto the
subdivisible Conference Hall. The hall is unique in that the western wall is predominantly
glazed and allows spectacular views of the enormous golden Ficus trees under which the
building shelters. The ceilings are a series of concave shells culminating in a curved
wall which backs the stage. Sound is thereby evenly distributed across the length of the
hall and acoustic results are excellent. The lighting serves to enhance the desired
magical nature of the relationship to the garden.
The upper
courtyard is bounded by a formal water course which is the conceptual culmination of the
ubiquitous streams in the garden. The sound of falling water helps to soothe the senses
and shield the garden from the traffic noise of the adjacent Rhodes Drive.
Bounding the
courtyard on both levels are the timber pergolas - designed as delicate future bowers of
indigenous creepers - unifying the surrounding buildings in their poised dance. The graded
steps and ramps deposit one at the wrought iron gate - itself an allegory of life - with
the choice of entrance to the glasshouse to the left or to cross the threshold into the
garden.
The
architectural language derives its expression both from the natural and landscaped forms,
as well as from functional garden buildings which used to occupy the site - potting sheds,
nurseries and the like. Wherever possible, lightweight functional elements have been
chosen, and revealed rather than covered over.
The palette
of materials was chosen from the prevalent indigenous natural elements: tinted plaster to
match the soil colour, local rosa stone slate, timber and purpose-made gravel pavers.
The building
has been designed and built in the knowledge that it will mature and improve with time, as
the building is occupied and the landscaping elements come to full fruition.
David B Lewis, architect
Culture of
criticism
I have a
thought, following on from previous discussions that we’ve had (at Editorial
Committee meetings) about the ‘culture of criticism’ in South Africa. Through an
experience with another publication, I have come to the conclusion that the professions
publish too late. Our professional journals should be an active forum while we work, not
after the job is finished. Professional planning is a highly interactive discipline. The
thoughts of a planner should be tested widely while he plans. The natural response to
criticism after the completion of a project would be: "Sir, where were you when we
could have incorporated your comments?"
I know this
is difficult to achieve, but it is done elsewhere. The subject of environmental planning
lends itself more easily to a more open approach during the development of the planning
exercise than pure architectural exercises do. Maybe you could break the ice for
discussions and become a pioneer in the matter. But in bigger print, please!
- Hans Wilreker – architect
Murals by local
artists
It was with
great interest that I read the July/August 1998 issue of The Urban Green File. Thanks to
you and your team for providing such interesting articles. One in particular caught my
attention and that was on the wall murals in Soweto. This is of particular interest to a
client of mine - an international soft drink supplier - who is wanting to commission a
local artist to do a mural. We are very keen to make contact with the artist Percy
Shongwe: if you have his details, I would be most appreciative if you would pass them on
to me.
Many thanks
- and keep up the environmental fight!
Jo-Anne Doyle, account executive, Corpcom Outdoor
Ed. We were able to let Jo-Anne have Percy Shongwe’s contact details and will be
following up on the proposed mural.
Development
spoils landmark
I have
included photographs of Cornwall Hill in Irene, Centurion. This landmark, and once
relatively unspoilt hill, is being spoilt by a development that would have been far more
successful had it been placed on surrounding land facing the hill. During the early stages
of marketing the development, a huge billboard, depicting an eagle soaring over an
unspoilt Cornwall Hill, was emblazoned with the slogan: 'Care to share his view?’ The
advertised development is now on the view that no longer is!
Rick Allingham - Excelsa Projects
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NEWS
‘Claim Your Heritage’
The National
Monuments Council has produced a poster entitled ‘Claim Your Heritage’ which
invites the citizens of South African villages, towns and cities to identify and submit
places that they consider to be of cultural importance in their communities. These could
include any site at which an historic event took place, a place in which an important
person lived or worked or a place where people gathered to discuss community affairs. The
posters were distributed on Heritage Day, along with pre-addressed postcards on which the
information can be supplied, to encourage South Africans to claim their heritage.
A Policy for
Ridges
Gauteng’s
Western Metropolitan Local Council (WMLC) has recently put in place a development policy
for the protection of the main ridges within their sphere of jurisdiction. In the past no
formal policy existed that guided development on ridges and consequently the main ridges
have been exploited and compromised by development. The goal of the policy is to set
development standards that will ensure the conservation of certain environmentally
sensitive areas and allow high quality development in locations which are already
compromised by development. The policy document maintains that development on top of a
ridge will benefit a few individuals, while the ridge as a feature will be spoilt for the
much larger community below that looks up at the ridge.
Ed: What a pity that the Krugersdorp Local Council
is not as environmentally aware as the WMLC! (See Editorial of July/August issue of The
Urban Green File.)
‘Environmental
Design for Safer Communities’
The draft of
this document, written by the Division of Building Technology, CSIR and the Institute for
Security Studies, was workshopped at a well-attended symposium held at the CSIR in August
this year. The document is being prepared in support of the National Crime Prevention
Strategy. The well-prepared, user-friendly, draft document includes photographs and
drawings illustrating safe design and cites examples of developments that have used these
concepts.
For example:
Hatfield Square, Pretoria, with its mixed commercial and recreational activities, provides
passive surveillance over almost a 24 hour period; safe routes have been created between
the International Convention Centre, Durban Beachfront and the city centre - signs maps
and lighting direct people along certain routes which benefit from higher levels of both
passive and active surveillance; a subway under the road connects a large shopping complex
to the Durban City Hall precinct - it is approached by a pedestrian ramp, its length is
reduced by opening it to the sky between the two road lanes, and it is well-lit and
policed at night.
The document
makes numerous recommendations, such as transparent fences which allow for surveillance,
the design of a network of small neighbourhood parks, rather than open spaces which are
too large to be effectively controlled by residents - and putting mechanisms into place to
ensure that undeveloped land and untidy, dirty areas are kept to a minimum. "A direct
relationship between crime and grime has been recognised internationally" so high
levels of maintenance are necessary.
Intensive
bullfrog search on casino site
In the not
too distant past, the vlei areas on the site of Tsogo Sun’s Monte Casino in Fourways
were prime bullfrog territory. Previous owners of the property (Longmeadow Farm), Richard
and Donald Curry, had frequent sitings of bullfrogs fifteen to twenty years ago but they
doubted that the bullfrogs were still around because of the decline in insect life in the
area, over the past two decades. Bullfrogs spend only very short periods above ground,
annually, and for this reason they need to eat a lot of food, very quickly. The
Environmental Impact Assessment done on the site, by the Environmental Design Partnership
(EDP), prior to the casino licence being awarded, emphasised the importance of the
bullfrogs. The African bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) has the status of ‘vulnerable’
on the International Red Data List.
Tsogo Sun,
the owners of Monte Casino, are also co-owners of the Transvaal Snake Park - and, in
conjunction with the other co-owners, Oscar Lockwood and Deighton Clegg, whose company
Real Landscapes is the appointed landscape contractor on the site, they had access to the
skills required for a bullfrog ‘search and rescue’ operation. "Tsogo Sun
took the matter very seriously. Longmeadow’s farm foreman had seen a small number of
bullfrogs emerge during a period of good rainfall about three years ago - and this kept
our hopes up," said Lockwood.
Bullfrog
expert Clayton Cook was on site during the operation along with a number of other
qualified herpetologists. The equipment included small back-actors and a large
traxcavator, picks and shovels - and polystyrene boxes, packed with vermiculite, in which
to transport the frogs. Bullfrogs are very vulnerable in their dormant stage, when they
bury themselves underground encased in a cocoon of earth. The cocoon would, ideally, have
to be brought out entact or repaired rapidly.
Normally,
the rising groundwater after a good rainfall breaks up the cocoon and allows the frog to
surface. The females only stay above ground for about a week, for breeding purposes,
whereas the males stay out longer to take care of the tadpoles. They are dedicated
fathers, with the ability to sense when the water in which their tadpole brood is living
is becoming polluted, starting to dry up or lacking in nutrients - and to dig a very
lengthy trench (even up to 30 m), if necessary, to lead the tadpoles to a better habitat.
Bullfrogs
nest in the cusp between the clay and sand layers, up to a meter deep, and the much larger
traxcavator had to be used to break through into likely areas. "Although no bullfrogs
were found, during the very thorough search, twelve guttural toads, several shrews and
mole snakes and an olive grass snake were pulled out and temporarily relocated to the
Snake Park. A pocket of eight guttural toads was uncovered and this added to scientific
knowledge because it was not known that they hibernate in colonies," said Lockwood.
Environmental officers from the Eastern Metropolitan Local Council, Sarah Singleton of EDP
and the chairman of the Interested and Affected Parties were present to monitor the
proceedings. The whole exercise cost ± R30, 000.
"Bullfrogs
are an important indicator species and the fact that the colony has either died off or
moved away indicates the polluted state of the environment. Sadly, garden pesticides that
kill insect life were assumed to be the problem in this relatively new urban area,"
commented Lockwood.
Conservation
through cultivation
Grass Roots
Nursery held an indigenous cycad sale in July. Judging from the traffic jam and the eager
crowd gathered outside the nursery gates waiting for the start of the sale, this event
stirred up a lot of interest. Cycads, with their primordial glamour, excite people’s
imagination and as such, are vulnerable to being plundered in natural areas.
Tebago
Nepedi, a law enforcement officer monitoring the sale, said: "People know that cycads
are scarce and see them as collectable items. It is important to educate them and make
them aware of the effects on the environment." Cycads are a lucrative business and
legislation is vital to conserve these plants. Grassroots Nursery applied for a licence
from the Department of Tourism, Environment and Conservation when the decision was made to
cultivate cycads.
Patrick
Trollip of Grass Roots explained: "People who acquire cycads from the wild, disturb
the balance or ratio of male and female plants and thereby their reproductive cycles. I,
personally, believe in conservation through cultivation." The indigenous cycad sale
made many different species available to cycad collectors and private individuals, helping
to alleviate this stress on the environment.
Three
species of Encephalartos were unavailable at the sale: E.woodii, E.brevifoliolatus and
E.hirsutus (The latter two are recently discovered species). E.woodii is totally extinct
in the wild and only male plants can be found in private collections, which means this
species is unable to reproduce. Due to the rarity of E.hirsutus and E.brevifoliolatus,
even their specific localities may not be divulged. Patrick Trollip explained this need
for secrecy: "It is for this very reason that these plants are so sought after. They
are used as status symbols and are highly valued as ornamental plants. In the past, the
localities of some cycads were made known to collectors and the result was that, shortly
afterwards, the habitats of many species of cycad were plundered."
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BOOK REVIEW
Vanishing Waters
Authors:
Bryan Davies and Jenny Day
Illustrator: Clare Douie
Publisher: UCT Press
A highly
readable, thought-provoking book, conveying the urgency of the need for a water
conservation ethic in our water poor country. The rigorous honesty of the authors, Bryan
Davies and Jenny Day, is commended by Prof Kader Asmal in the Foreword: "Vanishing
Waters is an important work. It combines scholarly insights on the functioning of aquatic
ecosystems with direct challenges to water management policies. I welcome that. Part of
the metamorphosis of South Africa ...has been to invite criticism in all its guises.
Davies and Day do not hold back, and there is a great value in the honesty."
They do not
hold back when they say that they know of no truly detailed EIA - starting by examining
alternatives - that has been carried out in southern Africa for any major water
development project: "It is still common for an EIA to consist of a quick dash into
the field when the heat is turned up (usually by the public), a rapid assessment report on
a couple of aspects of the proposed development, then a hard sell suggesting that a full
EIA has been carried out and that the environmentalists are acting emotionally, or do not
understand the economics of the system."
In the
section on the damage done by invasive plants and animals such as the imported water
hyacinth, trout and bass, and the threat of imported freshwater crayfish, the authors say,
almost despairingly: "Will we never learn that, out of their natural environments and
away from their natural predators and diseases, introduced species are an enormous threat
to natural environments unless careful research has established the limits of their
potential as pests." The new EIA regulations will, hopefully, make a difference here.
Davies and
Day do not hold back in the section on ‘the degradation of urban rivers’ when
they say: "The most devastating action that can be taken against a river is
canalisation, for it prevents the river from functioning as a riverine ecosystem."
They go on to accuse landscape architects of insensitive design and cosmetic landscaping
techniques which merely serve to make the urban river ‘look good’ for the
enjoyment of human beings, without taking riverine life into account. They also comment
with horror on the extraordinary propensity of humans, particularly property developers,
to build on floodplains: "This has resulted in so much chaos that one wonders why it
continues. Although it is now recognised that building development should not be permitted
below the fifty-year flood-line, preventative legislation either does not exist or is
virtually ignored."
The book
advocates a number of practical examples, showing that each of us can make a difference:
getting a smaller toilet cistern or using a "tank bank" water displacement bag
(Environmentally-friendly Goods Trading Company of Onrus) or installing a dual-flush
system; fixing leaks, covering the swimming pool and reducing the amount of flow from taps
by means of a tap aerator; using toilet-lid sinks and low-flow shower heads; ‘Water-wise
gardening’, mulching, rainwater tanks and the ‘Moisture Master Soaker Hose’;
using grey water in the garden by means of the Water Rhapsody systems (see page 18,
May/June issue of The Urban Green File), a sophisticated device from the company ‘Water
Matters’ or the bath ‘Torpedo’ that couples the drain from the bath to the
garden hose.
The authors
emphasise the fact that municipalities should be in the vanguard when it comes to water
savings, since council employees are responsible for water supply, metering, leak
detection, etc: the story of The Greater Hermanus Water Conservation Programme is a
heartening one.
The section
on ‘saving our rivers’ discusses a few case studies to illustrate the rapidly
expanding partnership between ecologists, engineers and planners that has been forged in
recent times, saying that: "Some of these studies provide cause for optimism, in that
a little progress is being made towards healing some small part of our tiny portion of the
planet."
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INSPIRATION
An attempt at
continuity
A project,
which involves the supply, erection and maintenance of new ‘suburban and information’
signage by a private company (Suburban & Industrial Signs, who won the tender) and at
no cost to the municipality, has been initiated in Sandton by the Eastern Metropolitan
Local Council (EMLC). The signage, designed by the Council, in accordance with the traffic
ordinance, is very simple, very legible and very classy. It is the start of an attempt to
standardise signage and create a street furniture theme throughout the EMLC and it is
hoped that other Council’s will follow suit.
"The
extruded signage panels protrude past the poles, giving a more substantial appearance
(almost a 3D look) to the sign - while the rounded corners of the green steel pipes give
an elegant finish to the product," said Ian Dixon, manager of Building Control and
Enforcement at the EMLC. This signage on the road verges or islands announces the suburb,
gives information or a ‘community message’ - and provides a dignified medium for
outdoor advertising.
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INSULT
Maltreatment of urban stream
The
disrespect shown to a stream in Midrand, plus an attempt to atone for the ugliness created
by the solid concrete canal wall with some inexcusably bad landscaping, has the residents
up in arms. Nowadays, there is no excuse for replacing a river bank with a concrete wall.
(See review on Vanishing Waters - page 4.) The opposite bank may be free of concrete but
the wetland is degraded and littered, while the planting is sparse and inappropriate and
will not survive for long with the lack of soil preparation and the weed encroachment.
According to a resident, three years ago this was a fairly natural little stream, running
unhindered through an area of small holdings.
Property
developers Streef en Wen produced site development plans for the shopping centre and
proposals for the stream which were not adhered to - and the Midrand Council has not
issued an occupancy certificate because certain environmental conditions have, along with
a number of other conditions, not been met. The senseless behaviour of some property
developers is astonishing - the stream is a resource and yet the centre turns its back on
what could become an attractive wetland, enhancing the aesthetics of the development. The
plans that were originally submitted were passed, but the development is nothing like the
promise of the plans: a beautiful grassed embankment turned into a ugly 3m high concrete
wall, reducing the width of the river. The residents have lodged a series of objections
with the Public Protector.
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TREE OF THE ISSUE
Steganotaenia araliacea
Commonly known as the
Carrot Tree
This Tree of the Issue has been chosen by Dennis Jackson of Grass Roots
Nursery, who is a grower of indigenous trees. He warns that this small tree which, under
favourable conditions, should reach a height of 6m in 15 - 20 years, is for the warmer
areas of the country and will not survive more than one or two very mild frosts when it is
young. If, however, it is carefully protected for the first four or five winters, it will,
by virtue of its thicker bark, become slightly more tolerant of the cold. "It is a
lovely little tree which occurs naturally in the drier rocky soils of our northern and
north-eastern bushveld areas, generally on slopes sheltered from frost and cold winds. It
comes into flower as early as August - and is therefore relatively easily spotted amongst
the drab browns and greys of the bushveld in early spring, where it occurs in isolation or
in association with Commiphora and Combretum species and the occasional specimen of
Mopani. Some fine specimens can be seen on the road between Tzaneen and Phalaborwa, in the
vicinity of Letsitele and Gravelotte and towards Leydsdorp," says Jackson.
The Carrot
Tree is relatively easy to grow from seed and should be sown about 3mm deep in a sandy
compost mix (3:1) where it will germinate in about two weeks. As soon as two adult leaves
have formed, the seedlings should be planted out into 5l black plastic bags and then
‘grown on’ under nursery conditions.
The leaves
are very distinctive. They are compound, usually with three (sometimes four) pairs of
leaflets and a terminal leaflet. Each leaflet is prominently and unevenly dentate with an
apex tapering to a very fine point. The flowers are small, green to light green, and borne
in a galaxy of umbels - up to eight in number, arising from the same point. The flowers
come out before the leaves. The ripe seeds are light brown and flattened. All the plant
parts (roots, stems and crushed leaves) smell almost exactly like a freshly snapped
domestic carrot.
"They
make lovely feature trees grown as single specimens in a parkland area and have been used
as such in the open parkland areas of Phalaborwa. They can also be grown in a grove of
appropriate trees to emulate their natural occurrence in the woodland of the Northern
Province," comments Jackson.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Computer aided design, presentation and project management
Architects
can utilise information technology to assist them in the design of buildings, the
presentation of projects to clients and in the management of these projects.
Although
most architects and designers are accustomed to CAD and information technology, they often
view it as merely an aid for working drawings, rather than a design tool. However, Andre
Wright of Boogertman Krige (BK) Architects believes that software technology, such as
AutoCAD 14, 3D Studio Max, AccuRender, and hardware technology, such as pressure sensitive
sketch pads, enable designers to utilise the computer as a creative design tool. This also
minimises the time spent on transferring hand drawn sketches to the computer.
Information
technology is useful in the entire process of design, presentation and project management.
The design is done on AutoCAD 14 3D and then rendered with AccuRender and 3D Studio Max to
be used as a sketch plan for presentations. BK Architects do all their presentations on
computer - in Power Point slide format, as well as animated files. These slides are
projected from the computer - making it easy (and without incurring extra expense) to make
changes to the text / images. The computer screen is projected on to a wall for the entire
audience to view. This is more effective than the old way of preparing poster displays so
that only a few people close to you can actually see the presentation material in detail.
Wright uses
Panoramic View Utilities as a design and presentation aid. Panoramic View Utilities puts
the client in the middle of room - giving him a ‘dynamic real-time view’. He
sees the building as he moves through it, in exactly the same way as he would have in
reality. This helps the client, immensely, in visualising the actual building. Video
conferencing enables the architect to present a 3D ‘walk-through’ of either a
physical model or a 3D computer simulation of the building, to a client or audience
anywhere in the world.
Management
of the construction phase and liaising with other consultants can be time consuming for
the architect. However, Wright believes, that the effective use of information technology
can bring about a change. He aims to make project drawings available on his firms’
website for a current project. Instead of printing out drawings on between 4 and 5 kms of
paper for all the consultants, they merely download the drawing from the website, work on
it and e-mail it back to the architects. When all the technical drawings are complete, and
have been approved, final construction drawings are issued through e-mail, resulting in a
considerable reduction in paper use. In the case of major projects, a stand alone printer
can be installed on site to enable the architect to send a construction drawing, via a
modem line, to site with an electronic issue slip.
Provided
that all the consultants work on the same CAD package so that formatting (line thickness,
fonts etc) is not lost in the transfer of data - this can speed up the entire planning
process.
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FEATURES
Millennium Public Spaces Competition
Finalists
in the pocket parks category
Finalists in
the ‘pocket parks’ category of our Public Spaces Competition, sponsored by
Enviro Elements/ Townscape, are Fitas Park in Atteridgeville, and Mai Mai Play Space and
the Sasol Sensory Trail, Delta Park - both in Johannesburg. We have defined pocket parks
as those parks under 0,5 ha in size but the Sasol Sensory Trail is actually a ‘park’
within a park.
Fitas Park, Maraba
Street, Atteridgeville, Pretoria
This small park is sited in a well-established residential area of
Atteridgeville. The site was previously a vacant piece of veld which was used for the
illegal dumping of domestic waste and building rubble, and the park was developed at the
request of the surrounding community. During the planning phase of the project, Pretoria
City Council's Culture and Recreation Department consulted extensively with the community.
The design proposals were approved by the community before they were finalised. All the
labour for the construction phase was provided by the community: site and soil
preparation, installation of fencing, trenching for the irrigation system, laying of lawn
sods and planting of indigenous trees. The Council supervised the project and is
responsible for the maintenance.
Fitas Park,
which is highly visible and accessible, has added considerably to the character and
aesthetics of the neighbourhood and it is very well-utilised by local residents. In the
afternoons and over weekends, the childrenŐs play area is very popular and adults utilise
the benches as they keep an eye on the children or merely spend a relaxing couple of hours
in the park surrounds. The park, with its paved pathway, is a well-utilised pedestrian
thoroughfare and the lawn areas are used for informal play and sports’ activities.
The exposed nature of the park means that there is good surveillance from the surrounding
roads and houses, and the surrounding community is very involved with the park and
monitors and regulates the activities in the park or reports matters to the Council. There
is good lighting from street lights at night.
General
maintenance comprises daily sweeping and litter removal, weekly maintenance of lawns and
monitoring and repair of playground equipment, the irrigation system and the post-and-rail
fence. The trees and shrubs are attended to and pruned on a seasonal basis.
Mai Mai Play Space,
Berea Road, Johannesburg
The newly established Mai Mai Play Space is located on a piece of left-over
land between the arms of the Anderson Street on and off ramps to the motorway, adjacent to
the Mai Mai Bazaar. Since the early 20th Century, the Mai Mai Bazaar has functioned as an
ethnic African craft market where the goods of traditional medicine are sold and it has
served as a home for the sangomas and inyangas. In the early '80s, the Johannesburg City
Council began an upgrading programme of the area and the road reserve was planted with
indigenous trees. Over the years, the space was invaded by squatters and degenerated into
a dumping ground. At present, there is a residential population of about 600 people,
including about 150 children under the age of seven. It is in response to the needs of
these children that the fenced Play Space, with its shady lawn areas, sand pits,
playground equipment and small covered pavilion, has been designed.
The Mai Mai
Community are the decision-makers and the maintenance and management is undertaken by a
partnership of the Mai Mai Committee, the Gauteng Department of Transport and Public Works
and the Southern Metropolitan Local Council (SMLC). The Committee manages the day to day
running of the space which is surrounded by a palisade fence, allowing visibility into the
park. The public entrance gate is kept locked and, at present, a youth, who has
volunteered his services, controls access to the park and teaches the children games and
songs.
SAMM
Associates Design Group were responsible for the planning and design of the Play Space in
conjunction with the Mai Mai Community. The Technical Services department of SMLC Parks
implemented the landscaping. George Chauke of Alexandria was the building contractor. Pat
Mautloa was the artistic co-ordinator who supervised the large colourful mural on the wall
of the off-ramp which was painted by local artists: Lindiwe, Bongi, Ntomluthi and
Thoisile. The project facilitator, who serves as the caretaker, is Steven Mbatha.
Sasol Sensory Trail,
Delta Park, Johannesburg
Delta Environmental Centre, a Section 21 Company, involved in innovative
environmental education programmes and based at Delta Park, developed the Sasol Sensory
Trail with the sponsorship of Sasol Ltd and help from a number of suppliers and
contractors. The Trail is 800 m in length and has been established as an intense
interactive experience for the visitor and constructed with the needs of disabled people
in mind. There is ample room on the paved trail for wheelchairs to turn around and to pass
each other, and braille signboards focus on the other senses. Consultants involved in the
design of the Trail were Rob and Julie Filmer of Eco-Access who gave input on the
accessibility for people with differing abilities; John Roff of the National Botanical
Institute who compiled the text for the signage and the guide booklet; and architect
Michael Thomas who designed the trail. The Centre is responsible for the maintenance and
further development of the Trail.
The trail
allows visitors an opportunity to experience specific plants - their textures and aromas,
their adaptations and their interactions with other plants, animals and insects. The
plants along the trail are predominantly indigenous and have been selected to provide
sensory experiences. Signboards, at intervals along the trail, provide information and
encourage visitors to use their senses and to listen to bird calls and feel the bark of a
tree. The wooden boardwalk or viewing platform, sponsored by Sandton Rotary Club, is
positioned across the granite outcrop that is central to the trail and it gives visitors
an elevated view and allows them to experience the trickling sound of water over the
rocks. This water is fed into a wetland which is under construction at present.
The guide
booklet called Awaken your senses! complements the experience by assisting with
interpretation: "The common wild pear or Dombeya rotundifolia, in front of you, is a
tree with many uses. Zulu use includes making an infusion to treat intestinal ulcers,
while many people plant these trees in their gardens for the marvellous show of spring
flowers. Feel the rough leaves. They can be used as ‘toothbrushes’ to remove
plaque."
The staff of
Delta Environmental Centre maintains and develops the garden, pathways and signboards, so
that it can be used continuously for the purposes of environmental education - 40 000
people participate in the Centre’s programmes, annually. The latest development at
the start of the Trail is a Water Wise garden which is being established by Rand Water.
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1998 ILASA Merit Awards
The
Institute of Landscape Architects (ILASA) confers Merit Awards on landscape architects for
outstanding work carried out in all spheres of landscape architecture and environmental
planning. The work submitted in 1998 was adjudicated by the following landscape architects
and other specialists: Peter Dayson (landscape architect and national controller of
adjudication), Prof Michael Murphy (landscape architect), Gerald Garner (landscape
architect), Niel Crafford (architect), Dr Hennie de Clerq (civil engineer), Dr Udo Kussel
(historian) and Andrew Duthie (environmental consultant). On the night of the awards
ceremony held in September at the Park Hyatt in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Peter Dayson
commented that only the very best work had been recognised based on the criteria of
innovation, sustainability, timelessness and relevance.
The New Visitor
Facilities at Cape Point Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
Landscape architects: OvP Associates
After the publication of the Management Plan for the Reserve in 1990, the
Western Cape Regional Services Council called for proposals for visitor facilities at the
Point and Concor Holdings were chosen to construct and operate a restaurant, curio and
snack shop, information office and a funicular railway - construction commenced in June
1995. Strict design guidelines were laid down in the proposal call which, inter alia,
called for the buildings to be located below the level of the parking area to avoid a
silhouette effect on the skyline. Collaboration between architect (Stucke Harrison - Cape)
and landscape architect was of paramount importance so as to achieve maximum integration
between landscape and built form.
To achieve
the design parameters, long unbroken elevations were avoided and glazed surfaces were
recessed under deep overhangs to minimise reflection. Maximum use was made of natural
materials such as dry packed sandstone cladding and tinted concrete with exposed sandstone
aggregates which were cast in situ. The roof area of facilities on the parking level was
seen as an extension of the topography, planted with flora indigenous to the reserve, so
that its impact on the landscape was minimised when viewed from the upper funicular
station and lookout areas. The restaurant was positioned lengthways along the False Bay
side of the parking area to maximise the dramatic views over the Bay - the roof areas were
either paved to serve as viewing decks or landscaped.
All plant
material utilised had to be endemic to the Cape Peninsula and the selection of species was
carried out in conjunction with the Cape Metropolitan Council. The landscape architects
designed the site furniture, with baboon-proof dustbins, and pictogram signage. All the
facilities in the complex are fully accessible to physically disabled people.
Judges’ appraisal
For the transformation of a once mediocre facility into a world standard
development, for its recognition of its surroundings, its detailing and use of materials,
the Cape Point Visitor Facility demonstrates, not only the successful integration of
architecture and landscape architecture but also a simplicity and timelessness demanded by
the site - the understatement serves as an example to design professionals that good
design does not need to be contrived. The detailing of landscape elements emphasises the
importance that OvP places on ‘follow through’ from conceptual design to site
construction.
Atlantic Beach Golf
Estate Environmental Management Plan
Landscape architects: The Planning Partnership
The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is intended to guide and manage the day
to day construction activities, as they relate to the environment of the Atlantic Beach
site and its surrounds at Melkbosstrand on the Cape West Coast. The landscape architect is
the main author, facilitator and co-ordinator of the entire EPM process. The client,
Johnnic Property Developments Ltd, has undertaken to sponsor the EMP process and effect
its findings in all contractual work undertaken on the site. The EMP responds to the
recommendations and mitigation measures as outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA), prepared by Crowther Campbell & Associates, with the purpose of satisfying the
logical conclusion to the Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) procedure. The
landscape architect commented that this was an unusual case of the IEM process being
timeously and fruitfully applied to the accommodation and evolution of a large scale
development project. "It illustrates that IEM can work to the benefit of all,
including the developer."
The
Environmental Liaison Committee is integral to the development process. It was constituted
on the initiative of the Blaauwberg municipality (and represents various key role-players)
to advise on matters relating to the EMP and to provide a forum for democratic decisions
concerning the preparation and implementation of the EMP. Two Environmental Control
Officers (ECOs) have been appointed to ensure that the management plan and environmental
contract are implemented in their entirety, and that all employees of the contractors are
aware of their obligations in connection with environmental controls and methodologies.
Aspects of
the EMP include the removal of indigenous plants from areas demarcated for construction
and the transplanting of such material directly into rehabilitation sites or the removal
of it to the holding nursery for propagation or bagging; an extensive programme of
clearing alien invaders, mainly Port Jackson and Rooikrans - the woody invasive vegetation
is chopped out by chainsaws and put through a chipper which converts it to a mulch used
for rehabilitation; and the choice of low water consumptive grasses for the golf course
which is aimed at reducing potential impacts on the natural vegetation due to irrigation
runoff from the fairways that would typically be nutrient enriched - the grasses are
indigenous Cynodons which will also tolerate the effluent irrigation water: Jackpot for
the fairways and Gulfgreen for the greens. Other aspects include protection of the
ephemeral pan, preservation of the milkwoods (a protected tree), animal rescue, separate
stockpiling of topsoil, driving only on designated routes and guarding against the
outbreak of fires, amongst many other requirements.
In July
1998, the EMP process at Atlantic Beach was submitted to its first environmental audit,
done by the Environmental Evaluation Unit of UCT, and one of the ‘overall conclusions’
of the audit was: "Johnnic is to be complemented on the environmental standards being
adhered to on site. Golf Data (the golf course designer and contractor) and the ECOs are
doing good work and their willingness to communicate both the successes and the problem
areas to the auditor was commendable."
Judges’ appraisal
For its recognition of the ‘new South Africa’ in terms of
accountability and transparency and for producing a document which is clear, concise and
unambiguous - reflecting the highest standards of professional practice in advancing the
findings of an impact assessment, ensuring maximum acceptance by the community and
authorities of the completed project, as well as adding value for the client, the report
not only demonstrates the clear understanding that the landscape architects had for the
sensitivity of the environment in which the development is set but also provides a manual
which is understandable at any level. Documents of this nature tend often to be shrouded
in professional jargon understandable only to a select few. This EMP sets an example and a
precedent in both its language and user- friendly compilation.
Conservation and
development of Genadendal - a motivation for funding
Landscape architects: OvP Associates
The report was compiled for the Ministry of Agriculture, Planning and Tourism
of the Western Cape (Minister L Fick) and was prepared by Johan van Papendorp (OvP):
project leader/environmental planning; Lucien le Grange: architecture and urban design;
Patrick Naylor: infrastructure; Flores Visser: financial planning; and Heidi Keyser:
tourism planning. Major contributors to the exercise were Rev Wessels, chairman of the
Genadendal Tourism Association, and Dr Balie, Curator of the Genadendal Museum.
The project
proposal, for which funding is needed, seeks to restore a number of historical buildings
of national importance, together with the cultural landscape and environmental features of
the unique historic settlement of Genadendal (Valley of Grace) transforming it into one of
the major tourism destinations of the Western Cape. In the course of such work a number of
people will be trained in: traditional building crafts; management of historic tourism
assets; conservation of natural resources; and other tourism related skills. Initiated and
supported by the local community, the project focusses on the restoration of historic
buildings and is part of a greater integrated development plan to include the larger
‘cultural landscape’ of Genadendal
The holistic
development approach includes the management of the environment, the conservation of
buildings and streetscapes, the promotion of viable and profitable enterprises, the
upgrading of infrastructure and the socio-economic upliftment of the inhabitants.
Judges’ appraisal
In recognition of their clear understanding of the brief and for setting a
precedent for the profession in being recognised as Ôthe right people for the jobŐ, the
project represents an exceptional example of the type of participatory community
development and restoration initiative needed throughout the country. Hamlets such as
Genadendal have not only an historic significance, in terms of the Western Cape’s
missionary past but are also deserving of every effort to develop them as viable
communities within South AfricaŐs democratic future. It is tremendously encouraging for
the profession that landscape architects have been recognised for their planning expertise
in being selected to compile this report - and that OvP rose to the occasion so admirably.
Norwich Oval Office
Park
Landscape architects: OvP Associates
The Tech sportsfields adjacent to Claremont’s business district were
bought by Norwich Life in 1988. The site is an important green lung situated in a
predominantly residential area and Norwich Life recognised the importance of preserving
the open space for the community and appointed a professional team to investigate options.
It was proposed that the previously built-up parts of the site, only 10 % of the total
site area, be developed into a low-rise office park. After a two year rezoning period
which involved extensive public participation, the final scheme for the office park was
formulated. The sportsfields were to be retained in perpetuity and entrenched in the title
deed conditions.
The two to
three storey buildings of a classical pavilion style, designed by architects Stauch
Vorster, have been placed so that vistas of the mountain are retained from both external
and internal spaces. One of the blocks curves along the oval shape of the sportsfield,
while the other blocks are situated along a landscaped ‘boulevard’. The
buildings present a user-friendly public facade without compromising security. Open
parking bays are situated within a landscaped courtyard.
The creation
of attractive and usable external spaces, available for use by employees and members of
the public, was the main objective of the landscape architects. Some 60% of the planting
was located on the building structure because of the requirements for basement parking and
this involved a number of careful design considerations - waterproofing, drainage and soil
depth loading of the slabs. Planter boxes were built up on the slab to accommodate trees
at building entrances, while space constraints along the remainder of the boulevard meant
that an alternative to trees had to be found. Arched pergolas with plant containers
supported on columns became the device that was used to soften the severe containment
created by the buildings.
OvP’s
scope of work covered hard paving, water features, signage, fencing, as well as the soft
landscaping.The landscape architects were able to give maximum input into the project
because of their involvement from the rezoning stage through to final construction.
Judge’s appraisal
For its simplicity of design and use of materials - representing the pinnacle
of refined and elegant urban landscape design and detailing; for its unambiguous
integration with the adjacent buildings whilst preserving and urban open space, Norwich
Oval demonstrates an immutability and permanence. The landscape architects influence on
the siting of buildings has facilitated the retention of a viable urban open space which
is now both an asset to the development and the Claremont community.
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Eco-tourism Projects /
Recreation for urban dwellers
Living
amongst the trees - Wallers Camp, Mavhulani
Staying in a
‘treehouse’ chalet, the visitor experiences architecture in absolute harmony
with its surroundings. As a ‘win-win’ eco-tourism solution, Wallers Camp
Mavhulani provides revenue for both the local community and the developer.
Through the
semi-desert of mopani trees and dust filled plains, with colossal baobabs breaking the
otherwise gentle horizon in the distance, the Mutale River makes its way to the Indian
Ocean. The river is a green oasis of impressive indigenous trees and crystal clear water.
On its banks, in the far corner of the country (close to where the borders of South
Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique meet), lies Wallers Camp, Mavhulani. Designed and built by
father and son team Peter and Sean Waller, their ‘architecture without an architect’
comprises many ingenious design solutions.
During 1996,
the Wallers scanned the Northern Province, and especially the ex-Venda homeland - which
they have grown to love - for a site to build a lodge. The criteria were simple: it had to
be close to a tarred access road, with fresh water available and in close proximity to the
Kruger National Park. Their journey ended on the banks of the Mutale and through
negotiation with the local chief, Mutele, they were granted permission to build.
Peter and
Sean did not arrive at the site with a clear plan of what the lodge should look like -
their approach was more sensitive to the site. "We camped on the site and drew many
sketches in the sand before building the first prototype of a chalet," explains Sean.
Once they knew what they wanted, the positioning was roughly plotted in the sand and the
Wallers then camped on each site to experience the local conditions - wind direction,
views and shade.
As opposed
to the usual design procedure of studying precedents before designing a new building, the
Wallers did not look at any other lodges before building this one. "Ours had to be
truly unique," says Sean. Every aspect of the lodge is special - they decided not to
build thatch roof structures or to use tents (as so many other lodges do) but opted for
sisal. Out of experience, they knew that sisal lasted longer in the very dry climate of
the area - as long as it is not in contact with the ground. Sisal is also a very good
insulator (noise and temperature) and not prone to borers and termites. The sisal was
sourced from plantations near Giyani, as well as the “sisal fence” on the border
of Zimbabwe, which the military was removing at that time.
The
triangular design makes the chalets structurally sound, while also providing the
flexibility to accommodate strong winds. The entire lodge is built on stilts, above ground
- even the swimming pool is suspended in a wooden deck and not a single tree has been
removed. The lapa is especially positioned in a natural opening in the tree cover. The
entire lodge can be removed, if necessary, leaving the area in the same condition as it
was before construction commenced.
The
architecture is inventive and the attention to detail superb - to the extent that Sean and
Peter searched for days in the veld to find two matching pieces of ironwood for door
handles. Some of the walls are plastered with mud and painted with white PVA to give a
rough finish. The floor decks, doors and window frames are pine and the yellow colour is
in striking contrast to the darker sisal roofs and walls. The timber does, however,
require a lot of maintenance and has to be oiled regularly with teak oil. Sean feels that
they should have tanalised the wood so as to reduce the maintenance requirements. The
waterproofing is a layer of UV resistant plastic positioned between two layers of sisal.
Sean
approached the Northern Province Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism for
advice on how to build an environmentally friendly lodge, without much success, and in the
end established his own guidelines: "...don’t cut anything down; don’t
construct anything permanent and don’t chase the wildlife away". As they did not
want to pollute the river, the treatment of sewage was problematic. After seeking advice
from experts, they decided to install digester tanks and these are positioned behind the
chalets, underneath the road, a distance away from the river.
Conservation
strategies followed during the previous dispensation have left most communities sceptical
of eco-tourism and its ‘guaranteed’ benefits. "We know of incidents when
the authorities visited local villages at night to punish people accused of poaching. But
what else can local communities do when their tribal land is used for conservation -
leaving them without a food source? It took a lot of effort and time to win the community’s
trust - to convince them that we were not like the previous authorities," says Sean.
Eco-tourism
projects can be established through a profit sharing partnership between the developers
and the community. However, the Wallers felt that it would take too long to generate
profit and that the community would be disillusioned. They, therefore, undertook to employ
only local people. Today, Mavhulani Lodge employs 12 locals, full time, as room
attendants, in the kitchen and as guides, and others on a casual basis, for projects such
as the removal of alien species from the river.
The lodge
has done a lot to educate the local community about the potential advantages of
conservation. "Previously everything was seen as food, but now the community is
starting to understand that tourists coming to look at the wildlife will bring in
revenue," says Sean. The Wallers believe in working with the community and
encouraging the community to be involved in every possible way. "We don’t take
tourists on tours to the Venda villages ourselves, we encourage the room attendants to
take their guests on tours. In this way, the tourist has a first hand experience of the
local culture." Sean sees the fact that they have no problems with crime, as opposed
to some other resorts, as proof that the community views the lodge as an asset.
The next
project in line, which will generate extra income for the community, is an arts &
crafts centre next to the main road leading to the Pafuri gate of the Kruger National
Park. Telkom is willing to donate poles from a disused telephone line near Masisi for
construction material. People selling their wares will be self-employed and sell direct to
the public.
As a fine
example of what can be achieved through enthusiasm and by being sensitive to both the
environment and to the community’s needs, Wallers Camp leads the way for many other
eco-tourism developments. With only nine chalets, its impact on the poverty stricken
region may be small, but more communities can empower themselves through similar small
scale projects.
Building with straw
bales – Bungalows for river rafters
"What we call the housing crisis’ is in fact a crisis of disingenuity
and diseconomy. For example, a relevant statistical fact would be that in California
alone, the ‘waste product’ called straw that gets burnt, clogging up the west
coast skyline and causing a great fire risk, could be the source of sufficient building
material to construct four million 150 m2 dwellings, annually. The straw walls for each
house take three to four days to bale, while the process of building itself is a magnet
for community and invariably cultivates goodwill and exchange between people who learn
from one another and empower each other in so doing - usually spontaneously."
Etienne
Bruwer - Introduction to Green Issues and Building Materials - talk given at
Sustainability in the Built Environment Conference, August, 1998.
Architect
Etienne Bruwer of Greenhaus Architects in Cape Town was approached by Paddy Herbert and
Bill Mitchell, owners of the guest farm, Oudrif, on the Doring River in the Clanwilliam
District near Klaver, after they had read several articles on his work with clay/straw
building methods. Klaver is a wheat farming area and Herbert and Mitchell had already
drawn on information about straw bale building from a handbook on the subject and research
on the internet. Their idea was to build a number of straw bungalows and an open lapa for
river rafters alongside the river, at the point where the white water rafters disembarked.
Bruwer said
that the aesthetic was generated out of the idea of a meeting place in distinctive rural
surrounds. He described the site as a rocky ledge facing a cliff and rocky sub-valley
where there are numerous well-preserved bushmen paintings. The natural vegetation of the
area is low-growing fynbos. The rocky river bed is the result of a flash flood which took
out 8 ha of alluvial land originally planned for crops of watermelon and paprika.
Bruwer
explained the building methods used by Mitchell and his team at Oudrif and mentioned other
techniques used in straw bale construction.
The
foundations for the bungalows comprise shutters made of two timber planks placed
vertically on top of the ground. Riverstone is packed into these shutters with an infill
of a concrete and lime mix. Bars of reinforced steel, half a meter in length, are
concreted into the shutters at intervals, with 10 cm of the bar exposed to secure the
initial row of straw bales.
The basic
structure of the walls is a wooden framework and the wheat straw bales are used as infill.
The wood is treated with one of the new borax based products which is anti-fungal,
distasteful to insects and mammal friendly. Where the roof structure rests directly on the
bales, the top part of the wall is horizontally reinforced or tied together, either by
means of a wire link or a wooden ladder lintel which is put on top of the bales so that
the roof can be attached to it. This reinforcement serves to prevent the roof from pushing
the walls outwards.
"The
original American method of attaching the roof to the walls, known as the impaling method,
involves steel or bamboo rods which are pushed down through the bales from the top and
these rods are tied to the ladder lintel which is tied to the roof beam above. Strong wire
- 2 mm diameter ‘bloudraad’ - can also be used and has been dubbed the ‘sosatie’
method. The wire is threaded through all the bales right down to the foundation and
strapped to the roof beam, so that the roof can’t be lifted off by wind," said
Bruwer.
The window
sills of the building are wide (35 cm) because of the thick walls and they make
comfortable window seats. The unfinished wood can be varnished with prickly pear juice or
plastered with clay to prevent splintering. The door and window lintels are three times
the width of the respective openings so that the weight load is spread.
Plastering
can be done in the conventional way, with the straw bales being wrapped in wire mesh so
that the layer of cement plaster will adhere to the walls. The preferred method is,
however, the use of a clay slurry or a so called ‘cob’ mix which is a mixture of
straw and clay. This will fill up all the crevices in the walls before the final coat of
plaster is applied - and this plaster coat can be reinforced with a small amount of straw
which will give a good bond. This is a ‘greener’ method and costs half as much
as the wire mesh technique.
"Currently,
a square meter of external, plastered, burnt-brick wall will set you back R 231, 00, while
the equivalent in clay plastered, straw bale costs R 45, 00 - a six-fold difference,"
commented Bruwer. "The clay/straw product radically reduces noise pollution; provides
a consistently healthy, dry and toxin absorbent atmosphere; will insulate for all seasons
- so that minimal heating is necessary in winter and there is maximum protection against
heat in summer; and will require a fraction of the water that conventional methods use for
construction. Straw bales have a much better fire rating than wood. The clay/straw
building will be totally renewable and easy to renovate. Most importantly, it will feel
like you’ve come home!"
A learning experience
with earthworm toilets - Bonza Chalets - Finsch Mine Game Farm
Finsch Mine is a diamond mine owned by De Beers situated in the Northern Cape on the
eastern edge of the Kuruman hills, 165 km north-west of Kimberley by road, near the small
town of Lime Acres. The mine lies within the Vryburg Bushveld type. This vegetation type
varies according to rainfall and geology and in our area there are small trees,
predominantly Olea europea subsp. africana, Rhus lancea and various Acacia species, shrubs
such as Tarchonanthus camphoratus and mixed grasslands.
Some of the
mine property has been fenced off and stocked with various species of game. The animals
that have been introduced originally formed part of the natural ecosystem of the region.
Bonza game farm, as it is known, covers an area of approximately 1300 ha and supports a
variety of antelope, a small herd of Burchell’s zebra and five giraffe. The Lime
Acres Wildlife Club, which is chaired by a company official, manages the farm and the
objective is to provide a facility for the local community and to promote environmental
conservation. The game farm also provides a relaxing venue for team building exercises for
mine employees and has been used as such on many occasions. The facility is conveniently
close to the town and the mine, yet remote and wild enough to provide a real ‘getaway’.
For many
years, the only habitable facility on the property was the original farmhouse erected by
the previous landowner and this limited the number of people that could overnight
comfortably on the farm. It was decided that some chalets and a new lapa would allow more
people to be accommodated. A cross-section of people were consulted, including the
Wildlife Club committee members of the time and a simple plan was drawn up by one of our
engineers. The materials for the construction of the three chalets, the lapa and the
showers were supplied by Finsch Mine and the labour used for the initial phase was
supplied by a small business enterprise in the neighbouring town of Postmasburg.
The workers
had no formal training in building skills and worked under the supervision of a man who
was a welder by trade. The project was initiated in May 1997 and the three chalets were
completed by December 1997. The progress was slow because the foundations had to be laid
in a layer of hard calcite rock. This team of workers dug trenches for a water supply pipe
and a power supply cable, as well. When the hard nature of the ground was discovered,
options other than a French drain were considered for the toilet system and the suggestion
of utilising earthworm toilets was approved, even though this was a ‘new’ and
relatively untried ‘technology’. These toilets operate without water and if used
and managed correctly should remain odourless and hygienic at all times. In view of these
environmentally friendly properties, we invested in three toilet units plus three bags of
earthworms - which survived transportation and storage!
The toilets
are installed in little outhouses made of treated gumpoles and lined with black plastic
and shade cloth for dust protection and waterproofing. The toilet is designed so that any
liquid in the pan drains into a soakaway and the solids are dropped into an earthworm
container by the action of a plunger.
The lapa and
ablution facilities were constructed by another small business enterprise and were close
to completion by the end of May 1998. During the construction phases, no indigenous trees
were removed and spillage and stockpiling of building materials was kept to a minimum.
Small hand operated pneumatic rock breakers were used to break up the limestone rocks and
the construction vehicles used demarcated roads to travel to and from the building site.
Every effort was made to minimise the negative impact of construction on the environment.
The
earthworm toilets have been a learning experience for us and we have found that, for the
efficient operation of the system, a sound know-ledge of the earthworm lifecycle and its
feeding habits is necessary. The worms that were supplied with the toilets were reared in
cattle manure and we made the mistake of utilising the toilets extensively immediately
after the worms had been installed, without giving them an opportunity to adjust gradually
to their new diet. We entertained 50 people at the lapa the day after the worms were
installed.
Not only
that, the ‘instructions to users’ were not clear enough and the toilet bowls
were washed out with water. The outlet to the soakaway was blocked and water ended up in
the earthworm holder causing the death of the annelids. It was a malodorous affair, but we
pumped out the earthworm tanks and recharged them with earthworms from our supplier.
Precise instructions were nailed to the inside of each door and we had more success. No
water was used, the seats were cleaned with cloths dampened in well-diluted Jik and the
toilets were used on and off for at least four months.
According to
the supplier, the toilets should be able to service fifteen people per day after the
adjustment period. Our experience shows that one should allow at least six months for this
adjustment period. Unfortunately, we have had to close our toilets down again recently
because of the presence of flies. This suggests that the worms are either dead or not
coping with the load (although there has been no noticeable odour) and therefore we need
to establish their viability. The worms lay their eggs in cocoons and the incubation
period is approximately three weeks and only one worm will mature out of each cocoon,
because the rest provide food for the dominant worm. The juvenile worm takes three to four
weeks to reach sexual maturity and this means that several months should be allowed for
the establishment of an effective population of worms - or more worms should be ordered,
initially. We intend to build up the worm numbers in the holding boxes before allowing
maximum use of each unit and for the interim period a water-borne system, using a
conservancy holding tank, is being constructed.
We intend to
persevere with this project because it is compatible with our policy of sustainable
development and sound environmental management and I believe that if the correct steps had
been taken at the start, the toilets would already have been successful because the idea
of using earthworms in the decomposition process is sound in principle. |
