Contents
of April 2001
EDITORIAL
Sustainable harvesting practices
UPDATE
News
TREE OF THE ISSUE
Malcolm Hepplewhite
chooses the Jacket Plum
WORDS ON WASTE
FEATURES
ILASA 2001 Merit Awards
Environmentally appropriate design
Formalising the informal sector
Our cultural heritage as a natural
resource
-----
EDITORIAL
Sustainable harvesting practices
A walk
through the African Craft Market in Rosebank is bound to make any environmentally
concerned individual think about the origin of the wood used for the hundreds of carved
artefacts on display in the stalls – and to wonder, and probably to doubt, whether
the harvesting of this valuable resource is done in a sustainable manner.
Nurserywoman
Linda de Luca tells a story about a young Vendan wood carver that she met which reveals
that traditionally African people are very aware of the need to harvest wood sustainably.
The young man had just chopped down a large Kiaat tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) and when
she voiced her concern about the threatened status of the Kiaat, he explained that he had
prayed about the tree for two weeks and then had been given permission by his ancestors to
chop it down. He said that his grandfather had once told him in a dream that he must
replace the trees he used. He then led her to a circular ‘living fence’ of Kiaat
trees which he had grown from truncheons. Much to her amazement, the trees were doing very
well despite the fact that the Kiaat is a difficult tree to grow. The young Vendan said
that this replanting of the Kiaat would allow him to keep earning his living as a wood
carver.
Kiaat is a
very fine furniture wood and according to botanist Fanie Venter is one of the best woods
to use for door and window frames because its linear shrinkage is minimal. It is
interesting to hear that in Knysna, Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is now being used in the furniture trade, to
replace the Yellowwood and Stinkwood items for which Knysna is renowned. The appearance and qualities of Blackwood are
apparently close to those of Kiaat. Blackwood is a serious invader, so this is good news
indeed!
Stefan Neser
of the Plant Protection Research Institute whose task it is to search for a biological
control to curb the fruiting of another notorious invader, the Syringa (Melia azedarach),
commented that he had seen turned items of Syringa wood in South America where it is used
for furniture. He said that the items were very beautiful. The use of the wood of invasive
trees for carved items such as bowls and for wooden decks amd furniture is on the increase
– encouraged by the Working for Water programme.
That is wood
– now what about the harvesting of rocks and stones? Ecological landscaper John
Masson was very careful about using only rocks that were unearthed during the excavation
of the site of the constructed wetland at Lakeland (see Jan/Feb 2001 issue of Urban Green
File) – or those that had been unearthed in a neighbouring sand quarrying operation.
Smooth pebbles pillaged from river beds are a popular landscaping element, everywhere in
evidence in South African gardens. A pile of loose rocks in the veld may look like just
that – but it is the habitat of a myriad different creatures. Is there a sustainable
way of harvesting rocks? What are the thoughts of Urban Green File readers on this
subject?
-----
UPDATE
‘Treading
water’ sculptural event to mark National Water Week
National
Water Week was celebrated from 19-25 March this year, with World Water Day falling on 22
March. This awareness week is an initiative that is driven by the Department of Water
Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). The theme for World Water Day was 'Health, a key to
prosperity', while the slogan for SA's National Water Week 2001was 'Amanzi Ayimpilo -
Water is Life'. The importance of clean water and the close link between water and health
and life has been thrust into the forefront over the past number of months by the cholera
scourge that is gripping the country.
As part of
the celebration of World Water Week, sculptress Cecile Heystek organised a site specific,
one-day 'installation' of her work at the Grand
Central
water tower in Midrand. Heystek's personal interpretation of the Water Week theme
identifies with the role of women as traditional bearers of water, nourishment and life.
She chose the Grand Central water tower as a contemporary urban heritage site, with the
installation of her sulptural works accentuating this significant landmark. Her aim was to
reintroduce and redefine this tower with its meaningful aesthetic and functional role -
while the addition of her extraordinary wooden sculptures provided a thought-provoking
commentary on the value of water and of life.
Heystek has
questioned the spaces reserved exclusively for art and initiated a movement away from
these restricted areas and an investigation of alternative spaces. She comments:
"Installation as a medium frees art from confined spaces and opens the door to many
exhibition opportunities. Specific sites have been identified for future installations
with the aim of addressing the problem of art as an isolated form and creating a public
awareness of art and architecture. Art is a social phenomenon that belongs to all who
contribute to civilisation. Installations reintroduce contemporary art to the public space
by altering or enhancing urban landmarks. This results in an art form that is accessible
to all members of the public who frequent the area.
"'Treading
water/ Kop bo water hou' is a reflection of life. It mimes modern society's survival
strategies.
The dominant
structure is the tower that contains our life source, water. Galvanised buckets are
objects that are associated with the lifting and transportation of water or milk - but
they contain wooden pillows. Pillows are very
personal objects, they are comforting emotional sponges. Each pillow embodies a unique
human quality: by 'bending over backwards' or 'hanging on a thread', they resemble the
'all-sorts' of society. We too function as water carriers, our bodies consisting of 80%
water. Wood serves as a channel for water - it continuously supplies the growing parts of
the tree with water and essential nutrients from the soil surrounding the tree's roots.
Women, throughout history, have served as water carriers, nuturers and bearers of
life."
Heystek goes
on to say: "Our cities are containers. They contain our ideals and dreams. Facades of
buildings manifest our identity and ideology. We are constantly in a state of flux and
this is represented in the collective composition of urban settlement. There are certain
performance criteria which govern the identity of our cities. Some of these are landmarks.
Certain urban landmarks serve the community and should be celebrated for this and the role
they play in urban grandeur. The Grand Central water tower is one of these." It contains 16,5 million litres of water channelled
from the Lesotho Highlands project. It is the largest water tower in the southern
hemisphere and the second biggest water tower in the world.
Environmental education integrated into school curriculum
In January this year, thousands of children throughout the country returned to school to
become part of a world-first in education. The children will be given environmental
education as part of an integrated curriculum. Minister of Education, Professor Kader
Asmal said: "Look at our cities, look at our townships, look at the rural areas -
they are teeming with toxic waste and pollution. We need to reclaim the environment, to
create a climate of civic consciousness - and where better to start than in our
schools?"
Asmal said
these words at a function for the Danish Ambassador who handed over a donation of 32
million on behalf of DANCED. The money will go towards kick-starting the National
Environmental Education Programme, NEEP. Nine hundred schools around the country have
received NEEP resource packs which cover Grades 0 to 9. NEEP will be incorporated into
every subject - students will, for example, study the causes of overcrowding and the
effects of overcrowded urban environments on the natural environment. This embraces
natural science, social science and economics.
A crucial
first step is to develop teacher skills all over the country and there is a long way to go
before the programme is up and running in all 29 000 schools, but the long term reward
will, hopefully, be to see the youth of SA develop the awareness and value system required
to deal with the environment in a positive manner. Dr Razeena Wagiet, Minister Asmal's
Environmental Education Advisor, who leads a team of nine environmental education
co-ordinators countrywide, has the job of seeing that schools produce environmentally
aware students. Wagiet's appointment was made possible by the Green Trust which funds her
post through a sponsorship grant from Nedbank.
75th Anniversary
of the Wildlife and Environment Society
South
Africa's veteran conservation organisation the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA
(WESSA) celebrated its 75th anniversary at a luncheon in Sandton, Gauteng, in February
2001. The proclamation of the Kruger Park, the prevention of dune mining at St Lucia and
the establishment of the Metropolitan Open Space System in
South Africa's major cities are but three of
the countless conservation actions WESSA has been involved in over the past
75 years.
According to
the Society, these actions would not have been possible without the active involvement of
volunteer members, many of whom help to raise money for the organisation. This year raffle
ticket sellers and buyers raised over half a million rand in WESSA's annual Win for
Wildlife Competition. The top sellers and the five lucky winners were announced at the
luncheon.
The
Society's CEO, Malcolm Powell listed some of WESSA's noteworthy achievements over the past
century as being: the production of the Sharenet environmental education resources; the
Society's environmental education centres (Treasure Beach, Twinstreams, Umgeni Valley, Abe
Bailey and Ben Lavin); the prevention of coal mining in the Kruger Park; the incorporation
of the Umfolozi corridor into the Umfolozi/Hluhluwe Park; the establishment of numerous
'Friends' Groups (such as Friends of Suikerbosrand and Friends of Nylsvley), promoting
wetland conservation through the highly successful Rennies Wetland Project; the initiating
of the Sea World Aquarium and the Oceanographic Research Institute.
At the
luncheon, guest speaker Dave Varty of the Conservation Corporation, reflecting on some of
SA's recent conservation victories, pointed out that 300 000 ha/per annum was being put
under conservation by the private sector, while the politicians were in the process of
reviewing 60 million ha of land for conservation in the form of transfrontier parks. He
said that Kruger was only 2 million ha in extent, by comparison. He mentioned the
declaration of the four World Heritage Sites and the fact that the Greater Addo National
Park had been trebled in size. He concluded by saying: "Lets make wildlife the most
sustainable industry on the African continent by the end of the century - the politicians
are aiming for that - the big corporates are on board - it's a very good time for
conservation."
For further information access WESSA's website: www.wildlifesociety.org.za
Audi Terra Nova
Award winner
The overall
winner of the Audi Terra Nova Award for 2000 was Eastern Cape businessman and
conservationist Adrian Gardner, owner of Shamwari Game Reserve. In the eight short years,
since he bought 20 000 ha of degraded land near Port Elizabeth, he has managed to
re-introduce 10 000 head of game, including the Big Five. Game in the Eastern Cape was
wiped out in the 1800s and much of the original vegetation destroyed. Gardner was
determined to transform his land from agricultural to conservation status. The land is
currently criss-crossed with roads and firebreaks and peppered with barns and farmhouses
but he is slowly continuing the mammoth task of dismantling and revegetating, by seeding
indigenous pioneering grasses on the previously ploughed field and pastures and replanting
the scars on the landscape with shrubs and trees.
The reserve
has influenced surrounding farmers to form conservancies and an education centre at
Shamwari is visited by 300 school children a month. The reserve, which includes a cultural
centre, has made a contribution to social development in the area and employs 150 full
time staff members, most of whom have been sourced locally - thus Shamwari provides
invaluable impetus to an economically depressed area.
Blue Flag
campaign in SA by Wallace van Zyl, Fish Hoek
Fish Hoek
Beach is taking part in the Blue Flag campaign. The international Blue Flag is an annual
award scheme, co-ordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education, for beaches that
meet certain criteria for safety, cleanliness, services, water quality and educational
potential. Visitors to a Blue Flag beach can expect a safe, clean and well managed
environment. The main objectives of Blue Flag are to improve the visitors' knowledge of
the coast and to include local authorities and their partners in decisions about
environmental issues.
Fish Hoek
has been chosen, along with beaches at Hermanus, Plettenberg Bay, Jeffreys Bay, Port
Elizabeth, Port Alfred, East London, Margate, Durban, Ballito and Sodwana, to participate
in the pilot phase of the Blue Flag campaign in SA which extends until mid-April.
Hopefully, all the participants will attain official status and SA will become an official
partner in the international campaign. The national Blue Flag steering committee comprises
members of the Chief Directorate: Marine and Coastal Management and the Wildlife and
Environment Society of SA.
Fish Hoek's
beach stretches from Clovelly Corner in the north to The Catwalk (Sunny Cove) in the
south. It is backed by dunes and the Silvermine River in the north, but is more developed
in the south with trek fishermen, a car park, lifesavers, change rooms and a restaurant.
The Fish Hoek lifesaving club is a landmark on the beach and is one of the strongest in
the country. Established in 1958, it will be a key component in the Blue Flag campaign
with its positive education programmes.
Rand
Water's trophy for Water Wise gardening
The key
theme at the Rand Water sponsored annual Lifestyle Gardening Competition was 'the
flowering of an African Renaissance', as the evidence of water efficiency and the use of
indigenous plants in more and more private gardens across Gauteng came to the fore. The
winner was Helen Lachernicht of Johannesburg who produced a beautiful garden and adhered
to Water Wise gardening principles. Gail Andrews of Rand Water said: "We are not only
celebrating the achievements of our trophy winner but the fact that the concept of Water
Wise gardening has very definitely taken root within the Rand Water supply area."
Rand Water
pumps almost 3000 million litres of water a day to more than 10 million consumers in and
around Gauteng, often over distances of more than 100 km and to altitudes half a kilometer
higher than its dams. This makes it essential that all water use - including gardening -
is as efficient as possible.
Call for entries
The Green
Trust, along with sponsors Nedbank and Mail & Guardian, are calling for entries into
these premier environmental awards. Entries for this year's awards close on 31 May 2001.
The Awards recognise innovative projects that display high levels of ongoing commitment
and have significant positive benefits for the environment.
The Awards
comprise seven categories in each of which a winner and two finalists is chosen. Two
overall winners (Established and Emerging) are then selected from the category winners.
The categories are: water awareness, school projects, urban renewal, natural resources,
investing in the environment: individual and corporate and community projects.
In 2000, the
overall winner in the Emerging Category was an innovative project involving waste
salvagers. The 'Waste Managers and Salvagers Project' has seen the transformation of at
least three dump sites in the Odi-Moretele region of the North West Province. The project
has given dignity and a source of income to salvagers, who collect waste, by giving them
organised access to the dumpsites. Aside from helping the informal communities, the
project has reduced the volume of waste by up to 40% and extended the lifespan of the sites by up to 62%.
Last year's
winner of the Urban Renewal Award was the Warwick Junction Urban Renewal Project which is
successfully renewing a significant portion of the Durban CBD. The project has tackled the
problems of visual blight, unhygienic conditions, crime, uncontrolled informal trading and
taxis, turning the area into one of the most vibrant and interesting parts of the city.
The finalists in this category were the Midrand EcoCity Project and the Marabastad
Integrated Urban Design Framework.
The winner
of the Corporate Award in 2000 was Moreland Developments, the property development
division of the Tongaat-Hulett Group. The company was chosen for its green approach to
property development along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, including the Zimbali Coastal Reserve,
the Mhlanga Forest Estate and the Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate. Moreland's concept
of an Open Space Framework aims to create functional living spaces that cater for the
needs of both urban wildlife and humans.
Resettlement of
community away from open pit mine, through EIA process
On 27
January 2001, Anglo Platinum unveiled the first home in the new village of Ga-Pila on the
farm Sterkwater. The project involves the resettlement of an entire community of 770
households. Potgietersrust Platinums Limited (PPL), a subsidiary of Anglo Platinum,
operates an open pit mine near the existing village of Ga-Pila and PPL expects to use this
mining method in the area for the next 50 years. Noise and dust that are generated by the
mining operations have impacted on the present living conditions of the community.
Some years
back, PPL management and the residents of Ga-Pila started a process to find an appropriate
solution to this problem - and, after much consultation, relocation was found to be the
best solution. Barry Davison, CEO of Anglo Platinum thanked the various parties who had
seen the process of resettlement through to the implementation phase for their commitment
to the project. The first task of the Relocation Steering Committee had been to undertake
a site selection study and alternative sites for relocation were identified and assessed.
Portions of the farm Sterkwater were chosen and the RSC commissioned an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) of the site and subsequently also a Social and Institutional
Impact Assessment of Ga-Pila Village. Key informant interviews and interest group
workshops were held.
A management
plan was compiled to minimise potential negative impacts and to optimise positive aspects.
The
information gathering phases served as input into the design of the new village and the
management measures, particularly for social impacts, formed a key part of the
negotiations that provided a basis for the tripartite agreement between Anglo
Platinum/PPL, the State and the Ga-Pila Community. The Ga-Pila Association is tasked with
the construction of the new village and the implementation of the relocation process.
A noteworthy
feature of the project is the high level of empowerment of the Ga-Pila community and the
high level of public participation. Through the consultative process, the residents
determined the layout of the new village and selected a house type from a number of design
alternatives proposed by the architects in accordance with the findings of the social
audits. The brick and mortar houses have electricity, water reticulation, bathrooms and
flushing toilets. The essence of the construction programme is job creation and skills
development for the local building industry.
Barry
Davison concluded the unveiling ceremony by saying that the new Ga-Pila Village
constituted the combined vision of numerous partners and re-inforced Anglo Platinum's
continued commitment and involvement, through its mining activities, to the development of
the Northern Province. Such co-operation, he said, would remain the key to all of Anglo
Platinum's future developments.
Environmental and
health reasons for moving squatters from banks of Jukskei
After the
removal of about 100 families from their shacks perched on the degraded banks of the
Jukskei River in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, hit the international headlines earlier
this year, David Lindley of the Rennies Wetland Project commented: "The plight of
displaced people is not to be minimised but their shacks and latrines have contributed to
the ongoing erosion of the Jukskei's banks, which has in turn intensified the damage
caused by the almost annual floods. And with cholera cases numbering nearly 50 000
countrywide, the warnings of experts that raw human waste being released into the river on
a daily basis is a health time bomb are also proving to be correct. Each time it floods it
destroy's peoples' homes, and coupled with the cholera in the water, this makes living at
the river's edge bad for people as well as for the river. We applaud the courage shown by
the provincial government in taking an unpopular but environmentally important
decision."
The removals
were carried out by Gauteng's Department of Housing as part of a larger process to
rehabilitate Alexandra. Although it may have appeared that the cholera in the river was
the main reason for relocating people, the process in fact began in November 1999 when
floods washed away many of the shacks. The Department obtained R10 million from the
Emergency Flood Relief Fund in October last year and set about using the money to obtain
alternative accommodation for the shack dwellers. The Department immediately started
registering people for housing subsidies. "We went from shack to shack explaining
that people had to be moved because of the continual flooding and unsanitary conditions.
Finding alternative land was a real challenge and Diepsloot and Dobsonville were the only
sites available," said Carien Englebrecht of Gauteng's Department of Housing.
"The
move to relocate the Jukskei shack dwellers was absolutely environmentally correct,"
said Mary Metcalfe, Gauteng's MEC for Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land
Affairs. "Cholera is a growing problem and, in any case, the river banks are not
suitable for housing because of their flood attenuation function. The banks are going to
be reclaimed as part of a broader regeneration of Alexandra in which environmental
components including public open space, sanitation and solid waste removal will be
central."
'Guidelines:
Human Settlements Planning and Design'
Decision
makers in government, communities and NGOs have a need for information on sustainable
technologies and settlement planning. The CSIR has issued a publication entitled
'Guidelines: Human Settlements Planning and Design' which sets guidelines on how to match
needs, affordability and sustainability in service provision. The section on energy deals
with conventional grid electricity as well as alternative and renewable energy sources.
The latter section includes details on solar power and other appropriate energy
opportunities for poor or small rural communities. Urban planning principles which
facilitate the application of alternative energy technologies are encouraged. In this
context details are given on energy-efficient building design; the supply and use of
hydrocarbon fuels; and solar energy applications - in particular, solar water heating and
the use of solar photovoltaic systems for off-grid electricity supply. Background
information is provided on other renewable energy technologies, which are less widely used
in SA but might be considered by planners in specific circumstances, such as wind turbines
for electricity generation, small-scale hydropower, bio-gas digesters, extraction of
landfill gas and solar-thermal electricity generation.
(Information from the newsletter SEEDUpdate)
Trees for Homes
events Co-ordinated by Food &Trees for Africa
The Trees
for Homes project is funded by UNSAID and co-ordinated by Food & Trees for Africa
(FTFA) and it aims to plant at least 50 000 trees at government susidised homes by May
2001. A number of Trees for Homes events took place, countrywide, during the month of
February 2001. New homeowners at Inchara Village, Morgan Bay in the Eastern Cape received
260 trees. The event was organised by the Greater Kei Municipality and Friends of Morgan
Bay. Four hundred trees were distributed to 200 houses in a new area of Elukwatini, while
770 trees were delivered to 385 new homeowners in Vosloorus.
Trees for Tsepisong homes
The Trees for Homes project distributed 9 620 trees to new homeowners at the Tsepisong
Housing Project on 17 February 2001. Initially, to publicise the event FTFA staged an
awareness day on which 100 Sowetan school children walked through the new development
handing out information on the need for trees and urban greening and explanations on how
to plant and look after the trees. Residents came out into the streets in droves to meet
and talk to the school children.
At the
event, an indigenous shade tree and a fruit tree were distributed to all of the 4 810
residents who could prove their home ownership. The Greater Johannesburg Metro Council and
Jhb City Parks worked with FTFA to facilitate the project. MEC Mary Metcalfe of Gauteng's
Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs took part in the
event along with representatives of UNSAID and Jhb Metro Councillors.
At a
previous Trees for Homes event in 2000, Mary Metcalfe maintained: "It is always a
pleasure for me to give all the support possible to endeavours that improve the quality of
life for our communities and simultaneously contribute to the conservation of our
environment."
Community
members accepted their trees, chose sites on their own properties and dug holes for their
shade and fruit trees. FTFA gave advice about planting and maintenance. FTFA will continue
to spread awareness about the benefits of urban greening and train local people in tree
care. Green suburbs invariably fetch higher property prices and trees in proximity to
homes keep them cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Comments
from FTFA staff members who attended the Tsepisong event were as follows: Tsepisong is a
new housing project and is still awaiting services such as electricity - as we could not
power the sound system, the fire department generously allowed the MEC to speak through
the loud hailer system in their fire engine. The MEC spoke to the community about a range
of environmental issues. The high turn out at the event showed the keen interest in the
trees - particularly the fruit trees.
Trees to
transform Diepsloot
Diepsloot,
originally an informal settlement situated north of Fourways, is a township devoid of
greenery. The residents of a new housing project in Diepsloot approached the Trees for
Home committee, asking for shade and fruit trees to green the dusty area of their new
homes. The plan was to deliver 7 600 trees to the area of 3 800 houses - Diepsloot Phase 2
- on Saturday 26 February. For a week in advance, the event, organised by FTFA,
Johannesburg City and the housing developers, Elcon, was promoted to the residents.
Marching bands, tree planting demonstrations, talks on how to start gardens and how to
maintain trees were planned for the day.
On the
actual day, the weather put pay to the programme as the pouring rain literally did not let
up once throughout the day. But despite the rain, the community turned out en masse to
collect their trees. The queue of people eager for trees only came to an end at five in
the afternoon, when the last trees were carried away to the new homes.
-----
TREE OF THE ISSUE
Malcolm Hepplewhite chooses the
Jacket Plum
Pappea
Capensis
Landscaper
Malcolm Hepplewhite of EcoFocus Gardens concentrates on indigenous and wildlife
landscapes, and he has chosen Pappea capensis as the Tree of the Issue. He says his love
for this tree started on holiday in the Eastern Cape when he was filled with admiration at
the tree's ability to survive the harsh conditions of the Gamka Nature Reserve in the
Little Karroo. He says the goats had cleaned the stems of some 3-4m high Jacket Plums so
that they resembled 'standards' but they had retained their beautiful compact shape, even
though they had been extensively browsed and exposed to very dry conditions.
Typically,
the Jacket Plum's natural habitat is in rock outcrops, although in Mpumalanga it grows
along rivers and has far larger leaves than its counterparts in the more arid areas. On
Malcolm's property in North Riding, which is called Lesokeng, meaning Wilderness in North
Sotho, there are several Pappea capensis growing in conjunction with other trees in
typical Highveld bush clusters. A cluster adjacent to his driveway comprises, along with a
beautiful specimen of the Jacket Plum: Olea europaea subsp africana, Celtis africana,
Cussonia paniculata, Acacia caffra, Canthium gilfillanii, Ziziphus mucronata, Heteromorpha
trifoliata and Acokanthera oppositifolia.
Malcolm is
of the opinion that Pappea capensis is not used nearly enough in landscaping and he is
turning that around in his projects: "I use the tree as often as I can because it
provides good bird food for fruit eating birds, such as Rameron pigeons, barbets,
starlings and mousebirds; it has a lovely shape and attractive pale coloured, smooth bark;
and its new foliage is bronze in colour which contrasts well with the olive-green of the
older leaves. I have used it in a residential garden in Morningside in a cluster with
other trees and, more recently, as a screening tree in Fourways Gardens. It does best with
other trees grouped in proximity to it."
Malcolm
plants the tree with plenty of compost and bonemeal (he makes a point of saying that he
gets better results with natural fertilisers) in almost any soil. He says the tree seems
not to perform at its best in very sandy soil, probably because the water drains away too
quickly. He says the tree needs to be watered three times a week while it is establishing
and, although it is a drought resistant tree, faster growth will occur if the regular
watering regime is continued. Once it is planted out in the landscape, 75cm of growth per
growing season is not uncommon. The Jacket Plum is frost resistant but with a very severe
frost, Malcolm has seen this largely evergreen tree lose its leaves, but no further damage
was evident.
According to
Malcolm, the tree is usually single-stemmed but if it is multi-stemmed, it has distinct
boles rather than suckers. The sexes are on different trees. Larvae of three butterfly
species feed on the tree. The fleshy red covering of the seeds is edible and can be used
to make vinegar and a tart jelly that complements pork. Oil from the seeds was used to oil
guns in earlier times and for soap-making. The
North Sotho name for the tree means 'axe breaker' in reference to its very hard wood, and
because it has a wide canopy, it provides shade for 'indabas'. Certain local people call
Pappea capensis the equivalent of 'die
skinderboom' because it serves the womenfolk well as a resting place on their way back
from collecting water.
Acknowledgement
is given to Briza Publications for the use of the photograph of the fruit from 'Making the
Most of Indigenous Trees' by Fanie and Julye-Ann Venter.
-----
WORDS ON WASTE
Controlled Microbial Composting reduces Robertson's solid waste stream
The Breede
River Wine Lands municipality has embraced the concept of sustainability in dealing with
its solid waste. The initiative comprises separating building rubble, instituting a
recycling scheme and composting garden waste - and it has cut Robertson's solid waste
stream by well over a third. A major part of the strategy has been to form a joint venture
with Microgro to transform Robertson's garden waste into valuable, top class compost.
The scheme
uses an aerobic method called Controlled Microbial Composting which has been developed and
tested in Austria, over the last 30 years. This process harnesses sophisticated controls
to ensure that the end-product is certified for use on organic farms and contains a wide
variety of nutrients, which will encourage strong root and plant growth. The use of
compost in farming can significantly extend the shelf life of produce under the right
circumstances.
According to
De Villiers du Plessis, Microgro's managing director, compost improves the soil structure
and ensures a steady release of nutrients, especially nitrogen. "It also improves
ground water retention and enriches the soil's bacterial activity which allows the release
of vital minerals to the plants. We take a special formula of garden waste and, during a
six week process, turn it into a valuable resource to 'feed' the earth. The end product
can help rejuvenate soil that has been degraded by years of abuse.
"South
Africa must follow the sustainable agricultural trends which are being set globally. In
Europe, South America, USA, Japan and Australia, the organic produce market has grown. In
some countries, up to 10% of the land is being converted to organic farms."
The Wine
Lands Municipality's joint venture aims to produce enough compost to supply local market
demand. This will be available to farmers, nurseries and gardeners in bulk or bag form -
and the wide delivery radius incorporates Boland towns, as well as Cape Town, with a very
competitive delivered price for loads of over 30m3.
"We go
to considerable lengths to ensure that our compost is alive and active when it reaches its
destination and apart from keeping a watchful eye on each part of the transformation
process, we only use woven bags with a high permeability to keep the microbes
healthy," concluded Du Plessis.
Mocambique's
first Plasma Waste Converter
Amandla
Environmental, a Johannesburg based environmental solutions company, and Global Waste of
Wilgeheuwel have executed a Memorandum of Understanding as the initial step in the
development and commissioning of Mocambique's first Plasma Waste Converter (PWC) facility.
The waste management company Global Waste will be responsible for obtaining the necessary
approvals from the Mocambique government and other relevant authorities for the
construction and operation of a 20 tonne per day PWC in Moputu, Mocambique.
Commenting
on the agreement between Amandla and Global, Chris Maloney, CEO of Amandla said: "We
believe that the time is right for Africa to embrace the PWC as an environmentally
sustainable solution to its hazardous waste problems and this first step with Global will
lead to the development of additional joint pharmaceutical waste PWC facilities throughout
southern Africa.
Tony
Murgatroyd, general manager of Global Waste said: "This technology will destroy
pharmaceutical waste with no discharge of emissions and is capable of reducing 300 drums
of such waste into just one drum of harmless inert silicate and harmless residual
salts." He characterised the incinerator method of waste destruction as antiquated.
The PWC
technology developed by Startech Environmental Corporation of the USA, safely converts
both hazardous and non-hazardous waste, organic or inorganic in nature, into safe,
valuable commodity products such as plasma converted gas and other inert residuals such as
metals and silicates which can be re-used in a variety of commercial applications.
Johannesburg based Amandla Environmental holds the exclusive rights to the
commercialisation of the PWC technology in Africa and in parts of Europe.
Valuable oils
and chemicals from scrap vehicle tyres
Scrap
vehicle tyres are being turned into valuable oils and green chemicals by scientists using
a process which is claimed to offer a real alternative to the dumping or burying of old
tyres. With fossil fuels running out, the oil and gas tied up in the millions of waste
tyres discarded annually has been targeted by researchers as a possible energy source for
decades. Tyres can yield up to 60% of their weight as fuel oil. But the relatively low
price of refined crude means that up to now it has made little economic sense to use
tyre-derived products.
Dr Paul
Williams of the Department of Fuel and Energy at the University of Leeds has improved on a
basic and largely ignored technique called pyrolysis to turn tyres into a mixture of
valuable chemicals, oils, gases, carbon and steel cord. Tyres break down in this way when
they are heated without oxygen. With pyrolysis, the yield of oil can be up to 58% of the
tyre weight and oil has fuel properties broadly similar to commercial grade light fuel
oil/diesel fuel. The oils derived from the pyrolysis process may be burnt directly or
added to petroleum derived fuel.
The solid
carbon residue left after pyrolysis has potential use as a solid fuel or as a low grade
carbon black. Recess work at Leeds has produced an upgrading process for the tyre-derived
carbon which produces activated carbons of similar quality to those obtainable
commercially. Activated carbon is an excellent adsorbent and is commonly used to remove
pollutants from gas or liquid streams. The activated carbon from tyres has been found to
have a porosity and sulphur content which is particularly suitable for the removal of
mercury from industrial aqueous wastewaters and flue gases, with removal capacities which
are several times greater than those of commercial activated carbons.
-----
FEATURES
ILASA 2001 Merit Awards
The
Institute of Landscape Architects of South Africa presents four Awards: Capricorn Business
and Technology Park; Fairview Estate Memorial Garden; planning and management at
Driekoppies Dam; N3-Toll Road Scoping Report
The
Institute of Landscape Architects of South Africa (ILASA) confers Merit Awards on its
members in recognition of remarkable and innovative projects that set new standards for
landscape architecture. The type of project
need not necessarily be extraordinary but the landscape architectural content of the
approach, research, planning and/or design should be exceptional.
Thirteen
entries were received this year and Erika van den Berg was the National Convenor who
co-ordinated the event but did not take part in the adjudication process. Entries were
received in the following categories: design (large scale), design (small scale) and
video/on screen productions - adjudicated by architect Roger Fisher and landscape
architects Brian Stokes, Tania du Plessis and Gerald Garner; environmental assessments
(planning and management) - adjudicated by landscape architect Willem van Riet and
architect Roger Fisher; and planning - adjudicated by landscape architects Graham Young
and Danie Rebel.
Merit Awards
- four in total - were given for the following projects: Capricorn Business and Technology
Park entered by Waterfront Landscape Architects (a consortium of OVP and Ian Ford &
Associates) in the category: design (large scale); Fairview Estate Memorial Garden entered
by Chittenden Nicks de Villiers in the category: design (small scale); Driekoppies Dam
environmental planning and management entered by Cave Klapwijk & Associates in the
category: environmental assessments (planning, managing and auditing); and the N-3 Toll
Road environmental scoping study entered by Cave Klapwijk & Associates also in the
category: environmental assessments.
Capricorn Business and
Technology Park
Category: design (large scale)
Landscape architects: Waterfront Landscape Architects
Project resume
Capricorn Business and Technology Park is a high-tech industrial and research
facility situated in Muizenberg, Cape Town. Its joint objectives are to attract leaders in
technology and industry to the Park, and to recognise and acknowledge the Park's integral
link to its surrounding environment - both bio-physical and socio-economic. Capricorn's
mission is to conduct its business in an environmentally responsible manner which strives
for sustainable development.
The 4-phased
project has been developed around a large central lake and a dune-slack wetland to the
south of the site. A ring road around the lake links the different components of the park
while the landscaping strives to preserve and enhance the natural Cape strandveld setting
and peninsula coastal planting.
The brief specified compliance with ISO 14001 in
respect of the management of waste materials, stormwater requirements, low rates of toxic
emissions and ground water quality. The site is located on a shallow aquifer which is
susceptible to contamination and the aquifer ultimately discharges into the surf zone of
False Bay. Any contaminated water will therefore impact on the water quality of False Bay.
Other requirements of the brief were to landscape the public areas, including the lake and
road reserves and to ensure that environmental considerations are into account by all
future investors in the Park.
Environmental aspects
A detailed environmental investigation was undertaken by Erika van den Honert
Environmental Consultants and this concluded that with strictly careful control over the
operations that locate in the Park and the management of these operations potential
negative impacts could be mitigated. Construction procedures were also expected to adhere
to environmental requirements.
The
Environmental Impact Assessment identified sensitive dwarf fynbos and an equally sensitive
sand dune system. The landscaping guidelines correspond to the natural conditions of the
site and surrounding dune forms and specifically encourage the use of strandveld
vegetation which is indigenous to the area.
Design philosophy
The design philosophy avoided the 'avenue of trees' style of landscaping and
made use instead of indigenous shrubs and groundcovers, reintroducing these to the
business park. Capricorn is committed to the conservation of the Cape Floral Kingdom's
unique vegetation through the propagating and planting of strandveld in the Park.
Indigenous planting extends to lawn types of which two varieties were used at Capricorn -
Buffalo (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is used as a summer grass, while Kweek (Cynodon
dactylon) serves as a winter grass.
The lake - a focal point
The sheer size and sinuous shape of the lake make it a focal point in the
landscaping. It was designed for a 1:50 year flood, sized for low flow and is weir
controlled. It has no lining and simply contains exposed ground water. The pond weed
Potamogeton pectinatus has been introduced to the lake and spread by hand around the lake.
It grows on the floor of the lake and serves to purify the water, creating a suitable
habitat for fish and bird life. Aquatic and marginal plants have been introduced in and
around the lake to fulfil their ecological function and an aesthetic function. The edging
treatment provides a habitat for birds, as do the sloping beaches at various points around
the lake. Plantings and natural rock on the lake's edge serve also as a means of erosion
and wave action control.
Soft landscaping
The total landscaped area at Capricorn comprises 5ha of the Cape Flats and is
very exposed and frequently bombarded by salt-laden south-easterly winds in summer and
north-westerly rain-bearing winds in winter. The choice of planting naturally reflects the
indigenous fynbos of the area and low growing shrubs and groundcovers were chosen for
their colour and flowering ability. Some plants have been experimented with for the first
time while others were available commercially or were harvested and propagated or contract
grown. The planting has been designed to introduce variety and scale and is massed to
achieve a fullness of form. It is informal with colours ranging from whites and yellows to
blues and purples.
Although the
plants are low maintenance, judicious pruning is required. Organic fertilisers in the form
of kelp granules have been used, but over-fertlisation is carefully avoided to prevent
leaching into the lake and ground water. Milled kelp, in chip form, has been rotovated
into the soil and a wood mulch has been used to reduce evaporation.
The vast
extent of the earthworks produced areas with different pH values and this has resulted in
some plants doing better in certain areas. Another constraining factor has been the large
quantities of wind blown sand which often bury plants and the salty winds which cause
plants to suffer from burns. Attempts at creating windbreaks were largely unsuccessful and
plant casualties have meant that material has had to be replaced.
Hydroseeding
with indigenous seed was another component of the soft landscaping. After dune areas were
hydroseeded, a geofabric was laid down for stabilising purposes. Goats roaming the area
grazed the new vegetation growth as it pushed through the geofabric netting.
Irrigation
A fully-automatic irrigation system with a computerised central control system
(a first in the Western Cape) linked to a weather station was installed by Top Turf Cape
to achieve optimal use of the effluent water supply. Strong winds and soil infiltration
rates presented a challenge, requiring the design of a system with high precipitation
rates. Valves designed to operate with effluent water were imported from the USA. Planted
areas utilise standard PVC risers, while pop-up sprinklers have been used on the road
verges. A 2km pipeline was installed to bring water to the site. The system has been
designed to prevent irrigation water from going into the lake; to spray away from the
roads; and to reduce the water application when necessary (once established, fynbos and
strandveld require very little water).
Hard landscaping
A paved walking or jogging pathway circumscribes the lake and an unusual
'high-tech' bridge, the central section of
which can be unpinned when the weed harvester moves from the lake into the canal, provides
a different experience. The bridge has been designed
to accommodate the rise and fall of water levels in the lake during flood conditions and
chains underneath the water anchor it in position.
Concrete and
clay brick was chosen for the 4km of pathways, pavements, walkways, road edges and traffic
islands. The brick pavers in tones of red, brown and beige were chosen for their
durability and colour-fastness, while the colours align with the natural environment.
The street
lighting columns were designed by OvP Associates and their 'high-tech' feel echoes that of
the bridge. Bollards light the pedestrian walkways and lighting around the lake reflects
in the water. Signage is in concrete and stainless steel for durability in the harsh
environment, while fencing is a combination of masonry and palisade metal fencing which is
galvanised and powder coated.
Project team
Client: Capricorn Science & Manufacturing Parks (Pty) Ltd
Project managers: Grinaker Property Development
Landscape architects: Waterfront Landscape Architects
(a consortium of OvP and Ian Ford Associates)
Project landscape architects: Steve Thompson-Evans (hard landscaping) Deon Bronkhorst
(soft landscaping)Consulting engineers: Hawkins Hawkins & Osborn; Kantey and Templer
Environmental consultant: Erica van den Honert
Quantity surveyors: MLCL (Cape)
Landscape and other contractors: Khulani (soft) Top Turf Cape (irrigation), Grinaker Civils,
Seymour Paving,
LBH Precast, Petrel Engineering (hard)
Judges' appraisal
The landscape architects have succeeded in creating an architectural
identity on a largely characterless, flat piece of land. Innovative design details such as
the lighting columns lining the main streets, reflect the technological nature of the
businesses and buildings in the techno-park. There is an 'interplay' between the natural
and the manmade landscape throughout.
The
landscape design does not merely try to create a visual impression, it also responds to
ecological issues - only indigenous plantings have been used to enhance and conserve the
Cape strandveld and the lake has been given sensitive treatment with a natural bottom and
edges, so as to provide a habitat for birds, small mammals and fish. Care has also been
taken with water usage - not only will the selected indigenous plants consume less water
but a special irrigation system has been installed to prevent over-watering.
For its
attention to detail and sensitivity to the natural environment, Capricorn Business and
Technology Park receives an ILASA Merit Award.
Fairview Estate
Memorial Garden
Category: design (small scale)
Landscape architects: Chittenden Nicks de Villiers
Project resume
Fairview is a well known wine estate and goats cheese producer in the vicinity
of Paarl, which many tourists visit on a daily basis. The brief was to create an
attractive garden in memory of the owner's late parents for use by visitors - and which
would serve for outdoor cheese and wine tasting functions.
The challenge
The existing garden was divided by a road utilised by farm vehicles - a garden
comprising two 'left-over' triangles of land. The manor house, cheese and wine tasting
rooms and the cellar were all built in slightly incongruous styles and in different eras
and needed to form a unified whole. The columns of the wine tasting building did not match
the symmetry of the fa‡ade - and none of the buildings were at right angles to one
another. Access from the parking area to the tasting building had to remain intact. The
existing garden sloped diagonally between the buildings with a height difference of 1,5m.
The client wanted to use his existing workforce to construct the garden and to install the
irrigation system.
The design
The design is based on a traditional Cape 'werf' theme, with white plastered
walls and traditional materials. The level for the werf was chosen and fill was brought in
from existing stockpiles on the farm. The existing road was relocated out of sight between
the visitor area and the vineyards. Columns and pergolas were added in front of the cellar
buildings to help unify the buildings and to reduce the scale of the cellars.
The garden
is divided into two unequal parts - the larger and higher level being the more formal,
while the lower sloping section is less formal. The upper portion contains the formal pond
and large curved seat with formal paths and beds. The lower section contains a ramp
providing for access by wheelchair and has 'fun' elements such as the drinking fountain,
old birdbath and sundial.
The large
central pond sports a gargoyle made by the owner's sister and in the design of a goat's
face, rather than the conventional fish or sun face, to celebrate the fact that goats are
an integral part of life at Fairview. Paving design, night lighting and gate details add
to the richness of the garden experience. Materials such as specially manufactured
'klompjes', quarry tiles and traditional red brick were used to add texture and interest
to hard surfaces. A cement-based paint was used on walls and columns to ensure a slightly
'older' non-uniform appearance.
Planting scheme
The client favoured a mixed 'English country garden' theme with lavender and
roses and some formality. A compromise was reached with the main central beds being formal
and the narrow lower beds of a more informal nature with more mixed plantings. The colours
of flowering plants were limited to wine reds, pinks, mauves, blues and whites,
throughout.
Implementation
The
implementation required a lot of co-ordination from the landscape architect, and skills
development, as the construction team comprising the workforce from the Estate, utilised
during a quiet time for the wine industry, needed on-site guidance. The irrigation system
was not installed quite according to plan but functions well enough. The soft landscaping
was done by landscape contractors Real Landscapes.
Judges' appraisal
The landscape architect has transformed an uninspiring farmyard into an
attractive outdoor space fit for wedding receptions and wine tastings. Innovative
architectural interventions were necessary to make this a memorable space. The landscape
architect has added pergolas to the facades of certain buildings to create a unified
architectural language for the project. The pergolas also give a more human scale to the
werf. Werf walls have been cleverly used to define space and as a retaining wall to divide
the garden into two levels - eliminating the problem of a steeply sloped site.
For the
significant impact achieved with an appropriate 'low-key' solution on a relatively small
budget, Fairview Memorial Garden receives an ILASA Merit Award.
Project team
Client: Fairview Estate
Landscape architects: Chittenden Nicks de Villiers
Project landscape architect: Tanya de Villiers
Hard landscaping contractors: Fairview Estate team
Soft landscaping contractor: Real Landscapes
Driekoppies Dam
Category: environmental assessments (planning,
managing and auditing)
Landscape architects: Cave Klapwijk & Associates
Project resume
The Komati River Basin is an important source of water for South Africa,
Swaziland and Mocambique. Provision for ever-increasing demands needed to be made.
Aforestation, in-stream flow requirements and consumption by primary users had to be
catered for, as well as the agricultural, mining and industrial sectors of Mozambique and
Swaziland.
The first
phase of the scheme comprised the construction of Driekoppies Dam on the Lomati River (a
tributary of the Komati) between the villages of Schoemansdal and Middelplaas near
Malelane in Mpumalanga. The second phase comprises Maguga dam, currently under
construction on the Lomati River in Swaziland.
The role of the
landscape architect
The landscape architects were brought in at a very early stage of the process,
so that all rehabilitation and landform specifications were fully integrated in the design
of the dam. This ensured that the landscape design and rehabilitation formed part of the
contract documentation. The landscape architects remained fully involved throughout the
construction phase, taking on the roles of environmental officer and auditor. Although the
dam is complete the landscape architects remain involved through annual and ad hoc
inspections.
The
landscape architects brief included:
*
designing the final
landform together with the consulting engineers;
*
developing an
Environmental Management Plan which was included in the main contractors contract;
*
developing stripping
procedures and rehabilitation specifications for the borrow pits, quarries and waste fill
sites;
*
developing grassing
guidelines for establishment on the dam wall and return channel;
*
investigating the
potential threat of termite infestation; and
*
presenting an
environmental awareness programme to the workers on site.
Social
aspects were also addressed by the project team and these included establishing fuel wood
and muthi (medicinal) plant nurseries - and developing and implementing a relocation and
compensation strategy.
The role of the client
The client, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, maintained overall
responsibility but the landscape architect's direct client was the design engineering
practice, Chunett Fourie and Partners (a division of BKS). The engineers worked very
closely with the landscape architects discussing and reviewing method statements and
specifications.
Local significance of
the project
This was the first large dam project to make use of landscape architects from
the planning stage to the monitoring of the operation of the dam. Much of the
environmental planning took place in the absence of adequate environmental legislation, as
the landscape architects were appointed in June 1988.
Unique solutions
A pioneering technique used to rehabilitate the extensive borrow areas was to
strip and stockpile the topsoil and leave strategically placed islands of vegetation
within these areas. The topsoil, together with the existing seed bank, was re-spread and
the islands of vegetation provided a source of seed (a generator) to re-colonise the
rehabilitated areas. In large areas, where no plant communities or trees were able to be
retained for protection, a strip of existing grassveld was retained, every 30-40m or an
area of 5-10m x 5-10m per ha was retained.
Conclusion
Because the landscape architects were involved from the onset, many of the
anticipated implementation problems were avoided while the commitment of the contractor
also played a major role in the success of the implementation.
It must be
kept in mind that the scope, process and approval of environmental impact assessment and
management have developed considerably since this project and requirements are now far
more rigorous than those employed at Driekoppies.
Driekoppies
Dam has received the following awards for professional excellence: Fulton Award for
Aesthetic Appeal, 1999; SAACE Award for Excellence in Consulting Engineering, 1999.
Judges' appraisal
This project illustrates the leading role landscape architects have played
in environmental planning and management, as they were appointed to this project prior to
the promulgation of adequate environmental legislation. The interdisciplinary working
relationship between the engineers and the landscape architects ensured that engineering
standards were met without compromising the environment. Innovative rehabilitation
techniques were of significance, while the social aspects of the brief were cardinal and
the landscape architect's role in facilitating such complex aspects was exemplary and sets
new standards for the profession.
For its
trend-setting nature and the professionalism with which such a large scale project was
handled, over a lengthy period of time, the environmental planning and management of
Driekoppies Dam receives an ILASA Merit Award.
Project team
Client: DWAF
Project manager: Menno Klapwijk
Landscape architects: Cave Klapwijk & Associates
Project landscape architect: Menno Klapwijk
Consulting engineers: BKS/Chunnet Fourie & Partners
Environmental consultants: Cave Klapwijk & Associates
N3-Toll Road
Environmental Scoping Report
Category: environmental assessments (planning
managing and auditing)
Landscape architects: Cave Klapwijk and Associates
Project resume
The purpose of the scoping study was to obtain authorisation from the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) in terms of the Environmental
Conservation Act and Regulations 1182 and 1183 to proceed with the construction of the
N3-Toll Road from Heidelberg to Cedara.
The roll of the landscape architect
CKA was the Independent Environmental Consultant responsible for satisfying all
the requirements to obtain the Record of Decision from DEAT National to proceed with the
project.
The role of the Client
The Client provided continuous input into the EMP which was developed from the
findings of the various (14) specialist reports.
Local significance of
the project
The Toll Road will improve the efficiency and safety of the road journey from
Gauteng to Durban, significantly. In addition, many jobs will be created over the 30-year
concession contract period.
Unique solutions
The environmental team was given six months to obtain the permit from DEAT. The
full procedure to be followed had to be defensible in the event of an appeal to stop the
project. To ensure that the deadline date for approval was met, the exact procedure and
scope of work was agreed upfront with DEAT National and the four provinces which the road
traversed. This entailed producing a scoping report to a very high level of detail, an
Environmental Management Programme (EMP) and a comprehensive Public Involvement Programme
supported by a Comments and Response Report. All of these were submitted to the DEAT at
the same time.
The permit
to proceed was issued well ahead of the Contract conclusion and the Financial closure.
Problems or constraints
that influenced the project
The main constraint was the time frame in which approval had to be obtained, so
that the critical path set by the concession contract was not compromised. Failure to meet
the target dates would make the Concession Company liable for penalties. To avoid delays
in the permitting process, DEAT representatives were kept informed on a continuous basis,
through meetings and site inspections. Any queries were attended to immediately and
satisfied or resolved.
Conclusion
This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first time a landscape architectural
practice has been appointed as an Independent Environmental Consultant to handle the
entire authorisation process for a national project - and has successfully completed the
task within a very tight time schedule.
Judges appraisal
The fact that the landscape architects were appointed as independent
environmental consultants to handle the entire authorisation process for a national
project is a first for the profession. They dealt with DEAT National as well as the four
relevant provinces and input was called for from 14 specialists. They successfully
co-ordinated the input of the various role players and obtained the permit for the project
well within the specified six months.
The
landscape architects identified many potential environmental problems, such as the
location of a toll plaza on the crest of a hill, with its resultant negative visual
impact, and the alignment of the road in proximity to archaeological sites - and they were
able to suggest alternatives to the benefit of the environment.
For the
successful and professional role played by landscape architects in a project of national
significance, the N3-Toll Road Environmental Scoping Report receives an ILASA Merit Award.
Project team
Client: N3-Toll Concession Ltd
Project manager: Alan Cave
Landscape architects: Cave Klapwijk and Associates
Project landscape architect: Alan Cave
Consulting engineers: N3CC
Environmental consultants: Various
Public Involvement Consultants: Acer Africa
-----
Environmentally appropriate design
Botswana
Technology Centre, Gaborone
The Botswana
Technology Centre (BOTEC) is a multi-disciplinary parastatal organisation, which
spearheads the research and development of building and engineering technologies that are
appropriate to Botswana, one of Africa's fastest-developing nations. BOTEC's newly
completed headquarters in Gaborone stand as an example of climatically responsive design
that incorporates innovative engineering technologies.
Gerald
Garner visited the building with architect Ken Stucke, from BOTEC, and Nigel Nicholls from
Arup Consulting Engineers. This report, by Leigh Darroll, is compiled from his
observations and information provided by Arup and ADA.
BOTEC
incorporates four technical units which are dedicated to architecture, civil engineering,
renewable energy sources and information technology. As a research and development
organisation, it is comparable to the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research) in South Africa.
The brief
for the design of the Centre's new headquarters called for a prestigious, landmark
building, providing facilities of an international standard and, at the same time, one
that would express BOTEC's focus on appropriate, locally-developed, building and
engineering technologies. The building was required to serve as a model for
environmentally appropriate design that could be adapted to other similar developments in
Botswana and elsewhere in southern Africa. Additional considerations included cost
criteria and concerns for sustainability and low maintenance.
BOTEC's new
headquarters are sited on previously undeveloped land, towards the periphery of Gaborone's
rapidly growing CBD and within the ring road which currently circumscribes the city
limits. The 4 000m² building, completed at the end of last year, comprises two
concrete-framed, double-storey wings of open plan and cellular office space and research
facilities, built to either side of a triple-volume concourse which delineates the
east-west axis of the building. The north-facing wing, which is highly visible from the
ring road, accommodates the more public facilities, including the library and conference
and function rooms, and the south wing is dedicated to private office space. Balustraded
steel walkways link the two wings across the atrium at each floor level and the steel roof
structure of this central space rises above the double-storey office wings to incorporate
an open clerestory.
While some
sophisticated materials, such as double-glazed units and aluminium cladding panels and
sunscreens, have been imported to meet the requirement for a prestigious building and to
optimise its heat resistance, the building is designed to incorporate passive cooling
measures and a number of energy-efficient engineering solutions.
Responding to the local
climate
Nigel Nicholls, who was involved with Arup, Zimbabwe, in the design of the
Eastgate project in Harare (see Urban Green File - December 2000), explains that the
design conditions encountered in Gaborone are more demanding. Summer temperatures can
fluctuate through about 16°C to reach 38°C and above, at a relative humidity of 35%. In
winter temperatures can fall to minus 5°C at night from around 22°C during the day. A
fairly generous internal temperature band was agreed for the BOTEC building, ranging from
20°C to 29°C.
The high
diurnal temperature change experienced in Gaborone, as in Harare and other southern
African Highveld cities, allows for passive cooling in appropriately designed buildings.
As a consequence of its inland location at a low latitude of 24°S and a high altitude of
about 1 000m, Gaborone's hot summer days are followed by relatively long and cool summer
nights. Thus, in summer, cool night air can be used to control the temperature in the
building as external daytime temperatures rise. Nicholls points out, however, that if one
is drawing in 'cool' air at a summer night-time temperature of 22°C, this does not have
much impact on internal temperatures. For this reason, additional measures have been
employed at BOTEC to cool incoming air.
"In
winter," Nicholls adds, "although it may be 0°C at six o'clock in the morning,
the day quickly warms up as the sun rises and the heat load on the building increases
sharply."
He comments
further that although the design strategy used at BOTEC is similar to that in Eastgate,
the structures as well as the climatic specifics differ and mechanical engineering systems
have had to be adapted accordingly.
The building envelope
The facade of the north wing of the building is curtain-walled with
double-glazed units in a conventional aluminium sub-frame. The use of double-glazing
restricts the transfer of heat to the interior and the combination of a tinted glass and a
coated low-emissivity glass in the double-glazed units enhances the degree of thermal
insulation afforded by the curtain wall. Aluminium mesh sunscreens provide a further
measure of solar protection. On the facade of the south wing, smaller, modular openings
are recessed in the plastered masonry construction. Narrow ribbon windows on the east and
west facades of the office wings are also protected by aluminium sunscreens to limit the
build-up of heat internally.
Passive cooling and energy-saving mechanical controls
To the interior, the north and south wings are walled and glazed and thus, while they are
closed from the shaded, internal street materially, they enjoy the outlook over it and
benefit from its moderating effect on the internal climate. The central concourse is
actually open to the elements, to the movement of air, indirect sunlight and falling
rainwater. The east and west access points, defined by projecting steel canopies that are
angled upward away from the structure, are closed only by folding, sliding glass doors at
ground floor level and aluminium louvres at first floor level. The roof of profiled steel
sheeting takes an inverted pitch to a central box gutter. Open clerestory sections beneath
its upturned 'wings', although screened, offer a supplementary provision for hot air to
escape and cool, fresh air to flow into the building.
In the
concrete-framed north and south wings of the building, a ventilated, hollow concrete floor
slab system serves as a thermal storage device in which the mass of the slabs, which are
240mm deep, is used to cool the structure.
The precast,
pre-stressed, hollow-core slabs were produced to meet specified requirements for the
mechanical ducting and its connections, to transfer cool air to the office space. On the
ground level, the principal mechanical ducts, as well as electrical reticulation, are
channelled along a central sunken "trench" in the floor slab that runs beneath
the east-west corridor in each wing. At the upper levels, the principal ducts are exposed
and, at these levels, a secondary slab was cast, 75mm deep, to accommodate electrical
reticulation for the offices. Fitted ceilings are excluded and the slab soffits are
exposed so that heat can be absorbed from the office space below and coolness radiated to
it.
Rainwater conservation
and evaporative cooling
Fresh air is drawn into the building via the concourse and into the basement
plant rooms where the air is processed before being distributed through the building.
During
summer evaporative cooling is used to achieve double-figure reductions between the
external and internal temperatures. The fresh incoming air is blown through variable
volume air handling units which incorporate spray humidifiers. The humidifying mist,
generated by mixing water and compressed air, is blown into the air stream via nozzles. As
the water evaporates, it cools the air, which is then pumped through the ductwork into the
hollow floor slabs and via floor and wall-mounted vents into the office space.
Rainwater is
collected from the roofs and stored in an underground concrete water tank (with a capacity
of 400m³) for use in the humidifier.
In winter
the demands for internal temperature control are not as extreme as in summer. "In
order to deal with the very cold early mornings," Nicholls says, "a number of
conventional radiant heaters have been installed at specific locations where a faster heat
build-up than can be provided by the rising sun is required to optimise the overall
performance of the system." Otherwise, lower volumes of cold night air are used to
cool the building as day temperatures rise. It is not envisaged that the evaporative
cooling system will be required over the winter months but it will be used if necessary.
Temperature
and humidity sensors in the ductwork, the slabs and the occupied spaces, are linked to the
humidifier. In winter, if the distributed air is not sufficiently cool, the humidifier
will be activated automatically. In summer the risk is that the humidity in the air may
become uncomfortably high, in which case the humidifier will be temporarily shut down and
automatically reactivated when required.
Distribution cycles
While the cooling system at BOTEC is still being fine-tuned, subsequent to the
building being occupied from the end of last year, a cycle of three air changes during the
day and six air changes at night is currently operational and it is expected that this
will be ongoing. Performance monitoring equipment is in place and will be used to evaluate
and optimise the system over time.
Heat extraction
The blue ducts in the building carry cool air and the red ducts carry exhaust
air. Warm air is collected at ceiling height of each office level and transferred to
'chimney stacks' in a series of bays which open off the central concourse. The air
released from the exhaust ducts is removed from the building by stack effect, assisted by
the use of polycarbonate sheeting over the extract bays - which increases the
concentration of heat immediately below the roof, and by wind-driven rotary ventilators
mounted on the roof directly above the bays.
Conventional
air-conditioning
Conventional air-conditioning is installed in some offices where the wide
temperature band that applies to the building generally was not acceptable, or where the
calculated internal heat gains would be such that additional cooling was required.
Natural daylight
A daylight factor of 3 to 5% was specified for the building, maintaining
natural light in all general areas at a minimum level of 150lux. Open sections and louvred
screens admit a lot of daylight to the atrium and the angled steel panels in the
clerestory bounce light into the interior, reflecting it off the metallic underside of the
steel roof. Extensive glazing to the interior walls of the north and south wings allows
natural light from the atrium to reach the inner offices, while external glazing also
admits daylight to the office space. Although the amount of direct sunlight entering the
building has been minimised, during working hours it is lit entirely by natural light.
Energy-efficient
downlighters are also installed to high-traffic common areas and function and conference
rooms for night-time use.
Solar powered water
heating
Solar panels are installed on the central inverted roof to heat water for the
kitchens and ablution facilities in the building. Conventional geysers are installed at
remote locations to supplement the hot water supply on occasions of high demand, when
BOTEC hosts conferences and other such events.
Wastewater treatment
All wastewater from the building, including sewage and grey water, is treated
on-site in a system designed by ADA with assistance from Alan Batchelor at the CSIR. The
organic treatment system, which requires no chemical additives, comprises four processes
which are described by Noel de Villiers of ADA as follows.
The
wastewater is transferred firstly into a septic tank where solid waste is broken down
anaerobically. The effluent from the septic tank is then processed aerobically through a
planted rock filter. This comprises three uncovered, sunken concrete chambers containing
crushed gravel and planted with papyrus. The effluent is filtered through these three
compartments consecutively. The filtrate is then pumped to a nitrification column, where
it trickles down through a column of porous media that houses a host of nitrifying
bacteria; the bacteria oxidise the ammonia in the filtrate, producing nitrates. In the
final process of the treatment system, the water is polished in a surface flow wetland,
which was constructed and planted for this purpose. The wetland is lined to prevent any
effluent seeping into the ground before it has been finally processed. From the wetland
the treated wastewater is collected in a sump and pumped to a nearby storage tank from
which it is used for irrigation on site.
Landscaping
Gaborone, in southeastern Botswana, is situated in a semi-arid geographical
zone. Summer monthly rainfall averages around 46mm and vegetation is sparse. Trees that
were existing on the site have been retained and new planting - including veld grasses and
mostly indigenous material - will increase the greenery and groundcover around the
building to reduce heat reflection from the bare soil. The recycled wastewater used in the
irrigation system will surely help in establishing a cooler, greener environment.
Professional Team
Client: Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC)
Project Architects: Anderson & Anderson International
Design Architects: Stauch Vorster, Pretoria
Civil & Structural Engineers: Anthony Davenport & Associates (ADA)
Mechanical Engineers: Arup, Botswana
Electrical Engineers: North Atlantic Engineering Consultants
Quantity Surveyors: Fitzwilliam Partnership
Landscape Architects: Resource Planning Management
Clerk of Works: Building Project Services
Main contractor: Concor, Botswana
-----
Formalising the informal sector
The
African Craft Market at Rosebank
According to
Talla Niang of Senegal who sells West African masks, figurines and statues in his new shop
at the Craft Market, after three years of
hawking his wares on the pavements of Rosebank: "There were many times that the
management of Rosebank Mall came to us about the idea of a market building, but we didn't
believe it would come true. Now we are protected from the rain and wind and we do not have
to transport our curios in trolleys to storage areas every night. My curios break easily
and now I have no breakages. We have good light and ventilation and, especially, credit
card facilities which we did not have outside - most overseas tourists want to pay with
credit cards. Things are much improved for most of us."
David Green, previously of JHI Real Estate Ltd -
managers of Rosebank Mall, conceived the idea of a covered African craft market in
Rosebank and initiated the project, largely because it was felt that the trading on the
streets created negative perceptions that were affecting the retail trade in the area. It
was evident that the trade in African crafts was sustainable in Rosebank mainly because of
the overseas tourist traffic emanating from the hotels in the immediate vicinity.
According to Green, the Mall management decided to turn what was generally perceived as a
disadvantage into a tourist attraction, as there was clearly an appetite for this, and to
blend the proposed structure in with the Mall in its own unique way. The traders would all
be under one roof and would present, in his words, a bouquet of African art.
An
additional vehicular ramp to the covered Mall parking was needed and the Mall acquired the
road, Craddock Avenue, in which the traders were situated, from the Council, largely for
this reason, initially. Green suggested that the proposed market building be integrated
into Craddock Avenue, a section of which has been closed to vehicular traffic, adjacent to
the new ramp and adjoining the Mall. Green consulted with the traders to establish their
requirements and drew on his experience of similar markets in Morocco and Egypt, and
visits to local craft markets in Durban, Mpumalanga and Swaziland. It was decided that a
tourist friendly, 'theme' building, accommodating the needs of the traders, would be
appropriate.
The traders
wanted elevation - wall space on which their goods could be more effectively displayed
than they had been on the tables and the pavements that had previously been used for
hawking their crafts. It was felt that better visual impact was necessary to attract
potential buyers. Their needs were simple - shelter, good light and marketing. Green
commented that it was important that the traders be gathered together into a single
community to create a critical mass sufficient for a tourist attraction. The rest, he
said, was left to the architect's interpretation.
Green
approached architect Kate Otten to do the project. She says she took the job with some
reluctance, at first - commenting that there are often problems in formalising the
informal sector, and with the cutting off of a regular traffic route. She changed her mind
as the project progressed and is now delighted that, in her words, the building has been
fabulously well received. She compliments the Mall on having taken a chance on the
building and on her: "I am not your run of the mill architect," she says.
"The
building needed to be a tourist attraction in itself. It is an African building, wrapped
with decorative fabric. The African idiom is not specific. It gets its 'Africanness' from
the play of light - the different qualities of light that fall onto and into the building
- the patterning, the textures and the colours. The building gives off my kind of energy.
It is a bright, gay building, a happy building and yet it is robust and practical - with
doors, window frames, light fittings and interior partitioning of steel. The building
responds to a set of problems - the street in which it is located and the requirements of
the tennants," elaborates Otten.
The icons
and the intricate mosaics on the building are by artist Marco Cianfinelli. They help to
establish the texture of the building - like a piece of fabric, as Otten says. The sinuous
balustrading on the stairways and balcony is another playful element. The building is
largely in earth tones, while the more frivolous parts are in cool tones. She says:
"The design of the building is simple and to the point and yet those elements that
can be frivolous, are so. I wonder how this building will inform other buildings in the
area?"
The building
is the pilot project for the redevelopment of Rosebank Mall. Already there is a plan to
extend the theme of African trees that has been used outside the market, such as the Fever
Trees and Paperbark Acacias, into phase two of the renovation. In Green's opinion, the
indigenous trees have given a lighter touch to the exterior of the Mall and they have
created the ambience of a piazza. He says the Craft Market has been well received by both
Johannesburgers and tourists alike and people flock to it, particularly over weekends.
Otten
emphasises the need for 'markers' in the urban landscape, saying that her two groupings of
sculptural towers on either side of the narrow market building are very practical. They
are markers which guide the visitor, helping him to read the urban fabric, while those on
the building also serve as light shafts. All the elements of the building, in fact, work
towards the interpretation of the urban space. The building, she says, forms a backdrop to
the space which is left when cars are not using it for parking and this is important from
an urban design point of view. She sees this space as one that can be used for festivals
and celebrations which relate to the market and are important to the urban environment.
"The traders ran around the building ululating, as a kind of 'christening' ceremony,
at the opening of the building, last year," she remembers.
"The
building is like a street still. It is a long, narrow, simple, accessible building which
you can walk right through. It is still used as a road. There is an entry and an exit
point - a going in and a coming out. It is double-volume, so there is an exit and an entry
upstairs as well. This 'internal street' is appropriate in a marketplace, although it
means an extra security risk for management, who, once again, took a chance,"
comments Otten.
It is a
building that opens up to the outside and the traders spill out into the open air. Ladies
from Kwandebele sit outside in the sun doing their beadwork and Moses Ngundle, a Malawian,
displays his large carved chairs outside on the pavement. He complains that he has no
choice here, as his shop inside the market is too narrow to accommodate his chairs.
"We cry out for volume!" he dramatises, light-heartedly. The spirit amongst the
traders is good - clearly visitor numbers have increased since their days on the pavement.
The rental
for the individual 'shops' in the market is just under R1 000 per month and this is paid
to B&B Markets who manage the traders in the African Craft Market and the Sunday
Rooftop Market, which has for many years been a great drawcard to the Mall. MacDonald
Nkosi of Malawi is chairman of the Rosebank Traders Committee. He has been hawking his
crafts on the pavements of Rosebank since 1994. The committee takes any problems the
traders may have to a management meeting on a monthly basis - and gives feedback from
management to the traders. He says the complaints are largely related to aspects such as
customers that don't pay for their purchases or fights between stallholders or the fact
that the air-conditioning is too cold or not cold enough. He says the traders generally
find the difference being indoors to be a big one - they don't have to push their trolley
loads of wares backwards and forwards, morning and evening - business is always there even
when its raining - and the rent is not expensive, particularly when it is compared with
their sister markets at Bruma Lake and the Randburg Waterfront where, MacDonald reports,
the rentals are well over R2 000 a month.
He says
there is no justification for complaint, although some traders battle more than others to
pay the rent as their items are cheaper and they need a bigger turnover of goods, because
management listens to and understands such problems and makes arrangements with those who
are struggling. He says no one has had to leave, as yet, because of an inability to pay
the rent. "When the market first opened in mid-October last year, 'Home Affairs' was
here all day to check residents permits or confirm refugee status. There were a few
traders who had to leave then because they were illegal, but nobody has left because they
couldn't pay the rent," confirms MacDonald. "Two ladies from Kwandebele who sell
beadwork, for example, are sharing one shop and splitting the rent because their goods are
low cost and they might struggle to make the rent payments on their own."
A complaint
that was voiced by a couple of the traders concerns one of the promises ostensibly made by
management, concerning the marketing that would be done for the traders. Management agreed
that they would arrange with tour operators to bus in tourists from other areas of Gauteng
- and this has not happened. Bruma and the Waterfront work apparently with the tour
operators and there is a constant influx of tourist buses.
Talla Niang
concluded by saying: "We can do with more customers. We are now getting a spin-off
from the B&B Sunday market because we are right next to it. This is largely local
people and is an improvement because it is mostly overseas people that have bought our
crafts in the past. I'm not complaining. B&B is a great company - but some traders are
battling and more customers would make the difference."
Project team
Client: Rosebank Mall
Architects: Kate Otten Architects in association with Louis Peens Architects
(architects for Rosebank Mall redevelopment)
Structural engineers: ARUP
Project managers: Thebe projects
Mechanical engineers: Richard Pearce & Partners
Electrical engineers: Drewet Hubble and Porkorny Inc
Quantity surveyors: Bham Tayob Khan Matunda
Other consultants: Specialised Fire Technology
Main contractor: P Projects and Developments
Artwork: Marco Cianfinelli
-----
Our cultural heritage as a natural
resource
Bopitikelo,
North West Province
Architect
Peter Rich is well known for his research into the traditional architecture of indigenous
peoples in South Africa, which he has pursued over many years. He welcomed the opportunity
presented to him by Mafisa, an organisation that facilitates eco-tourism and community
development projects, to design a cultural and community centre adjacent to the Madikwe
Game Reserve in North West Province. Leigh Darroll spoke to him about this project, which
is just one of a number that he is involved with in this region.
The Madikwe
Game Reserve is situated close to the Botswana border, northwest of Rustenburg and the
Pilanesberg, with the Marico River running through it. The new Bopitikelo cultural and
community centre is located outside the reserve, against its southeastern corner, in the
village of Moletedi.
The cultural
and community centre is a multi-facetted project and its aims are intertwined with the
parallel development of a small business centre at Lekgophung, to the west of the Reserve,
and with the planned Bwanari Lodge in Madikwe. Under the banner of what might be termed
cultural-eco-tourism, these aims encompass land restitution, cultural regeneration, skills
training and community development, which includes the development of sustainable revenue
sources for the communities neighbouring the game reserve.
Rich
emphasises that this kind of project challenges probably most of the conventions to which
architects are accustomed in their work. It demands different ways of working and
innovative responses to the challenges that arise from such a complex matrix of
objectives. "We have to ask ourselves: How can this be revenue-generating? How can
the community manage it? What are the opportunities for employment beyond tourism? How can
the community make money from the natural resources without destroying them? How do the
people secure a living from their culture without being patronised and parodied?"
In spite of
the obstacles, the work is rewarding, he says, and sets new precedents for the
architectural profession. He makes the point that one of the most important outcomes of
the project is that there are now, two trained block-making teams in Lekgophung and
Moletedi who are equipped to tender for upcoming projects in the vicinity, including
Bwanari Lodge and other corporate and private lodges, as well as construction of drifts in
the Madikwe Reserve which are required to restore flood-damaged areas along the river.
The intention
Bopitikelo is designed to receive tourists from the Madikwe Reserve and to
offer them an event of local theatre and storytelling, food and song. It also serves the
local community for their own functions and celebrations. Rich makes the point that it is
important that the buildings should be useful to the community and used by the local
people in their everyday lives. "The tourists who come here want to participate in
that way of life, or at least to experience it authentically, even if only
temporarily." In providing a stage for theatre and storytelling, the community centre
opens an avenue of expression for the oral tradition of the people and a means of
remembering and celebrating the characters, events and circumstances of their history.
Theatre also often serves as a way of dealing with contentious issues and resolving
contemporary problems that may arise in the community.
At the time
of writing, the main hall and adjacent cooking and storytelling courts had been completed
in readiness for the first public cultural event due to be staged at the end of March. The
plan for the phased construction programme includes an amphitheatre, to be built nearer
the river, and an environmental centre, which will be primarily for the youth of the
community, incorporating a small museum and an Internet café, as well as facilities for
ranger training and drama rehearsals.
The place of wallowing
The site was selected in consultation with the tribal elders and, after other
sites had been considered, was chosen because it allows for Bopitikelo to be established
as the eastern gateway to the Madikwe Reserve and Bwanari Lodge. The centre is thus
readily linked to a primary market and has the potential to become a commercial and
information hub within the community.
Bopitikelo
is the Tswana name for 'the place of wallowing'. It is sited on the banks of the Marico
and enjoys cool updrafts from the river in this harsh environment of thornbush and scrub.
The site has an understated tranquillity and the architecture is conceived to create a
sense of place in sympathy with this.
While some
bush has been cleared this has been limited so that the vegetation remains close to and
integrated within the built spaces. The contours of the land are observed and are used to
support the hierarchy of the buildings and movement through and between them.
"There
is a sense of the sacred in the land," says Rich, "and we have endeavoured to
touch the ground lightly, like an acupuncturist."
The main
hall is placed on the site to frame a view of the Marico from the approach - "It
captures the view alive," says Rich - and to receive the energy of the river as it
flows towards the building. The main entrance to the hall is located at the point where
two principal cattle paths used to intersect and it was at this point too that the tribal
elders turned the first sod to bless the land before building began.
Filtering
spaces to either side of the main volume of the hall open oblique views to the surrounding
hills and bush. With the exception of the strong vertical thrust of the hall, the place of
celebration, the buildings and the courtyard spaces between them are designed to
acknowledge the gently undulating but pervasive horizontality of the landscape.
Design influences
Beyond the accommodation brief and in addition to the site and the landscape,
the culture of the local people has influenced design, as have local skills and a
preference for natural materials.
Tswana culture
The people of Moletedi and neighbouring villages are of Tswana origin. Over
their years of wandering and displacement they have relinquished many of the material
expressions of their culture and knowledge. However, Rich underlines the importance of
recognising that the culture is still living, although much of it is hidden, and has its
own dignity, sophistication and social order. "The sense of displacement, which is
exacerbated by restricted or zero access to enterprise, has been destructive of the social
order and the cultural heritage. What we need to do, and have tried to do in this instance
is to re-engage with the ideas that are vested in that culture and to learn from it.
"The
basic principles of design are universal. In a harsh environment like this we are seeking
shade, the movement of cool air, a comfortable place to sit. The mud seats in the
courtyards of traditional Tswana homes provide a welcoming resting place in the embrace of
the courtyard. A comfortable sitting height, the proportioning of buildings derived from
the scale of the human body are, again, universal principles.
"The
architectural language of changes in levels, thresholds of entry, are quite naturally
understood here. These concepts are all in the language of the people," says Rich,
"but they have been obscured. How do you regenerate that? How do you give it
value?"
The men's
initiation hut is traditionally the largest building in the Tswana village - a vertically
expressed grid of columns and a thornbush roof. It is recognisably reinterpreted here, at
a civic scale, in the main hall - a double-volume superstructure of gum poles and
earth-cement block construction, roofed with thatch. "This building draws on
traditional vernacular design in terms of proportion and construction, but not in symbolic
meaning," Rich emphasises. "The hall establishes a civic presence without losing
its resonance at a personal or individual level. You would still feel comfortable if you
were here alone," he says.
The kgotla,
or traditional law court of the Tswana village, where the elders would gather to debate
the issues of the day, provided another design reference. "Typically the kgotla is a
low-profiled, horizontal building, shaded with thornbush on column supports. The
subsidiary spaces adjoining the hall draw on this example," says Rich, "again in
terms of proportion and construction rather than symbolic meaning." The simply
structured, horizontal, shaded spaces will create a place where visitors can come and eat
and enjoy the environment. Sicklebos, which is invasive and has been cleared from the
site, will be used as a roofing material and, tumbling down the sides of the buildings,
will provide shade and dappled light.
"The
articulation of the spaces between buildings is also a feature of virtually all
architecture indigenous to Africa," says Rich. "The stonework of walkways and
stormwater drainage channels, the sebeso or circular recess in the ground for the fire,
acknowledgement of the integrity of natural materials - all derive from traditional Tswana
buildings."
Nonetheless
Rich emphasises that "this building is of a 21st Century typology; it is not a
superficial reference to a social order that no longer exists. While it draws on the
climatically responsive and material aspects of local indigenous architecture, it is still
a contemporary building and must function as such.
"There
is a resonance between the universals and the specifics of - not only local culture but
also contemporary technologies. By setting up a dialogue between these different
influences one can generate a connectedness that bridges the distinctions."
Natural materials
The remoteness of the site and the nature of the project to a large extent
prescribed the use of natural materials: gum poles, thatch, stone from the surrounding
hillsides, as well as earth and cement blocks which were made on-site by two teams in
training. "The earth-cement blocks provide an excellent intermediate option,"
says Rich, "between the unfired mud bricks that would be typical to rural building
and the aspiration to fired clay face bricks."
The use of
earth-cement blocks at Bopitikelo suited a number of other requirements. In addition to
the advantage of on-site supply, the block-making and the simplified construction system
provided for community involvement and empowerment, building skills training and business
skills training, and the blocks are of the earth - which is most appropriate in a building
like this.
Local skills
While some new skills have been introduced to the community, existing local
skills have also been employed. For example, the patterning typically seen on mud walls of
traditional rural huts is used here on the floors. Teams of women, working with industrial
gloves on their hands, patterned the cement screeds of the hall and adjacent outdoor
spaces.
Stonework
too is a local skill. "We went with some men from the village to search the hillsides
for suitable stone," Rich reports. "We explained how a contract price could be
worked out, step by step, for selecting stone, collecting it and transporting it to site.
People from the village know the hillsides of the area and where to find the right stones
but this kind of contracting is something new. It's a shift from the restricted day-rate
concept to lump-sum contracting and opens new business perspectives. It stimulates a
change of gear and can then gather its own momentum," says Rich. "It's one way
of developing community expertise and encouraging a pride in that work."
The trained
block-making and building teams are now equipped to tender for other contracts. Additional
skills of concreting, tiling, electrical wiring and thatching have been introduced to the
community. The abstract lampshades, designed to resemble the aardvark which is the totem
animal of the local community, are made of plywood and require minimal welding and thus
present another potential business enterprise.
The building process
The development of Bopitikelo began about two years ago. "When we moved on
site to begin the building of the hall, we invited one person from each of the nine wards
in the village to dig holes for the gum poles and raise the columns of the hall. From this
exercise we could identify who the leaders in the community were and those people with
specific skills. Throughout the building programme we have worked through a process of
consultation between the tribal authorities and the newly elected democratic structures of
local government."
Rich goes on
to highlight some of what he has learnt from this process. "One of the most important
factors is to be rigorous in selecting the building team. The block-making teams at
Moletedi now have a business opportunity; they must be able to manage quality, they must
be able to produce the blocks. These fundamentals will only be achieved by selecting the
right people for the team in the first place.
"Another
thing one learns is patience. When one is working with donors, funding is made available
in tranches, which are often unrealistic in terms of building costs but one has to work
within those constraints and structure the building programme accordingly.
"The
whole process demands patience. The role of the architect shifts to include training,
contracting, project management, materials supply - you have to be there! Training on-site
involves the architect in the hands-on process of making buildings - which is a teaching
and learning experience for both architect and trainee builders. Together we are learning
to revalue what has become diminished and obscured but remains inherent in the culture of
the local people. At the same time one is teaching new skills, for tendering procedures,
scheduling bills of quantities and so on. Very often we are setting up new contracting
procedures and redefining ways of working. Because this is not the usual way of doing
things, it is more onerous. Building becomes an evolving process. One learns to make
things work in ways that suit the skills and materials to hand. And one learns
surprisingly new uses for unlikely materials - as we did with the sicklebos, for
example."
The results
of this collaboration are evident in the quality of the buildings. It was demonstrated
during the floods at the beginning of 2000 when the Marico River, swollen to a width of
some 200m in place of its normal 50m, rose about 15m above its banks and swept across the
site at about eaves height of the hall. "This building of gum-poles, earth-cement
blocks and thatch, built by the people of Moletedi, endured the torrent," says Rich.
He comments further that some visitors have been surprised that such care has been taken
with buildings in such a remote location. "It comes back to the sacredness of the
site," he says, "a respect for the integrity of the people and the landscape,
and a way of transcribing the honesty of natural materials into architecture."
Hydraform earth-cement
blocks
Hydraform earth-cement blocks, as used in construction at Bopitikelo, are
produced by hydraulically compressing a soil and cement mixture in a Hydraform
block-making machine. An estimated 25 000 blocks, all produced locally on one machine,
have been used in construction to date at Bopitikelo.
A major
advantage of the block-making machines is that they are mobile. Blocks can be produced on
site wherever they are needed, using soil from the site or nearby. The machines are
powered by a diesel engine, or an electric motor, or an independent power source such as a
tractor.
In the
Hydraform building system, the interlocking earth-cement blocks replace conventional
bricks and mortar. Apart from the foundation, roof-tie and gable courses where mortar is
required, the blocks are dry stacked. For other building elements, such as roofs and
floors, conventional materials and methods can be used.
As evidenced
at Bopitikelo, the use of earth-cement blocks, manufactured on site by local labour, has
time and cost advantages, as well as being environmentally appropriate and supporting
opportunities for community involvement and skills development.
Hydraform
provides training on site in block-making, building and the day-to-day maintenance of the
machine. Technical manager, Quintin Booysen, says production of the blocks and building
with them are simple and can be easily handled by previously unskilled labour working
under a minimum of skilled supervision. The simplicity of construction and direct control
over block supplies allow for faster construction than can be achieved using conventional
building systems.
The blocks
are produced using local soil and 5% Ordinary Portland Cement for blocks of 4 to 5 MPa
strength, or 10% OPC for blocks of 7 to 8 MPa. Each block uses about 10l (depending on
block size) of the soil-cement mix. Hydraform assists in assessing the quality of the
local soil. According to Booysen, "This generally can be done just by handling it,
but we also provide a shrinkage box for more specific measurements."
In
production the blocks are compacted from both ends. Thus, while the length can be adjusted
to suit construction requirements, constant width and height are ensured. This facilitates
dry stacking and makes for level courses as the blocks are laid. As the blocks are ejected
from the press, they are automatically scraped clean. This seals them and produces the
smooth, semi-face brick finish so that they do not need to be plastered or painted.
Because of the cement content, the blocks must be cured for between 7 and 28 days before
being used. With 90 to 95% soil content, Hydraform blocks are particularly thermally
efficient, with an insulation value up to three times higher than those of conventional
building materials.
Hydraform
produced its first blocks in South Africa in 1988 and, since then, the performance
standards and handling qualities of the blocks have been improved, as have the efficiency
and capacity of the block-making machines. Hydraform blocks have been tested for strength,
durability and stability by both local and international standards authorities. The
Hydraform Building System complies with the National Building Regulations of South Africa
and is certified by Agrément South Africa.
Solar-powered pump
Hydraform has also developed a range of innovative technical equipment that
uses technologies appropriate to rural and small enterprise projects. A solar-powered
pump, which is just one item from this range of equipment, was used at Bopitikelo to draw
water from the river for the building process. Architect Peter Rich comments: "It was
one of the things that we didn't lose to Mozambique in the floods - partly because the
cylinder of the pump is very heavy and also because it was tied to a tree. When the pump
was recovered from the water, all it needed was a new filter, which Hydraform replaced at
no cost."
Hydraform is
based on the East Rand in Gauteng and has its own blockyard in Midrand and an equipment
manufacturing plant in Durban. To date the company has found its largest market outside
South Africa. More than 1 000 block-making machines have been exported to countries across
Africa, in South America and Eastern Europe, and to India. Booysen comments that South
Africa tends to be a very conservative market but he sees that it is now opening up to
innovative alternative technologies that have proven performance capabilities.
Professional team
Project Architect: Peter Rich
Collaborator: Thorsten Deckler
Site Foreman: Isaac Masamong
Client: Moletedi Community, Rustenburg District Council and Mafisa (facilitator) |
