SA Affordable Housing July - August 2019 // Issue: 77 | Page 40

PERSONALITY PROFILE
"I tell myself that this will be the
best work I have ever done and this
challenge is what keeps me excited."
Going through all the ups and downs that this
industry has thrown at him has been difficult at
times, but through all the challenges, business still
looks good for Barwit Construction.
“If I take a look at things right now, even if we only
get 25% of the jobs that we quoted on this week,
that is still four jobs that I am very happy about
because the work just keeps on rolling in,”
Badenhorst shares.
INSPIRATION DOESN’T COME
FROM AN OFFICE
Badenhorst says, “My inspiration stems from the
time I tried to study civil engineering; my dream
was to build dam walls. I could never see myself
being a lawyer or an auditor (even thought I got a
distinction in accounting in school), sitting in an
office all day long, swamped with paperwork where
you look at bank balances all day (that are much
bigger than mine). For me, on the other hand, I drive
down the road and I see all the things that I have
built, I can also remember back 25 years and still
see those structures that I created. This is the
reason why I do what I do. I have applied a principle
I learned at my first job that when I start a new
project, I tell myself that this will be the best work I
have ever done and this challenge is what keeps me
excited.”
Being involved in the industry for so long
Badenhorst shares that he has grown accustomed to
the way things work in the industry but in his own
view he would like to change the general views and
insights of light steel frame construction (LSF)
technology. LSF has been around for more than
10 years and in all that time Badenhorst has built
very few LSF houses.
“I would like to see developers and the general
public change their mindset about bricks and
mortar versus alternative technology like LSF. The
lack of acceptance of this technology I believe can
be attributed to a lack of exposure and
understanding. A common misconception is the
noise travel factor, but in reality, the difference
between a standard brick wall and LSF wall is
around 1.5 decibels, which as an example is that
sitting having a conversation in a brick-walled room
or LSF walled room you would not be able to hear
through either. Many buildings that are re-
developed in the inner cities (catering to affordable
housing) have not been built to withstand
additional loads where LSF can be used and
additional rooms added on top of buildings using
LSF. The list just goes on,” Badenhorst adds.
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JULY - AUGUST 2019
A CHANGE IN PERCEPTION
Hennie Badenhorst, managing director of Barwit Construction.
SOME SAGE ADVICE
“Naturally when you get to an age similar to mine, everything
becomes a lot easier and you accept what is happening and what
has happened, and you learn to cope with the many ups and downs
of the industry. My faith has played a major role for me which I
cannot deny and being a small business owner has also definitely
contributed to my success. The aim of business is to always grow
and become bigger, but my choice was to keep things smaller and
under control. I have still been able to do all the things I wanted to
do and there is not much else at this stage of my life that I can say I
need. I can only advise people to take every day as it comes,”
Badenhorst concludes.
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