SA Affordable Housing November / December 2017 // Issue: 67 | Page 14

EVENTS
Adding ‘edge’ to
affordable housing
Leaders in providing affordable housing gathered on 11 August at
Drivelines Studios in Maboneng, Johannesburg to share how they
incorporate green initiatives on their current developments and how
going green is the future of affordable housing.
The first IFC Edge event was held in Maboneng, Johannesburg.
M
ore than 80 CEOs and their management teams
from South Africa’s finance and property
development sectors attended a forum to share
the business case for committing to design and certify
their new homes with Excellence in Design for Greater
Efficiencies (Edge). The event was hosted by the
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the
World Bank Group which focuses on the private sector.
Lenore Cairncross, Edge programme lead from the IFC,
stated that green initiatives in construction created 20%
savings on water and electricity, therefore saving
consumers from high utility costs. Through establishing
Edge certification for the affordable housing industry,
green building is now available for all. IFC created Edge to
respond to the need for a measurable solution to prove the
financial case for building green and help jumpstart green
buildings. It comprises a voluntary certification system as
well as complimentary online software to empower
builders to quickly determine the most cost-effective ways
to