SA Affordable Housing September / October 2020 | Page 29

ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY
Student housing
– what do Gen Z want?
By Eamonn Ryan
Young activists like Greta Thunberg, Time magazine's 2019 Person of
the Year, characterise the core values of Generation Z, namely radical
activism, social inclusivity and eco-friendly lifestyles. Aged between 4 and
25, this post-millennial generation are currently in and entering university.
A
common feature of many affordable housing schemes is
that affordable does not come at the expense of quality
– but is rather the result of innovation. John Schooling,
Director of student accommodation group STAG Africa, says that
its student accommodation tracks international trends and
provides South Africans with accommodation “equivalent to
what their peers in Boston, London and Paris live in”.
“With the most to lose from the negative effects of climate
change, it’s no surprise that Gen Z’s are champions for going
green. They want to see sustainability built into every aspect
of student housing, from the construction of the buildings
themselves, through to the day-to-day operations,” says
Schooling. He lists ‘green’ as receiving an 80% score in
importance among students.
What makes this an unstoppable force, explains Schooling, is
that the cost of ‘going green’ has reduced over the past ten years
to the extent that it is “quicker and cheaper, and the performance
standards are higher”.
“It is a myth that green is more expensive: in the construction
process it reduces time by 40% and the actual costs of materials
are cheaper. The total cost is 10% to 20% cheaper. Technology
has improved in recent years whereby green materials today lose
nothing in quality – they are affordable while being world class
standards. Today, there is no debate about quality – the social
spaces they are creating must be world quality.”
The components used in the construction process by STAG
Africa are prefabricated in a factory, meaning they are precision
manufactured and remove the major risks of traditional
construction, namely that of construction on a site with all its
environmental and human variables.
“On site variables are largely responsible for: time overruns,
cost overruns and lower quality. The product we provide
performs better than bricks and mortar in terms of its thermal
qualities, acoustics, structural, durability and future maintenance
costs. The frame of the accommodation is built with a lightweight
polymer product with air spaces in between which makes the
apartment warmer in winter and cooler in summer.”
The future, he says, lies in 3D printed products, also using
polymer.
Gen Z’s are comfortable living in buildings that are designed
STAG AFRICA
to be environmentally responsible, even if it means additional
effort on their part. Moving forward, grey water systems, energysaving
lightbulbs and recycling programmes need to be standard
features of a university residence.
As the most socially inclusive generation yet, Gen Z’s expect
on-campus student housing to be integrated and available
to all, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“As studying (both academic and trade subjects) becomes
accessible for more people across different income brackets,
universities need to make affordability a primary concern.
This means working to reduce capital cost per bed, as well as
maintenance costs,” says Schooling.
“Gen Z’s have grown up around WiFi, smartphones and
social media. With easy access to Google and YouTube, they’re
accustomed to having infinite knowledge at their fingertips –
they know what’s going on in the world, and they want to make a
difference in it,” says Schooling.
New ideas about gender and the role it plays in society are
also at work in defining what Gen Z wants out of student housing,
explains Schooling. “They expect housing and bathrooms that
do not discriminate based on gender – a concept they consider
outdated and restrictive. At the same time, there is a call for
increased focus on providing safety for young women and other
vulnerable groups on campus. Gender neutral environments are
a new consideration in terms of development; adapting to it will
require sensitivity and openness on the part of the developer.”
For the full article, read it online at
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za
The 2 047-bed student village at the University of Fort Hare.
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020 27