PROJECT
ALL IMAGES : CONCOR
An artist ' s impression inside one of the units with plenty of light and views .
“ Different colours and shapes of face brick have been specified to create texture and variety in the façade ,” he explains . “ Patterns are also created with rustication , using bricks of different shapes or with varied orientation .”
A perforated design is also used for the brick walls in front of drying yards , letting through light and air while also giving an attractive texture to the building façade . The laying of face bricks requires a somewhat elevated level of skill and attention , and takes longer , so the best artisans are put onto the rustication work .
Schonrock notes that Cape Town still offers a good pool of bricklaying skills , but the long period of depressed conditions in the sector is going to be felt in skills supply as building activity improves . As part of its corporate contribution to skills development , Concor conducts a range of training on its Conradie Park site .
“ Through the National Youth Service programme , for instance , we are training six local bricklayer learners ,” he says . “ Beginning in November 2020 , they completed a six-month training course and were then placed with selected subcontractors to work on the current project .”
Paarl Rock ’ s innovations include an energy-efficient hot water system for residents , lowering their cost of living and taking load off the national grid .
A centralised hot water generation system on the ground floor raises the upfront cost but provides many long-term benefits to users . An on-roof solar generator will assist in ‘ overheating ’ water during the day in a specially designed storage vessel to around 85 to 90C .
“ Tapping into off-grid power in this way means that residents can save on what they pay in water-heating bills ,” he says .
The development is also conserving water and reducing water costs by supplying its own irrigation needs from a master incoming line of treated effluent – at just five to 10 % of the cost
Aerial shot of the site , showing the public precinct starting to take shape , main entrance circle , town square and Heritage Precinct .
of potable water . The water quality from this line , which is clean enough to be discharged into river systems , is further treated on site , and used for all irrigation and cleaning purposes .
Concor has been on site at Conradie Park – where the old Conradie government hospital closed about a decade ago – for about two and a half years , preparing the infrastructure for the developments .
Roads have been installed , along with stormwater drains and a dedicated sewage reticulation system . A pump station was installed to move sewage over the Elsie ’ s River canal to the main Athlone sewer system and three new electrical substations were constructed .
The Conradie Better Living model is one of seven ‘ game changer ’ projects which has been prioritised by the Western Cape Government . This aims to improve the lives of citizens through the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme , providing affordable housing situated near the city ’ s main arterial routes and job opportunities .
www . saaffordablehousing . co . za SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2021 7