TECHNOLOGY
the South African Local Government Association ( SALGA ), whereby all 257 municipalities in the country are GBCSA members . The primary focus is capacity building and demonstrative leadership , which is being achieved through education and certification . The GBCSA is also working closely with other public sector organisations , from the Department of Environmental Affairs and the regional departments of Public Works , to the Department of Economic Development and the Public Investment Corporation and beyond . With a view to achieving accelerated change in the built environment by 2050 , by reducing CO 2 emissions from the buildings sector by 84 gigatonnes — the equivalent of not building 22 000 coal-fired power plants — the GBCSA has introduced four relatively new rating tools :
• In recognising that only one per cent of building stock is new buildings , the GBCSA developed the Green Star Existing Building Performance Tool in 2014 . This tool measures the efficient operations and management of a building over a 12-month period to maintain optimal performance , which will have the greatest effect on resource usage and , ultimately , climate change , in the long run .
• The EDGE tool — Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies — which was developed by the International Finance Corporation and is operated in South Africa by the GBSCA , is swiftly transforming the residential property market , with 10 000 homes already registered for certification .
• The Green Star SA Sustainable Precincts tool , which evaluates large-scale development projects at a precincts or neighbourhoods scale .
• Net Zero or Net Positive certification , which rewards highly efficient buildings , with remaining demand supplied by on-site and / or off-site renewable sources , or through offsets . The GBCSA ’ s rating tool recognises projects for completely neutralising ( Net Zero ) or positively redressing ( Net Positive ) their environmental impacts under four categories : carbon , water , waste , and ecology . Four projects have already been certified Net Zero in South Africa .
Recycled concrete ’ s environmental role
Daniel van der Merwe , architect at PPC , claims that recycled concrete has a significant role to play in creating a sustainable and ecologically responsible built environment . wordpress
The Old Biscuit Mill occupies an old red-brick factory that has been transformed into an emporium of designer stores , craft shops , service providers , and restaurants .
“ Well-designed buildings are increasingly being reused after their original use has ended ,” he says and cites examples that include “ the reuse of a derelict railway line in New York as an urban park , called The Highline , which has regenerated the Meatpackers District in New York . In London ,
20 - CEC February 2018