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Housing – the South African Context
Housing in Southern Africa is an enormous challenge.
To take the case of Cape Town for example, the backlog of homes
currently required is over 400 000 units, the annual increase in
demand is about 25 000 units annually, the Province has an annual
budget to build about 16 000 units and around 8 000 units actually
get to be completed. We’re on the road to nowhere, with the
business-as-usual approach.
The quality of the houses built in the low-cost market is often very
low, the walls sometimes being constructed of single-skin cement block
with almost no insulation value. This leads to major condensation and
resultant health problems. Heating costs are exorbitant and a comfortable
interior climate in summer is impossible.
Our national grid is failing to keep pace with growing demand, a situation
which is already damaging our economy. And yet, whilst the built environment
is responsible for more than 50% of global energy demand, we seem to be doing
very little to reduce our consumption through the use of materials with low
embodied energy levels that are also energy efficient in use, as well as other
logical sustainable technologies.
The cost of living - heating, transport, food and
all other commodities, basic and luxury – is rapidly
rising. Inevitably, the poor are affected earliest
and the most. Inequality is ever growing. And many
houses are still being built of standard materials
that are increasingly costly to heat and maintain.
So what is the answer?
There is no single answer, but certainly among the
many solutions lies the Earthbag building system.
A simple, low cost, rapid, safe, easy to learn,
environmentally friendly, non-toxic, energy efficient
system making substantial use of materials that are
reusable and recyclable.
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