The built environment is a dominant resource consumer and a prime sector within which to achieve green efficiencies. By implementing EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) in its housing projects, the Housing Impact Fund South Africa (HIFSA) is making a positive contribution towards reducing the ever-increasing demand on our limited energy and water resources. In deciding on a new home, there are a number of factors that are typically taken into account: affordability, location, efficient and functional design, aesthetic appeal and more. In the affordable housing market in South Africa, developers have often dictated the design of a home because keeping costs down is the biggest concern, while little consideration is given to how the space would be used by the homeowner