Improving sustainability of affordable housing using innovative technologies:
Rapid urbanization presents a major challenge in achieving affordable and sustainable housing. In the face of the problem, rapid urbanisation represents, there is room for innovation. Advancements in sustainable design methods, new materials, and innovative building technologies offer potential solutions for developing sustainable, innovative, and affordable housing (SIAH). This study investigates various sustainable design techniques, materials, and technologies suitable for designing SIAH in the South African climate in concordance with local building codes and regulations.
The study compares the building performance of SIAH-Livable, as assessed by energy embodied, energy demand, and water usage, with that of conventional low-cost housing using the EDGE Buildings App. The results validate that SIAH-Livable building performance is significantly less water and energy, reducing consumption by 55.17% and 21.06%, respectively. Additionally, SIAH-Livable exhibits a no Table 66.9% reduction in embodied energy levels while remaining within the construction cost range defined by the South African government for low-cost housing. Furthermore, the analysis confirms that appropriate design techniques, new materials, and technologies not only enhance the sustainability of the house but also improve its affordability by reducing lifecycle costs.
The study concludes that sustainable design techniques, including passive design, the use of recycled and local materials, and socio-technical innovations, are effective means of enhancing the sustainability and affordability of housing, contributing to the development of SIAH. Importantly, this research establishes the association between sustainability and affordability in South African housing design, offering insights that can be adapted and applied to other African countries.
Global demand for affordable housing has increased due to rapid urbanization, economic challenges, high unemployment rates, poverty, and climate change-related natural disasters. Anthropogenic factors have exasperated the rate of environmental disasters like flooding, rapid increases in human population, and political unrest. Because of these factors, the need for housing and safety has been difficult to meet in South Africa.
South Africa is a developing country with a growing housing backlog for low-cost housing. This backlog has been on the increase in the last few years, highlighting a need to find better housing solutions. The term ‘affordability’ in terms of the proposed SIAH design proposal speaks directly to the need for affordable solutions that address a backlog in low-to-middle-income groups within the South African context.
In South Africa, the provision of low-cost housing has been fraught with low-quality workmanship and sub-optimal construction methods. Low-cost housing also struggles with high levels of energy wastage, inefficient water use, and high carbon footprints. Unsustainable practice in housing delivery is aggravated by a lack of passive design principles and the use of proper materials and techniques. Therefore, the gap in South Africa’s low-cost housing delivery lies in its need to adopt innovation that enhances construction speed and quality, ensures build sustainability, and mitigates wastage.
The SIAH-Livable design responds to this need by first incorporating the South African climate zones and the location of the house concept. The proposal then sought to achieve optimum environmental sustainability by maximizing passive design principles and considering water and energy efficiencies. The proposed design then looked at the production of on-site energy, food, and on-site water reclamation. The SIAH Livable house needed to be designed as efficiently as possible.
The project aimed to achieve a minimum energy intensity unit score (EU is) of 50KWh/m2/year with the remaining electricity demand generated on-site. The intention behind implementing a sustainable design lay in the identification of a need to shift from pure economics and affordability to the enrichment of social and environmental health, improving the well-being of occupants as well as the community.
The current study is a pioneering effort that addresses a significant gap in the literature by exploring the conceptual understanding of sustainability in South Africa and its practical application to affordable housing. By specifically focusing on this intersection, the study aims to provide valuable insights into the relationship between sustainability and affordability in housing design. What sets this research apart is its comprehensive examination of these interconnected elements, offering a holistic perspective that surpasses a singular emphasis on either sustainability or affordability.