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Our Sustainable Heritage – Looking Back to Move Forwards

By Abi Godsell and Georgie Chennells

When we think of green buildings, do we envision sleek, modern skyscrapers adorned with greenery and cutting-edge materials, or do we envision more diverse forms of architecture?

Green buildings have become almost synonymous with images of ultra-modern high-rises, garlanded with improbable greenery, and clad in advanced materials. Perhaps this is because of the conceptual link between green buildings, and world-leading architecture. Or maybe it’s our desire to flip the sci-fi script for our future from dystopia to solarpunk.  

Regardless of the reason, we often associate green buildings with an element of contemporary, if not future-focused, designs. When we do that, we may be short-changing ourselves. The range of forms green takes in buildings is much broader than hanging gardens on skyscrapers.

At its core, green design is good design, optimising resources like energy and water, without sacrificing comfort or function. Us humans have been practicing good, sustainable design for centuries.

September in South Africa is a month where we celebrate many things, amongst them, the triumphs and complexities of our many heritages, and how they have, and continue to shape our lives. Some aspects of our rich architectural heritages, and how they represent a different face of green, is what we’d like celebrate this month.

Local lessons in Sustainable Architecture: The Verandah

Patio, stoep, verandah – and more names than we’ve yet had the privilege of learning – describe a space outdoors, but connected to a dwelling. This space connects the indoors with the outdoors, allowing for natural ventilation, shade, and protection from the elements while encouraging air to flow through the home. Verandahs, wrapping the edges of homes, embody some of the core principles of passive design, and have been providing a pleasant space for people to gather for generations.

While the concept of the verandah is not originally South African, it has become a prominent feature in many of our historical buildings. These spaces are practical demonstrations of passive design principles that keep buildings cool and comfortable in hot climates—long before modern HVAC systems became the norm.

This leads us to consider the lessons embedded in traditional South African architecture. A sampling of just some of our diverse historical architecture styles, such as the traditional Xhosa rondavel and the Cape Dutch house, can offer vital insights into building sustainably and responsively in our local climate.

A verandah wraps around an old residential building in Wynberg, Cape Town

The Rondavel

The rondavel, a traditional circular hut found in many parts of South Africa, is a brilliant example of sustainable architecture. While various peoples, including amaNdebele, amaZulu and amaXhosa, build rondavels, the design varies, showcasing the diversity of local traditions.

These huts typically have thick mud or clay walls, which provide thermal regulation, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. This ensures a stable and comfortable temperature inside, whether in heat of summer or cool of winter. Thatched roofs made from grass act as natural insulation, further regulating indoor temperatures. Windows are deliberately small, which helps minimize solar heat gain, while still allowing ventilation.

These dwellings are constructed using locally sourced materials, like mud, clay, reeds, and thatch, which are not only renewable and biodegradable but express the local context with pride. The rondavel is a brilliant example of resource-efficient, climate-adapted design.

Traditional rondavel in Eastern Cape

Cape Dutch Architecture

Cape Dutch architecture is a blend of Dutch, French, and Indonesian influences, and is climatically responsive to the Cape’s harsh wet winters & hot dry summers. The typical Cape Dutch house also has thick walls which provide excellent thermal mass, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it slowly at night. Like the typical rondavel, it also has a thatched roof, acting as natural insulation. The whitewashed exteriors also reflect sunlight, further keeping interiors cool.

Cape Dutch houses also feature deep window recesses, which reduce solar gain while allowing natural light, and further reduce the need for additional heating and cooling. Like many other traditional building styles, this architecture made use of locally sourced materials, including stone, clay, and timber, the minimizing environmental impact.

Urquhart House in Graaff-Reinet, built in the early 1800’s

Sustainability in Our Heritage

People tend to perpetuate ideas that work. The selection of examples above show that sustainable design isn’t a modern concept, but has been familiar for generations.

This means that green does not necessarily mean new. It doesn’t always have to look something that could be at home in a domed city on a terraformed Mars.

Sometimes, the greenest buildings are those that draw on traditional methods and vernacular wisdom. By weaving old with new, we can create a future that’s not only sustainable but also deeply rooted in the richness of our past. If we are mindful and respectful, there are worlds of local, cultural, historical sustainability that have so much to offer tomorrow’s green buildings.

For more information around these ideas, the following sources may be helpful:

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Image attribution, all via Wikimedia Commons:

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Lisa Reynolds is the CEO of the Green Building Council South Africa.

Lisa was the driver for the drafting of Energy Efficiency Standards and Regulations for Buildings and has been involved in Energy Efficiency since 2003. She serves on many committees in the SABS and within the energy management professionals’ space. She was President of the SAEEC from 2016 to 2019 and was the previous President of the ESCo (Energy Services Companies) Association. Lisa was instrumental in the formation of SAFEE (Southern African Females in Energy Efficiency) within SAEEC.

She has assisted the South African Government with its Green Building Framework policies, Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives and Energy Efficiency Strategies

Her passion for the “Green space” started with the birth of the Green Building Council in 2007. Lisa served on the Board and the Technical Committee of the GBCSA, as well as on several Technical Working Groups for Rating Tools and Criteria. Lisa. became CEO in June 2020.

Lisa has a BSc, an MBA and a CEM. Lisa’s awards include the 2007 ETA Award for Women, 2008 Individual Energy (SAEE), 2012 SABS Standards Writer Award; the 2014 Women in Energy (SAWIEN); and the 2016 Ian Lane Hall of Fame award.

Lisa is committed to growing the Green Economy within a Green Recovery.

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