Browsing by Author "Rynhoud, Greg Beau"

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    A strategic and technological framework for sustainable low-cost housing in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Rynhoud, Greg Beau; De Kock, Imke; Brent, Alan C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With a vast majority of South Africans living in poverty, they are consequently unable to fulfil their basic needs. This includes the inability to provide adequate housing for themselves and their family. The only solution for most people is to wait for the government to provide them with low-cost housing. As a result, the government is charged with constructing countless homes. Therefore, the government commissioned low-cost housing frameworks, namely the Reconstruction and Development Plan, which comprises of policies, strategies and technologies. To ensure the construction of these dwellings have a positive effect on the environment, economy and community, it is imperative they be built sustainably. This investigation places South Africa within the context of global sustainability, as a developing country. Furthermore, it examines sustainability in the construction sector and develops an understanding of sustainable buildings. Thereafter, this investigation explores the demand for sustainable low-cost housing in South Africa, and determined there is an abundant need for housing with a high level of sustainability. To determine whether the existing frameworks perform satisfactorily, this investigation used Kayamandi, Stellenbosch as a case study to draw conclusions from. The case study provided a platform to investigate the existing strategic and technological frameworks prescribed for low-cost housing. These frameworks include the Reconstruction and Development Plan (RDP), the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) the strategy of from the Stellenbosch Municipality and the technological guidelines from the Sustainability Institute. To investigate the existing technological framework it was necessary to quantify its performance. This would require building-rating tools and assessment. After reviewing numerous methods, this investigation used a building-rating tool prescribed by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). Additionally, this investigation examined the literature on Life Cycle Assessments to determine the most efficient method to reduce the negative impacts buildings have on the environment. With the aid of the building-rating tool, it was possible to investigate the existing strategic and technological frameworks for low-cost housing in Kayamandi. After exploring the existing frameworks of the case study, it was possible to define and examine the shortcomings of the technologies and strategies used to construct low-cost housing. The measurement of the existing technological framework highlighted that it did not meet the standards of the GBCSA and needed improving. Furthermore, exploring the strategic framework revealed there were fundamental changes that need to occur. Subsequently, this aided in the formation of a new strategic and technological framework. Once the proposed new frameworks were developed they were compared to the existing ones. To assess the technological framework, the results of the existing and proposed frameworks were compared graphically. It was determined that the proposed framework out-performed the existing framework, meaning it achieved a higher level of sustainability with a similar cost structure and thus validating the effectiveness of the proposed framework. The proposed strategic framework addresses all the shortcomings of the existing framework with additions to further facilitate synergy between stakeholders, government and the people of Kayamandi. Thus, this investigation presents a proposed framework that aims at achieving and enabling long-term sustainability for constructing low-cost housing. Furthermore, it specifies an outline on the necessary actions needed to provide the impoverished people of South Africans with adequate homes.