Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) CEO, Brian Wilkinson has revealed that the Ravenswood affordable housing development in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, has become the first residential project in Africa to achieve an Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (Edge) Design Certification. The development is led by affordable housing fund, International Housing Solutions (IHS), which is rolling out a number of residential developments in South Africa that will be EDGE certified.

As a result, the council is now set for a major rollout of Edge green building ratings in South Africa’s residential property sector.

Residential property win

Wilkinson comments: “Awarding the first Edgepilot rating in the country is a significant milestone, not just for the GBCSA and its partners in the programme, but for the South African residential property sector and its journey toward going green and becoming more sustainable. We appeal to the residential property industry to join the movement to change the way homes are built in South Africa.”

He adds: “The Ravenswood development is officially the first residential project to secure an Edge rating as part of the GBCSA’s piloting of the residential green building tool in SA, but two other projects have also since secured Edge certification too. Following this pilot phase, the GBCSA is now ready for a full roll-out of Edge to residential development across the country.”

Ravenswood win

Graham Cruickshanks, EDGE Technical Manager, explains: “IHS, the Ravenswood owners, will work with the GBCSA to achieve Edge As-Built Certification for this development, which is the second and final stage in the process. According to IHS, the Ravenswood development is predicted to realise a saving of almost R600 000 a year by applying Edge-certified energy efficiency measures. This would translate into an anticipated saving of about R3 200 in utility costs for each unit.”

Located on Trichardts Road in Boksburg, Gauteng, the Ravenswood residential development will bring 188 two-bedroom green homes onto the local market. IHS is acquiring all 188 units in the development as rental stock from RPP Developments.

“Total savings annually of 250,000kWH of electricity and more than 10,000Kl of water has been demonstrated in the Edge design rating of the Ravenswood project. EDGE helped us crunch the numbers to reveal the most affordable path to building green,” explains IHS Dealmaker, Myles Kritzinger.