HISTORIC GARDEN CITIES TAKES LEADING GREEN BUILDING ROLE

The Western Cape’s oldest residential development company, 100-year-old Garden Cities, has taken a lead in the application of South Africa’s most up-to-the-minute construction code.

Five years ago, the company’s board had already adopted the new SANS 10400-XA regulations related to green building, and has drafted guidelines for interpretation of the code as well as its practical application. Produced by the South African Bureau of Standards, the rules set the standard for environmental sustainability and energy usage in buildings, and now form part of the National Building Regulations.

‘We embraced many of the principles of the code well in advance of the publishing of the regulations and have now produced guideline documents at all levels in order to comply fully with the code,’ said CEO of Garden Cities, John Matthews. The documents include an executive summary, the company’s environmental policy and a green building framework, all to serve as its reference for all involved in current and future development.