Concrete is, after water, the second most used product on the planet. This building material has established a reputation as the foundation of economic development and is in high demand by society for use in various infrastructural developments such as houses, schools, roads, dams and many other essential facilities.
The production of cement, an ingredient of concrete, involves the emission of CO2, which adds to the global concern regarding climate change and its implications for the future. This is the reason why cement industry leader AfriSam is leading the way in producing advanced composite cements with a low carbon footprint and partnering with initiatives like the AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture.
Says Stephan Olivier, CEO of AfriSam: “The increased use of concrete – a product which cement constitutes a large percentage of – as the building material of choice, has necessitated the drive to implement and encourage the production of more technologically advanced composite cements that offer additional advantages in comparison to conventional cements and a reduced carbon footprint.”
As a result of ongoing use of innovative technologies, AfriSam has reduced the CO2 content per ton of cement by more than 34 percent over the last 20 years. The building materials producer has reached a number of environmental milestones in this period, which include being the first in the industry to measure the carbon footprint of all its operations and having developed a range of products with the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. However, not content with these impressive achievements, AfriSam launched the biennial AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture to promote sustainability and environmental issues in architecture and construction.
“Architects create designs which set the tone for future trends, making them an influencial authority in shaping the future of design and consumer choices. It was therefore a natural fit to partner with the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) as we support green, sustainable and restorative design and wanted to recognise those architects who are actively making a difference to the environment,” says Olivier.
Says SAIA’s President, Fanuel Motsepe: “Many people see design quality and sustainable design as two separate issues. One tackles aesthetics, the other technical solutions. However, they can and should be mutually reinforcing. It is not just how a building looks but how it functions and whether it meets the social, cultural, economic and environmental needs of the people it serves.”
Entries for the AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture close on 16 March this year and can be made in two categories – one for built work that has been beneficially occupied since 15 March 2011 and the other for works of social importance, including research.
The adjudication panel, chaired by Motsepe, is comprised of academic Daniel Irurah; architects Rodney Choromanski and Eric Noir; businesswoman and National President of South African Women in Construction (SAWIC) Dr Thandi Ndlovu and AfriSam’s Mike McDonald.
The closing date for entries is 16 March, 2012. Award recipients will be announced at a function to be held in Johannesburg in October, 2012. Qualifying projects will form part of an exhibition to be held at the SAIA Biennial Convention, AZA2012 in Cape Town in September.
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