Advancing climate-resilient and sustainable human settlements

Innovative building technologies in South Africa

Abstract

This paper critically evaluates the innovative building technologies (IBTs) in low-cost government-assisted housing developments and their contribution towards climate-resilient sustainable human settlements in South Africa. The study applies the enabling approach to understand housing development and inform the application of IBTs in housing development. The enabling approach to housing asserts that if housing is treated as an activity rather than a manufactured and packaged product, the power of decision-making must necessarily remain in the hands of the end users. An integrative (critical review) approach is used for the review of literature, to assess, critique, and synthesize literature to enable the development of new perspectives. A qualitative approach is used through thematic analysis of local and international literature, existing policies, and reports. The findings of the study show that IBT interventions in housing provide eco-friendly building materials and methods. These mechanisms amount to less deforestation, less transportation of building material to reduce carbon emissions, less depletion of natural resources such as water and soil, less household use of energy in cold and hot weather conditions, and fewer defects in houses leading to instability that exposes houses to natural disasters such as floods and fire. The study concludes that the new methods and materials for low-cost housing delivery through IBTs will have a good impact on climate change reduction if they are carefully applied. The study recommends that the application of these new building mechanisms must minimize the role of profit-driven corporate private institutions and allow a housing delivery method that is people-centred, and where primary consumers are the key actors in the entire building life cycle, in line with the policy framework.