Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010
Universities were involved in developing, for
example, an alternative binder product CP40
(see ECOsur, 2010b). Village technologies
were developed in Cuba to enable inhabitants
to produce building components such as
bricks, window and doorframes, roof tiles,
and sewer pipes, all made from concrete.
The transfer of certain technologies has, for
example, resulted in the manufacturing of
micro-concrete roof tiles are in Namibia.
The building of shelter, according to Wines
(2000:9), consumes one-sixth of the world’s
fresh water supply, one-quarter of its wood
harvest, and two-fifth of its fossil fuels
and manufacturing materials. Sustainable
architecture or green architecture, attempts
to advance three purposes: 1. to advance
the purely selfish motive of survival by a
cooperation with nature, 2. to build shelter
in concert with ecological principles as part
of this objective, and 3. “to address the
deeper philosophical conflicts surrounding
the issue of whether we really deserve the
luxury of this existence, given our appalling
track record of environmental abuse” (Wines
2000:20). The challenge is to reach the point
where green architecture is indistinguishable
from good architecture (Jones 1998:9).
Brenda and Robert Vale pioneered energyefficient
architecture in the 1970s and wrote
Green Architecture. They were “not so much
concerned with what a building looked like as
with what it did to the environment” (Madge
1993:160). They also discussed the viability
of Western patterns of consumerism and the
need to ‘green’ city planning.
nurtures their health, satisfaction, productivity,
and spirit. It requires the careful application of
the acknowledged strategies of sustainable
architecture: non-toxic construction, the use of
durable, natural, resource efficient materials,
reliance on the sun for day lighting, thermal
and electric power, and recycling of wastes
into nutrients (ARC Design Group, 2000).
Green building or architecture considers
solar passive or earth sheltered design,
solar hot water heating and cooling systems,
photovoltaic systems, and energy efficient
appliances.
Kibert and Schultmann (No date:1) argue
that the “green building movement espouses
that the built environment should be created
using ‘ecological’ principles, yet there is little
evidence that there is any real understanding
of ecology or ecological principles on the part of
the various actors in the building process”. The
authors stress that a deeper understanding of
ecology and ecological concepts is needed
to create a truly effective green building
movement. According to Bringezu (Kibert
& Schultmann (No date:4); Wallbaum &
Buerkin (2003:54)), the Wuppertal Institute in
Germany suggests an alternative set of rules
for the industrial systems to follow ecological
principles, labeled the Golden Rules of Eco-
Design:
1. Potential impacts on the environment
should be considered on a life cycle
basis or from cradle-to-grave,
2. The intensity of use of processes,
products and services should be
maximized,
A green building serves the needs of the people
who inhabit it, which means it supports and
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