Residents of Ocean View who qualify for subsidy housing can look forward to living in more than just a standard subsidised home.
The City of Cape Town and partners are in the process of developing an innovative housing project which will use the abundant Table Mountain sandstone found on the site in the construction of affordable, resource-efficient, solid and comfortable homes for qualifying beneficiaries in the area.
The Ocean View stone village housing project has been hailed as an example of finding unique and sustainable solutions to the city’s housing challenges. It also has numerous environmental, skills development and job creation spin-offs.
Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Tandeka Gqada visited the site on 23 April 2013 to interact with the builders, trainers, trainees and community members involved in the project. It is currently in the development stages, and is expected to be completed in 2016.
“The project is pro-community, pro-skills training, consultative, ecologically responsive, pro-heritage and highlights training as a process integral to sustainable development,” says Councillor Gqada.
“This project clearly illustrates that it is possible to drive the provision of housing differently. Our aim is to use this development as a platform for skills development in stonemasonry, bricklaying, plumbing, carpentry, electrical installations and other sought-after skills which will empower local residents and encourage the growth of micro-enterprises, thus serving the wider region.”
The land on which the development is situated was subdivided for a housing project in the late 1980s, but the cost of excavating the rock material from the site was deemed too expensive. The City and local community later initiated a proposal to remove the rock and increase the density of the subdivision. In 2006, the City appointed a contractor to remove the rock and the crushed material was sold over a four-year period. Civil engineering services for 543 sites were installed by the end of 2012.
During this process, the City realised this housing project afforded a significant opportunity to deviate from conventional housing delivery models and innovate for sustainability. The site contained abundant building materials, and there was a chance to construct aesthetically-pleasing, solid, quality homes as opposed to standard subsidised homes. The project then became an opportunity to maximise social benefits and minimise the environmental damage associated with such a construction project.
Architects specialising in stonemasonry design were appointed in April 2012 to design the houses. The advantages of stonemasonry construction include increased thermal mass of the housing units; no painting required; being heat resistant and providing good fire protection; and stone buildings lasting longer.
In addition, the project has resulted in an estimated R6 million reduction in transport costs of stockpiled material from the bulk earthworks, while the funds that would have been spent on the purchase and transportation of bricks has been channelled into skills development.
