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During the visit to the Hemer Technology Centre, the group were able to see the GROHE factory in action, bearing witness to the faucet production experience on the ground, from sandstone moulds to cutting and polishing – the factory is 90% robotic, so streamlined and effectively efficient in its manufacturing processes. The Hemer factory came second to Siemens in the ‘Best Factory Competition’ held in 2009. GROHE is the only sanitary company in the world to produce its own copper and brass, a testament to the company’s position in setting standards of quality, technology and design.

At the Red Dot Design Museum the team had a chance to see and touch some of the world’s largest presentations of award winning contemporary designs. The group was able to marvel at the large collection of GROHE red dot design winners, including GROHE’s Red Dot 2012 Award winning Allure Brilliant line of faucets from the GROHE SPA™collection, the Minta line of kitchen faucets as well as the Concetto and Quadra lines of bathroom fittings.

Paul Flowers spoke to the group about design and how he and the GROHE design team strive to create unique ways in which the world can enjoy water in an environmentally sustainable manner. He highlighted the importance of setting trends and developing innovative technologies to bring bathrooms into the future. The architects left feeling inspired to put “pen to paper” in designing their own inspirational buildings.

Amy Holland, GROHE SA Marketing Manager said ‘’The trip to Germany was an excellent opportunity  for our partners to understand the value of GROHE as well as the quality, technology and design that goes into the manufacturing of our product.”

Prominent South African based architectural firm Boogertman + Partners Architects has recently established an office in Kenya. The decision to open an office in Kenya is to provide this expanding and growing International market with the design skills and technical expertise that is synonymous with Boogertman + Partners Architects.

Headed up by Johann de Wet (Boogertman + Partners), who recently relocated to Nairobi; and local architect Andrew Kusewa Kilonzi, who has obtained both local and international experience within the industry. The office aims at establishing a collaborative design studio presence in the region.

Current projects include a high rise office tower and various urban design / mixed use developments in both Kenya and Uganda. Furthermore, the studio is involved in hospitality, hotel, apartment and residential projects, corporate office developments and industrial projects, ranging from the design phase through to the construction stage

Contact Details:

STUDIO:

Acorn House

97 James Gichuru Road

Lavington, Nairobi

Kenya

POSTAL:

P.O BOX 2041-00606

Nairobi,

Kenya

Email:                    johann@boogertman.co.ke

andrew@boogertman.co.ke

Website:              http://www.boogertmanandpartners.com

Mobile 1:             +254 (0)705 960 687, +254 (0)721 132 114

Mobile 2:             +27 (0)83 289 6689

Decorex Joburg, Africa’s finest décor, design and lifestyle exhibition celebrates 20 years of stylish living at what promises to be a blissful, feel-good show in 2013.

This year’s exhibition kicks off on 7^th August and promises five days of unforgettable inspiration to improve and innovate on the home front. The theme of Decorex Joburg this year is “bliss” with unique décor features throughout the exhibition aimed at inspiring visitors to turn their home into a peaceful sanctuary.

Decorex Joburg will showcase the latest in décor and design trends, innovative insider tips as well as beautiful lifestyle inspiration.

The Decorex SA team is pulling out all the stops to ensure that this year’s 20^th anniversary exhibition is the best to date – with some exciting new additions to the show format, says Sian Steyn, General Manager of Decorex SA. There will also be a special celebration focused on recognising the local décor and design industries for their consistent support.

“We are extremely proud to have created Africa’s most beautiful and popular décor exhibition and we are determined that our 20^th birthday year will be unforgettable for both visitors, exhibitors and our partners Plascon, M-Net and Sunday Times”.

Look out for more than 700 leading décor and design exhibitors, trend inspiration, décor accessories, creative energy, installations by some of South Africa’s leading decorators, plus concept restaurants to keep visitors replenished while exploring the décor halls.

Decorex Joburg will celebrate the home.

AfriSam, Lafarge and Sephaku are now financing the operations of The Concrete Institute which, from May 2 this year, started providing most of the major services previously provided by the C&CI which closed down at the end of April 2013 following the withdrawal of funding.

Bryan Perrie, former MD of the C&CI, is in charge of The Concrete Institute, a non-profit company with a number of key members of the C&CI staff retained. The Concrete Institute will offer vital concrete technology services to the construction industry, including:

• Education and Training;
• Information Centre;
• Consulting; and
• Publications.

With regard to Education and Training, Perrie said all the courses listed in the C&CI’s School of Concrete Technology 2013 Training Programme are still being offered. “We are, in fact, hoping to expand the curriculum by including even more courses. The Concrete Institute has also taken over the responsibility for running the comprehensive and highly-respected Advanced Concrete Technology course which was underway when C&CI closed,” Perrie stated.

The Concrete Institute is currently also offering a free advisory service as well as chargeable consulting services, including on-site visits by technical staff.

The Concrete Institute will continue to offer a comprehensive Information Centre. The Centre – equipped with top specialists and state-of-the-art computerised systems – is one of the largest and most respected sources of information on concrete in the southern hemisphere. The Concrete Institute will also distribute the wide range of C&CI publications.

“There was widespread dismay within the building and construction industries when the C&CI was forced to close doors. With the new support of new cement producer, Sephaku, as well as AfriSam and Lafarge’s continuing support, we are now confident that the Concrete Institute will continue to provide the services which made the C&CI an industry icon over the past 75 years,” Perrie added. “The new Institute also aims to play a wider role and work more closely with, and provide assistance to, other building and construction bodies and establish reciprocal working arrangements with these organisations.”

The Concrete Institute operates from Block D – Lone Creek, WaterfallPark, Bekker Street in Midrand. It can be reached on telephone 011 315 0300 or fax 011 315 8180. Details of the new website and email addresses will be announced shortly.

Vivaldi Manor, an upmarket development project in Potchefstroom, has successfully used elements of face brick for not only aesthetic reasons, but also for the sustainable values inherent in the building material.

The developer, Louis Bierman of Louis Bierman Property Developers says that there are a total 16 houses in the sought-after estate, with the last three due to be completed and ready for occupation by the end of April 2013. The estate itself, Vivaldi Manor, is a beautiful lifestyle estate within a secure complex.

“As the developer, I felt that there was a need for an upmarket development in Potchefstroom with the safety aspect as a major plus point. Each house is unique and each homeowner was allowed to use their-own preferred architect and design,” he notes. Bierman’s brief to the architects tasked with designing the individual homes was simply that face brick had to be used to at least floor height and that the design had to incorporate elements of face brick. To this end, Corobrik Country Classic Travertine brick was used (at a figure of roughly 15 000 per house). Just the one face brick style was specified to have uniformity in the estate in terms of the style and type of brick use – the product was also used internally in some of the houses. On the paving side, The Burgundy, Tuscan and Cedarberg Pavers from Corobrik were specified for the projects.

The design brief also stipulated a maximum use of north facing windows for natural sunlight and warmth in winter as well as a minimum usage of western facing windows. All houses in Vivaldi Manor also make use of good insulation of the ceiling space, heat pump geysers and LED lighting.

Architects and their clients, in response to today’s sustainability paradigm, require buildings to be constructed of materials that exhibit sustainability through the characteristics of durability that obviates the materials replacement, low carbon footprint, minimal life cycle costs and contribution to the overall energy efficiency of the building. Corobrik bricks meet these needs substantively. In the first instance, use of natural gas for the firing of clay face bricks substantially reduces the bricks carbon footprint. In terms of lifecycle costs, the extreme durability of our clay face bricks, lifetime aesthetics and maintenance free qualities ensures future carbon debt associated with a lifetime of maintenance is mitigated.

Added to that, are the findings of independent research that clay brick construction with appropriate use of insulation in the building envelope supports optimal thermal comfort and lowest energy usage outcomes for heating and cooling of buildings in all climatic zones of South Africa. The thermal mass of clay brick brings the ‘X’ Factor to the thermal efficiency equation naturally adding to clay brick constructions unique basket of sustainability benefits.

The Vivaldi Manor estate has been developed over a four year period and Louis Bierman Property Developers decided to go with an established supplier of face brick for the project. “Because of my previous dealings with the company, Corobrik was my first thought because of the reliability of the product and the constant quality and colour of their bricks,” concludes Bierman.

Returned concrete is a reality and a liability in the readymix concrete industry. Traditional methods of handling this problem have significant operating and capital costs and are increasingly in conflict with municipal environmental regulations. A completely new approach to returned concrete recovery is Re-con Zero, an innovative additive technology supplied by Mapei South Africa. This remarkable product provides a solution to returned concrete within minutes, and involves zero waste and zero impact on the environment.

Traditional ways of dealing with returned concrete vary from environmentally undesirable disposal on landfill sites, or crushing the cured concrete for recycling as concrete elements such as masonry blocks, to a capital investment in a treatment plant to recover the aggregates and dispose of the cementitious sludge. A new Mapei technology does away with all of these options.

For the past five years, the Mapei South Africa technical service team has been introducing the local construction industry to the benefits of the advanced building technology additives, sealants, adhesives and concrete performance chemicals that are available from the international Mapei Group. Offering market-leading performance and handling advantages, Mapei’s 1400 products are recognised throughout Europe, America and the Far East, for their adherence to sustainability principles as ‘green’, environmentally-friendly formulations. Mapei South Africa is a member of the Green Building Council of South Africa in support    of the drive to ensure that all local buildings are designed, built and operated in an environmentally sustainable way.

Re-con Zero additives are used to treat concrete in the returning truck mixer where, in a few minutes, it is transformed into granular material. This is discharged onto a paved area and allowed to cure, after which it can be used as aggregate for a new concrete mix.  No waste is produced during this process and the minimal washing the mixing drum requires produces a waste water that is completely recyclable as mixing water.

Treatment with Re-con Zero is a two step process: first a polymer compound is added to the mixer drum at the rate of 0,5kg per cubic metre of returned concrete. The polymers absorb water, swell and begin to dissolve. After 4 minutes of mixing, the returned concrete is transformed into a granular material.  The second step involves adding a set accelerator to the drum at a dosage of 6kg per cubic metre of concrete. This contains ettringite-forming compounds that, after 3 minutes, provide enough strength to enable the granular material to be discharged from the drum and the truck mixer to return to service.

“Our products are the outcome of extensive research and testing in international markets and Mapei’s 75-years of experience in the building industry,” says Mapei South Africa’s Antony Offenberg, Manager Admixtures and Grinding Aids. “This means that when Mapei gives the assurance that the Re-con Zero treatment takes minutes, it means exactly that. When we say there is zero waste, it also means exactly that: no liquid or solid waste – even the product’s bags are water soluble!”

Since the discharged granules are a fresh cementitious mix, they must be allowed to cure. To keep the granules free-flowing, the heap must be moved within the first 24 hours to break the weak bonds of hydrated cement paste between the particles.  Once this has been done there is no further risk of caking (sticking together) and the material can be stored and used in the same way as normal aggregates.  Re-con Zero works with all types of concrete and research has shown that the characteristics of new concrete produced with returned concrete aggregates are essentially the same as that of concrete made with virgin aggregates. One difference is an improvement in compressive strength, which seems to be related to an improvement in the interface transition zone (ITZ) between granules.

Re-con Zero reflects Mapei’s rigorous approach to sustainable development by responding to the three core elements of true sustainability:

• Economic advantages for the customer:

-          One cubic metre of returned concrete is transformed into 2,4 tons of quality

aggregates

-          Saves the operating cost of traditional disposal measures

-          Avoids costly investment in treatment plant and equipment

• Environmental advantages:

-          Returned concrete is completely recycled

-          Reduces the use of non-renewable virgin aggregates

-          Correspondingly reduces the transportation of virgin aggregates since the returned concrete is processed at the readymix plant

-          Assists with achieving targets related to recycled content in concrete

-          Helps obtain or renew municipal operating permits

• Social advantages:

-          The absence of hazardous or toxic substances in Re-con Zero and its ease of use contribute to a healthier and safer working environment

“We are pleased to be able to offer our readymix customers a cost-effective, operationally attractive solution to the ever-present problem of returned concrete,” comments Offenberg. “Mapei’s market-leading products are uniquely ‘green’, while introducing new performance benchmarks for speciality chemicals in the South African construction industry.”

With over 35 years of experience in the property development industry, Jordan Properties wanted to create a development that would bring the African wildlife to the public. Leadwood Big Game Estate, an innovative and pioneering development in the Hoedspruit area, is 984 hectares in size and offers 94 one-hectare free-hold stands, as well as a 32 bed lodge site to home owners looking for an exclusive primary residence or holiday home.

Patrick Jordan, General Manager for the Leadwood Development Company and Jordan Properties explained, “With a development of this size, we required suppliers who would deliver the necessary products timeously, and at the best prices”. Jordan Properties places a large emphasis on conservation and sustainable development, and Marley Pipe Systems’ matching integrity for sustainability and innovation made them the preferred piping supplier for this elite estate project.

Marley initially supplied over 9,500m of HDPE piping, as well as various fittings and couplings, to the Leadwood Big Game Estate development. Marley’s HDPE Pressure Pipes were ideal to create the infrastructure for the water supply in this development, having taken flow, pressure, bending, and various other factors into the design considerations of the pipes to ensure the provision of a long-term, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly solution.

Ian Nortier, Area Manager for the Marley Infrastructure division in the North East explained, “Supplying the material for the Leadwood Big Game Estate development has once again proven that Marley Pipe Systems’ involvement in these one-of-kind-projects plays an essential part in meeting our customers’ expectations for their envisaged developments – not only by supplying high-quality products, but also by ensuring that they receive technical backup and after-sales service of the highest standards that will last for the entire duration of the project.”

Patrick Jordan described how the Marley team was very helpful and supportive during the ordering process, continuously monitoring the products until they were delivered on site in good order. “The high-quality products that we received from Marley for the project have formed the backbone and supply structure for the entire water system in Leadwood Big Game Estate, and we have only received good feedback about Marley’s products from contractors.”

The Leadwood Big Game Estate development is currently on sale with approximately 50% sold out, and a total of 70 stands serviced with both water and electricity.

The Boulevard Group commissioned commercial solar thermal specialist Selected Energy to design an energy efficient system that would deliver 150 liters of water at 55˚C to each room. “Hotels are subject to high hot water demand during peak hours. It was thus imperative for us that we supplied a sufficient volume to our guests whilst still being cost effective and environmentally sensitive,” says Victoria Mclachlan, General Manager of the Protea Hotel Manor.

To make optimal use of the The Protea Hotel Manor’s  existing infrastructure and keep the project costs low the Selected Energy team split the project into two mini projects. The first step was to connect those rooms accessible via service shafts to 21 Solahart KF 302 thermosiphon solar water heaters. Each of the Solahart units installed can deliver 300 litres of hot water. The Selected Energy team disconnected and removed the energy inefficient electric geysers that previously serviced these rooms. In doing so the team reduced the hot water demand by 50% and energy consumption by an estimated 80% per year.

The second part of the project was to prefeed the existing central boiler system that services those rooms not accessible via service shafts. Four Solahart KF302 solar water heaters are able to heat more than double the amount of hot water that the boiler can produce. This not only increases the heating capability but also adds almost 1200 litres of additional storage capacity.

The third project , still to be completed, will take solar energy from a collector bank and circulate it through an exchange system into 100literes of storage per room.

Commercial manager Chris Elliot stated that, an innovative approach to hot water supply starts with understanding the customer’s requirement and using the available energy resources at your disposal to gain the maximum savings and environmental benefits.

The hot water solution, in addition to the LED lighting, Bokashi organic waste management system and fair trade coffee, makes the Protea Hotel Manor one of the most environmentally friendly oriented hotels in Tshwane.

This autumn the renowned World Architecture Festival will open its doors for the sixth time. From 2 to 4 October, the global architectural community will be converging on Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands hotel, an architectural landmark, to experience and debate new ideas, projects and products. With more than 2,000 guests from over 65 countries expected to attend, WAF 2013 will once again provide a fantastic opportunity for architects, designers and planners to present their projects to an international expert audience. Entries for one or several of the award categories will be accepted until 10 June 2013. Apart from the coveted “World Building of the Year” award, there will be prizes in the categories “Future Project of the Year”, “Landscape Project of the Year” and in numerous sub-categories for buildings completed during the previous year from various different sectors.

Promoting international awareness for one’s own architectural work

Submitting an architectural project is worth the effort in any case, given that all entrants will benefit from international exposure. Those who make it onto the shortlist will additionally profit from direct feedback from the high-calibre WAF judges and their recommendations. This year the panel includes Kim Nielsen from 3XN, Richard Hassell from WOHA and Michael Cox from Cox Rayner Architects.

GROHE – a loyal sponsor right from the start

GROHE is founding partner of the World Architecture Festival and has loyally supported the event ever since. Good design is one of the company’s brand values, which is why GROHE promotes the dialogue and cooperation with architects, designers and planners around the globe. At this year’s event at the exclusive Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore the company will reprise its sponsorship of the “World Building of the Year”. Moreover, GROHE will continue its commitment to this renowned festival of architecture in the future.

Details regarding entries to the WAF awards can be found at www.worldarchitecturefestival.com. GROHE is keeping fingers crossed for all entrants and looks forward to exploring their creative projects as well as exchanging ideas and inspirations on site in Singapore.