Design Trends

By: National Association of Home Builders by National Association of Home Builders

Unlike in the recent boom years, when just about anything built was sold, strong competition in the current market is forcing all builders to improve home design.

Design trend no. 1: Classic yet contemporary. The new houses with strong sales now are those that blend modern and traditional elements to create cleaner and simpler elevations. Interior spaces are clean, bright and simple. Gone are the heavy detailing and generous ornamentation of the recent past.

Design trend no. 2: Outdoor spaces as an extension of living space. Whether for a single-family house or a multifamily building, home buyers are looking for private outdoor spaces that blend seamlessly with the indoors. This trend cuts across geographic regions, being as true in the colder sections of the country as in the warmer, milder areas.

Design trend no. 3: Good, cost-effective designs. To keep construction costs low, we'll see multiple roof lines and complexity give way to simplified forms. Gone is the "exploding roof" design paradigm for the straightforward gable roof and rectangular form. Innovative and creative approaches to layouts, storage, curb appeal and so on will be established in the early design stage to ensure that the new designs don't become boring.

Design trend no. 4: The family triangle. It used to be that open floor plans were limited to certain geographic regions and buyer profiles. Now the open floor plan is desired throughout the country and by every market segment. The old living room has been replaced by a flexible space that can be used as needed while still being close to the family triangle.

Design trend no. 5: Multigenerational living. Whether it's because more are children returning home after college or more parents are moving in with the family, multigenerational homes are increasing in popularity. In fact, one study indicated that the construction of such homes has jumped 30 percent in the past few years.

So whether they create "lock-off" units, two master suites (one up and one down) or some other type of space, builders are recognizing the increased need for these types of homes and planning for them in their designs. Amenities such as wider hallways, elevators, grab bars and so on are all becoming the norm.

Design trend no. 6: Kitchen entertaining with a view. Kitchens continue to be without a doubt the center of the house. But with square footage being trimmed, designers are having to develop innovative solutions for storage and functional needs. There's also an increasing use of large windows to keep the kitchen light, bright and airy so it can live large. The loss of wall space for cabinetry is made up with walk-in pantries (dubbed the "Costco Closet"), where it's not uncommon to find the (messy) kitchen desk hidden from view.

Design trend no. 7: Green design elements that consumers understand and want. Buyers expect a certain level of green elements in their homes today. Items that are somewhat familiar, reduce operating costs and are easy to use are the most popular.

Design trend no. 8: Less land development, more focus on multifamily. The trend is to smaller developments and infill properties with a proximity to transportation and other amenities. A mix of housing types and buyer profiles is evident so that families across generations can live close to one other. Less emphasis is now placed on the importance of a car, as buyers want to live in walk-to-everything communities.

Innovative urban pavers

Bosun recently introduced the large, 300 millimetre by 400 millimetre non-bevelled, dry-cast pavers to their Urban range.

The entire range comes in a thickness of 60 millimetres, making them strong enough for walkways and driveways. The unified thickness also means the pavers can be combined with other sizes from the range to create random patterns.

The manufacturer says the smooth, unique design compliments modern architecture in an unprecedented manner and the unbevelled surface is ideal for shopping complexes and hospitals. 

With dry-cast pavers you can achieve higher compressive strengths more cost effectively than with wet, cast concrete. On the installation side, these pavers do not require cement grouting or screeds. This makes it practical to uplift and replace when doing underground work like plumbing.

The urban paver is available in all of Bosun’s 10 colours, including the recently introduced granite and marble range.

For more information contact: +27 (0) 11 310 1176

Green Building Council of SA launching Green Star tool for Multi-Unit Residential buildings

The launch of the next Green Star SA green building rating tool by the Green Building Council of South Africa, Green Star SA - Multi Unit Residential v1, is set to take place at the GBCSA Convention and Exhibition, happening at the CTICC from 26 – 28 October 2011.

The development and launch of this much-anticipated tool follows the successful production of Green Star SA tools for Office buildings and Retail Centres.

“Since its launch in December of last year, the GBCSA has put the MURT tool through its paces on PILOT projects across the country to improve and streamline it for the South African Multi Unit Residential market,” explains Brian Wilkinson, CEO of the Green Building Council of South Africa.

“The ongoing strategic expansion of available rating tools by the GBCSA is being driven by the demand for increased coverage of the property sector and the acknowledgement of unique environmental issues attributed to specific building types.” 

The Green Star SA – Multi Unit Residential v1 rating tool will assess the environmental attributes of new multi unit residential developments as well as major refurbishments to existing multi unit residential developments or conversions across South Africa.

Multi unit residential developments are defined as developments that include three or more dwelling units, common property, shared services and infrastructure among dwellings and a management entity (e.g. body corporate, home owners association, management operator etc.).   Recent estimates show that such residential units represent approximately 8% of all residential dwellings in SA and that there is definite trend towards higher density living – indicating the importance of this new tool in SA!

“The Green Star SA rating tools provide an objective framework and standards for the measurement of green building. They establish a common language for the industry and importantly, recognise and reward environmental leadership. Rating tools have been instrumental in marking the mainstream take-up of green building practices in a number of markets worldwide, and South Africa is following this trend,” concludes Wilkinson.

For more information on the Green Star SA rating tool for Multi-Unit Residential (MUR) buildings please visit www.gbcsa.org.za or contact the GBCSA on (021) 659 5990.

A commitment to Johannesburg and the environment

By Gareth Greathead

Design and Technology magazine were invited to the opening of the ultra modern ABSA Towers West (ATW) Building. ATW is said to be one of the ‘greenest’ buildings in South Africa and has been built in line with SA green codes. Some of the green elements are reduction in energy consumption, water consumption, material sources and carbon emissions. And they will be applying for a Green Star Rating within the next few months. The goal from the start was to amalgamate functionality with environmental friendliness and building ergonomics.

Key features of the building include a grey water system, which enables 43,000 liters of water to be recycled per day, the largest in South Africa. The heating ventilation and air conditioning uses hot water recovery and provides the building with free hot water, which will be particularly useful in the onsite gym. A self-sufficient gas energy centre, which reduces the carbon output of the building by 19,000 tons of CO² per year, is another initiative taken by the ATW design team.

Natural lighting is used extensively and almost the entire top of the building is a sky light, significantly reducing the need for artificial lighting. Where lighting is required, energy-efficient lighting is employed via a digital addressable lighting interface system. In addition to all this, motion sensors and daylight dimmers can be found throughout the building, managing lights automatically. The same technology has been applied to the parkade outside.

Absa Group Chief Executive Maria Ramos says, “The Absa Towers West investment is a demonstration of our commitment to the City of Johannesburg and its renewal effort.”

“In designing ATW, which houses over 3 000 colleagues, we carefully considered  global bestpractices in order to maximise the aesthetics and functionality of the building, whilst delivering improved efficiencies,” comments Ramos.  

Speakers from the United Kingdom were Minister of Trade, Lord Stephen Green, as well as the Chief Executive of Barclays Plc, Bob Diamond. They spoke of the long-standing relationship between the United Kingdom and South Africa and commented that this building stands as testament to what can be achieved through the combined efforts of local and global entities.

Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, identified how over the past few years there has been a tendency for companies to leave the city centre and move northwards. Gordhan applauded Absa’s decision to remain in the city and their investment in the city. He hopes their investment will encourage others to do the same in the future.