February 2011
National Home Builders Registration Council's housing enrolments are down 52%. Holcim Foundation Advisory Board member and physicist, Amory Lovins, says, ‘Saving the climate saves you money', in his paper on how buildings can use energy intelligently by integrative design. The Sinamandla self help programme has assisted more than 8 000 women, almost 48 000 household members and nearly 24 000 children.
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Affordable housing summit National Home Builders Registration Council's straight-talking, no-nonsense, CEO, Sipho Mashinini told delegates at the IQPC Affordable Housing Development Summit South Africa
NHBRC revenue was down with 52% less housing enrolments last year.
The former banker said that he would like to see Financial Sector Charter housing targets increased to 100 000 units. Sinamandla self help Social grant recipients are moving towards economic independence through the self-help approach, says Adrian Di Lollo, of Southern Hemisphere, who conducted research on behalf of self-help programme implementer, Sinamandla. Efficient energy The renowned Holcim Foundation's Advisory Board member, Amory Lovins, says that efficient renewable energy could solve many of the world's greatest problems. The physicist used his own home in Colorado to demonstrate a fossil-fuel-free house that is heated up to 99% by passive solar energy. It does not require conventional heating or cooling systems. His presentation on ‘Saving the Climate Saves You Money' in ‘Re-Inventing Construction' by Ruby Press shows that the interior of the house is like a tropical jungle, where you can even harvest bananas. Household finances Index Consumers are not out of the woods yet, according to the Consumer Financial Vulnerability Index, which takes into account consumers income, savings, expenditure and debt. US housing recovery America's housing recovery trail impacts on global trends. The recent research on the United States home improvement industry shows it's poised for growth, said Abbe Will, Harvard University's Joint Centre for Housing Studies researcher. Changing Spaces in housing Architect Francisco Pardo, from At 103, was tasked with creating a mixed-use housing project in Mexico City's Reforma Avenue, financial corridor. The area was undergoing major changes in density and it was important to develop and design affordable low and middle income housing.
The empty buildings vacated during earlier earthquakes provided a perfect opportunity to create new buildings for middle and low income earners. This counter balanced the high income focus developments along Reforma Avenue and avoided the inevitable long distance travel for lower income workers, who were employed in the area.
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