CHAPTER 8: DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS, TECHNICAL REPORT, AND
8.3 Design recommendations for sustainable development
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• Local, sustainable & materials
As discussed in Chapters 3 and 4, the building's materials, equipment, and services should be locally soured whenever conceivable. Local materials include reed, stone locks, clay bricks, thatched roofs, and bamboo. These raw materials will be utilized on the exterior of the building as well as spaces that do not require specifications, such as laboratories. Labs will differ from these material choices to meet design requirements.
• Laboratory finishes
The laboratory finishes will differ from the rest of the facility according to the design requirements. The laboratory spaces should be finished with floor surfaces that are layered with a prefinished material that can be joint-welded to the floor. Griffin (2000) states that floor finishes be extended 150mm up walls to avoid contamination of other surfaces (Griffin 2000:34). Sustainable materials such as vinyl and linoleum are to be considered for flooring.
These materials are manufactured with a wooden swatch and will be utilized to match the rest of the building’s natural aesthetics.
Similarly, wall finishes should also be non-porous for ease of maintenance and hygiene. Porous wall surfaces will require treatment or a coat of acrylic paint (Bellingan, 2008). Wood finished walls are not appropriate in the laboratory environment. Wooden textures allow for the absorption of hazardous materials and are stated to be impossible to decontaminate (Laboratory Standard & Design Guidelines – Stanford Environmental Health & Safety, 2020).
According to research conducted by Stanford University (2018), Some non-suitable materials for furniture are laminate, wood, and fiberglass. (Laboratory Standard & Design Guidelines – Stanford Environmental Health & Safety, 2018) Furniture materials should be smooth and non- porous to resist the absorption of chemicals. Advisable materials for workbenches and furniture are moulded epoxy resin, stainless steel, and epoxy coated metal (Pillay, 2019).
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• Economic sustainability
From the desktop study of iSimangaliso, it has been evident that the site is surrounded by poverty-stricken communities. The proposed facility should aim to address this issue by offering ample job opportunities to combat unemployment. Jobs will be offered to both unskilled and skilled local community members to reduce the drastic unemployment rate.
These workers should be upskilled so that they may be appropriately equipped to deal with environmental conservation. Some job opportunities are:
• Security
• Cleaners
• Administration
• Maintenance
• Service management
• Rehabilitation and wildlife conservation
• Gardeners and site management
• Educational positions
• Cafeteria management
• Social sustainability
The facility should prioritize the health and safety of all occupants. It is important to consider human safety from wildlife and vice versa. The site of St Lucia is home to expansive amounts of crocodile and hippopotamus species. These animals are considered dangerous to humans, and preventative measures to ensure occupant safety. According to Bellingan (2008), the hippo populations grazing in residential areas within the town are a common safety concern. To combat this hazard, there needs to be a creation of awareness through signs as well as staff members discouraging users from getting close to the water's edge. Another precautionary measure could be secure walkways and nets that prevent visitors from getting near possibly dangerous areas. Similarly, to ensure social safety, minimal access, security guards and cameras need to be considered.
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• Environmental sustainability
In previous chapters, a great emphasis is placed upon an innovative sustainable design that is responsive to the environment. By observing the surrounding natural environment, many clear design principles had become apparent.
o Flooding
The area of St Lucia lies on a floodplain, which is located approximately 4.0 meters above sea level (ACER 2001:7). The site itself is located along the water edge of the main river of lake St Lucia. According to the Africa Environmental Management Consultants (ACER), ‘the lake has a mean level of +0.17 MSL, with fluctuations from +0.85 MSL to -0.6 MSL’ (ACER 2001:7). Since the estuary is prone to unpredictable flooding (ACER 2001:7), the facility needs to be appropriately designed.
Flooding can be avoided by ensuring the facility is designed above the ground (Bellingan, 2008). According to ACER (2001), “floor levels are kept at a minimum of +5.0 MSL (thus designed for a 1: 50-year flood)” (ACER 2001:7). This can be achieved by using structural systems such as stilted foundations. Stilted foundations will also encourage empathetic designing so that the structure touches the earth lightly and preserve existing ecosystems. By allowing the building to be elevated off the ground, the space underneath the stilted platforms become habitation spaces for local wildlife.
o Alien vegetation
It is common for the wetland area to contain various alien plant species. These plants jeopardize the health of existing natural species and thereby the health of the ecosystem. Therefore, it is crucial to remove any invasive alien plant species that are found in or around after the earthworks have concluded, to ensure a healthy natural ecosystem (ACER 2001:8).
o Earthworks and construction
The site of the proposed facility lies on a bank along the water's edge. It is naturally stabilized by the wetland systems and swamp forests. However, if necessary, the bank may be stabilized through the use of an armor flex mat and geotextile fabric (Bellingan, 2008). According to ACER (2001). if “any banks are affected by construction, earthworks are to be stabilized with suitable vegetation to match the existing wetland and forest ecosystems” (ACER 2001:9).
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Rigid enforcement of sustainable construction practices is to be carried out in the construction phase of design. It is well known that the construction industry is one of the major contributors to natural habitat destruction and resource depletion. The process is also affiliated with pollution from materials, sewer, and machinery (Bellingan, 2008). Thus, there is a need for strict regulations and the education of building techniques that adequately deal with pollutants and hazardous materials occurring throughout the construction phase (ACER 2001:9).
8.4 Understanding wetlands: Sustainable development through wastewater recycling