Why university students hold key to success in green building

The Strathmore University administration block in Nairobi is a ‘green’ building. [Photo: File/Standard].

Kenya is one of the African countries with the highest number of trained professionals in the built industry. This is due to the growing number of institutions of higher learning producing professionals in the sector. Sadly, there is too little to show in terms of sustainable developments.

I have attended many forums discussing sustainable developments. Paradoxically, in all these forums, those lamenting about the lack of sustainability in the sector are the very people charged with ensuring that we apply sustainable construction practices.

I remember a media training in Maanzoni Lodge last year organised by the UN-Habitat Urban Energy Unit. For two days, we went through the motions of how to accurately report on matters touching on sustainability.

Immediately following our session was one attended by the who-is-who in Kenya’s built environment. They included deans, senior lecturers of architecture schools and chairs of professional bodies in East Africa.

In all, participants from 18 universities in the region came together to discuss the best ways to embrace the green building concepts in higher learning institutions.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Kaimenyi led the way, blaming poor practices in the sector on the “shortcut and copycat approach by architects while designing new buildings”.

“The push for a green future could be won or lost in technical institutions of higher learning,” said Prof Kaimenyi.

“Professionals need to be prepared for an inevitable future that is faced with challenges of climate change and scarce resources.”

He talked of incorporating best practices into laws and policies for implementation.

Though open to debate, he said his ministry has incorporated sustainable practices into the housing policy. Still, there are very little results to show.

It was Prof Musau Kimeu, chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Nairobi, who made the statement that should guide all our university teaching staff: “Most of the new [unsustainable] buildings in urban areas today are built by our former students.”

Tens of other forums have been held since then but without reforms in our education system, we shall be getting more and more of the same.