Marching towards eco-friendly buildings

By Ferdinand Mwongela

All around us, buildings are coming up virtually overnight in an effort to meet an almost 100,000 unit deficit in the local housing sector. The utility aspect — the need to have a roof over one’s head informs most these constructions. In this pursuit, the environment has been losing out but people are now waking to the reality of the effects of environmental degradation and are embracing environment conscious constructions albeit at a slow pace.

The need to be conscious of conservation measures was recently echoed by the Ministry of Lands. James Orengo, the minister for Lands vowed to crack the whip and bring down buildings on riparian reserves.

The urge for environmental conservation has seen many private developers embracing the green technology — putting up eco-friendly buildings.

Dr Laila Macharia, the Kenya Private Developers Association chairperson, says that there are different levels of green building and though many people might not be going entirely green, they are embracing different aspects of the same.

This could be in the area of lighting; building materials used or water conservation measures.

"It is not as straight forward as it sounds," she says, pointing out that putting up ecological friendly developments is "very complex".

This, therefore, means that there is still a long way to go before green developments are fully embraced especially coupled with the fact that these kinds of developments require more capital injection and end up more expensive, at least in the short run.

The on going expansion project at Strathmore University.

Daniel Ojijo, Executive Chairman of the Mentor Group of Companies, points out that a developer interested in green building must be ready to invest in the same.

"A developer with a genuine eco-development agenda will go to any length to ensure the projects are a true reflection of his main objective," he said.

He, however, concedes that it is not as yet very common but there is a future for environmental-friendly developments in a fast growing sub-sector.

"Given that it is a relatively new concept in the country, not many developers are already engaged in doing eco-developments. A majority of those doing so are keen to ensure the trend becomes a standard approach in the development of housing projects," he explained.

One of the emerging green technologies around the world being utilised in construction is the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (Leed), formulated by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) that is slowly being embraced around the world since its inception in 1998.

A structure of a kind

The only development employing this technology in Kenya is the Strathmore Business School, which is under construction and is billed as among the first on the continent. The system requires architects and contractors certified by a recognised body, but there is none in the country.

Raul Figueroa, the Project Manager explains that Strathmore had to go to the US body for certification.

The Leed system is described as, "voluntary green building rating system", which Figueroa says is because it is not a requirement but an option one can choose to take or leave.

"The idea is to do the right thing and not what everybody else is doing," he said.

Raul Figueroa, of Strathmore Business School explains how the U-boot works.

Macharia agrees that the system is still new and there is no Leed certified contractor in Kenya at the moment.

So far, however, the decision to go green and the extent to which one does is largely an individual decision with only the minimal guidelines laid down by the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema).

Hacienda’s initiative

Nema requires that a developer present for approval an environmental audit report called, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report detailing the possible effect of a development to the ecology of the area in which it is situated.

However, this mostly applies to big developments and the small developer, in this case the owner occupier might not be forced to do the same although they would also have to observe basic environmental regulations like not building on riparian reserves.

Antone Wambura, a banker, says that environmental conservation is becoming a key focus. "The world is going green with a critical focus on environmental sustainability," he said. He adds that Kenya and most equatorial countries are naturally advantaged due to their positioning, which gives them the ability to, "tap immense natural energy for self sufficiency at the household level".

He, however, concedes that there is a lack of knowledge on some technologies utilised in green building and especially Leed.

"Most Kenyans are not sensitised about Leed but this will change as demands for more environmentally conscious specifications arise from clients," he said while pointing out that those opting for such systems should be ready to dig deeper into their pockets.

"Clients should also be ready to pay more as the green technologies are at their infancy and tend to have a higher cost outlay," he said.

The only other elaborate conservation-conscious development in the country is the Hacienda eco-city at the Coast, which is among the first on the continent.

The development by Hacienda holdings includes a 12MW solar power station to run all residential areas. It includes the development of wetlands to harvest, biologically treat and recycle runoff water for household use and an agreement with the African Conservation Trust to establish a tree nursery on Hacienda’s Mwakirunge project.

Wastewater produced from the town will be run through a very sophisticated constructed wetland system where it is biologically purified before being put in a reservoir. From here, it is pumped to a filtration and treatment plant and then recycled back into the town.

The company’s executive chairman David Muniu agrees that it is expensive in the short term but a worthy investment in the long run.