A greener approach

STAG African’s innovative approach to the provision of student accommodation not only delivers significant cost savings to clients, it also offers many valuable environmental benefits, both during construction and operation of the buildings.

Greener construction

The IBT construction method offers a sustainable alternative to masonry construction by delivering numerous environmental benefits:

Steel – The steel used for the manufacturing of the Lightweight Steel Frames (LSF) is mostly manufactured from recycled materials using light industrial, low-emissions processes. There is minimal waste and any steel cutouts are fed back into the recycling process.

Cladding – The cladding is made from high-density boards constructed from a mixture of wood particles and Portland cement. The wood particles are obtained from softwood logs cut from renewable planted tree stocks, so there is no deforestation impact. The board contains no hazardous volatiles and is asbestos free.

Building process – The IBT construction method is proven to significantly lessen the impact of construction activities on the environment due to:

  • minimal disruption during site preparation and building activities,
  • significant reduction in water usage,
  • low carbon emissions due to faster processes and less need for large equipment on site,
  • less use of fossil fuels due to lower material transport requirements,
  • low noise levels, and
  • massive reductions in waste generation during construction.

Greener buildings

The operation and management of buildings is one of the biggest contributors to any urban environment’s carbon emissions. Much of this carbon footprint is created through the need to warm or cool buildings to compensate for changes in external temperatures.

The materials used in the construction of STAG African residences are proven to significantly reduce the energy required to maintain comfortable interior temperatures. This results in significant long-term cost savings and environmental sustainability benefits.

A recent research project by the Built Environment division of the CSIR confirmed that a Light Weight Steel Frame dwelling, built to SANS 517 specifications, requires significantly less electricity for heating and cooling than a traditional masonry building.

In STAG African’s experience, our IBT buildings typically require less than half the electricity to heat and cool to thermal comfort levels than an equivalent size brick-based building. Our clients have experienced this benefit in the form of significant savings of up to 89% on their building heating and cooling costs.