How to lead a net-zero lifestyle in Kyalami
Attendees of the event where educated and left the event with different views.
In a bid to inform residents how they can lead a net-zero lifestyle, the Greater Kyalami Conservancy (Gekco) hosted a talk by sustainability architect, Marc Sherratt, at Kyalami Park Club on October 18. Sherratt contextualised what global sustainability trends and tools mean for South Africa and shared practical examples on a city and building scale. His presentation was dotted with principles to guide residents’ sustainability efforts, for example, ‘convert your waste streams into resources’.
Gekco’s chairperson, Kristin Kallesen, said residents of Kyalami and Carlswald’s agricultural holdings have a unique opportunity to live sustainably. “We have the ability to grow our own food and harvest rainwater because we’ve got space and resources. This is the way architecture design is going now in terms of green buildings,” said Kallesen. Sherratt’s company, Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects, is considered a leader in the green building and sustainable architecture movement in Africa. He detailed some of their projects including micro-housing units for informal settlements, an elephant migration route, and South Africa’s first triple net-zero building in Linden.
“Net zero talks about efficiency first. You first try to reduce your consumption as much as possible before you look at a renewable energy technology to offset that consumption,” he explained. Sherratt gave insights into the Kyalami area. “Kyalami sits within the egoli granite grassland biome, which is critically endangered as an ecosystem,” he said. He also outlined a five-stage plan to regenerate certain areas in the city and explained ways to connect the critical biodiversity areas with wildlife corridors. Kallesen added, “We had a committee member about four years ago who, as part of his master’s thesis, mapped the wildlife corridors through this (Kyalami) area, so the wetlands and grasslands act as corridors.
“As landowners, we have an opportunity to contribute to something bigger than ourselves by reinstating areas in our gardens for wildlife and connecting those gardens with different types of fencing. Obviously, security is a priority, but there are types of fencing we can use that allow for movement of wildlife and still provide security for our properties.”
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