Be resource-efficient by choice, not dictate

Today any investor in a new home must specifically be aware of the cost of essential communal services such as energy, waste removal and water (not to mention direct or indirect municipal taxation!). Langebaan Country Estate is located in a highly sensitive environment - and we, in turn, are extremely careful about treating this environment with the respect it deserves. We believe that homeowners on the Estate will reap rich reward from this approach in the medium to longer term. Our challenge is to create and have a happy and resource-efficient, compliant Estate.
Cape Lowlands Environmental Services as ongoing service provider and environmental auditors can confirm a very sound (yet still always improving) compliance record at all levels on the Estate over three annual cycles.

LCE has been subject to consecutive 6-monthly environmental audits. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (environmental line authority and permitting department) have endorsed LCE’s compliant status after a formal site inspection.

As an existing Estate homeowner, you are part of a conceptually sound, environmentally conscious, well-managed development. The ‘housekeeping standards’ within the Estate, and particularly compliance in terms of both services installation and home construction, are as good as they can be. Well done to our service providers!

LCE is designated by the founding authority to be a “green development”. We therefore need not only to construct carefully, but also to live within principles of resource efficiency. This is not optional. Until now we may have perceived this as an element of choice or option. Now, however, energy and natural resources are an issue of global concern and responsibility. To be a responsible and resource-efficient development, and most particularly just to continue to benefit from communal water, power and waste removal services, certain lifestyle adaptations and practice modifications will be required from each and every one of us, and at every level of Estate living.

How we build and develop: We need to reduce our energy requirement from non-natural sources by structure design. We need to minimise our water requirements, remembering that the West Coast is a low-rainfall, dry area. We also need to reduce our environmental impact by minimising waste and our operational and maintenance costs on the development.

Optimise natural site potential: We need to look around us and synergise site footprint considerations, consider impacts on other adjacent developments, and optimise infrastructure connectivity. We further need to maximise passive and active solar features, use of trees, habitats and other high-priority resources. Wind impact management is also an issue on the West Coast – we need to use this energy when creating living spaces to access natural ventilation.

Water options: The Cape West Coast has low rainfall.l Interior designs need to specify taps and showers with aerators and flow restrictors to reduce water flow. Toilets and urinals must not auto flush but be fitted with interruptible flush mechanisms feeding from cisterns of less than 9 litres. While the whole Western Cape feeds from a common water supply, the West Coast has always been aware of its lack of water. The whole Estate needs to embrace this concept.

Cape West Coast Lifestyle options: The Cape West Coast lifestyle and vernacular is not of water abundance. Our sense of place and of belonging is not one surrounded by lush or excessive greenery! The West Coast always was - and still needs to be - honest to its environment. A minimum of resources must still go a long way!

A little realism in our personal resource demands and some consideration of our broader resource situation - be it for own benefit and comfort, if not for the greater situation - will dictate some pragmatism from each of us.

Let’s be resource-efficient in all that we do. The future does not depend on it - that is the future!