Building Sustainability Into Project Design

The fact that Africa is witnessing a surge in population and a rapid rate of urbanisation has been well known for years now. 

Projections show a 79% rise in the continent’s population to 2.2 billion by 2054, according to the UN, while World Bank data indicates that about five African countries per decade since 2000 have crossed the 50% urbanisation mark, meaning over half their populations live in urban areas. 

Meanwhile, 70% of the continent’s building stock that will exist in 2040 is still to be constructed as per the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Add to this the fact that Africa is arguably the most adversely impacted continent in the world by climate change and the focus would then invariably shift to how the continent can build faster and more sustainably. 

The panellists on ConstructAfrica’s Sustainable Design of Infrastructure for African Countries webinar on 29 January noted that while Africa should definitely build more sustainably, this needs to start from the initial stages of a project, i.e. design, and needs to be implemented in rural areas as well.

This sixth edition of ConstructAfrica’s Building a Better and Sustainable Africa webinar series explored what sustainable infrastructure design looks like in African contexts, practical considerations and real-world perspectives, examining how sustainability decisions influence project outcomes across the entire value chain – from planning and design to delivery, operation and long-term asset performance.

Hosted by Engineer Malani Padayachee-Saman, CEO of South African consultancy MPAMOT, the panel of experts comprised:

• Lanre Lawale, group leader for Arup’s Technical Specialist Service (India, Middle East and Africa)
• Dr Effie Mpakati, vice-chancellor of Malawi’s University of Hebron
• Titus Kaloki, programme coordinator for Friedrich Ebert Stiftung’s Kenya office
• Rizwan Qadri, managing director of Riz Consulting Services
• Architect Patrick Ogunleye from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing

Architect Ogunleye opined that while Africa desperately needs to develop, it should begin to look inwards to find the solutions to its own challenges. 

“There is no developed country today that wasn't at one point in time undeveloped, but in the process of time, they took responsibility and they made their system the way it is now; we can do likewise," he said. 

“Now, there are two angles to this. The first, local economies; [the second] reducing carbon footprints. When we don't look to strengthen our own natural resources and put them to use, it drives down economic empowerment, it increases carbon footprint, it makes adaptation of these solutions more difficult for us.”

Dr Mpakati noted that Africa has been looking at the theory of sustainability especially in terms of social, environmental and economic factors, but that from her experience and research, it has been interesting to see how people define sustainability, especially focusing on materials. 

“On the project that I'm working on at the moment, there is a wide list of factors that we considered [relating to] how we can define sustainability of materials. For example, affordability, availability, adaptability, durability, waste minimisation potential and also how it can be usable, carbon footprints and also things like energy consumption reduction,” she shared.

“So, if we look at examples like earth and grass, those are locally available. But, if you look at how affordable they are today, some of them might not be affordable … like [they used to be] in the past. So, how do we define them as sustainable? It's something that has to be decided by the community or the professionals who are involved in that.”

Architect Ogunleye said Africa has a variety of local materials that could be used for sustainable development of infrastructure and there is no need to always depend on imported materials. 

“The more we import things, the more we drive down our own local participation,” he said. “There are [materials] that are native to Africa. They require less adaptation for use, but it takes development, research to bring out the best of these materials. 

“[Take] the local farmer who farms bamboo. If bamboo can be used [after research and development on how to do so] and is used extensively in construction, it will improve the economic growth of the area it is coming from. The same with, let's say, clay or mud.

“Now, we are all ‘urbanised’ [but] I believe the most sustainable [infrastructure is built] in the rural areas. You will see mud houses, thatched roofs, local cooling systems. We have these clay pots that cool water. They have this orientation that allows cool air to come in, hot air to rise up. So, they have a form of adaptation already and it's all local."

Caption: Located on the outskirts of the town of Koudougou in Burkina Faso, the Lycee Schorge secondary school was constructed using traditional techniques and new materials. The school features nine modules arranged around a central courtyard, protecting the central space from wind and dust. Each module is built out of locally sourced laterite, which absorbs the heat during the day and radiates it at night. A secondary facade made of local eucalyptus wood wraps around the classrooms and creates shaded spaces to mitigate the effect of high daytime temperatures. Sources: Kere Architecture and UNEP

Leveraging the AfCFTA

Arup’s Lawale spoke about how the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) can help standardise sustainable approaches to construction across the continent. 

“We've got to look at the capabilities available in different areas in Africa; we've got to look at the technology that is available in the different regions in Africa; we've got to look at the technical upskilling that is required; then, we need to bring all of that together into one conversation as to how we standardise that across Africa. Once we can standardise things that are the basis upon which we're going to build from, then we can start to build upon those things we've standardised. … It makes it easier for us to work across borders and to see implementation of [projects] across borders.”

Riz Consulting’s Qadri stated that engineering design plays a critical role in reducing climate risk by ensuring infrastructure can withstand risks and stresses such as extreme heat and flooding. 

“For heat stresses, engineers use passive cooling techniques in buildings; Zimbabwe is actually a very good case whereby I've seen that walls are [built] quite thick and there is cross-ventilation, which assists in getting natural ventilation. We have shading devices, reflective roofings and high thermal mass materials. This keeps indoor spaces cooler and leads to less energy utilisation. However, when you look at the other side of the infrastructure industry, we have transport and urban infrastructure, where we need to look at heat-resistant materials. 

“Design choices improve comfort and extend infrastructure lifespan. In terms of flooding, where the engineering design helps manage and control water before it becomes destructive, what we need to make sure is that our drainage is properly sized, the culverts are there, the bridges are obvious, they are not filled with plastic waste and the stormwater channels allow heavy rainfall to flow through safely. 

“But I would like to mention that when we have areas that are prone to flooding, we need to stabilise our slopes and look at flood-resistant materials. To slow down the runoff and get a better solution, let us use the wetland. We have a lot of land in Africa; we can convert them into retention ponds.”

On how architects can design buildings and public spaces that reflect African cultural identity while meeting sustainable goals, Ogunleye said it is critical for an architect to understand the culture of the place he is designing for as well as what sustainability looks like in such regions. 

“Architects need to be versatile in knowledge and must be ready to research. Sadly, a lot of people just cut and paste. [Their mindset is:] just let's get it done, get paid and get out,” he remarked.

Asked to provide an example of a project where architectural choices significantly improved environmental and social outcomes, Dr Mpakati shared insights on such a project carried out in Chikwawa, a region in southern Malawi that would experience floods every year due to its low-lying topography.

“Habitat for Humanity [carried out a] project [focused on providing] a permanent type of housing that people would be able to live in even during the times of the rains. In the end, they provided 300 houses, [impacting] almost 1,800 people,” she said. 

“[The houses have] been built on a raised landscape … and they've used reinforced foundations so that when the floods come, they are not carried away. The houses, which are affordable, can also be extended. And they've used stabilised soil cement blocks. [Usually], the people [used to use] unburned bricks, just earth blocks. So, when the floods came, [the houses would be carried] away. This time around, they [wondered about adding] a little bit of cement, which is still a sustainable way of building, just because you've got to add a very small amount to strengthen the earth. So, in that case, from 2022, they haven't had the issues they've been facing in the past.”

Caption: Homes built by Habitat for Humanity Malawi for flood-prone areas in the country

Building for the People

On what a truly sustainable African city looks like, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung’s Kaloki said there are three main questions to ask that would help to find what is truly sustainable. 

“The first one is: for whom are we building these cities? Is it a small middle-class whom we can just copy-paste high rises for? Or is it for large informal economies and people who live in our cities? Because then you would be able to say you want to see a city that is mainly for the underserved, the urban invisibles. That would mean it must be inclusive, it must be climate-resilient and it must be economically productive.

“The second question is: what would it look like? And then you would quickly realise that you would need affordable housing, efficient public transport, green infrastructure and citizen participation must be integrated. 

“The third question is: what kind of policies or projects would we then need to actualise this? And then you start to suddenly realise that your governance is not responsive. You will have financing gaps, infrastructure gaps, because in the first place you are not building for that real African, if I can use that word. 

“So, we are not yet near here in Nairobi. I find that the city is growing rapidly and this is mainly driven by very high-end apartments. I don't feel like they are building for me, nor for the majority of the city dwellers. And neither do they ask us how we could actually lend our knowledge to make this sustainable.

Kaloki said the issue is triggered by the predominant focus of building for and not with. 

“We see the people in the city as subjects that we plan for,” he said. “We are the experts; we come up with the designs and we do what we call top-down infrastructure-driven, which is more pro-business than citizen-centred. 

“For example, we have this project in Nakuru City … called the Bondeni informal settlement. In this settlement, what we found is that it is a recipient of planned urban regeneration because it's mainly informal settlements, mud houses, dilapidated structures and people just trying to survive with no amenities that are actually responsive; it robs the dignity of these people. And we identified this planning area because it's going to have public investments in terms of urban regeneration. 

“The residents that live there are mainly the urban invisibles – the poor, women, elderly and the youth; people who rarely are at decision-making tables where these urban investments are done. And therefore, we convinced the city authorities to allow us to use a digital technology called Scenerii, which basically helps us to go talk [to the settlement dwellers], identify the issues faced by these people, map the area and translate it into a 3D playground. [The technology allows us to see in] text what they prioritise, what they think is the effect of the problem, and what action they think should be undertaken. And what happens next is that you are able to move from that digital playground, where they've actually done their drag-and-dropping guided by planning guidelines, and translate it into a physical model.

“Therefore, for us, we see that marginalised voices must influence decisions. We must then translate that into targeted public investments. Why do we need this? Because we will need this inclusivity enabled by digital tools to arrive at responsive solutions. It's not a magic fix. Digital technology must be guided, must be enabled, but it can actually provide inclusivity. This would help us harness that local content knowledge, that cooperation we need to co-produce, that idea that you don't need to wipe away a slum, but actually maybe we need to upgrade it in a more sustainable manner. And I think there is power in inclusive urban planning.”

Qadri quoted the example of Kigali in Rwanda as an African city leading the way in sustainable urban development. 

“I should say it's a perfectly planned, well-developed city and really attractive. The city's green and focuses on affordable climate-adapted housing. I can say this is something we need to emulate because it also attracts that technology, which is controlled by its masterplan. Whatever happens there has got a direction, has got a standard and it is visible. 

“And the other thing is that every Saturday, the public goes out into the street and helps the municipality with the cleaning. Other African cities should follow this holistic approach and go further with it.”

Sustainability in Rural Areas

Asked how African cities can balance rapid population growth with the need for green, inclusive and climate-resilient urban spaces, Lawale noted population growth was going to be around for the foreseeable future. 

“But when we think about this in the context of sustainability, I think the issue of population growth is about our urban areas and a lot of the focus is based on implementing sustainability initiatives in the urban areas. 

“But I think one of the things that [Kaloki] talked about earlier on, which I think is very important, is who are we building for and why are we building for them? If we start to think about who we're building for, why we're building for them, how they use buildings, how they interact with buildings … and if we focus on not gentrification but upgrading our urban areas … rather than relocating communities to larger areas, we're going to start to improve the issue of sustainability and the impact of that on our urban areas.

“When we start to deal with things that are in the rural area and we start to deal with sustainability at the rural area, the impact of that will be felt on the urban areas because all the issues of overcrowding and the rest of it that creates a lot of systemic problems in our urban areas would reduce; our over-reliance on public transportation and the rest of it will reduce.

“We're going to reduce embodied carbon energy and all of that in our urban areas simply by doing small improvements in our rural areas.” 

Lawale also mentioned that he was working with his materials team to look at how to evolve greener materials in the context of Africa. 

“We've been looking at how we evolve low-carbon greener concrete. One of the first things we need to understand is we have to shift from being very prescriptive in the way we build because a lot of the things we do and a lot of the issues around being able to bring in greener materials in terms of infrastructure is about the fact that we build based on prescriptive requirements."

Life Cycle Assessments

On integrating life cycle assessments into infrastructure planning, Qadri noted that the process of building a project begins with excavation and ends at disposal. 

“The benefit of integrating a life cycle assessment is simply that it's got environmental considerations, it's got financial considerations and there is this decision-making impetus. However, what we miss out is the policy alignment.”

When asked how consultants can better support governments and developers in making sustainability a core project requirement, Ogunleye said there is a [huge] knowledge gap that needs to be closed to enable this to happen. 

“Before the government will adopt or make something a policy, there must be enough knowledge about it, meaning consultants need to have enough information, carry out enough research, and then be able to [prove] the point that what you're proposing is better off than what was. The government won't work blindly, [it works] with information."

Engineer Malani brought up the topic of biomimicry and how Africa with its rich biodiversity  should be investing more in biomimicry solutions.

“The engineers in the room all are aware that a lot of the key innovations … globally actually resulted from closely studying nature and natural processes. So, I strongly would love to advocate for more investment in that space, more collaboration on the continent around that.”

The webinar also heard about policies or incentives that are needed to strengthen local supply chains for sustainable construction materials. Dr Mpakati said several policies are available but that some of them are outdated. 

Dr Mpakati also encouraged the use of incentives such as tax credits for stakeholders who strictly follow sustainable practices as well as incorporating the certification of products.

Asked what enabling environment is needed to scale sustainable infrastructure across the continent, Kaloki said people need to become comfortable with the concept of informality and view informal actors not just as passive beneficiaries, but core implementers, citing an example from Kenya.

“[In] Kisumu city … they've been able to increase access and build more sustainable waste management infrastructure by just taking the first step of recognising that a lot of the informal settlement people actually do receive waste and even water management services from informal actors. And therefore, they stopped the antagonistic approach – they deal with them, recognise them, help them to formalise and have co-financed what we call material recovery facilities that are run by these actors, [which are] of course financed by the urban authority. 

“That way, [they’ve been] able to introduce technology that helps to track and co-produce data with those who are receiving these services in their informal settlements. Therefore, we need to see this as an organism, a corporation that will require the built environment professionals and the policymakers, but also treating the informal sector as co-implementers and not just passive beneficiaries.” 

On the importance of public-private partnerships (PPP) in driving sustainable projects, Lawale said PPPs are the basis upon which the continent will move towards much more sustainable, developed cities, but that the responsibilities are split in two. 

“The responsibility is split into a clear direction, that's number one, and the second responsibility is split into, as [Ogunleye] said, bridging the gap of information that we have. 

“When we start to talk about our public, private sectors and the participation of both, we've got to understand that a lot of it is looked at from who is bringing the money to do what. But we need to look at it from a different paradigm: One, how stable are the policies that we have? Two, how realistic are the policies we have? Three, how achievable are the policies we have.”

The need for building sustainability into project designs across the continent is undoubtedly a priority now as populations expand and urbanisation increases. As the panellists noted, sustainability is not an option anymore and it needs to be inculcated from the very beginning of a project to the end of its lifespan. The focus needs to shift to sustainability in the rural areas, which will have a knock-on effect on the urban areas, and the continent must look within to find local solutions to its problems and local materials/resources for its infrastructure. 

You can watch the full webinar by clicking on the YouTube link below: 

Top photo: The Gaffat Community Preschool in Ethiopia, which employs the Gojo Bet design – a traditional circular housing structure that features an open-plan architectural layout and a combination of natural elements to create a durable, well-insulated structure that is in harmony with nature (Source: Early Childhood Education Ethiopia)