Tag

south africa

Temporary Residential Units

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Temporary Residential Units, also known as TRUs are housing units developed to address an urgent need for accommodation. They may be constructed to accommodate people displaced as a result of natural disasters such as flooding or fires.

They are designed to be rapidly constructed, be affordable and provide shelter for periods of up to 1-2 years while more permanent accommodation is being developed. Once they have fulfilled their immediate need TRUs may be deconstructed for reuse in constructing TRUs elsewhere or their components and materials used in permanent housing.

Gauge has developed Temporary Residential Units called the BIBU (Building in a Box Unit). The BIBU consists of timber panels which are prefabricated and can be rapidly assembled to provide temporary housing.BIBU units can be packaged in box ready for assembly on site.

BIBUs has the following characteristics:

  • Manufactured from readily available components means that the units are low cost and can be constructed with basic hand tools.
  • Standard modular components can be transported in small trucks and bakkies enabling them to be constructed in difficult-to-access locations.
  • Timber and grown material component mean that the building has a very low environmental impact and creates local jobs in the forestry and associated industries.
  • Modular designs enable different arrangements, from 1-person to family units, to be constructed.
  • Designs can be localised to use locally available materials and skills.
  • Pad foundations and raised floors mean that the building can be built on slopes and there is a reduced risk of flooding.
  • The use of readily available fastenings and materials enables occupants to adapt and add to their housing to suit their needs.

BIBUs can be manufactured centrally and transported to areas where they are needed, or manufacturing sites can be established on or near sites where they are required. Manufacturing BIBUs near sites can be used to create local jobs and designs can be tailored to local needs and to use local materials and skills.

Please contact us if you would like a brochure on the system or have further queries.

Low-Cost Self-Build Sustainable Housing

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Conventional housing in South African is not affordable for many people. Alternatives, such informal housing may be poorly constructed resulting in uncomfortable, and sometimes unhealthy, indoor environments. There is therefore a need for alternatives.

Gauge has developed a range of technology and kits to support sustainability in buildings and cities. Technologies are designed to be easy to assemble and are based on readily available local materials and components. One of the technologies that has been developed is a  low-cost, sustainable housing kit.

The low-cost sustainable housing kit is based on modular insulated panels that can be assembled to produce a small house. The modular approach enables housing to be easily added to over time, and as resources, allow. Panels made of grown materials come in a range of different types, enabling houses to be tailored to sites, budgets, and users. Assembly is easy and only requires basic skills and hand tools. A framed structural system allows construction on uneven or sloping ground enabling difficult sites to be used. A range of renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, composting toilets and grey water systems can be added to the basic housing kit to create a carbon and water neutral house.

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The Sasol Solar Challenge is a competition for teams to design, manage, build and drive solar-powered vehicles across South Africa.

Local and international solar-powered cars travel as far as they can on various roads and loops between Pretoria and Cape Town, with some teams travelling distances of over 4000km. The 2016 event from 24 September to 1 October 2016 traverses some of the world’s most beautiful and diverse landscapes, from desert and savannah to mountains and coastal forest.

Track the competitors live on a map here.