Whether we are ready or not, the way we build in South Africa will need to change to help slow down the effects of climate change.  We love the freedom of working with fired clay bricks and reinforced concrete.  Unfortunately, these old friends have a huge carbon footprint.  New materials require us as Architects to hone skills that we have neglected. Kloof Cabin is Joubert Malherbe’s first attempt at adjusting our design thinking to suit new sustainable materials such as Cross Laminated Timber.  We also love the idea of giving a second life to materials. In this case, the site has an abundance of disused concrete blocks from demolished agricultural buildings.  

 

This is a small step towards adjusting our mindsets to think first of the environment and then the space we are creating.