sewubons Ot Jan 2015 920 By Dion Chang Building for the future In today’s world, digital detoxing and sustainable building have both become essential for well-being Fyoutte feeling well ested, you've no doubt had some form of digital detox over the festive season. My new year’s Tong weekends throughout 015 for z \d won't have trouble keeping. Dion Chang isthe | Thesource of my inspiration founder flux | wasa blissful weekend spentatan Trond For more business ends, vist: swwvlloarends com experimental home called simply Stand 47 (wwwstand47.coza), sisuated on Monaghan Farmon the outskirts of Johannesburg, The "farms, in essence, avast residential estate designed for city-dwellers who cravea county lifestyle. The house isasmart, sustainable structure, bbutis low-tech (ie no wifi or TV), hence the digital detox. Irs only ‘when you experience this environment that you become ‘mindfal of your surroundings: you notice so much more - and what a resolution was to pre-book a series of regular digital detosing,I'sa pledge pleasure that can be. ‘Since Monaghan Farm is part of an eco-estate all the homes have toadhere to sustainable building regulations, One of the most noticeable characteristics of the places that the soil generated to make way forthe homes isn't } removed, but pushed to the edge of each property, creating mounds between them. These are then covered with indigenous vegetation, providing a natural boundary between the residences, as well asa great deal of privacy. What's more, tach home looks as ifi’s sunken {nto its surroundings, leaving the # landscape relatively unscavred by hhuman habitation. Ir’sa cleverand attractive illusion. Stand 47 is deceptively low-key in # termsof design, but remarkable in 4 its use of energy-efficient materials. # The house was built not with bricks SUSTAINABLE BUILDING IS PERCEIVED AS EXPENSIVE. URBAN PLANNERS NEED TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE SUSTAINABILITY THE DEFAULT CHOICE OF ALL HOMEOWNERS. ‘and mortar, bt with a revolutionary dry-walling system ereated by ‘saint less environmentally damaging structure, The system allows the ‘walls to breathe’ so that harmful polfurants are actualy filtered ‘and retained, preventing health problems. The system also provides effective sound insulation, reducing, noise pollution. There's even a ‘non-combustible dry-walling system that’s able to slow down ‘the spread of flames for up to 120 minutes. In densely populated ‘residential areas, this should bethe default building material While its building materials are innovative, che design of Stand 47 and its positioning display simple, but erucial lessons in common, sense and ingenuity. The slanted roof is pitched atan angle that not ‘only etsin light (via skylights), but prevents the fierce midday summer ssun from entering any window, so ‘no additional heat enters the house ‘The result? A dwelling that'sable to regulate its own temperature, Currently, sustainable building lies in the realm of innovation, and is perceived as expensive. However, like ll new technologies, the scale of costs will inevitably ‘diminish overtime. In the interim, architects and urban planners need ‘find ways and means to make sustainability the default choice of all homeowners. Perhaps they just need a decent digital detox to get them there.