Clay brick at the cutting edge | Clay Brick Association of Southern Africa

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Johannesburg’s Sandton metropole concentrates the energy, wealth, power and diversity of Africa into a mighty, tight space. Forever transforming, its current developments are especially compelling, less for its new buildings as for the significance of what’s happening to its older structures.

BlackBrick Sandton is a recently completed conversion that embodies the ethos of sustainability on a scale that integrates sustainability in just about every aspect of modern living. Its façade screams ‘visibility’ – and clay brick was the sustainable solution – achieving far more than this aesthetic demand by bringing its unique mix of thermal properties, adaptive manufacturing advantages and reliable, low-carbon proximity of supply to this ambitious project.

Transforming the older office block into a blend of comfortable living spaces, workspaces and community fostering facilities leads the growing trend for sustainable, mixed-use lifestyle developments. Designed on the ‘vertical village’ concept, the buildings façade posed serious challenges both in terms of structural demands as well as the demands of a future-centric sustainable vision.

The manufacturer and supplier of the clay brick product meetings these demands, Federale Stene, has embedded the principles of sustainable, energy efficiency in their manufacturing processes, as well their sourcing of natural, raw materials. The company was acquired by die Lutzkie Group of Companies in 2006 and still proudly operates under the group until present day. Adhering to ISO standards, their SABS approved clay bricks are truly low-carbon at every stage, from fabrication through building lifespan.

As Mariana Lamont from the Clay Brick Association explains: “Sustainably designed buildings are energy efficient, resource-efficient and serve the long-term economic, social and environmental needs of communities. Clay brick masonry demonstrates all these qualities during construction, throughout its long operational life”.

Not only are these bricks made from a highly durable natural material that offers an exceptional lifespan but the clay from which it is made is also naturally insulating. “Clay bricks are thermal batteries, using energy from the sun to provide natural thermal efficiency, reducing the need for electricity-guzzling air-conditioners, heaters and humidifiers,” explains the company.