Green building projects and sustainable construction trends are on the rise in Africa — and not just because of environmental regulations. Client demand is the number one factor in green and sustainable building activities.
The evidence is clear: in order to keep pace with environmental regulations and client demands, today’s designers, architects, and builders must invest in sustainable construction.
For over a century, Fundermax has specialized in processing renewable raw materials. As a globally trusted manufacturer of sustainable phenolic panels (also called HPL panels), FunderMax are committed to environmental responsibility.
First, let’s quickly distinguish between “green” and “sustainable.” The terms are generally used interchangeably, but more specifically, green initiatives are steps in the journey toward sustainability. When a person thinks of “sustainable construction,” they typically think of using renewable or recyclable materials. While that is true, sustainability actually encompasses quite a bit more.
According to the World Green Building Council, to be sustainable means to reduce or eliminate negative environmental impacts and create positive impacts by considering the environment during design, construction, and operation.
Simply put, sustainable construction reduces the industry’s overall impact on the environment not only during construction but also throughout the lifespan of the building.
The construction industry has a significant impact on the environment, and it is critical to reduce as much of the negative impact as possible by:
Many of the same features that reduce environmental impact also serve to save money over time, namely:
Sustainability and premium design are not mutually exclusive. Regardless of the application, sustainable materials can reliably deliver on design and aesthetics.
Consider the composition of the building material or product. What makes up the product? For example, all panels in a Fundermax phenolic wall panel system consist of 65% natural fibers sourced from FSC certified forests, and 35% resins.
Also, what is not in the product? Equally important is that Fundermax sustainable wall panels do not contain urea-formaldehydes, organic halogen compounds (which can be found in greenhouse gases or PVC), or a host of other problematic ingredients like silica, asbestos, sulfur, or mercury.
Although Salvocorp always carries core colour ranges, kindly remember to always confirm stock levels and the lead times with a Salvocorp representative. It is also important to let representatives know when products are specified so that the councils can start to communicate with the fabricators and installers as soon as possible to ensure availability and to assist with any technical data and questions.
