For a better built environment 1 Driving Relevance of Built Environment Professions in the context of Africa’s Developmental Agenda By Bheki Zulu CEO –

For a better built environment1

Driving Relevance of Built Environment Professions in the context of Africa’s

Developmental Agenda

By

Bheki Zulu

CEO – Council for Built Environment

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Overviewintroduction

Background to the Council for the Built Environment (CBE)

Contextual realities

Sustainable built environment and sustainable professions

BE professions relevance in a developmental state

The road ahead…

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Introduction

The CBE appreciates the warm welcome and the relationship being created between the two organisations

Also appreciates the support from the Governments of Zambia and South Africa

Both countries realise the developmental challenges they face

Both countries appreciate the positive role played by the Built Environment Professions in their respective development agendas

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Background to the CBE• Council for the Built Environment (CBE) is a statutory

body established under the Council for the Built Environment Act (No 43 of 2000).

• Is an overarching body that coordinates the six Professional Councils, (architecture, engineering, landscape architects, project and construction management, property valuation, and quantity surveying).

• CBE is mandated to provide leadership and ensure consistent application of policy by the Councils for the professions with regard to various functions stipulated by the Act.

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Contextual Realities• Africa is a developing continent

• Urbanization remains one of the key economic drivers – leading to high demand for human settlements

• Future planning of our cities, settlements and the attendant economic and social infrastructure demands calls for innovative built environment professionals

• Critical to understand - the built environment is the physical expression of economic and social development of society

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Contextual Realities

• South Africa is a signatory to various international agreements that seek to achieve sustainability

• Such seeks to balance economic, social and environmental sustainability

• In addition to these, the issues of Health and Safety are critical for reduction of construction accidents.

• Education system has a key role in driving these issues

• Sustainable built environment requires an overall approach to create win-win situations

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Addressing Sustainability

• Sustainable designs in Africa should focus beyond energy and resource conservation as well as on environmental impact

• There is a growing consensus on human-centred aspects of sustainability, and the continent needs to embrace such

• Part of our discussion in forums like these should be whether the built environment performance assessment be limited to quantifiable performance criteria, or be to determine the extent to include softer, subjective issues? (Fowles, B. Unpublished Article)

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Going beyond numbers…

• Built environment professionals have a critical role in transforming the society.

• Russell Ackoff states that, “Growth is an increase in size or number. Development is an increase in competence, the ability to satisfy ones needs and desires and those of others. Growth is a matter of earning; development is a matter of learning. Development is not a matter of how much one has but how much one can do with whatever one has.”

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African Agenda -Requisite Capacity

• Going forward, the socio-economic imperatives require skills and techniques beyond traditional technical, physical sciences knowledge

• Should embrace other fields such social sciences, economics, sociology, psychology, etc.

• A multi-disciplinary philosophical and pedagogical approach for teaching is required

• The desired sustainable built environment calls for professionals that are technically astute but also with a social conscience to ensure social and economic infrastructure admirable to future generations.

• Therefore, education for sustainability should be about empowering professionals to take on the challenge… it is transformative rather than just transmissive, it is holistic and seeks critical thinking.

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Key Role Players…

• Tertiary institutions have a critical role to play in introducing understanding of the ways in which the building sector interacts with other sectors and political, environmental, social and economic processes at large

• On the other hand, the government’s role through its statutory structures is to influence built environment education and training in order to improve sustainable design and environmental management

• Government should ensure integrated approaches to the creation and refurbishment of sustainable built environment.

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CBE’s Responsiveness to BE Professions Issues

• Facilitates minimum content for Continued Professional Development among the BE professions

• Advises the Government on the priority areas it should address in promoting sustainable built environment, together with its professions;

• Facilitates built environment stakeholder engagement in the promotion of sustainable built environment

• Promotes public awareness and understanding of the principles of sustainable development.

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The Road Ahead…

• Embrace of the paradigm shift on the relevance of our built environment professions in the continent

• In the developmental agenda of the continent and global relevance of BE professions – there is a strong drive for critical thinking, problem-solving skills and life-long learning

• BE professionals need to embrace the fact that the built environment is an integral part of the infrastructure necessary for human survival .

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THANK YOU