Monaghan Farm is conceived as a sustainable alternative to the ubiquitous golf estate. The property, near Lanseria consists of 530 hectares of rolling hills cut through by the Jukskei River. As something like 80% of households in a golf estate don’t regularly use the golf course it made sense to the developers to attempt to create an alternative development model for the homeowner who sought safety and space but perhaps found the economics and the environmental and social values of the typical golf estate to be reprehensible.

The property has three hectares of organic vegetables, herbs and cut flowers which will be sold in the Monaghan Farm Deli. A herd of Nguni cattle assist with grazing the 400 hectares of open ground. The earth-coloured, single- storied homes are required to incorporate rainwater harvesting and passive solar into their design. Buildings will cover just 3.5% of the farm when completed.

But how far do these houses go in terms of their green pedigree? “Not far enough” says Prospero Bailey, one of the developers. “Many of our purchasers have bought into the development with a desire to reduce the carbon footprint of their homes but find themselves frustrated by their bank’s reluctance to finance greener building techniques like cob, sandbag and straw-bale construction.”

Alaistair Armstrong’s Insynch Sustainable Technology’s focuses on educating builders and homeowners about these techniques. He has recently been approached by the NHBRC, the body that is tasked with monitoring quality within the building industry, who appear to be moving in on greener building methods.

He is hopeful that their support will lead to greater general acceptance of the technology. Luigi Ferro of Eco Dream Homes has been talking to a British bank that is financing the construction of 600 sand bag homes in North Riding, Gauteng. He has also approached Standard Bank in the hopes of achieving a 1/5 interest free portion to loans on houses built with sandbags. The idea is that they will then be able to trade the significant carbon savings on the carbon credit market.

Perhaps the reluctance by the banks to finance what are SABS approved building systems has more to do with their general credit malaise. It is vital for pressure to be applied by the likes of Monaghan Farm, in order to shift thinking away from the conventional cement hungry construction methods. www. monaghanfarm.co.za