Cape Town - 20-02 -14-Antonia Carelse who is a trainee stone masonary who lives in Ocean View and is working on new houses in Ocean View which are using the stones from the area to build the houses Picture Brenton Geach Cape Town - 20-02 -14-Antonia Carelse who is a trainee stone masonary who lives in Ocean View and is working on new houses in Ocean View which are using the stones from the area to build the houses Picture Brenton Geach
Zara Nicholson
Metro Writer
More than 30 residents of Ocean View have been trained as stone masons as part of an innovative housing project that is using sandstone from the area as the building material.
The project is a World Design Capital project as it uses natural material in construction and design of the homes.
Altogether, more than 500 subsidy houses are being builtas part of the R92million Ocean View housing project, funded by the city and province.
Construction started in June last year and the homes will cater for people on the city’s waiting list but also for people from the area, some of whom have been waiting for homes for 30 years.
Some of the houses already have walls built with sandstone and residents said they were excited about the unique look but also about being involved in the project.
Around 460 residents from Ocean View were employed for the project.
The city had previously deemed the land unfit for housing because of the sandstone beneath the land surface.
But the project took an innovative turn with residents suggesting the sandstone be used in the construction of the homes.
Clifton Carolus, project manager for the development said: “When we started building here we found all this stone underneath the surface and thought instead of throwing it away, we could use it. We crush some of the stone to use the sand as filling in the cement and the bigger pieces are used for walls of the houses.”
Antonia Carelse ((CORR)) from Ocean View has been trained as a stone mason.
Using a two pound hammer and chisel, workers carve out the perfect fit pieces to put walls together.
“It’s real hard work, but it’s like putting a puzzle together when you do the walls. ” Carelse said.
Mayco member for housing, Tandeka Gqada visited the site yesterday and said the project proved how innovation could lead to building affordable and resource-efficient homes.
The first 100 houses will be completed next month.
The houses are fully subsidised and will cater for people on the waiting list with an income of R3 500 per month and less.
The project is also a People’s Housing Project (PHP) which is being supervised and facilitated by Mellon Housing.
zara.nicholson@inl.co.za