Tlholego Ecovillage:

A Sustainable Development Project in Rural South Africa

Housing

It is generally accepted today that housing designed with good thermal performance includes the basic concepts of passive solar design. One of the basic principles of passive solar design is the use of wall materials of high thermal mass to mediate hot and cold temperature extremes. These high thermal mass materials include burnt brick, concrete, stone, and earth. 

A second principle of passive solar design is solar orientation, which in our case allows solar energy to enter the large north-facing windows during the winter months and to soak into the walls and floor, which then radiates back into the house during the colder evening time.  In summer months, the roof overhangs prevent sun heat from entering the building and the thermal mass of the walls help to retain the coolness.  With this passive solar technology for heating and cooling, residents can save up to 50 to 60 percent of the lifetime energy costs for providing a very comfortable living environment.   

Another important aspect of TBS is that materials are chosen so that the overall energy embodied in them, as well as the carbon emitted into the atmosphere during their manufacture, is minimized.  This, together with the long-life of the buildings and ease of recyclability, produces a housing system that minimizes the production of greenhouse gases, while providing a high-quality lifestyle.

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Prototype 3 with solar panel on roof.  Extended shade netting also provides initial canopy for permaculture gardens and protects mudbrick walls from driving rain

The TBS, as a complete system, integrates on-site waste management for safely managing human wastes.  The building system is designed to incorporate a range of natural waste management systems available on the market today, depending on the end-user preferences. 

The main system developed at Tlholego thus far is the Earthways Composting Toilet.  This system is low-cost, easy to construct, uses only the most basic building materials, has no moving parts, is robust, and has wide-scale application. 

Composting toilets are based on a natural process, which occurs on the forest floor to decompose animal wastes and remains, as well as vegetable matter.  It is a process that relies on the presence of air in order for bacteria, which decompose the material, to exist.  This process is called aerobic decomposition.  

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The first composting toilet constructed at Tlholego in 1996

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