InSynch Projects

Rammed Earth 'As Our Ancestors Did It!'

2012-02-28T08:53:00.001-08:00

Architects 'Nicholas Whitcutt Architects' contracted InSynch to construct the Rammed Earth walls at the demonstration Centre on Sustainable Living at the Green House Project in Joubert Park, City Centre Johannesburg.

This is TRUE RAMMED EARTH..... no stabiliser needed, the binder is the clay content of the soil, the soil is from site as per the original rammed earth technology dating back nearly 10 000 years.

The walls, as expected have turned out to be rather beautiful, all a single colour but the stratification being very visible, making up classic Rammed Earth.

These walls have been built for YOU to see... go and visit the project!!

Either contact InSynch to arrange the visit for you or contact the Green House Project directly..

Green House Project:

PV & Wind Grid-Tie - Northcliff JHB

2012-02-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

Design and installed a small grid-tied alternative energy system for a client in Northcliff Johannesburg.
The client lives on the North-Eastern slope of Nortcliff Hill, thereby getting a fair quantity of year-through wind, sufficient for the wind turbine, combined with the scalable Photovoltaic (PV) panels to generate an Alternative Power supply into the house supply (DB Board).
The system is designed to out supply the daily load, thereby reducing the overall electricity usage and cost.
The system also makes use on a small battery bank to supply backup power to key loads to the house if there is an ESKOM power failure.

Marlec Wind Turbine & Tower

SolarWorld 80W PV panels and SMA SunnyBoy PV Inverter

Green House Project - Joubert Park, JHB

2012-02-09T03:30:00.000-08:00

Rammed Earth walls:

Top Left: Soil Test Samples of the On-Site Soil, ready for the lab.
Top Right: Form-Work ready for soil.
Bottom: Form-Work setup in-progress.

Green House Project - Energy Boost

2012-02-09T00:34:00.000-08:00

InSynch's Ice-Cream Addiction... Jeepers Carl - calm down Brother!!!!

Integrated Solar Solutions - One Project - One Supplier

2012-01-27T04:14:00.000-08:00

By AM Solar & InSynch

Here we have a project recently completed by AM Solar for a client in the Johannesburg, Kyalami area.
The project consists of a number of related but separate renewable and solar energy solutions including:

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power - Medium Scale Residential (15kw Peak)
Solar Hot Water - incl. various High Pressure & Low Pressure systems.
Heat Pumps - various size systems on the main house and cottages.
BioGas System - connected to the main house & cottages.
Energy Savings - replacement of std lights & fittings to LED & CFL.

The Solar Photovotaic (PV) Array.
Using SolarWorld 260W Panels in Series Strings to generate the power from the sun.
Also a 200L Solar Hot Water (High Pressure) system. All by AM Solar (InSynch Partners).
Note: All Solar Hot Water system used on the project qualified for the ESKOM Rebates.

Solar Power System (15kw Peak):
The Grid-Tied Solar Power system makes use of the following components:

3x 5kw Victron Grid-Tied Inverters
2x SMA Sunnyboy Inverters (between PV arrays and Grid-Tie)
2V Hoppecke Cells (Batteries) for Backup Power.
On-Line (Web) System Monitoring (Real Time) & Performance Analysis system.

Heat Pumps:
Multiple Heat Pumps were used, all qualified for ESKOM rebates

Biogas System:
In-Situ Cast BioGas system, used for cooking on the plot.

Another Solar Hot Water System used in this project.

The Installation and overall System Design, Project Management and Implementation was done by AM Solar and their partners.

Contact AM Solar or InSynch for more information on this project or for technology enquiries..

Progress Photos - Sioc-CDT (Rammed Earth)

2011-11-17T02:11:00.000-08:00

This project is unfolding in Kathu in the Northern Cape in South Africa.
InSynch is constructing the Sishan Iron Ore Companies (SIOC) new Head Office's Rammed Earth walls in partnership with the local community and affecting a skills transfer..

Here are some photographs of our progress on site:

Carl van Rooyen (InSynch Lead Consultant & Project Manager)

Some of the local community Under-Training (Charles Uckerman from InSynch is back row, Middle)

SiocCDT Project - 1st Rammed Earth Walls Appear

2011-10-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

New InSynch Project Kicks-Off - SIOC-CDT

2011-10-14T04:50:00.000-07:00

InSynch has just started on-site with a project that has been in the pipe-line for some time now.
It is the construction of a new Head Office for the Sishan Iron ore Company (SIOC) in partnership with the Community Development Trust (CDT) in Kathu.
Kathu is in the Northern Cape, South Africa.

InSynch's role is as specialist sub-contractor and on-site consultants for the Rammed Earth walls integrated into the building.The project is known as the SIOC-CDT project.

Here is the Architects (Cube Architects) colour impressions of the completed building with the beautiful and very prominent Rammed Earth walls in full view...

More pictures and progress posts on this project to follow...!

Spine Rammed Earth Wall - Monaghan Farm, JHB

2011-07-14T01:35:00.001-07:00

This home uses a central spine wall made from Rammed Earth to regulate internal temperatures. The beauty of the wall is also visible from outside the house as the walls are parapet type walls, thus they extend beyond the roof line.

The borrow pit clearly visible, where the soil used for the walls was excavated from. Walls were stabilised with Portland Cement to NHBRC specification.

Wall Dimensions: 54m long x 5.5m high x .45m wide.

The construction of the Rammed Earth walls was done by InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd.

The soil science on this project was challenging due to blinkered view by NHBRC on structural tolerances and crush tests expectancies for Rammed Earth.

Never the less the walls are compliant with the project engineering specification and with NHBRC regulations.

Albeit the cement content is way over what it could have been.

Project completed Feb 2011.

For more info on Rammed Earth or InSynch: info@insynch.co.za

Alastair

Finished Product - Rammed Earth Reception Desk

2011-07-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed wall, in use at the Green Design Centre in Kyalami at Waterfall Estate.

Wall sealed, courtesy of B-Earth Paints (see: http://www.b-earth.co.za/).

B-earth Eco-Paints are 100% breathable, have zero VOC's, are extremely hardy and have been especially formulated for Rammed Earth.

InSynch worked with B-earth in designing a suitable sealer for Rammed Earth walls.

Contact: InSynch or B-earth for more details.

Outback FlexPOWER 2 Installation - Piet Retief

2011-07-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

Off-Grid PV, SHW & Gas System, Design & Supply by AM Solar and InSynch:

Inverter/Charger - Outback FlexPOWER 2 (2 x 3KW)
Charge Controller - Outback FM80
PV Panels - 8x SetSolar 200W
Batteries - M-Solar 350AH (48V)
Solar Hot Water - 200L Thermo-siphon System
Backup - Generator and Gas Manifold

[Picture: The Outback FP2 installation]

Rammed Earth Reception Desk - Green Design Centre - Century Properties

2011-05-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

(Thank you to David Christer, for some of the photos.)

A Quick post of some photos taken while de-rigging the formwork this morning.

This is at the Green Design Centre, at Waterfall Estates in Kyalami, by Century Properties, JHB, South Africa. (see: http://www.century.co.za/waterfallcountryestate/index.html )

All comments welcome!!

Yours 'In-Green'

Alastair

Residential, Large Solar PV Installation - Meyersdal

2011-04-21T02:31:00.000-07:00

Photos taken during final stages of installation and initial commissioning of the system.

This is a new development, home.

Specs on the system:

Design by InSynch and AM Solar.
PV Bank = 24 x 210w Sanyo Solar Panels.
Battery Bank = 24 x 1200AH Tubular Cell 2v Cells (Raylite).
Inverters = 2 x 3kw Grid-Tied Outback FX Inverter/Chargers (in parallel).
Charge Controllers = 2 x Outback FM80's and 1 x MX60.
Protection = multi DC circuit breakers and fuses. Note these are 100% DC breakers, not AC breakers with a DC rating. A common mistake made by our competitors.
Communications = Outback MATE2 and HUB10.
Load: +- 70% of the home is off-grid.
Backup = ESKOM grid connection
Commissioning and Operator training and manual = AM Solar - Professional Solar Solutions and Off-Grid Energy Specialists.

Pavillion Dalrymple - Rammed Earth Wall (Top Floor)

2011-04-21T02:20:00.000-07:00

This is the ground floor or top storey to the Pavillion.

The feature Rammed Earth wall has the following specs:

1. Stabilised with Lime (10%).

2. User +- 7 different colour mixes from 4 separate soil colour deposits.

3. Length of Wall = 27m.

4. Height of Wall = 5.5m (including basement wall = 8.5m).

5. Width of Wall = varies from 150mm to 550mm.

6. Hand rammed.

Enjoy. It was an awesome project fro InSynch.

Architects: Silvio Rech and Leslie Carstens

This is the bottom wall, now with some of the fixtures added.

Insych are just doing some last minute touch ups.

Bathabile School - Straw Bale Classroom (JHB)

2011-03-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

Cool.... more info to come..

Keep watching this space..

Off-Grid Solar PV System (Mozambique)

2011-02-14T03:23:00.000-08:00

Designed and commissioned an off-grid solar power, photovoltaic (PV) system in an upmarket lodge in Vilancoulas, Mozambique.

InSynch and AM Solar worked with the client to take the existing solar system which was

under-capacity and was under-performing and to get it to a point where the lodge could be 100% dependent on the solar power.

Additional solar charge via Sanyo 210W PV panels and Outback FM80 charge controllers were bolted onto the system.

Also additional storage was put into the system by means of Raylite 1375AH Tubular Cell, flooded cell batteries, now giving 2 full days of autonomy (i.e. 2 days of power storage).

The system includes an MLT-Drives 6kW off-grid inverter and a 3rd and 4th bank of SetSolar 70W PV Panels.

The system has been programmed and optimised to function as efficiently as possible and to extend the life-span of the system, by means of load measurement and prioritising and by programming in specific hardware related set-points.

Meyersdal Eco-Estate - Grid-Tied PV

2010-12-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

A large solar electric installation in the Meyersdal Eco-Estate using Sanyo Photovoltaic (PV) panels and Outback Solar Regulation and Inverting equipment..

More Photos and project information to follow.............................

PS: The project is complete and up and running smoothly!!

Installation done by AM Solar, design by InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd.

RAMMED EARTH - Pavillion Dalrymple (Westcliff, JHB)

2010-12-10T06:49:00.001-08:00

Breathtaking Project..!!

Architects Silvio Rech and Leslie Carstens designers of this outdoor entertainment building called "Pavillion Dalrymple"

Two storeys of Rammed Earth wall... full of colour and natural beauty.... in a breathtaking setting in the wonderful upmarket suburb of Westcliff, Johannesburg.

This is just the basement floor... that you see in the photo's.

Wait till you see the Ground Floor wall.... 3 times the size!!!

Note: All soils, soil colours and pigments are 100% natural, either from the blending of the available soil deposits or sourcing soil/agrement rock from site to generate a pigment (e.g. the black lines are a combination of the local dark red soil which is clay rich and soot/charcoal from onsite fires all mixed together, and allowing them to ferment, etc.).

David Rattray Foundation - Pilot Project

2010-12-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd, appointed green building consultants and trainers to the David Rattray Foundation to assist with up-scaling Rammed Earth technology to roll-out many community built school and community building in the Rorkes Drift area in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Once again, Rammed Earth was the construction technology of choice for these low-cost and locally built buildings.

2010-12-10T06:40:00.001-08:00

Grey & Black Water - Constructed Wetlands

2010-12-10T06:32:00.001-08:00

Using the power of nature..

This is and many other constructed wetlands have been designed and some installed by InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd.

Solar Hot Water ..... InSynch on the Boil.

2010-12-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Eskom, we have been constantly busy with a miriad of small to large scale solar hot water installations.

These days, all InSynch Solar installation work is done by our solar partners, AM Solar - Professional Solar Solutions.

AM Solar is the coming together of InSynch's solar division SunSync Solar and Natural Energy Energy Systems (NES Solar).

AM Solar - Professional Solar Solutions

2010-12-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd's solar installation partners.

Queens High School - JHB 2007/2008

2010-12-10T06:11:00.000-08:00

Large scale Solar Hot Water, Queens High School.

InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd, worked with the design and implementation team on the design of this project.

Natural Plaster - House Britz (Raslouw, Pta)

2010-12-10T05:59:00.000-08:00

Forget about fake texture out of a tin of synthetic origins... lets give it a true Earth Cote!!

Mix in some horse manure, the right balance of local soil with clay and precisley enough lime to make it beautiful, glow with natural energy and to make it endure the harsh weather conditions of Raslouw, Pretoria

Lime as a building material, is again an almost forgotten practice that was state of the art of master plasterers of 'old'.

It is easier to apply, it floats better, it can be re-floated for a few days after application, it has a lower carbon footprint in production than cement, it has an infinite life span (unlike cement)....... and most importantly of all..... It Is Carbon Negetive.

Lime continually absorbs carbon during it's life-span.

House Bali - A Job Well Done!!

2010-12-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

The combination of rammed earth with its rough texture and warm natural colour contrasts with the clean and modern design of the kitchen and interior. The contrast forms and element of interest and intrigue.

The corner window with sliding doors connect inside and outside and the relatively small kitchen/dining room area borrows space from its outdoor environment.

The floors are a cemcrete finish with a mixture of different colour pigments. The concrete stairs are finished with a white washed ply wood. The walls are painted plaster without rhinolite and window are powder coated Aluminium due to low maintenance and to contrast the earthy feel of the rammed earth.

"I moved into my home the beginning of August 2009 and enjoyed and appreciated every day of staying in a special home, in an even more special environment which deserves to be preserved and taken care of". Eva Bali 2010

Architecture by: Eva Bali - eva@ebarchitect.co.za 082 456 0896

House Bali - Something to Admire..

2010-12-10T05:43:00.000-08:00

The house takes shape, Eva Bali - owner and architect, admires the Rammed Earth walls.

Architecture by: Eva Bali Architect - eva@ebarchitect.co.za 082 456 0896

RAMMED EARTH - House Bali - Northriding (JHB)

2010-12-10T04:47:00.000-08:00

THIS IS IT................................!!!!!!!

Finally a client (which has now become a very good friend of ours... in fact we have partnered in business see: www.2bgreen.co.za) with vision and the ideal project to practice many of our skills, technologies and ideas of "green grandeur" on...!

This is Eva Bali from eva bali architect (email: eva@ebarchitect.co.za -082 456 0896).

Eva Bali, from eva bali achitect (eva@ebarchitect.co.za), hesitant at first when we suggested we build rammed earth walls in her new home, which she was designing.

We half convinced her by the natural beauty and awesome thermal properties of Rammed Earth and all the other stunning benefits of this ancient technology making a come back in our modern times.

The final convincing she did herself, after I believe, the research she did in her own time.

Having trained in Germany as an architect, Eva was exposed to natural building as a student... and had now come full circle, back to reality and into her own home.

InSynch assisted her with some of the alternate technology we would want to incorporate into this self sustaining home, such as solar hot water, solar PV power, grey water recycling and black water recycling though a constructed wetland.

InSynch's construction crews were assembled, some had to be trained from scratch... but soon knitted into a hard working, highly skilled and motivated team.

See: The 2bGreen Blog for more on Eva's project

Eva says; "Due to its thermal properties, the Rammed Earth wall wraps around the house to form part of the eastern face along the north elevation and around the western side. Large windows not only allow the low wintersun to shine deep into the living spaces and generate heat, but also open up the rooms to enjoy beautiful views".

Architecture by: Eva Bali - eva@ebarchitect.co.za 082 456 0896

On TV - Hybrid Living

2010-12-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

InSynch was featured on the popular TV program 'Hybrid Living' while busy on a building project: constructing a strawbale bedroom as an addition to an existing home.

Alastair was interviewed by Irvin.

Solar Electric (PV & Wind) Installations (2007 - 2009)

2010-12-10T01:23:00.000-08:00

Rammed Earth - Flemming House

2010-12-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

This home in the beautiful Randburg suburb of Kensington B, designed by Paul Marias from Paul Marais & Associates Architects is probably the first completed Rammed Earth constructed home or building in South Africa.

InSynch Sustainable Technologies (Pty) Ltd, project managed and constructed the house from the ground up.

The home included the Rammed Earth walls, the recycled wooden window and door frames on the northern facade (2nd hand frames sourced by InSynch), a greywater system using a Constructed Wetland and a Solar Hot Water system (also installed by InSynch).

Riverbend Cob House

2010-12-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

The origins of InSynch Sustainable Technologies are to be found in this project.
The Armstrong family designed and built a natural home for the family in Lanseria, Jhb in the Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy.

The design being derived from the family needs neatly married with the design principles of Passive Design (natural heating & Cooling).

Most materials (75%) were sourced on site and incorporated into a number of Natural Construction methodologies including: Cob (clay, mud & straw), Adobe, Straw Bale, Rammed Earth, natural floors and paint & plaster.

The home is designed to operate completely Off-Grid by using various sources of renewable energy including: Solar PV panels, Wind Turbine and a Bio-Gas Digester.

Other technologies incorporated include: Branched Drain Grey Water, Constructed Wetlands for grey and black water recycling, Rain Water Harvesting and permaculture gardens.