21-0203 Ornamental Fireplaces South Africa 3.x

QUESTION

The school project is located in the Winelands along the Urban Edge of Cape Town with a rich agricultural history. Situated on the open Urban Edge, the site is subject to hot and dry Summers as well as frosty Winters.

With the purpose to create a comfortable and productive indoor environment during the icy Winter months, the Project Team would like to keep to traditions of the land by incorporating an indoor fireplace. The fireplace would be in the centre of the project referred to as the ''Heart of School'', a space for gatherings.

As per the Exception, the Project Team would like to motivate for the inclusion of a second fireplace. The second fireplace shares a common wall to the indoor fireplace and would be situated outdoors. The purpose of this fireplace is that of a bread oven. The tall chimney of the oven would act as a visual beacon to the students and teachers of the site. The bread oven would be used to bake traditional farm-style breads for its occupants, drawing reference from the agricultural heritage of the area. The practice of baking traditional breads would form part of the school's ''Home Economics'' syllabus.

In operation of the above proposed fireplaces, the Project Team confirm that invasive species firewood would always be used to minimise any ecological impacts.

Please find the image attached for reference.

Thank you for considering our application request.

ANSWER

The project is in L3. Exception I06-E5 8/2011 Ornamental Fireplace in Transects L1, L2, and L3 distinguishes between what is allowed in L1 and L2 and what is allowed in L3. The exception indicates the following with respect to L3:

"Fireplaces are also allowed for residential projects in Transect L3 under the following conditions: 

The fireplace 

  • Cannot be a primary heat source. 
  • Must be closed and meet current Nordic Swan emission and efficiency standards (see below). 
    • In addition, the project must be in a region that is in compliance with the EPA 2013 PM2.5 primary annual fine particle standard of 12 μg/m3. 

    Nordic Swan Standards (through June 2017) 

    Emissions criteria: 

  • Organic gaseous carbon (OGC): 100 mg/m3 
  • Carbon monoxide (CO): 1250 mg/m3 
  • Particles: 3.0 g/kg (for up to 4 loads); 6 g/kg (for each load) 
    • Efficiency criteria: 76% for manually operated stoves or inset fireplaces for intermittent use. 

    The team must provide a narrative describing the functionality of the fireplace with regard to these requirements and I-19 Beauty + Spirit. The fireplace should also be addressed in the I19-1 Owner Narrative."

    The team will note that currently the exception provides that only residential projects in L3 may have fireplaces, and then only if they meet the listed criteria. The Institute is amending the exception to allow any project type within L3 to be eligible, but the criteria regarding the fireplace and associated emissions remains in place. The indoor fireplace as described for the project would not comply.

    Regarding an outdoor cooking fireplace, the project would be eligible to propose compliance via Exception I06-E14 4/2016 Combustion in Commercial Kitchens, in accordance with the additional specifications provided in Dialogue post 18-0426 The Ecology School Commons Commercial Kitchen for Outdoor Pizza Oven. The outdoor oven needn't be limited to use for pizza, but the intent is provision of a particular experience that can't be accommodated with standard appliances in an indoor setting.

    AMENDED EXCEPTION:

    Exception I06-E5 8/2011 Ornamental Fireplace in Transects L1, L2, and L3 is amended to lift the restriction that only residential projects are eligible to have fireplaces in L3 according to the specifications provided. All other requirements remain in place.

    Exception I06-E5 8/2011 Ornamental Fireplace in Transects L1, L2, and L3 

    In the limited instances where development is allowed in Transects L1 and L2, it is acceptable to install a single indoor woodstove or fireplace because ecological impacts are minimal, intensely local fuel supply is guaranteed, and there is a strong cultural legacy of the “hearth in the wilderness.” The allowance for a single woodstove or fireplace in Transects L1 and L2 assumes that these are merely ornamental and ceremonial and are not used for primary, day-to-day heating purposes. Therefore, they should not be included in the project’s energy calculations. This Exception also allows one outdoor fireplace in addition to the indoor woodstove or fireplace. The use of a propane igniter is not allowed.

    Fireplaces are also allowed for residential projects in Transect L3 under the following conditions: 

    The fireplace 

  • Cannot be a primary heat source. 
  • Must be closed and meet current Nordic Swan emission and efficiency standards (see below). 
    • In addition, the project must be in a region that is in compliance with the EPA 2013 PM2.5 primary annual fine particle standard of 12 μg/m3. 

    Nordic Swan Standards (through June 2017) 

    Emissions criteria: 

  • Organic gaseous carbon (OGC): 100 mg/m3 
  • Carbon monoxide (CO): 1250 mg/m3 
  • Particles: 3.0 g/kg (for up to 4 loads); 6 g/kg (for each load) 
    • Efficiency criteria: 76% for manually operated stoves or inset fireplaces for intermittent use. 

    The team must provide a narrative describing the functionality of the fireplace with regard to these requirements and I-19 Beauty + Spirit. The fireplace should also be addressed in the I19-1 Owner Narrative.

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