Building performance assessment for homes and businesses
Measure first. Understand the problem. Improve the building.
I’m Ashvin Manga. I’m passionate about creating healthier, more comfortable and sustainable buildings.
Blocked nose, hay fever that’s worse at home, restless sleep, a stuffy office or a shocking electricity bill? I measure the air, energy use and technology in your home or workplace, then give you clear, independent advice on what to fix first.
PhD in Construction Management · South Africa’s first Certified Passive House Designer · Researcher and lecturer, Nelson Mandela University
What matters most to you?
Choose where you’d like to start.
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Health
Is the air in your home or workplace helping you, or holding you back?
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Energy
Find out where your building loses energy and money, and what to fix first.
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Smart Home
Simple technology that keeps your building comfortable, healthy and efficient.
How I can help
Independent, evidence-based advice for homeowners and commercial building owners across South Africa.
Indoor air quality and indoor environmental quality assessments
Retrofit design: insulation, U-values and material selection
Passive House design
Project management
What a building performance assessment covers
A building performance assessment looks at how your building actually behaves while people live or work in it, not only how it was meant to perform on paper. I inspect the building and measure four things that are closely linked:
Indoor air quality: carbon dioxide (CO₂), fine particles (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10), chemical fumes (TVOCs) and formaldehyde, recorded every minute with an Atmocube monitor.
Comfort: temperature, humidity, light and background noise, room by room, through the day and night.
Ventilation and humidity: condensation, cold surfaces, extractor fans and how well each room is refreshed with outside air.
Energy: where your electricity goes, from the geyser and stove to the plugs and lights.
Because these affect each other, I look at them together. Sealing draughts can save energy but leave a bedroom stuffy, and a solar system chosen before the insulation is sorted out can end up bigger than you need. Measuring first shows you what to do, and in what order.
Who it’s for
Homeowners and tenants dealing with stuffy rooms, high electricity bills, or rooms that are too hot in summer and too cold in winter.
People who want measured evidence before they commit to a property. See buying a home and selling a home.
Owners and managers of offices, schools and other commercial buildings who want healthier spaces and lower running costs.
What you receive
You receive a clear, plain-English report that compares your readings with trusted guidance, such as that of the World Health Organization, explains why any problems are happening and sets out which fixes to prioritise. I then go through it with you so you know what to do next. I don’t sell equipment or repair work, so my advice is based only on your building’s data.
Based in Port Elizabeth, working across South Africa
I’m based in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, and carry out building performance assessments in homes and businesses in and around the city. For buildings elsewhere in South Africa, travel is charged extra, and I can start with a video call to talk about your building.
If you already know where you want to start, read about my indoor air quality assessment or my energy performance assessment. If you’re not sure, tell me what’s happening in your building and get in touch.