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- Construction of the world's tallest building made of hemp will be complete soon.
- Based in Cape Town, the building will be open to the public from 1 December 2023.
- According to the developers, the structure consists of 12 floors and 50 units, and none of them will be for sale.
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trends homepage.
Construction of the world's tallest building made of hemp is nearing completion and will be open to the public from 1 December 2023.
Located at 84 on Harrington in Cape Town, the 12-storey building earned its title from Steve Allin, a founding director of the International Hemp Building Association.
The project came about through a partnership between the owner and developer, Duncan Parker, and the architects, Wolf + Wolf.
The principal construction company involved in the development is R + N Master Builders, while block maker Afrimat Hemp developed and supplied the hemp construction materials used in the project.
According to a representative from Wolf + Wolf, total costs associated with the construction of the property sit at around R180 million.
Upon completion, the building will be used as the Hemporium flagship store, a restaurant, and an apart-hotel comprising 50 units.
The 12-floor building, which took more than three and a half years to build, is made of hempcrete, a construction material consisting of a mixture of hemp, lime, and sand. In addition to being used for construction, it is also used for insulation purposes.
The hemp plant absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide during its growing phase. The plant's woody core is used to make hempcrete, making it a carbon-absorbing building material because it actively reduces carbon in the atmosphere.
"Hemp blocks have been used in 84 on Harrington for most of the internal walls - they are excellent for soundproofing, provide excellent thermal insulation and have a fire rating higher than conventional bricks. 50 000 hemp blocks were used for the construction, which amounts to an astonishing 50 tons of hemp. The hemp lime plaster finish of the walls shows the natural fibres, which makes the surface beautiful as well as interesting to look at," according to the developer.
According to a representative from Wolf + Wolf, the hemp used to construct the building was imported from the United Kingdom. Since the use of the plant was only recently legalised in South Africa, sourcing it locally will be much easier in the future.
"It is encouraging that the government has recently recognised the importance of the hemp industry to South Africa, with the possibility of 100 000 jobs being created. I think that once the supply issues have been resolved, hemp will become the climate-friendly choice of construction material for builders and developers looking for sustainable and greener ways to build," said Parker.
The units are not for sale and will only be available to rent as hotel units at varying prices.
