The world's tallest building made with industrial hemp is currently under construction in Cape Town. It will open its doors on December 1, marking a milestone for sustainable development in South Africa.
The ground floor will be occupied as a retail space by one of the developers of the building, Hemporium, with a steak restaurant on the first floor, and a hotel with 50 apartments.
Co-Founder and CEO of Hemporium, Duncan Parker, started construction in April 2019. The hotel is being developed with Afrimat Hemp, Wolf & Wolf Architects, and R+N Master Builders.
“We have been building with hemp since 2008. Over the last three years, we have witnessed an exponential increase in the interest in hemp as a construction material. We believe hemp will play a major role in reducing global CO₂ as an efficient bio-based building material,” a spokesperson for Wolf & Wolf informed Tourism Update.
The 12-storey building, 84 on Harrington, earned its title as the world’s tallest building made with industrial hemp from Steve Allin, a Founding Director of the International Hemp Building Association.
Hybrid hospitality operator, Neighbourgood, has been appointed to operate the aparthotel.
Hemp is a variant of the cannabis sativa plant, which is grown specifically for industrial use. It has been used for years in various products, including rope, textiles, biofuel, cosmetics and clothing.
“Its use in construction, however, has been slow to be adopted, since it was both expensive and mistakenly linked to recreational use,” Parker said.
Sustainability
“It is encouraging that the government has recently recognised the importance of the hemp industry to South Africa, with the possibility of over 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.
Features of ‘Hemp Hotel’
The ‘Hemp Hotel’s’ 50 apartments will range from studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and two penthouses – one three-bedroom and one two-bedroom.
“These are not hotel rooms; they are fully equipped, self-contained apartments with high-end appliances and everything someone might need for a short or long stay,” Parker added.
The aparthotel offers a co-working space on the fifth floor, with views of Table Mountain. Two separate meeting rooms are also available.
“The aparthotel will appeal to a wide variety of market segments, which include leisure travellers, digital nomads, and remote workers looking for a medium stay of one to three months, as well as business travellers in Cape Town who work through the week. The building’s appeal is vast due to its uniqueness and this will be reflected in the take-up of the broad market segments that it appeals to,” concluded Parker.
