Construction to begin on Africa’s first biophilic building in Cape Town’s CBD

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05-03-2023
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Cape Town Etc
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Construction is about to begin on The Fynbos, a unique and innovative building located in Cape Town’s CBD.

The 24-storey mixed-use building is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 and will feature 689 apartments, a rooftop sunset terrace with a lap pool and co-working space, a rooftop fitness centre, as well as a ground-floor plant-based restaurant, a tearoom and a botanical bar.

The Fynbos is set to be the first biophilic building on the African continent, incorporating natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements to create a more productive and healthy built environment for people.

One of the most exceptional sustainable design features at The Fynbos is its exterior, which will be draped in a 1200 metre squared vertical garden made up of 30 species of indigenous trees and 20 species of indigenous shrubs.

The garden system was designed by a specialist team of technical botanists and will be monitored by a highly technical water and nutrient system with automated root scanners and monitored water content and drainage. In addition to the vertical garden, The Fynbos will boast a waterfall at the front reception of the building, which will provide white noise for the building’s inhabitants. The circular waterfall, set amidst the lush flowing foliage of The Fynbos, is the starting point of a unique water feature which will run from Buitengracht to Bree Street.

The Fynbos is currently undergoing Green Star accreditation, and water efficiency for the building will be improved through low-flow fittings, well-point filtration and a sophisticated rainwater harvesting system which will be integrated into the unique balcony design.

Integrated PV solar panels will generate double the electricity quota needed to power the common areas, minimising fossil fuel consumption, and a central heated water system will allow for economies of scale and avoids individual geysers.

The building is expected to meet strong demand from local as well as foreign buyers and expats, with sales being so strong that the developers are considering increasing the price of the remaining units.

The Western Cape Government predicts that by 2025 about 5 133 370 people are expected to live in the city, with the projection that within a generation, 10 million people will call the Mother City home.

The allure of the Cape, its unemployment rate six percentage points below the national average, and its status as Africa’s ‘tech capital’ are just a few reasons drawing people to the area.