A 12 storey building located at 84 Harrington Street in Cape Town’s  has been recognized as the world’s tallest building constructed from hemp materials.

Due to the plant based material used, the walls of the building captures more carbon in the atmosphere than what is emitted during production. They also have brilliant thermal insulation properties which lowers the need for heating and cooling systems, therefore saving energy cost.

The manufacturer of the  “HempConcrete” blocks used in the hotel was Afrimat Hemp. The blocks from Afrimat Hemp, which are totally manufactured with South African hemp and sold to corporate clients as well as being used to construct a number of social housing projects in South Africa and the neighboring country of Mozambique. They are made from water, lime, hemp, and a cement binder.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, believes that the hemp and cannabis industries might generate 130,000 jobs in locations like Afrimat Hemp.

The company acknowledges that using hemp in construction costs 20% more than using traditional materials, but the urgency with which some businesses want to combat climate change presents them with a unique opportunity: selling carbon credits, but with buildings rather than trees.

Afrimat Hemp collaborated on the construction of the Hemp Hotel with Wolf Architects in Cape Town.