One of the Bedrooms in This Sustainable South Africa Home Is on Wheels

PublishedAug 28, 2023 1:10 AM EDT

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When you think of hemp in a home, you probably picture scratchy pillowcases or beige curtains. But in one South Africa–based architect's house in Bo-Kaap—a Cape Town neighborhood famous for its narrow cobblestone streets lined with colorful houses—hemp takes on an entirely different role. The house itself is constructed from wood and industrial hemp. Also known as hempcrete, the material drastically reduces heating and air-conditioning costs. I'm obsessed.

Another perk? It actually absorbs more carbon than it emits during manufacturing, making it carbon negative. "It grows quickly, requires little water, and has no pesticides or herbicides, as it is inherently pest resistant, so its cultivation can be completely toxin-free," notes the home's owner and architect, who goes simply by Wolf. No wonder he'd been itching to use it for years.

Before building from scratch, Wolf—the founder of Wolf + Wolf Architects—lived next door in a semidetached house. When the roughly 1,000-square-foot plot became available eight years ago, he jumped at the chance to build the area's first hemp home and prove that modern construction can be sustainable. Along with the hempcrete, it boasts built-in water catchment, a bio-digester in the basement, and a rooftop greenhouse with potential for an aquaponic system. The kicker? Only 10 months to build. "For me, the house was an important next step in my journey toward making hemp accessible as a sustainable building material in South Africa," he shares.

From the outside you'd never know it wasn't an ordinary house. Wolf purposefully designed the facade to match the neighborhood's architecture—key for winning over neighbors and developers. The interior, though, is where the magic happens. The ground floor is a hybrid work-live space—primarily his architectural studio, but also with a bed for overnight stays (he's mostly out of town but visits Bo-Kaap often for meetings). For ultimate flexibility, he designed a "sleep pod": a bed and closet on wheels that easily tucks into a corner when clients are over. Genius.

The second floor is shared by Wolf's copywriter son, Jade Gadiner, and his chef friend, Tanya Cooper—the group's green thumb. "I love to grow my own food as much as possible," shares Cooper. While most of the interior wood is left untouched, they stained the lower cabinets and backsplash, embracing uneven, exposed strokes that accentuate the handmade vibe. Throughout the space, mohair blankets by Frances V.H add cozy layers of color to an otherwise monochromatic setting. Chef's kiss.

The biggest furniture pieces are designed for surplus stuff and people. Bedrooms feature mattresses on platforms with cubbies underneath for extra linens. The built-in sofa keeps things uncluttered and doubles as a guest bed. Almost everything else—minus tables and benches—was sourced from local makers, like the cork stools by Laurie Wiid van Heerden of Wiid Design. "They're tactile, handmade, and super-versatile," notes Gardiner. Sometimes the best home finds come from the most unexpected materials. Honestly, so true.

Lydia Geisel has been on the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before and afters, and DIYs, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.

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