[imagesource:thefynbos.com]

Branded as the first biophilic building in South Africa and on the continent, The Fynbos development is about to pop up on Bree Street in Cape Town.

You might have noticed 142 Bree Street going through a bit of a metamorphosis over the last year or so, being semi-knocked down, getting graffitied on (rather beautifully at that since some of the city’s top graffiti artists were involved) only to be totally smashed to smithereens.

Well, the vacant lot is in its construction phase now and by the end of 2024, the unique and innovative 24-storey mixed-use building coated in plants will have fully sprouted.

The Fynbos 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, noted Cape Town ETC.

 

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That is all totally up the Mother City’s alley. To really drive this project home, the biophilic design is defined as increasing connectivity to the natural environment in an urban setting, with an emphasis on available light, air flow, clean water, and plants. Capetonians are bound to eat this place up.

 

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To achieve this, the exterior will be draped in a 1200-metre-squared vertical garden made up of 30 species of indigenous trees and 20 species of indigenous shrubs.

 

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Plus, a waterfall will be placed at the front reception of the building to provide that meditative white noise for the building’s inhabitants. In fact, the water feature will run from Buitengracht to Bree Street. How lush.

 

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The system seems sustainable and well-planned considering the resources available:

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.

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 that 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 avoid individual geysers.

Apparently, interest has been so strong that the developers are considering increasing the price of the remaining units.

Luxury studio units at The Fynbos start at R999 000 and range in size from 24m² up to 40m². A one-bedroom apartment, ranging from 34m² up to 58m², starts from R1,632 million, while two-bedroomed apartments, to up 82m² in size, start at R4,920 million.

[source:capetownetc]