By Tafline Laylin
Because South African authorities do not distinguish between hemp and the euphoric THC-laden “dagga” plant, its benefits as a super-sustainable building material have largely gone untapped. Until now – a tireless hemp advocate, Tony Budden joined forces with Dutch architect Erwin van der Weerd from Perfect Places to build South Africa’s first seven-roomed hemp house in Noordhoek. The home is designed to showcase hemp’s incredible potential as a building material and convince the government to remove obstacles for widespread commercial development of one of the most resilient, versatile, and fast-growing carbon sinks on earth.