What if a luxury home could be built from material that would otherwise have gone to landfill? In Riebeek-Kasteel, a small town in South Africa's Western Cape, Louis Jansen van Vuuren and Hardy Olivier have turned that idea into their home, EcoSpace. According to Zerocrete, the 305-square-metre, double-storey residence is the world’s first luxury home built entirely with its Zerocrete material, which incorporates reclaimed plastic, fabric and glass waste. Zerocrete says construction diverted nearly 97 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill, including 55,636 kilograms of reclaimed plastic, 26,115 kilograms of fabric and textiles, and 15,281 kilograms of glass. The company says the plastic is equivalent to nearly 4 million PET water bottles and forms the core of the home's walls and furniture. The project was developed as a proof of concept to show how waste-derived materials could be incorporated into a high-end residential building without abandoning conventional ideas of comfort or design. This striking project shows how waste-derived materials can be built into a comfortable, design-led home, offering a practical model for reducing landfill without compromising on luxury or style.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
