The V&A Waterfront has recently revealed an innovative new café constructed largely from recycled materials.
This environmentally conscious eatery is expected to welcome its first guests in mid-July, offering a unique and sustainable dining experience.
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Portswood Café has been in development since 2020; however, work on it was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. V&A spokesperson Donald Kau told News24 that construction on the café resumed in 2021.
The facility shares a space with a food garden that supports sustainable urban food programmes.
This innovative café is a testament to sustainable design, as it is constructed from 98% salvaged materials. Weathered bricks, wine bottles, container doors, fridge doors and steel windows from the precinct are among the materials utilised in the construction. Each item adds character to the design, creating a space that tells a story of resourcefulness.
Water pipes, electrical components, firefighting equipment and detection, regulatory signage and glazing panels are among the brand-new items in the café.
‘This is a low-tech, low-energy building and certainly the first of its kind in the Waterfront,’ said Kau.
The construction sector accounts for a large portion of emissions. This initiative demonstrates that alternative building methods are readily available and should possibly be utilised in the future.
The cafe is designed to function as a food retail space and can potentially serve multiple purposes. It has a footprint of 100 square metres and is 6 metres tall. The ground floor features a preparation kitchen, deli area and indoor seating.
Additionally, there is a mezzanine level with an office that overlooks the restaurant and includes dry store shelving.
In keeping with the Waterfront’s efforts towards environmental sustainability, the Portswood Café is a net-carbon-zero structure.
Similarily, the Blackwater Treatment Plant was established in response to Cape Town’s water crisis in 2017. The plant recycles the wastewater in the area and treated effluent is used to flush the Victoria Wharf building’s toilets.
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Picture: waterfront.co.za
