The Higher, THE BETTER!
New sky-high apartments in Fumba Town – Responsible holidays in green lofts
By Andrea Tapper
Where can you still build sea view houses in Zanzibar? On top of existing ones! Quenching the insatiable thirst for holiday homes, meeting higher-density building goals and yet maintaining a thoroughly green approach – that is the idea behind new Skylofts in Zanzibar.
Frank had prepared “Berlin potato salad” — oil, cucumber and vinegar style — while his wife Jana ran back and forth with refreshing drinks. A pleasant breeze embraced a crowd of about 30. Most were neighbours, enjoying views and hospitality on a wide wooden terrace beneath a pergola. They were celebrating open-air, five floors above ground. A fridge, cooker and furniture made of coconut wood by island specialist Scanza had arrived just an hour earlier.
A Manhattan feeling, Indian Ocean view, gratitude and progress – not the worst ingredients for a housewarming party in Zanzibar. Fumba Town, a real estate venture in progress for ten years, has set new benchmarks on the archipelago for holiday and residential homes. It is here, in so-called Free Economic Zones, and in licensed condominiums, that foreigners can legally acquire private property. Investments above US$100,000 in real estate qualify for a resident permit.
700 jobs in Zanzibar created
The green Fumba development, offering apartments and houses from US$50,000 to USD$500,000 (see story on page 2), unveiled its newest creation at the end of February. A 70sqm Skyloft – a penthouse apartment with one bedroom and generous terraces; a private recluse built entirely of timber. Lightweight, highly insulated, innovative. Produced locally by Volkshouse, a wood engineering factory founded by German engineers – just like Fumba Town itself. Their urban projects have so far created and secured over 700 jobs in Zanzibar. The vast majority of workers were trained on the job. Fumba Town is the largest urban development in East Africa and highly important for Zanzibar wanting to diversify from tourism.
The Skylofts – attractive, practical and unique – were no small feat. Prebuilt at the factory with computerised, made-to-measure machinery, there was still the huge challenge of fitting the new homes on existing rooftops – because that was the idea: “With very intense population growth on Zanzibar island, space has to be used responsibly”, said Sebastian Dietzold, 49, CEO of CPS, the developer of Fumba Town.
High-density life
Higher-density building has become a global mantra. In Paris, small modern apartments have been added as “parasitic” rooftop dwellings atop older buildings, turning unused roof space into stylish living units to create more homes without new land use. Similarly, rooftop extensions in Vienna’s historic centre have placed contemporary apartments above heritage facades to boost density without sprawling outward.
“Looks like a perfect fit”, said Michael Gerber, 43, project manager at Volkshouse, when inspecting the first finished Skyloft. The building and assembly time – as is normal with prefab wood structures – was radically short: just about one month! But lifting the prefab penthouse and its 24 wall elements onto the existing four-storey concrete block was the real challenge. “We had to hire the biggest available crane – 47 m high at five million shillings per day”, Gerber explained. “At the same time, we did not want to disturb the people already living below.”
What are the main benefits of the new Skylofts? Project manager Ali Katunda, 34, explains: “They are erected fast and are built of re-growing material providing shade for entire buildings. Timber construction has jump-started a new industry in Zanzibar while creating a garden-like experience in the sky for people living there.”
First-time homeowners Jana Langlotz and Frank Kutzscher couldn’t agree more. The couple, who own a catering firm with 15 employees in Berlin, discovered Zanzibar five years ago and have returned seven times since then.
New crown for EXISTING Apartment Blocks
- Location: Fumba Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania
- One-bedroom rooftop holiday lofts
- 64–70 sqm incl. terraces
- Price: from US$224,900
- Features: Ocean views, timber construction, private terraces
Information: fumba.town | info@cps.africa | +255 623 989 900
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