ArchiAfrika M A G A Z I N E Vol. 5 MAY 2015
CHRONICLES+
ArchiAfrika
M A G A Z I N E ArchiAfrika Foundation Board Joe Osae Addo – Chairman (Ghana) Abdemoumen Benabdeljalil – Director (Morocco) Ola Uduku – Director (Nigeria/UK) Judith Aidoo – Treasurer (Ghana) Berend Van Der Lans – Board Secretary (Netherlands) ArchiAfrika Accra Board Joe Osae Addo – Chairman (Architect) Nat Nuno-Amarteifio – Director (Architectural Historian) Amaechi Ndili – Director (Businessman/ Architect) Steve Akuffo – Director (Architect) Judith Aidoo – Treasurer (Businesswoman) Tuuli Saarela - Board Secretary (Businesswoman) Editor in Chief Tuuli Saarela
tuuli@aaaccra.org Deputy Editor Nat Nuno-Amarteifio Editorial Team Steffen Fischer
intern@aaaccra.org Delphina Namata Musisi
programs@aaaccra.org Creative Director Joe Osae Addo
joe@constructsllc.com
Contents •
Editorial - Tuuli Saarela & Nat NunoAmartefio • Chairman’s Corner - Joe Osae-Addo • ECOWAS Chronicles + • Francis Kéré - Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan • Orthner and Orthner - Legon City Lofts • David Adjaye - Alara Concept Store • Kunlé Adeyemi - Chicoco Radio • M. Issa Diabaté - Carbone Building • Nmadili N. Okwumabua - CPDI Africa • Augustus Richardson - House ‘S’ • Theo Lawson - Freedom Park, Lagos • Dr. Lesley Lokko -Unit System Africa • United4design - NM2000 Housing Units • Awolowo’s Ghost: Freedom Park, Heritage Preservation as Urban Catalyst - Dr. Mpho Matsipa • Accra Revisited: How creative impulses underpinned by economy and culture,can reshape it. • ArchiAfrika Kenyan Chapter • The Birth of the South-South Dialogues • Next Generation -National Boxing Academy -Takoradi Market Centre -Data Analysis Centre -Refuge[e] -Summary of The Complete and Grand Ghana Mobility Guidelines Handbook The Berlage Center -Guerilla Liberation -Morphosit -The Red Terror Martyrs Museum
All materials are protected by copyright
Graphic Designer Kodzo Nyanyuie Doamekpor
Copyright © ArchiAfrika 2015. All rights reserved.
graphics@aaaccra.org
................................................... ArchiAfrika M A G A Z I N E
ArchiAfrika @AAAccra ArchiAfrika How to contact ArchiAfrika Magazine
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ECOWAS
CHRONICLES+
Cover Kodzo Nyanyuie Doamekpor
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archiafrika.org
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Partners The Prince Claus Fund is connected to an expansive global network of artists, cultural organisations and critical thinkers. When asked what the Fund’s motto ‘Culture is a Basic Need’ means to them, we received the following responses from various project partners: ‘Culture is intricately linked to social and political questions; like food, shelter, health and education, we have an absolutely essential need to make our individual cultural expressions seen and heard; culture thus is a question of our survival. Hence, it is our right to be able to make our own cultural expressions, without having to succumbe to the powers of cultural hegemonies.’ - Bhowmik, Bangladesh and India.
DOEN Culture Programme funds, promotes and connects cultural organizations and collects stories about significant changes caused by cultural activities. DOEN believes that a green, sociallyinclusive and creative society is achievable. The world is full of committed entrepreneurs eager to develop sustainable, cultural and socially-engaged initiatives. People who are not afraid to take risks while putting their pioneering ideas into practice. People who inspire others! DOEN offers these people financial support and brings them together to connect them.
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Editorial
Editorial This special magazine issue captures the ambitions of our recent conference Accra:Revisited held at the Accra Children’s Library in February 2015. Thanks to our sponsors, DASUDA, Krane Construction, Coral Paints, Micheletti, Bafla Blocks, the Dutch Embassy and many others, ArchiAfrika was able to refurbish a great modernist building from the 1960s for a fleeting moment into its former glory. Against this transformational backdrop, new visions for the redevelopment of our cities were shared by some of Africa’s leading architects and thinkers. This magazine hopes to capture a small portion of this inspirational work with all of our readers across Africa and the world, so that you will be inspired to re-imagine your city, as we were inspired to re-imagine Accra. A conference publication will be available soon.
Words: Tuuli Saarela
In the July 1 2013 edition of the Atlantic Monthly, Howard French, the former New York Times correspondent for Africa published an article titled “How Africa’s new urban centers are shifting its old colonial boundaries.” He reflects on why West African urban centers are changing the political map of the region by their explosive population growth and economies. He foresees the emergence of a super city state stretching from Lagos to Abidgan. The population and economic weight of this mammoth conurbation will dominate the region so completely that the current definitions of ECOWAS will be rendered meaningless. Lagos, the most populous city in the region is on the leading edge of the transformation. After the Nigerian civil war, it acquired the richly deserved reputation as a dystopian, dysfunctional metropolis. During the last two decades under the leadership of visionary and ambitious civil and political
leadership, the city has been transformed. It now wins awards for exampelary municipal administration. ArchiAfrika shares the conviction that the African city and Accra in particular will be the vector for massive regional change in the 21st century. The conference on Accra titled “Accra Revisited” explored the ideas that led to the incredible changes in Lagos. In order to ensure a regional perspective, architects, planners and thinkers from Africa were well represented. Academics and students from Holland and Ghana were actively involved in all the activities.
Words: Nat Nuno - Amarteifio Editorial
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The smells of the grilling fish of all through the air – a has endured mille
“Nii Okwai Kwarshie is a proud
Chairman’s Corner Accra Revisited: How Creative Impulses underpinned by Economy and Culture, can reshape it Words: Joe Osae Addo
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octogenarian, from Jamestown, who lives for routine. Every Thursday, he neatly packs his bags and heads to the historical rail-station at dawn, a walk of 5km passing landmarks of his childhood long past their hey-day. The Lighthouse and adjacent Fish Harbour are still tourist attractions with the latter a throwback to the heady days of canoe fishing as a major contributor to Accra’s economy and the former,
who took him to this very pew as a child, a habit carried out through many generations since. Morning service at the Wesley chapel at dawn is no different from that of the early missionaries of the 18th Century Accra. This is Bath reincarnated. Nii still considers himself a loyal British subject. Walking east along Horse Road leads to the secular historic Wato Club – in total contrast to the Sanctuary he just left. This “cathedral of sin” was the mainstay of British Colonial Accra where privileged English civil servants could cavort with the local Ga femme
ArchiAfrika’s Proposed Creative Hub In Jamestown
e market women species, wafts a tradition that ennia. guiding boats to offload precious cargo from distant lands. This was the stronghold of the proud indigenes who have never forgotten the role of the colonials in disturbing their tranquil existence with their constant wars for the heart and souls of their community. Stories describe the ferocious mutual destruction of the British and the Dutch using their formidable bases of Ussher and James forts as enclaves for destruction. Legend has it that Nii Okwai’s grandfather Nii Mashie was a devoted guerrilla militia leader who, with his forces, helped the British end
Dutch rule in this tropical oasis. This badge of honour is clearly responsible for Nii Kwarshie’s stoic posture and grace even at the age of 83. His strong physique allows his Thursday strolls to the train station to be effortless amidst a reflective nostalgia of dreams. He carries a small portmanteau neatly packed and secured to wheels to make the journey less fatigued. The smells of the market women grilling fish of all species, wafts through the air – a tradition that has endured millennia. Strolling south from his grandfather’s impeccable courtyard home on a once permanent street now inhabited by several generations of his extended family with all its accompanying dramas that he as elder must continuously play judge and executioner, Thursdays are not about such trivia but a journey of dreams. First landmark is the Palladium cinema and the Methodist cathedral. As a devout follower of John Wesley, he enters this most holy building, kneels gently at the third row pew at frontleft in honour of his grandparents
fatales. Nii shakes his head as he always does at the clash of cultures; best exemplified by the appropriation of the ground floor by MTN. This is the ultimate disrespect his urban heritage personified. Turning left down Tudu road, past John Holt Bartholomew, a building of pseudo Greco elegance, lost past its heyday, ‘what a shame’ he thinks, ‘that such important heritage buildings would be abandoned so, and become part go urban blight, rather than totems of our past’. Now, past Makola square, and then the famed UTC, Ghana’s first mall circa 1950’s. This modernist building of Swiss
‘What a shame’, he thinks, ‘that such important heritage building would be abandoned so, and become part of urban blight, rather than totems of our past’ Chairman’s Corner
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* Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange
RIDGE
* Accra Station KORLE
TUDU KINBU
ROAD
Kor on
ago
le L
* Children’s Library
ADENDAINKPO
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INDEPENDENCE SQUARE
Wesley Church
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Palladium Cinema
GA MASHIE
Independence Arch
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* Wato Club
ET
RE
T HS
*Old Kingsway Building *Fort Ussher
HIG
JAMES TOWN
Fort James
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Gulf of Guinea
Lighthouse
Accra map with sites around the city
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Chairman’s Corner
‘ Integration and not Erasure’ heritage was colonial retail wrapped in Basel missionary zeal. As a young man, he remembers his father’s first car, an Opel Kadett, was wheeled off the showroom floor to the joy of their whole extended family who came out to receive this ‘emblem of upward mobility.’ These memories still fresh are overshadowed by this homage to modernity left decaying at the crossroads of old and new Accra. From this junction, he can see the spire of the Victorian railway station, a masterpiece architecture and hub that connects North and south, and the great in-between. This may be of colonial heritage, but it was the indigenous like Nii Kwashie, who were the heart and soul of this mass transport revolution.
Its contemporary importance seems to be lost, with this sacred ground of British ingenuity overtaken by dislocated modernity of market place chaos and the din of local buses. This area is an urban documentarian’s dream. These spaces where informality and tradition collide with modernity are what I describe as the real Accra, unnoticed by all. Nii Kwarshie, at this point, is on the train at his usual seat, which the conductor makes ready for him every Thursday. As the train kicks up its motors, Nii - being the experienced train rider he is – readies himself for that
This evokes memories of his youth where the trains were much cleaner and, believe it or not, much faster.
initial jolt which initiates the 6 am journey across the northern edges of Accra. The train starts off slowly going across the Circle Interchange, northwards towards Tesano and Achimota, where the train then veers east towards airport residential area, across the famous bridge at Tetteh Quarshie where a spectacular view of the northern suburbs of Accra, can be had. This evokes memories of his youth where the trains were much cleaner and, believe it or not, much faster, allowing for a dignified journey through the heart of our city. Eastward bound, all the way through Sakumono, the new suburbs on the northeastern edge of our city, where gated communities abound,
which have become the norm of a developing Ghana. He frowns at the inhumaneness of this approach to living, remembering his youth of unwalled homes where children had free access to the streets and the public realm and allowing for an incredible social integration through which he has such good friends, to this day. And he wonders, “How can children get to know each other in a place like this?” His thoughts quickly move away from this dire subject to the incredible views of the oceans that begin to appear on his right through Teshie and Nungua going towards Tema. Tema, our only industrial planned city, is where Nii spends his weekends and marvels at this great achievement by
our first president Kwame Nkrumah. It is less the utopia that he dreamed of, with poor regulatory enforcement, leaving this mordern metropolis in complete disarray. He smiles as the train approaches its final stop. What a contrast to Jamestown, where tradition still rules, at the expense of order and planning, and this modern invention planned but bursting at its seams with humanity and industry. These thoughts quickly fade as he sees his grandchildren on the platform with his daughter, an urban planner of some repute in this community. He remembers their last conversation of a week ago, where she summed up her vision of Jamestown in one simple phrase: ‘Integration and not erasure.’
Chairman’s Corner
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“Not to come up with interventions but rather be design socio-economists.” Now back to Jamestown, where we are developing a Creative Hub and mixeduse development. Retail, restaurant, lofts and creative space for artists, and new apartment building and auditorium space. We do have a unique opportunity and position not to come up with interventions but rather be design socio-economists. The idea for this project was to understand the need to use local resources as a trigger for a new urban rejuvenation model. Old Accra, first inhabited by the Ga people, is a fishing community known for its seafood and Kenkey. Kenkey is corn based food. This project evolved around the notion of tapping into this culinary delight, and adding value to it by developing a restaurant that would sell ‘nouvelle cuisine’ kenkey and fish. The idea of
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Chairman’s Corner
kenkeytrification was born, embodied by this new development. The site is an old trading 30,000 m2 warehouse, which will be converted to become the retail and artists lofts zone. This development is about creativity underpinned by economy; not just apartments and lofts to be lived in but ‘spiritual cathedrals’ where memories and forgotten cultures are rediscovered and celebrated through an ‘inno-native’ response to site and place, through architecture. Our design and development approach is to let the community have a hand in imbuing their spiritual ‘imprint’ not only on the home but the environment as a whole. Our contribution is not about edifice but environmental. We want to engender that communal spirit
“The heart and soul of this project is the large Garden. Plants that can provide sustenance, and have homeopathic attributes.”
by encouraging ownership of ‘real estate’ beyond physical boundaries of ownership. The heart and soul of this project is the large Garden, which will be open to the community and public, and hopefully will be the trigger for the greening of Jamestown itself. We plan on immediately extending this to the adjacent police compound by building a playground for the families there. The interstitial spaces and outdoor spaces will take on added significance and will be all about flora and light. These will need to permeate the indoor spaces, seamlessly. This may be a wonderful opportunity to introduce other trees and plants from the African Diaspora into the local mix which not only soothes the senses of sight but the palettes of taste - an edible landscape. Plants that can provide sustenance, and have homeopathic attributes. In our approach, certainly architecture matters, but more importantly will it and its environs nourish the soul? We know it will, the spirit of Jamestown that extraordinary blend of Ga indigenes and other, will ensure that. Our concept is about interstitial green spaces (courtyard) that shape
an architecture that requires no airconditioning. It is all about different outdoor space experiences weaving seamlessly through the project establishing clear indoor/outdoor relationships. This courtyard scheme is contextual both environmentally and culturally. It acknowledges traditional building layout principles which takes into consideration climate, culture and heritage. Basically, our project responds to contemporary lifestyle via an ‘inno-nativetm’ design solution and is referential to contextual house typologies without being literal.
Chairman’s Corner
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Chairman’s Corner
This project will be transformational and pioneering. As design professionals we need to earn our relevance in society. The Nii Kwarshies of this world have to be convinced that we care, and are agents of change. I will end with my usual clarion call
Are we part of the resolution or passive by-standers reduced to complaining? Are we going to take our rightful position in society? Are we going to take back what is rightfully ours? Are we going to be part of the solution and not the problem? Are we going to be self-critical and raise the level of the discourse? Are we going to be political and become social activists? Are we going to collaborate and share ideas to raise the level of the game? Are we going to assist and reclaim our cities and towns for our people?
If we do not do all of the above and more metaphorically we are extinct. Africa and the Diaspora yearn for environmental and social change and that change should be led by architects and those in related professions. No more excuses, let us lead by example.
Chairman’s Corner
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Diébédo
Kéré Mama Sa rah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Francis Kéré
BurkinaFaso
oFrancis
ĂŠ
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Master Plan
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Kindergarden
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Francis KĂŠrĂŠ
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Kindergarden Hof_Neu
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Francis KĂŠrĂŠ
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Nursery Classroom
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Primary Block
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Garden
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Secondary Block
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Dormitory
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Meeting Space
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Sports Field
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Francis Kéré
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan
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Orthner
Orthn Legon City Lofts
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Orthner and Orthner
r&
ner Ghana
Legon City Lofts
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Orthner and Orthner
Legon City Lofts
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Entrance
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Orthner and Orthner
Legon City Lofts
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Outside Communal Space
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Orthner and Orthner
Legon City Lofts
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Outside Space
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Orthner and Orthner
Legon City Lofts
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David
Adjay Alara Concept Store
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David Adjaye
ye Alara Concept Store
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David Adjaye
Alara Concept Store
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David Adjaye
Alara Concept Store
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David Adjaye
Alara Concept Store
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David Adjaye
Alara Concept Store
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Kun
ADEY Chicoco Radio
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KunlĂŠ Adeyemi
nle Nigeria
YEMI Chicoco Radio
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Kunlé Adeyemi
Chicoco Radio
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Aerial view
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KunlĂŠ Adeyemi
Chicoco Radio
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Eye level view
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KunlĂŠ Adeyemi
Chicoco Radio
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Eye level view
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KunlĂŠ Adeyemi
Chicoco Radio
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Bird side view (night shot)
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KunlĂŠ Adeyemi
Chicoco Radio
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Eye level view (night shot)
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KunlĂŠ Adeyemi
Chicoco Radio
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Issa
Diaba Carbone Building
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Issa Diabat茅
C么te
até d’Ivoire
Carbone Building
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Issa DiabatĂŠ
Carbone Building
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Issa DiabatĂŠ
Carbone Building
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Issa DiabatĂŠ
Carbone Building
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Issa DiabatĂŠ
Carbone Building
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Issa DiabatĂŠ
Carbone Building
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Issa DiabatĂŠ
Carbone Building
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Issa DiabatĂŠ
Carbone Building
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Nmadi Okwum CPDI Africa
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Nmadili Okwumabua
ili mabua CPDI AfricaCPDI - TheAfrica Tobi
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Nmadili Okwumabua
calabash
father and mother
concept
CPDI Africa - The Tobi
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August
Richar House ‘S’
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Augustus Richardson
Ghana
stus
rdson House ‘S’
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Augustus Richardson
House ‘S’
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Backyard
Ground and first floor
Southern top facade and western elevation
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Augustus Richardson
backyard lounge House ‘S’
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living area
Western (top facade) and eastern elevation
Ground and first floor
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Augustus Richardson
Dining space House ‘S’
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Lower level
Entry foyer
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Augustus Richardson
Upper level
Family bedrooms
Family area, kitchen House ‘S’
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Theo
LAWS Freedom Park, Lagos
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Theo Lawson
Nigeria
WSON Freedom Park, Lagos
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Theo Lawson
Freedom Park, Lagos
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Site in 2013
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Theo Lawson
Freedom Park, Lagos
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3D view
Conceptual design
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Theo Lawson
Site Plan
Night scene
Sketch Freedom Park, Lagos
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Dr. Lesl
LOKK Alara U n i t SConcept y s t e m AStore frica
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Dr. Lesley Lokko
Gh ana
ley
KO Unit System Africa
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Dr. Lesley Lokko
Student Projects Unit System Africa
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LAUNCHING JANUARY 2015
DEPT. OF ARCHITECTURE
Can we tell you how excited we are at UJ to be offering, for the first time on the African continent, the world-famous Unit System way of teaching? Yes, we can! Following in the footsteps of global leaders in architectural education like the Architectural Association, the Bartlett, Sci-Arc and a host of other, world-class schools of architecture, we’re kicking off 2015 with a bang. Three brand-new units, run by a highly-motivated, talented and dedicated team of postgraduate tutors, will set the scene for Africa’s most innovative, relevant and creative teaching laboratory. A brand-new film club, FADA Film, an initiative between the FADA Gallery and the Departments of Multimedia and Architecture will bring you the most cutting-edge, contemporary and classic films around our core disciplines of art, architecture and design. What’s Next?, our first quarter lecture series, will feature innovative young practitioners from across Gauteng who are shaping the profession in ways no one could have predicted. ArchiSeries, our on-going collaboration with the Bartlett School of Architecture in London which allows us to ‘share’ some of the world-class lectures taking place in London almost in real-time, will kick off in the second quarter. It’s all happening here at UJ and we’re delighted to welcome you on board! We can’t wait! Can you? For more information: www.facebook.com/unitsatuj, www.uj-unit1.com, www.uj-unit2.com, www.uj-unit3.com Our websites will be built with your work over the course of next year.
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Dr. Lesley Lokko
037_UJ_A2_Poster_FA3.indd 1
2014/11/18 5:51 PM
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Gabi Coter
“Exciting!”
ARCHITECTURE & AGENCY — DESIGN | MAKE | TRANSFORM Amira Osman (Leader), Jhono Bennett and Tariq Toffa (Tutors) Unit 2 is based on the understanding that the Built Environment comes into existence and transforms as a social/physical ecosystem where buildings and neighbourhoods are never finished, but rather transform part by part. At the core of this Unit, are concepts which include levels of decision-making (such as urban design and architecture); distributed control of environmental decision-making among many different agents; and the idea that the interface between technical systems allows the replacement of one system with another performing the same function. Shyam Patel
These concepts will be studied from building/neighbourhood project-level to city/policy higher-level decision-making. The unit will apply socio-technical approaches, methodologies & tools/ toolkits in community engagment projects as well as study existing and new building types known by their capacity to accommodate a variety of changing uses. Unit 2 is based on the premise that “open” buildings are not tightly integrated with programmes of use and are able to offer architectural infrastructure of sustained architectural quality, as well as spatial and technical capacity.
“Guided!”
Tiffany Melless
“All-Consuming”
This unit links strongly with current international trends in thinking about the built environment. International case studies will be presented. Indeed, one of the aims of this Unit is to demonstrate that Open Building is highly relevant to South Africa – and that South Africa may become the pioneer for Open Building in developing countries. To help promote the intentions of Unit 2, one student will be offered an opportunity to travel to Zurich, Switzerland, to the ETH Wohnforum – ETH CASE which will be hosting the 2015 Open Building Conference in September.
Elias Panagiotopoulos
“Raaaaadical!”
The intentions of Unit 2 also resonate strongly with present-day South African concerns. National policy, the National Development Plan, Vision 2030 and the newly launched (and perhaps wrongly termed) Master Spatial Plan will be considered, as well as city level visions. There will also be a number of inter-departmental collaborations within FADA/UJ. Unit 2 will explore the boundaries between architecture & planning, building & city and architecture & infrastructure towards a new way of designing and building in the interest of of spatial equity, access to opportunity, efficiency in design, finance, management, maintenance and implementation.
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“Unit 1 investigates infrastructure, at all scales, from the hard to the soft.”
Unit 2 offers an exceptional opportunity to engage with a national and international network of thinkers/practitioners in the field of Open Building, Urbanism and Human Settlements – an engagement that spans across South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Lebanon and the USA. Contact: amirao@uj.ac.za
ARCHITECTURE & INFRASTRUCTURE — LEARNING FROM MAIN REEF ROAD Alex Opper (Leader) and Lorenzo Nassimbeni (Tutor)
Amira Osman Jhono Bennett Tariq Toffa
“Unit 2 is based on the understanding that the Built Environment comes into existence and transforms as a social/physical ecosystem where buildings and neighbourhoods are never finished, but rather transform part by part.” “Indeed, one of the aims of this Unit is to demonstrate that Open Building is highly relevant to South Africa – and that South Africa may become the pioneer for Open Building in developing countries.”
Unit 1 investigates infrastructure, at all scales, from the hard (the city systems that join its parts or – in the case of Johannesburg – often divide them) to the soft (the social and cultural webs that shape the ways we continuously negotiate our position in, and right to, the city).
Zoë Goodbrand
“Inspiring”
Infrastructure is often understood as the basic organisational elements needed for a society or city to function effectively. In built environment terms, it usually refers to the ‘harder’, more fixed structures of support – roads, bridges, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, and telecommunications; it can also refer to more typological, architectural building blocks such as hospitals, schools, factories, etc. Unit 1 takes a broader view of infrastructure by zooming in on often-overlooked and hidden elements of a society and the ‘softer’ and more flexible nature of ‘people as infrastructure’. Monique Goncalves
This year, Unit 1 will investigate Main Reef Road (MMR), also known as the R29. As its name suggests, this road topographically echoes the subterranean seam of gold, which catalysed Johannesburg into existence. MMR – said to be the longest road with a single name in the southern hemisphere – in all its raw understatement, represents a more low-key register of what the skyline of Johannesburg‘s Central Business District achieves as an obvious visual translation of wealth. MMR serves Unit 1 as a stage for the questioning, testing and stretching of what ‘infrastructure’ might mean as we dive headlong into the increasing urban complexity of the 21st century. In this way, Unit 1 continues ‘fold the [architectural] studio into the field’, a way of teaching that we have developed at FADA/UJ over the last seven years. Our investigations will shed light on the hidden forces, structures and systems that underpin the way society functions, phenomena that are rarely seen, understood or appreciated. Unit 1’s two-year process will be bolstered by presentations from critical practitioners and decision-makers in the context of Johannesburg’s urban future, as one of the world’s 28 megacities. Case studies will be illuminated and urban dialogues with other cities explored (with a focus on cities of the Global South). Finally, if funding is raised, there exists a possibility that the unit participants may travel, as a way of reinforcing urban exchanges between cities with similar challenges and possibilities to those of Johannesburg.
“Perspective!”
Wayne Matthews
“Explorative!”
Alex Opper Lorenzo Nassimbeni
Harry Johnson
“Self-taught”
Contact: alexo@uj.ac.za
“Unit 1’s two-year process will be bolstered by presentations from critical practitioners and decision-makers in the context of Johannesburg’s urban future, as one of the world’s 28 megacities.”
Pierre Roux
“Family!”
3 ARCHITECTURE & SPECULATION Lesley Lokko (Leader) and Craig McClenaghan (Tutor) Unit 3 is interested in speculation at all levels: from the choice of site, means of representation right down to choices of materials and forms. As the saying goes, ‘sometimes you gotta speculate to accumulate.’ We are looking for risk-takers, speculative architectural ‘investors’, exceptional students who are prepared to challenge themselves, and us. We are interested in buildings, sites, landscapes and situations that creatively explore the social, political and material cultures of specific places. We are also interested in each student’s imagination and originality. We encourage individual responses and ideas whilst maintaining the core identity of Unit 3 as a place of genuine experimentation and speculation. We will look at the nature of contemporary global architectural thought and practice with a view to building an African architecture of tomorrow, one that looks to its past but is not weighed down by it; one that embraces the future boldly, creatively, speculatively. As part of a three-year research proposal that looks at three sites located on the ‘edges’ of Africa – Zanzibar, Cap Verde and Djerba - this year, students in Unit 3 will travel to the island of Zanzibar, located off the coast of Tanzania. In its long history, Zanzibar has seen almost every form of rule: from Islamic sultanate to British protectorate and is now a semi-autonomous political entity under multiparty political control. Once known as the ‘Spice Islands’, the islands that make up Zanzibar are now a predominantly créole (mixed) culture and it is this aspect of hybridisation that we are interested in exploring in architectural terms. The major design project of the year will be a terminus building: it is up to each student in the unit to define their own terminus - a small airport, a ferry terminal, an immigration office; a border station or maybe even a halfway house? We will be looking at hybrids in history, film, literature and mythology; Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions (and therefore of gates, doorways, passages and endings); entities with (and of) double and multiple meanings; shape-shifters; translators; interpreters; tricksters and charlatans. Following our six-day site visit, we will return to Johannesburg to carry out a series of smaller projects leading up to the final project. The year will be divided into three distinct ‘zones’: Zone 1: Representation (finding your language); Zone 2: Translation (from language to form) and Zone 3: Resolution (the detailed resolution of a beautifully considered project, at multiple scales, whether built or landscape.)
Shani Fakir
“Fulfilling!”
Dave Couto
“Critical”
Welcome to Unit 3! Contact: llokko@uj.ac.za Rachel Wilson
“Inspiring”
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‘Unit 3 is interested in speculation, in building an African architecture of tomorrow. As the saying goes, “sometimes you gotta speculate to accumulate.”’
Lesley Lokko Craig McClenaghan
‘We are looking for risk-takers, speculative architectural “investors”, students who’re prepared to challenge themselves, and us.’
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These community-focused spaces will support special assemblies, school celebrations, and sporting events not only for the schools but for the surrounding community as well.
Mama Sarah Obama Foundation Legacy Plan Francis Kere Kogelo, Kenya
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n establishing a lasting educational resource for undeserved and atrisk youth in Kenya, The Mama Sarah Obama Legacy project is the culmination of Mama Sarah’s lifetime of service towards helping orphans and impoverished families feed and educate their children. After years of feeding and clothing children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, Mama Sarah established her foundation with the goal of making a larger impact on their lives. Despite having never obtained formal education herself, she believes strongly in the transformative and empowering impact of education. Located in Kogelo, the birthplace of President Barack Obama’s father, the Legacy project is an educational campus that will serve upwards of one thousand students and preschoolers. The project is comprised of three major components; a secondary school, a primary school, and an early childhood development center. The goal of the project is to promote a sustainable approach to communitystrengthening and education. Each school is uniquely designed for its specific age group with age-appropriate libraries, playgrounds, and sports fields. By creating educational environments that promote curiosity and criticalthinking, students will anticipate educational advancement and will be prepared to succeed in their everyday lives beyond the classroom. Although the schools operate completely individually from each other, they are united through a variety of shared public spaces such as an auditorium, sports fields, and cafeteria.
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Legon City Lofts Orthner and Orthner Accra, Ghana
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egon City Lofts, located in one of the sought after residential areas in Accra is a contemporary interpretation of traditional building concepts for tropical climates, comprising low energy house technologies like smart solar power hybrid systems, water recycling, rain water harvesting and passive cooling systems to create one of the first sustainable real estate developments in Ghana. The airy, loft-style design of the five residences, the landscaped garden areas, swimming pool and gym facilities perfectly supplement the concept of a creative, exciting urban living experience in the midst of one of the busiest metropolis in West Africa.
Alara Concept Store David Adjaye Lagos, Nigeria
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roviding West Africa with its first signature retail and lifestyle environment, the Alara store will promote emerging talent while establishing a creative hub and an essential new destination for Lagos. The site is on Akin Olugbade Street, in a part residential/part commercial street, in Victoria Island, Lagos. The concept store is to be a place for the appreciation and acquiring of “objets d’art” such as furniture, textiles, fashion, sculpture and art. Architecturally, the concept is a celebration of design talent – an architectural promenade through the different parts of the programme, culminating with the glazed rooftop space – an art gallery and terrace – that visually connects back to the city. Spatially, the building is a nine metre high rectangular volume, containing a series of suspended platforms, staircases and landings that ascend the space, displaying the objects. At the rear, there is a café opening onto a garden that offers shaded respite from the frenetic energy of Lagos. The use of cast concrete, internally and externally, establishes an industrial quality. Inside, the concrete is black, while the exterior is red pigmented concrete. The deep interior space offers the drama of the open, triple height volume, encouraging visitors to negotiate their way around the stock. The space is broken up by the display platforms, which vary in size. There are also a number of timber enclosures, which house some of the finer objects, such as jewellery.
Chicoco Radio Kunle Adeyemi Port Hartcourt, Nigeria
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hicoco Radio is a floating media platform being built with and for the residents of Port Harcourt’s waterfront community in Nigeria. 480,000 people live in waterfront settlements along the creeks that fringe the city. The state government plans to demolish the settlements. Chicoco Radio is the community’s voice and platform. The structure is conceived as a linear composition of public spaces from land to water: a community radio station, recording studios, computer centre, meeting rooms, amphitheater and cinema. The radio broadcast mast is an integrated architectural component raising the structure like a bridge: launching one end of the building into the water, suspending the other in the air. The waterside of the building is a floating stage and jetty responding to the ebb and flow of the tide. The airside is the broadcast space where programs and music are made to air. The cantilevered studios open a shaded landscaped area beneath them – open public space beneath a place of open public debate. Built of locally available materials, the structure incorporates renewable energy systems. The concept and design development stages have been closelyguided by the local communities: we have involved hundreds of residents in design workshops, focus groups and discussions over a number of years. Through this deeply responsive and collaborative design process, local residents have provided valuable insights to this solution, which carefully addresses their challenges and strongly Project Synopsis
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reflects their collective aspirations. Chicoco Radio will be built, owned, operated and maintained by the waterfront communities. As a ‘bridge to transformation’, the amphibious nature of the building offers a reconnection between the communities’ life on land today, their historic past and their potential lives on water in the future. Anchored in the bay of Okrika waterfront and reaching up towards the ‘upland’ city, the building establishes a trajectory along which large areas of intense informal growth will be integrated into a more inclusive vision of the city’s future. Chicoco Radio is a collaboration with CMAP and part of NLÉ‘s African Water Cities project which investigates the challenges and opportunities at the intersections of rapid urbanisation and climate change in African coastal cities and waterfront communities.
type building by simple principles of spacial organization. The construction system chosen for this building is that of the pole beam structure. This allows for the creation of open plan office floors free for layout. The structure principle and materials choice allow for the production of a building with traditional construction materials. Also, the land’s morphology enables the design of a project which meets local urban constraints. As such, the street is enhanced by the building’s façade alignment. For the CARBONE building, the design and building approach is focused on sustainable development. As a result, specific passive solutions allow the building to attain good levels of performance, from an energy perspective. The electrical and air conditioning apparel are also of low energy consumption. And finally, the building ensemble benefits from natural lighting and ventilation all the while being protected from sun rays via the lacquered aluminum brisesoleils which accentuate the building’s horizontality. Rain waters are collected and reused for the watering of the plants and the treatment of used water is equipped with a sewage disposal system. The architectural statement and the simplicity of the materials used provide the building with a sense of urbanity where design and functionality blend to create a geometrically pure and dynamic architecture, reflective of a new modernity.
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he CARBONE building is an investment property, entirely designed and built by Koffi & Diabaté Architectes, who is also the owner. The building, available for rent, is adjacent to the architect’s office’s headquarters and is made of three floors above ground with an underground parking space naturally ventilated by an areaway. The building’s basement is accessible via an access ramp from the Boulevard des Martyrs. Direct access to the upper levels is available via elevator and stairway. The CARBONE building’s design meets the standards of an office
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chronicles+
M. Issa Diabaté Abidjan, Ivory Coast
may register from all parts of Africa, the Americas, Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Participants may enter the competition as individuals, or may submit their entries as part of a team of designers, artists, engineers, and planners. The competition is open to any race, religion or creed, and encourages collaborative ventures between development professionals in Africa and the Diaspora.
CPDI Africa Nmadili N. Okwumabua
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he Community Planning & Design Initiative Africa (CPDI Africa) is a culture-inspired, research-based, design-build competition, created to inspire the development of successful neighborhoods and communities on the continent, with modern African architecture that is both culturally and environmentally sustainable. Believing that the redevelopment of Africa’s built environment should be as it has always been, built as a collaborative effort between the community members and designated master builders, CDPI Africa engages participation from the design community in Africa and the Diaspora at large, for the accomplishment of its vision.
How CPDI Africa Works CPDI Africa works through annual design competitions, where students and practitioners in the global design community develop residential prototypes, guided by a ‘kit of parts’ database of African architectural elements. A panel of distinguished Jurors, consisting of well renowned architects, Africanists, artists, urban planners and engineers, will select wining designs for the CPDI Annual design-build events in Africa, and for the publication of our annual design compendium. Designers who create winning prototypes that best fit interpretations of modern African architecture, will receive cash prizes, design recognition and also participate in the design-build trips to the various featured African countries. The CPDI design-build competition is open to both students and practicing designers across the world; applicants
House S Augustus Richardson Accra, Ghana
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proposed residence for an accomplished Investment Banker, ‘House S’ was conceived from the need to compose a building that will begin to define a Building typology for the modern African in our time. Evolving from an L - Plan form which comes from 2 of the four sides of the Ashanti Courtyard house, The building accommodates a beautifully landscaped garden which will serve as entertainment grounds for large and lavish parties. The Form is defined by the articulation of lines as wall and roof with all the spaces in the program accommodated. Alucobond, Stone, Fair-faced concrete, wood and glass are used in this composition. Materials are selected to aide the sustainable maintenance of the building. The living and dining room which is at the heart of the house is boarded on it’s north facade by openable glass doors to aide the blur between indoor and outdoor spaces. Project Synopsis
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Awolowo’s Ghost: Freedom Park, Heritage Preservation as Urban Catalyst A review of Freedom Park Lagos by Dr Mpho Matsipa
Freedom Park Lagos Theo Lawson Lagos, Nigeria
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reedom Park Lagos, born out of the ruins of Her Majesty’s Broad Street Prisons, was reconstructed to preserve a part of the history and cultural heritage of the Nigeria. Freedom Park Lagos is a National Memorial, a Historical landmark, a cultural site & an arts and recreation centre. The project commemorated the 50th independence celebration in October, 2010. Armed with knowledge gleaned from historical writings, Freedom Park Lagos was reconstructed with a blend of research and archaeology. It holds the key to history, mystery, culture and leisure. Freedom Park Lagos answers the question of where historical references of locations within the prison have been created. The Prison’s kitchen is now Freedom Park’s Food Court, the Chief Warder’s quarters is replaced with the Administrative Block, it’s gallows where condemned prisoners were held and finally executed has been transformed into a stage for self-expression without fear of retribution. The Prison’s Parade ground has now become the Park’s Hall of Fame and the old Record’s office is now the Museum. The Museum, at the heart of the Freedom Park, in its quest to satisfy the cultural and historical needs of the Park is constantly representing these needs through exhibitions and events that depict the culture, heritage of the site and the Lagos people. The Kongi Harvest Art Gallery dedicated to Prof. Wole Soyinka will house art works of the Nobel laureate.
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n recent times, some media reports on African cities have suggested that many African cities have increasingly become attractive destinations for foreign direct investment. Although considered high – risk locations, numerous African cities also promise unparalleled profit margins and opportunities for large scale infrastructure development. However these concerns for urban redevelopment and economic expansion are often silent on questions of social and cultural infrastructures, like public parks and a range of cultural institutions, in these cities. Theses silences call for a closer examination of the status of cultural infrastructures in our cities in the face of the demands on its infrastructure fuelled by exponential urban growth. One such example of cultural infrastructure is Freedom Park, in Lagos, Nigeria. Freedom Park is a heritage site and bustling cultural hub in the historic city center of Lagos. It was designed by Nigerian architect Theo Lawson, on the site of the first colonial prison that was built in 1872 by British colonialists and later rebuilt in 1885. This prison played an important role in marking the important contribution made by many anti-colonial political prisoners, like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to the Nigerian struggle for liberation from colonial rule in the mid-twentieth century. Theo Lawson began his workshop on the design of Freedom Park at the ArchiAfrika conference - Accra Revisited (February 2015) - by situating it within broader questions about the role of memory and history in the life of the rapidly transforming city of Lagos. Through a brief historical overview of the colonial architectural heritage landscape of Lagos to the post-independence era, he suggests that traces of colonial architecture and heritage are also imbued with histories of anti-colonial struggles and narratives of freedom that are worthy of being salvaged and celebrated.
The actual prison buildings were demolished in the 1970’s following a building boom for the then newly independent nation state in the 1960’s, and an era of political instability and neglect due to the exigencies of neoliberal structural adjustment programs. Furthermore competing urban processes of large-scale redevelopment and capital flight - away from the inner city to Victoria Island and, more recently, to the Eko Atlantic land reclamation project ,has also left many other buildings in the old and overcrowded city, that have historic value, distressed and /or abandoned. This long history neglect provided a context in which Theo Lawson redesigned the site to serve as both a memorial to anti-colonial struggles
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maintenance schedule re-capitalization of heritage resources in the community and creative strategies to re-use historical buildings
Against a dominant global logic market-driven urban redevelopment and heritage themetization in cities all over the world, Freedom Park serves as a premier cultural site in Lagos. Significantly, this cultural hub operates on a membership scheme and yet remains accessible to both the surrounding low-income community and the larger Lagos art-public. Therefore, while a business model – like a restaurant or event venue - might create the basis for future funding proposals, both Lawson and Ghananean writer and activist, Essie Sutherland, stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of historical sites. They cautioned against an excessive commercialization of shared heritage resources and argued rather, that communities needed to be encouraged to value their heritage as a resource that has cultural and educational value for the surrounding communities and future generations. Nevertheless, one of the biggest challenges to Freedom Park and heritage preservation in Lagos and Accra more
and as a vital “breathing space” in the city. Lawson’s design strategy was to superimpose a plan of the old prison buildings on the site, in juxtaposition to a new program and he referenced the vernacular approach of Victorian architecture against a vernacular of the new design, as a symbolic representation of the old and the new, and in juxtaposition to a milieu of collective amnesia and rapid urban redevelopment. Lawson suggested “urban acupuncture” through heritage preservation, as a strategic response to urban redevelopment and capital flight in Lagos. In so doing, heritage preservation could act as a catalyst for further urban revitalization which might unlock numerous other urban opportunities for: • •
tourism and youth employment, and therefore poverty alleviation; the creation of inner city revitalization and a sustainable
generally, remains both insufficient cultural infrastructure and sustainable maintenance schedules to support heritage preservation projects and programs. However, as suggested by Senegalese architect, Jean Charles Tall, heritage institutions and bodies may require more resources in order to ensure sensitive urban revitalization, rather than merely clamping down on redevelopment of heritage sites. Therefore, cities like Lagos and Accra
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‘create a city in which ghosts of the past can negotiate their relationship with current generations’
might need a more robust legislative framework and incentives for investing in heritage preservation to guard against neglect and the encroachment of corporate interests on heritage through over-branding. Other recommendations from the workshop participants included a suggestion a valorisation of both colonial and indigenous heritage assets in the city. To that end, participants suggested that architects and the general public need to be educated about heritage preservation and architecture students ought to disseminate knowledge about architectural heritage. Additionally, cultural workers, translators and marketing experts should be brought into the discussion about the heritage of their city in order to create greater access to this information to the public. Freedom Park is merely one example of the ways in which African cities like Lagos, Accra and even Johannesburg are haunted by ghosts of untold histories and struggles for freedom that are in danger of disappearing – due to global and local forces on land markets and processes that seek to de-politicize and commodify collective memories and identities. Thus, rather than merely fetishizing colonial narratives and their attendant edifices, Freedom Park suggests that architects, historians, cultural activists and professionals in the built environment, have a vital role to play in re-visiting our complex histories of conquest and resistance and also in re-imaging a city in which heritage and the transformative possibilities of creativity, create a city in which ghosts of the past and current generations can negotiate their relationship with each other continuously and the shape that the future city will take.
Words: Dr. Mpho Matsipa
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Awolowo’s Ghost, Freedom Park
NM2000 Housing Units Mariam Kamara - United4design Niamey, Niger
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iger’s capital, Niamey, has been growing at an exponential rate in recent years, relentlessly pushing the boundaries of the city further outwards. Over the past twenty years, Niamey’s expansion has accelerated to unprecedented levels, putting greater distance between its citizens and their workplaces. The municipality has also struggled to provide the new settlements with basic infrastructure, such as water and electricity. These issues, coupled with rampant real estate speculation, have created an unprecedented housing crisis in the city. The Niamey2000 project is a direct response to the current housing and socio-economic conditions found in the city. It proposes a new model that increases density in order to counter the city’s aggressive growth. Because towers and apartment buildings are not culturally appropriate and do not respond to the social norms of the country, they were not considered for this project. However, Niamey is a city of mostly one-story homes, and a certain degree of densification could easily be achieved by simply adding a story or two. In this context, going up in height and decreasing the typical building footprint dramatically increases the number of homes that can be built on a particular site. While this modest approach to increase the height of a typical home is new to Niamey, it takes its inspiration from pre-colonial cities in the region such as Timbuktu in Mali, Kano in Nigeria, or Zinder in Niger, which were all dense urban centers in their day. Their organic layouts of intricately intertwined homes were often two to three stories in height, while still managing to maintain a sense
of privacy and intimacy. In addition to building economically, maintaining a sense of privacy is key to the project and is one of the central conceptual drivers. However, the project strives to be more than simply affordable and culturally appropriate. It takes a firm position on material selection by using locally abundant earth and passive cooling techniques to protect against Niger’s scorching temperatures. As is the case in many parts of the world, local materials are increasingly being abandoned in urban centers in favor of concrete. This project reintroduces these materials in a contemporary design that offers a serious alternative to expensive concrete homes.
‘We are looking for risk- takers, speculative architectural “investors”, students’re prepared to challenge themselves and us’.
Unit System Africa Dr. Lesley Lokko Johannesburg, South Africa
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esley Lokko is the director of GPA, the Graduate Programme in Architecture at the University of Johannesburg. In 2015, the GPA became the first school of architecture on the African continent to run the worldfamous Unit System of architectural education, first developed at London’s Architectural Association in the 1970s. The Unit System allows for multiple approaches towards architecture and urbanism, creating a genuine laboratory of experimentation and innovation. After launching Unit System Africa 2015, applications to the Master’s programme at UJ jumped by 375%. In 2015, there are three Units on offer: Unit 1: Architecture & Infrastructure (Alex Opper & Lorenzo Nassimbeni); Unit 2: Architecture & Agency (Amira Osman & Jhono Bennett) and Unit 3: Architecture & Speculation, headed by Lesley Lokko and Craig McClenaghan. Unit 3 will travel to Zanzibar in March 2015, the first part of a three-year research and design project looking at three créole island sites around the coast of Africa: Zanzibar (2015); Cap Verde (2016) and Djerba (2017). The work of Unit 3 will be published in CROSSINGS, a major publication forthcoming in 2018, which looks at conditions of migration, fluidity, cross-cultural flows and hybridity within design.
‘Unit 3 is interested in speculation, in building an African architecture of tommorrow. As the saying goes ‘sometimes you gotta speculate to accumulate’”
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Click here to read Accra Revisited Urban Design Conference Proceedings
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ArchiAfrika Kenya Chapter “KARIBU” ArchiAfrika Club Nairobi, Kenya
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met Joe two years back when he first came to the Department of Architecture at the University of Nairobi, Kenya to give a talk during the ‘Art & Architecture In The City’. The theme for the discussion was ‘Artists and Architects for Urban Resonance: Dream, Inclusiveness and Creativity for Urban Welfare’ and was a collaboration with the Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Centre for Urban Research & Innovation, The School of The Built Environment Students Association and the Godown Arts Centre. Joe Osae-Addo, the Director of ArchiAfrika Network, seemed to be the only one dressed for the hot Nairobi weather in his all white regalia, an image that still resonates to date as he took his turn at the podium to address the audience. He started by introducing the ArchiAfrika Network as a forum whose aim was to prompt intellectual talks, information sharing and networking among individuals and institutions on the continent to enable an exchange of ideas relating to the built environment. His discussion was anchored on how the modern day architect in Africa, more so the younger lot among whom I stand counted, could strike a balance between the advances of the modern world and the rich heritage embedded in our continent and in our African self. In his perspective, there lay fundamental lessons to be learnt from our traditional ways which could have contemporary applications; from building technology, the use of communal labour in the building process, to how traditional arts and crafts could be imbued in our built form as a means of identity and continuity. The end of it all would not only be good design, but an architecture that reflects the ways of our people and is representative of our rich heritage. With this kind of talk, it’s easy to see how a young architecture student could be drawn to the gospel Joe was preaching. Like most of my peers, I find myself struggling between the nuances of today’s world and the mystery of the yesterday. The training in most architecture schools in Africa is Western leaning, notwithstanding the efforts to integrate an African curriculum. As such, it falls short in covering the continent’s narrative, as do most other disciplines whether in the Arts or Sciences.
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Josiah Mugo
This discourse raised a debate on the issue of African architecture and I could not hold back from asking Joe “What really is African Architecture?“ and why was it so easy for me to relate visual and performing arts from across Africa-like the sounds of Salif Keita, Oliver Mtukudzi and Yossou Ndouras being ‘African’ yet I struggled to find an architecture that would subliminally make me proclaim “Yes!, Indeed! This is African architecture!” This question may have a thousand explanations, but on that day, Joe’s response would take home the prize and represents a philosophy that I can subscribe to. Afterwards, a couple of my friends and I huddled around Joe to quiz him about this and that concerning matters architecture in Africa and elsewhere. Joe, like the wise men of old who never lacked a word of wisdom to pass to the youth, had plenty to share on the African built form and encouraged us to join the ArchiAfrika Network so as to discuss and share ideas with our counterparts from across the continent. It is this talk which we had as we enjoyed our refreshments- as with most great ideas that are set off over a cup of tea- that sparked an interest in a more inward-looking solution to our problems and is ultimately how the seed of ArchiAfrika Kenya Chapter was planted. In 2014, we started talks with ArchiAfrika members on how we could expand the network by bringing in East Afrika into the forum and I can gladly report that the wheels of motion have set to this effect. The rest of Africa should expect to hear many interesting viewpoints and philosophies from its Eastern part. We are, after all whom the sun god kisses first on his journey across the continent.
Karibu ArchiAfrika
Words: Josiah Mugo, Graduate Architect
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The Birth of the South-South dialogue: The Ecowas Chronicles
The Capital remained an English-Indian creation in the African wilderness. It owed nothing to African skill; it needed none. - V.S Naipaul, In a Free State (1971)
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oday, Africa is coming of age as we continue to take back ownership of our continent, take back the ownership of our role in our future development. In the built environment, much of our reclamation can be in a large part attributed to the fact that we now have African voices speaking from within our communities and demonstrating what ArchiAfrika Chairman Joe Osae-Addo calls the ‘African Response in Architecture’. This has been the focus of the ArchiAfrika ‘African Condition Dialogues’ initiated at UIA 2014 in Durban, South Africa. Since then, the dialogue has travelled far, with Joe Addo moderating panel discussions with his peers from the Diaspora in Cape Town, Luanda, Amsterdam and most recently in Accra at the Accra Revisited Urban Design Conference on Accra with a discussion moderated by Joe Addo and Lesley Lokko titled ‘Regaining Our West African Urban Condition’. The focus of the Accra Revisited Conference was to revisit past and present development plans for the city of Accra, taking inventory of the natural and human resources of the old city. This was the basis for all explorations, aiming to develop on existing policy and development projects using design as the key for economic and social development in the old city. The ECOWAS Panel Discussion aimed to explore Accra within the broader context of the ECOWAS sub-region and followed a framework around these 3 key themes: 1.
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The colonial influences that shaped the city
2. 3.
The post-colonial overlays The intuitive and more organic responses by the community and how that is creating a new dynamic. The African city, in spite of planning, experiences a more intuitive and organic growth process underpinned by local economy and a hybrid approach to place making.
The African Condition Series is ArchiAfrika’s contribution to the growing South-South dialogue, one where we are in control of our development discussions, plans and initiatives. This is a dialogue in which our needs are expressed in our language and solved by our methods, hearing the voices that come from within our communities as we step into the new era of African Urbanity. The ECOWAS creatives have given us much to think about in our approach to revitalising the African Urban centre and it is clear that the ECOWAS and African voice is alive, actively seeking local solutions for local issues. More than that, we are moving past the African Capital of Naipaul’s perception into the modern African Urban centre in which our evolution is organic and appropriate to our social and economic needs.
Words: Delphina Namata Serumaga-Musisi Program Coordinator The ArchiAfrika Foundation
NEXT GENERATION Accra is a fast paced moving city – people everywhere. This is never a bad thing for a city, as a city needs people to function and participate in the development and expansion of the urban fabric – however, it is the same people that need to take care of it, nurture, understand and grow from it. I walk onto the street from my office and I am met with calls of,
“TAXI, taxi, obroni, taxi.” I casually walk trying to ignore the constant hissing and hooting from taxi’s desperately wanting a passenger in their seat. I wait for a trotro to arrive. One, two, three drive past full to capacity. I decide to start walking down the street to the main junction to catch a connecting bus home. Aromas sweet and painfully sharp fill the air as I walk alongside open air gutters - first installed in the early city to
Photo Credit: ArchiAfrika
control water yet never developed further, now filled to capacity with rubbish and other material. As I walk along the street, I see a hive of activity – old and young vendors selling fresh produce, food, clothing, talk-time. Stalls line the gutters, with their children jumping over them in their games. A staggering 56 percent of Accra’s 2.3 million residents are under 24 years of age. In an ever growing and expanding city such as vibrant Accra it is the responsibility of the Next Generation to continue Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of Accra. Sitting opposite former Mayor, Uncle Nat Nuno-Amarteifio we discuss the future of the city with architectural students from around the country, and 4 from the Netherlands. The planning and designs are in their hands - how can we create better urban spaces to accommodate the growth of the city, for a place where the influx of youngsters are on the daily rise, each with their own agenda of seeking a better life in a booming place with no way to accommodate them? The arrival of youth
and informal workers contribute to the vitality and economic growth indirectly and unseen within the city. How can Accra move forward in a sustainable manner without falling prey to ‘Dubai’ syndrome, but keeping it local and contextually African involving the city and its inhabitants?
Can the Next Generation design a better Accra?
Words: Steffen Fischer Next Generation
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National Boxing Academy James Town, Accra Amoah-Awuah Eric Dept. of Architecture, KNUST, Ghana
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hana has an eminent history in the sport of boxing both at amarteur and professional levels. Boasting of world heroes like Azumah Nelson, D.K. Poison, David Kotei, Iyke Quartey and many others. The philosophy behind the design was to create a sustainable and self-sufficient boxing training facility aware of the fact that the country has a poor record of facility maintenance. As such, the concept inculcated passive lighting and ventilation design like courtyards and cross ventilation, took advantage of the location (by the Gulf of Guinea) of about 11 mph to generate wind energy, added income generation facilities like shops and multi-purpose sports arena. The site shared boundary with the Gulf of Guinea on the south located in Jamestown the heart of boxing Ghana. The two phased design has three main blocks, the accommodation block, training block, and arena. Phase one having the accommodation block, training block with four 1.5 MW wind turbines and the arena. Phase two consists of the vestibular revamp centre and twelve1.5 MW wind turbines. A facility that is sustainable and that can produce great boxers.
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Takoradi Market Centre Lily Atta Nketia Dept. of Architecture, KNUST, Ghana
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akoradi’s inner city markets play an essential role in the urban construct of the city. It is the older, and more densely populated, central section of a city that houses a complex of activities. Chiefly, what attracts people to this place are the prospects of economic opportunities such as sales, banking and trading at large. Takoradi market centre was planned and built in the early 1960’s to form the nucleus of trading for the new Takoradi city. The Market Centre has become the commercial and economic hub of Western Region of Ghana. Over the years, rapid and uncontrolled urban growth in relation to market activities and population size does not reflect in the physical and infrastructural development of the originally designed and developed market. The design concept is derived from existing market. The proposed design uses re-zoning as a means to decentralize the area and to create a new market for the people. In this case, the market was attributed to that of a maze. Maneuvering within it, one could easily lose their way; hence the idea was to maintain the circular form but to enhance circulation so that the design will be the opposite of a maze. Access to the market is pedestrian for customers, while limited service access points aim to reduce congestion. The layout aimed at redirecting some activities away from the market since all the roads lead towards the market circle. Also, the height of some buildings were used to give a sense of direction.
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Overall Context Plan
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Data Analysis Centre Dodowa, Ghana Mongson Alfred Yaw Dept. of Architecture, KNUST
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ata analysis centre is a facility designed as a complete research centre that seeks to offer electronic data for the construction industry located in the heart of Dodowa, in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Based on the concept of “African communication” the facility is perceived as a journey from one point to the other linking blocks of diverse functions together in harmony. Tropical courtyards are used to segregate fuctional spaces thereby allowing in maximum daylight and ventilation. The tropical courtyard also plays a major role aiding transparency and security. The facility is composed of four main sections; the public and ancillary area, research offices, technical laboratories, and the maintenance section. The public section comprise the administrative department, training centre, library, conference room, exhibition hall and infirmary. The research section is made of “self contained” office departments and other general laboratories. The building functions around three courtyards serving as the respiratory organs to aid ventilation. This is a one-stop-shop for the construction industry.
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LANDSCAPE LAYOUT
AO65
sand pit
sand pit
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viburnum odoratissimum
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juniperus virginiana
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scaevola plumieri
DN underground water storage
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40 capacity public parking lot
40 capacity public parking lot
40 capacity public parking lot
concrete pavement blocks are used for the covered walkways
second class asphalt costruction to spread parking space
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Spatial Detail
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Sections
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Elevations
Conceptual
3DS
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50 x 450 mm thick metal brace to support solar panes
reinforced concrete shear wall
600 x 500mm reinforced concrete column
Structural Model: Post and Beam System
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Refuge[e] Steffen Fischer South Africa
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orty Two (42) million people were forcibly displaced in 2013. Together with the rise of population from increasing migration on a global scale, urbanisation and conflict, the result is a silent but risky threat to the stability of our modern cities. What are the design decisions that inform our built environment – from micro to macro – we need to incorporate all social & cultural classes seamlessly together. My project, Refuge[e] and Accra are indirectly linked together; that of a different kind of migration, one that occurs in Ghana – the ‘kayayei’ is one; typically a female who has migrated from the rural area to an urban city centre in search for work, in search for riches.
Plan Investigation
BALUSTRADE
My project and concept are metamorphosed into creating a platform – a congregational space where people can gather, and learn from one another. The space can act as cultural geography in as such where diversity of humanistic fields such as anthropology, environmental, cultural, historic, heritage can be discussed. This allows for a holistic approach to give back to the context, and allows the fold of the landscape in front of the building. This creates elasticity, which allows the landscape to become a potent platform
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SCREEN
STEEL L STRUCTURE
SCREEN + STRUCTURE
=
SKIN
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Skin Detail
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Next Generation
Structural Fins
NORTH ELEVATION 1:100
Structural Model Refuge{e}
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Summary of The Complete and Grand Ghana Mobility Guidelines Handbook The Berlage Center Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design - Spring 2014
“The Complete and Grand Ghana Mobility Guidelines Handbook” is a student research publication that is concerned with transportation infrastructure in Ghana. The work puts emphasis on social and economical issues, as well as pan-national circumstances in order to develop balanced and feasible agenda for the future.
Tutors: Rients Dijkstra (Maxwan Architects and Urbanists) Sanne van den Bremmer Diederik de Koning External experts: Joe Osae-Addo (Constructs LLC) Martin Sobota (CITYFÖRSTER) Team Sanaa Degani Qingsong Han Jieun Kim I-Fang Lee Chang Liu Dušan Tasic Adam Turczyn Mi Yao Yang Zhang
A broad look at the present situation
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oday’s Ghana is following the global race to modernization, struggling at the same time not to lose its uniqueness and identity. Rapid urbanization and hustled development in recent years caused the occurrence of multimillion metropolitan areas that match a global tendency pattern with all their advantages and threats. Due to massive resource extraction, new construction and developing production, transportation has become crucial not only to the area of the major settlements but also to the whole of country. Infrastructural history is based on the colonial slave-trade routes. The lack of public transport is due to the massive overseas import of used cars. Roads cannot bear more vehicles, especially in the city, due to absence of infrastructural planning. An emerging economy requires an efficient transportation system on all scales. From the heavy, industrial based containers to the little carts that provide a living for many of the regular citizens all over Ghana; from the village-to village communications on shell boats, to the international connections through Kotoka international airport terminal.
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Ghana is one of the most rapidly developing countries in West Africa. Located in the heart of the Gulf of Guinea, historically was one of the first African countries to gain independence in 1957. This equatorial country legitimates itself as region’s most stable socially and economically state. Recent discoveries of the oil fields had enriched the economical potential, driven by cocoa plantations and exploitation of minerals. Despite economical and political stability, Ghana also struggles with the issues regarding political management. Decision making is highly centralized which is a critical case. STRENGTHS • fluent income • stable political situation • friendly investments environment
WEAKNESSES • centralized power • administrative fluctuations • corruption • large fiscal deficit OPPORTUNITIES • continuous industry performance (2017-18) • expansion in the services (IT, banking, construction) • slight growth of tourism sector • greater use of public-private partnership (PPPs) • co-operation with Côte d’Ivoire THREATS: • continuous Cedi depreciation (10% per year) • emerging crime • smuggling crops out of the country
National Infrastructure and Design Intervention Ghana is under industrialized and urbanized, the road network has huge potential if integrated with waterway and railway, which is analyzed and tested in the 20 years plan. Ghana’s road network is meanwhile a potential universal territory which could unite local communities to be a national network, to help urbanization within an order, which is discussed in three visions of interventions. The national infrastructure network is not sustainable
the perception of road as a beneficial network for local life in three different situations, road in local territories are redefined by minimal material interventions, spatial order for further development become more clear, and life becomes more interactive with road network.
Comperative strategy Analysis To balance the economic center and rural area, there is a strong similarity in national strategies to use backbone with feeder roads to the inland area and with a certain road density and priority along the costal line and ports, to guarantee the economy development and rural coverage. Two major elements are the questions that we use to analyses for each type: 1. Geographical background 2. Population density and regional economy balance
The United States
China
Ghana
Serbia
and there is a huge potential to be optimized and integrated with different means of transportation. Owing to the extreme imbalance of population, the southern congestion and rural northern inaccessibility are the two main issues that form the bottle neck of the whole country’s road network. Contrary to the southern area, the northern and middle areas have less economic power to drive the market, which needs more organic space with clear order in the coming 20 years to develop. The design intervention focused on the backbone road network, with regard the road as both a national network with economic potential and a local territory with specific perceptions and activities. The contradiction between local urbanization and national road efficiency is the key issue that the “universal territory” strategy tackles with. Rural village, small town and Kumasi suburban area are respectively shrinking, linearly urbanizing and expanding. By introducing
Netherlands
Germany
Ghana
Ghana’s historical plans and its development process shows a typical resource oriented national development route. The infrastructure is weak along the costal line and needs more connections inland.
China
China represents the most rapidly developing country with sufficient economic supply to national infrastructure, meanwhile it has similar geographical background with Ghana. Horizontal and vertical connection is the main strategy of China’s infrastructure.
America
United States has two costal lines and many gold mines, the imbalance of the population density and the natural resources is similar with Ghana, and the national grid strategy of infrastructure was very smart in organizing the resources and population densities.
Germany
As Ghana is facing a future transformation to become an industrial country, Germany’s example is very strong in organizing the industrial cities in a decentralized way, which is also necessary and possible to be tested in the bottom-up dominated country.
Serbia
Serbia is a good example for Ghana in the strategy of connecting a whole country of two major national economical centers with a backbone pattern.
Netherlands
Netherlands has a long costal line of ports and the scale is the same with Ghana, the Strategy to develop from sea to inland by using a triangle pattern to resonant with the whole geographical area and its neighbors is very successful. The Berlage - Ghana Project Book 2014- Summary
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The Nature of the Artificial Lake The waters of Lake Volta are providing living for thousands of people living in the region. Putting a bit more structure into its shore might bring significant increase in the quality of living for the people.
National System
District System
Lake Volta is the biggest artificial lake in the world created by the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1964. Akosombo Dam plays a significant role to provide electricity within the Ghana regions, as well as for export to neighboring countries such as Togo, and Benin. An increase of the surface area of the Lake Volta about 8,500 km2 bring about rapid change of the Voltanian’s living way and makes a huge impact on the structure of Ghana’s infrastructure network. In an aspect of the local scale, about 78,000 people were relocated to new settlements and the number of fishermen and farmers has been increased near the lakeshore villages with the benefit from the abundant amount of the water. Even though the lake can provide a variety of resources and values, this area cannot be integrated with the other part of Ghana because of some limiting factors of the Lake Volta. The completion of the Dam cut a route of water transportation linked to the seaport and it also leads to frequent flooding. Because of this restriction, people of Volta suffer from the lack of the infrastructural network and that of basic social infrastructure. For better life of the Ghanaian including the Voltarian, We’d like to suggest design proposals dealing with the water transportation and infrastructural network. A SYSTEM COMBINING THE WHARF, SQUARE, MARKET AND STORAGE IN KETE-KRACHI. Firstly, we survey the water transportation system of Lake Volta. There are three systems. National System, as a part of transportation system from north to south, is from Akosombo to Buipe without a stop using push berry fleet. District system, mainly using a passage and cargo ship, stops along the whole lake. Ferry crossing the lake is also a part of the district
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Next Generation
Push barge fleet roll-on-roll-off ship
Ferry Passanger and Cargo Ship roll
system. Local system is operated bottom-up by small and big canoes. The joint point between Local system and National + District system is the market. The government plans to update the national system to container ship. And the transportation amount is growing. After survey, Kete-Krachi is chosen as site. Kete-Krachi is a local water transportation center in the past. As the road network developing, it suffers from shrinkage because it is an isolated inland island. The population grows slowly and lots of farmland is abandoned. However, it has good potentiality to produce rice as the South part of
Local System
l-on-roll-off ship
3 Important Points
Big boat Small Boat
Ghana is lack of rice. It needs cheap way to reach the market. A cheap berry wharf is needed. It is very interesting to use the existing water transportation system, add an element on it and bring big benefits to backwards area. To improve the efficiency, the Local system or the canoe wharf is combined
with the berry or ferry wharf. As the market is the joint between them, a market with storage is also added. There are 4 big and 4 small issues to be solved: lack of money, lack of electricity and machinery, large water level difference and a transitional market. Mix-used by small and big ship, landing in water, chaotic market and lack of infrastructure are small issues. For the wharf, to save money and machine, roll-on roll-off wharf is chosen. After calculation, each landing stage can cover a water level difference of 3.5m. For the 12m water level difference, 4 landing stages are needed. To save money
The Berlage - Ghana Project Book 2014- Summary
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and linked berry, ferry and canoe system better, the landing stage is mix-used with different water level. To keep a safety distance, 4 landing stages are staggered arranged. So as the water level goes higher, the landing stage will be used one by one like this. For the market, to keep the market as a whole, the market should be saw everywhere. A landmark is designed and sight can go through the shed or waiting place between landing stage and market. To save money, a lot of local materials are used, like bamboo, wood and thatch. I design the market into strip, to force it order.
Kete-Krachi market Design
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The Berlage - Ghana Project Book 2014- Summary
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Makola Market, Accra
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Makola market is the largest and the most important in the city. The market is proposed to be redesigned in four phases, so as to retrofit these solutions without hampering the regular functioning of the market. The first phase is dependent on a cyclic system, which solves Accra’s drain-flooding problem by developing interventions through incentives. An organization called “Go” is involved in the cleaning, collection, recycling and product development. Through the recycling of drain waste a product called Bitu-block can be developed which is six times stronger than concrete and can be used to build the market drains and plinths. Thus, not only will the drain-garbage problem be solved but it will also be recycled as new material in the same space. Constant maintenance required by the system will be made easier by the design of a metal cage that traps the garbage at defined junctions in the drain. Temporary canopies can be attached by the vendors to the Bitublock-plint so as to provide shade.
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The third phase involves planting trees in the area that also serve as shade during the day. Lighting, signage and traffic signals make up the fourth phase. The market is redesigned keeping in mind the existing bazaar culture without being very intrusive to the current system but solving its major problems.’
Simple Design Intervention
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Next Generation
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The second phase involves the addition of a smaller drain perpendicular to the main drain, which not only assists in everyday cleaning of the market by the vendors using harvested water, but also helps prevent flooding as it increases the volume of the existing drain.
Morning Market System
Plinth mould detail (for BITUblock)
Flow of water through drains
The new Makola Market The Berlage - Ghana Project Book 2014- Summary
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Guerilla Liberation Ama Duah University of Portsmouth, UK.
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he proposed designs for the Guerrilla Liberation Development were conceived to create a new living paradigm that would transform the appearance and effectiveness of a building that would become redundant due to future plans for development. It is a Unitarian Housing development within the multi storey carpark of Cascades Shopping Mall, Portsmouth. This schemes hopes to liberate its inhabitants from the trauma that came from the Tricorn’s brutalist expressions whilst allowing individuals to live in a community devoid of much legistrative decisions that govern Portsmouth’s housing situation. To achieve this, three core values govern the entire development from design stage to construction stage. These are LOVE, LIGHT and LIFE. STRATEGIC BRIEF A new paradigm for dense living that aims to liberate its tenants from the socio-economic and cultural pitfalls that are embedded within Portsmouth’s governmental framework. This development encompasses a plethora of dwelling typologies designed to suit homeless, deprived families, young adults moving out of home, the third age and even people of good standing in society.
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SCHEMATIC CONCEPT What was perceived was that these structures that have been put in place to control the development of the built environment limit its growth in actual fact. These act as a set of function fighting for space within the same box as illustrated to the bottom of this page. What was conceived was to fuse the idea of ownership of a dwelling with the concept of the back yard into the built form of the Cascades Multi story car park.
POETIC SYNTHESIS . The driving force of the scheme is the idea that this PARASITIC concept could inhabit the ‘nucleus’ of the Cascades Multi-storey Car Park and would begin to shape spaces and dwellings to suit the needs of the people. The fluid stokes drawn over the existing Car Park drawing below, express the fluidity of this new paradigm being discussed and its ability to be manifested in various ways.
MASSING CONCEPT
3D perspective of proposed scheme showing addition of elements to existing structure
Study model showing subtraction of elements from exisitng structure
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PROJECT TIME-LAPSE
Existing Development
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Proposed Development
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Qualities of an Individual dwelling
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Morphosit Selasi Setufe Manchester School of Architecture (Benzie Courtyard + Shed)
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hrough this workshop the key issues and approaches I have identified in relation to structural and environmental considerations are in regards to the process of translation of design into a built project. I have identified and understood in relation to architecture to be one that must be considered from the outset.
PRECEDENTS The precedents show a variety of public seating some of which have the possibility to be adapted for different uses. At the early stages of the project we investigated a number of examples of adaptable street furniture. We noticed a variety of designs which incorporated multi-directional seating, a table or a flat bed but non that accommodated all three. We made this the target of our design.
Designs are not simply transferable from drawing to built objects as there are many considerations to make. Through this workshop one of the things that became immediately apparent is the need to test ideas and make allowances for tolerances, taking the into consideration how materials move and change in different environments. PROJECT PLAN
INITIAL CONCEPTS
During the initial meeting with the architect from AFL, we decided on looking at urban furniture. We narrowed it down to seating, possibly including a shelter, making it multifunctional, adaptable and responsive. In order to ensure that our final construction was as close to fully resolved as it could be we devised a programme schedule for the whole fortnight. Within this we were strict on meeting our own deadlines to stay on track. We found this to be a very efficient way of working.
We initially proposed to incorporate a shelter into the design of the seating unit. We tested this idea but however decided against this function, mainly due to safety concerns relating to the weight of the material as well as the mechanism that would be used. From a seated position, the user would not be able to lift the shelter into position comfortably due to the weight of the material and once in position, securing the shelter would be an issue.
CONCEPT DESIGN We then focused on creating a multi-functional unit and started experimenting with different shapes. The most efficient way of rotating the movable unit around a central pivot is by using a semi circle shaped disk. It can be adjusted to a number of different angles for a back seat or a table as chosen by the user.
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Design development
Day 1
FINAL DESIGN
Our final design managed to meet the criteria we set ourselves in initial design discussions in terms of function whilst also developing aesthetically into a product we thought looked visually appealing in the environments we had considered.
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Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
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PROTOTYPING For the prototype we decided to try a number of different materials such as plywood and perspex. For the Final product we will be using plywood as it can placed for both outdoor and indoor uses when treated. The design however can be manufactured using other materials as well depending on the location.
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ASSSEMBLY
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PROCESS
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CONSTRUCTION
Final Assembly
Real world Application
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The Red Terror Martyrs Museum
Thi fou vic ter
Fasil Giorghis (M.arch) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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The youth of the time started different movement being inspired by different revolutionary ideologies and having the vision of changing their country. The ups and downs of a struggle full of sacrifices is symbolized by the zigzagging lines and different levels of the building.
he main structure of the building is reinforced concrete part of the external walls are built of hollow concrete blocks while the major volume is built out of local stone which was fromalready the used roof terrace towards for the previously existing retaining wall structure. el square
The building was built in one of the major public spaces of Addis Ababa where public parades and political gathering takes place between 1975 and 2010 the actual site of the building was the edge of the large amphitheatre defined by a staggering stone masonry wall. The design was conceived in such a way that part of the building will be retraced by following wall the footon mark of the gering retaining the previous retaining wall. The local stone site site 15% sl ope ram of the retaining wall slightly dressed p W7 reused again.
View from the roof terrace towards Ground floor plan Maskel square pe ramp 16% slo
pe ramp 16% slo
shear wall
shadow light
suspended ceiling
AUDITORIUM
The entire concert was poured in place using a handmade formwork in natural wood. No standardized measure was specified for this purpose; the planks were misaligned using stick or by hand. The building’s interior design is a direct outcome of its architecture; the building has no mechanical heating, Ventilation or air-conditioning system. Environmental control issues are generally solved in a natural means. The project was built by local contractors using the predominant local construction material concert.
The yo being inspi and having ups and dow bolized by of the buil
shadow light
wooden steps
LIBRARY
9% slope ramp
suspended metal rail
EXHIBITION MUSEUM CAFETERIA
EXHIBITION
SECTION A-A Sc.100
Staggering retaining wall on the opposite site 15% slo pe
AUDITORIUM
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There is no artificial air conditioning system within the museum. Climate control is achieved through careful consideration of air movement and proper orientation. The thick wall which is cladded with natural stone and openings which avoid direct sun light
AUDITORIUM 100 sq.m
shear wall suspended metal rail6 W
EXHIBITION
stage
ARCHIVE &LIBRARY
EXHIBITION
W3 WN OPEN DO
81 sq.m
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of the building.
The youth of the time started different movement being inspired by different revolutionary ideologies and having the vision of changing their country. The ups and downs of a struggle full of sacrifices is symbolized by the zigzagging lines and different levels of the building.
pe ramp 16% slo
This are some of found remains of victims of the “R terror”.
pe ramp 16% slo
shear wall
shadow light
suspended ceiling shadow light
AUDITORIUM
pic tim are ed lie inc pan
wooden steps
9% slope ramp EXHIBITION
outh of the time started different movement ired by different revolutionary ideologies the vision of changing their country. The wns of aSECTION struggle A-A Sc.100full of sacrifices is symthe zigzagging lines and different levels lding. MUSEUM CAFETERIA
W6
B W6
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shear wall
AUDITORIUM 100 sq.m
W6
First floor plan
stage
shear wall
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pe ramp 16% slo
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W1
suspended ceiling shadow light
wooden steps
9% slope ramp
FIRST FLOOR PLAN Sc.100
TION A-A Sc.100
MUSEUM CAFETERIA
Section A-A
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from the west and south west resulted in a comfortable interior environment. Leakage is avoided due to the slanted roof which allows rain water to runoff from the roof easily. Except the glazing all the other construction materials are produced locally. One of the main design concepts was to use local building materials which are durable and maintenance free. The industrially produced wall tiles and hand cut stone for the masonry wall symbolically represent the modern and the traditional and their harmonious co existence. Due to the relatively cheap labor cost hand chiseling of stone is Stoll practice in Ethiopia. The traditional craft of manual stone cutting created employment for local artisans. The rough concrete surface was left unplastered for its texture and to remind visitors of the interiors of prisons where most of the visitors of the “red terror” languished for several years. 40x40 red-oxides intend concrete floor tiles were used for pavement around the building the red-oxide color was a reminder of the blood spilled on the streets of many towns in Ethiopia during that period. The dark grey tiles which cover the main museum evoke the feeling of sorrow and fear.
T
he project was first initiated by a committee which was formed to build a monument for the victims of the “red terror”. The “red terror” took place from 1975 to 1980 to crush the political opposition in Ethiopia. It is estimated that more than 50,000 to 80,000 people, mainly young, were killed by the military dictatorship known as the Dergue. The committee’s initial idea was to build a 40 mt high monument to commemorate the victims who lost their life in that particular period. I as an architect, together with a prominent Ethiopian artist was asked to give our opinion on the project. Together we convinced the committee that a museum will be more appropriate to remember the martyrs and tell the story for future generations more effectively than a statue.
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Gallery of images and memory objects in the partition wall
Museum Outside view
View from the roof terrace towards Maskel square
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Since 2010, the Red terror Martyrs museum building sits at the Eastern end of the Meskal square which is one of the largest and most prominent public spaces in the Addis Ababa. Maskal Square which was renamed Revolution Square during the Dergue (communist military regime) period is located in the center of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Everything big and major that is happening in the city takes place there. The 8.5 Hectar urban space is frequented by all kinds of people from different income groups and used for different activities. This site hosts important religious celebrations and rituals (both Christian and Muslim), sports, political rallies, and other cultural activities. The square is loaded with history and has gone through a process of transformation through different political periods. The Meskal square was
the location where the Red Terror was publicly announced by the chairman of the Dergue. In 1991, the Dergue was over thrown and the current government reinstated Maskal Square as a place for both religious celebration and secular activities. When the idea of commemorating the martyrs of the red terror arose, it became obvious that it should be built in this area.
ted different movement olutionary ideologies ng their country. The l of sacrifices is symand different levels
This are some of the found remains of the victims of the “Red terror�.
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found victi terro
d remains of the ims of the “Red or�.
From a personal point of view the building was seen as an expression of the feeling of the generation that suffered during the period of the red terror. I as a young boy witnessed the atrocities and tried to express the mood by using somber colors and materials both internally and externally. The zig-zagging stone masonry wall which was built in the late seventies was demolished and rebuilt after creating spaces for supporting activities such as a cafe and restaurant and two other large rooms to be rented out as income generating facilities. Carving out part of the raised ground, creating space and rebuilding the museum was in line with the ancient tradition of rock hewn and cave churches of Ethiopia.
Attempt has been made to give serious consideration to the urban context by locating the building at the eastern corner of the Maskal square and maintaining a low rise volume in order not to eclipse the historic Addis Ababa Museum at the back. The gradually ascending lower volumes echo the terraced seating of the Amphitheatre while the dark gray colored mass continues the wall at the back of the Maskal square. The twisted angle between the two volumes is meant to express the abrupt change of ideology our society faced during those days. The interior lighting of the exhibition rooms is the result of an effort to create a somber atmosphere. The entranced lobby is filled with ample natural lighting while the rest of the museum has dimly lit rooms. A life size statue of three women was placed near the entrance of the museum. Today, the ideal location of the museum has increased its visibility and prominence. Its activities have made it as one of the important cultural venues of the city and by allowing the young generation to learn from the mistakes of the past this center will help our society the values of tolerance and human life.
View from the roof terrace towards Maskel square
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