The Architect's Newsletter

QUARTERLY GHANAIAN ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN PUBLICATION

the architect’s newsletter

DEC 2019 | issue 02

Opinion 12 The State of Built Affairs

News Reel 16

New ARC Board Inaugurated New Nubuke Gallery Opens

New Features 16

Eyiah-Botwe nominated as ARC Registrar CAA accredits Department of Architecture

Projects Features 20 ARCHETYPE OFFICES [North Kaneshie, Accra]

Green Spot 28

Achieving SDGs through GREEN BUILING [Ghana Green Building Council]

inFrame Interview with Accra Mayor Sowah Winning Architects - City Construction & Properties Awards

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GIA Reports 45

Annual Report from GIA Hon. Secretary

Culture 47

Art Talk GOETHE INSTITUTE

TAN_Edu. 31 Product Review 49

Bene Office - Introducing Pixel

al ternat ive

SOLUTIONS Archetype Offices OOA’s Legon City Lofts STA 5000 for 5000 Project plus C40 Cities Award

YOUR

IDEAS

BUILD

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Editorial | A sea change swept the Ghanaian urban space within the year and left gaping questions in its wake.

The biggest of these, how do we tackle the problem of meaningful urban redevelopment for all...?

Engaging with the Everyday

by Ruth-Anne Richardson AGIA

[the writer is the editor for The Architect’s Newsletter]

RIGHT. ‘My bet is on Old Accra still, as the

GAME CHANGER in Accra development, regaining her INFLUENCE and recentering Accra. The Centre must hold, or Things fall apart...’

Joe Osae-Addo

Dear Readers, The answer to this question definitely lies in the above headliner: ‘engaging with the everyday’; a no doubt familiar phrase for anyone within any of the architectural circles - large or small, local or international - who has at one point in time had an interaction with the architect Joe Osae-Addo, whose own East Legon residence epitomises engagement.

Those who have encountered this mantra, understand the call for a deeper engagement with and commitment to matters of our Ghanaian urban built and unbuilt space... matters of life and living it.

Anyone who has not..., pay attention!

So how are we addressing the issue of re-development? For many of the features in this issue, one thing ties them all together: creative conviction... that willpower to influence spatial change within a cultural mindset; this is the essence of what makes architecture impactful.

Our projects features also show similarity in approaches to new

concepts with alternative material solutions. The term design-buildown is becoming increasingly more popular within the Ghanaian context, with more architects recognising the importance of ownership with the built space. Whether it is daring to design an office in shipping containers [ARCHETYPE, p.20] or going back to first principles in local tropical architecture to derive a contemporary response to the issue of urban housing [OOA, p.5], the simple matter of fact being that the argument for change is more persuasive when a solution has been excellently executed and realised.

Slightly cynical as that may sound, there is no denying the power of good architecture in changing mindsets.

With most Ghanaians still wary of the integrity and indeed aesthetic of alternative local solutions, these projects are great examples of architects taking the bull by the horns, with stunning results.

This TAN issue also recognise those projects that have benefitted from

having enlightened clients willing to take the chance at experimental approaches. Projects such as the Ashesi University [Sutherland and Sutherland Associates] and The Design & Technical Institute [Incept] stand out because of the willingness of their patrons to go the long haul. We say hats off to the City Construction and Properties Awards for projecting the work of architects within the Ghanaian space, and congratulations to all the award winners [p.38-43].

Our thanks also to Accra Mayor Sowah for granting us time for an engaging discussion on Accra’s future [p.32].

We are keeping our promise to put architects more in touch with the best of products and manufacturers available, with our Products Review.

This issue features Office Furniture makers BENE with their product Pixel.

Our interspersed full page photography captures the heart of engagement with the everyday. From materials, to people, to new technologies-from old solutions, enjoy this last issue for the year 2019.

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Letters & Opinions | ROADS MINISTER ORDERS DEMOLITION OF 22-STOREY BUILDING WORKS AT AIRPORT RESIDENTIAL AREA Several issues have gone wrong with this story and I believe it can be used as a case study for our Continued Professional Practice.

Key areas to address are: 1. The Minister and his actions 2. The contractor’s responsibility 3. Responsibilities of the Developer 4. The Responsibility of the Municipal Assembly 5. Lack of coordination of various government agencies The actions of the Minister of Roads and Highways’ were completely unwarranted.In countries with laws, the contractor’s rights should have been read to them before arresting them. Although there is the need to look at the offences (obstruction of traffic, building without Permit - Traffic Impact Assessment inspection onsite could have been conducted, no Environmental Impact Assessment, nuisance to neighbours), to burst unto the site was dramatically draconian.

Contractors should be handed unencumbered land for construction. As our Permit laws stands, Land Owners are those who are granted Building Permits; the forms show that. So without a permit no contractor should be

Letters and Opinions to be published in The Architect’s Newsletter should be emailed to publications@ienvisage.space.

All letters for the next quarter’s issue should be received before: Tuesday,10th March 2020.

TAN reserves the right to edit letters.

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permitted to start work on site. The consultants working on the project should not have allowed the contractor to commence work - a clear check list.

Therefore, the client’s agents are all at fault: Project Manager, Architects, Engineers alike and unfortunately, have acted lawlessly.

killing two (2) persons and yet the site was cleared before any proper investigations.

We must have laws to protect our technical colleagues. The law must empower them to carry out effective development control.

The absence of logistics, sufficient and competent human resources The Developer was required to secure is also an issue that needs to a building permit, which they ignored. be addressed through laws and The permit needed to cover Geotech, structures. That said, their silence EPA (that required comprehensive on the matter is certainly not consultation with neighbours and helpful where questions must be agencies), TIA (which would have dealt answered: with all ‘do’s and don’ts’ of the use of 1. Why was work going on without the roads, fire permit and other relevant permit? 2. Did they really give the documents. instructions to do the retaining Again, works were carried out with wall? 3. If they did then it is tacit an Application in Principle which is a approval unless it was a remedial planning permit and NOT a Building action to prevent collapse of walls.

Permit. Without a BP, the client should Even with that, couldn’t the proper not have requested the contractor move engineering shoring have solved the to site. issue?

The Municipal Authourities have not spoken yet in all of this. And there are issues in there - bureaucracy in communication in public sector, transparency, human resource issues, corruption, delays in Permit Approvals, political interference.

The new Building Regulations address some of these issues. We also need to note that it is within this same Assembly that a building collapsed,

Editor Ruth-Anne Richardson AGIA Editorial assistant Abigail Dinu Production editor Roger Dakey News editor Dexter Dziekpor AGIA Reporter Josephine Adu Art Editor Jacob Twum Asare Contributing editor David Derban AGIA Commercial Directors Ransford Ampratwum AGIA, Phanuel Okrah Director Kofi Essel-Appiah AGIA, GGBC Board Chairman Joseph E. Hayford FGIA

The MMDAs come under Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. Other agencies involved with permitting straddle several areas, i.e. EPA (Science and Technology), TIA (Department of Urban Roads), Fire Certification (Interior Ministry) etc. The lack of effective coordination and a ‘one stop shop’ for handling the permitting process is not helpful.

There is an urgent need to step up a notch higher. A simple barcode or QR code on a construction site to read all requisite data is a goal that we as professionals and an Institute need to drive our system to.

Tony Yaw Asare, AGIA The writer is a current member of the GIA Council and Principal Architect of TEKTON Consult. Blog: gongonbeater.com Front Cover Image: Photographed at ARCHETYPE offices

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Project of the Month Legon City Lofts Architects: Orthner & Orthner Associates East Legon, Accra. COMPLETED December 2018 This townhouse development utilises traditional building concepts for tropical climates to produce a contemporary interpretion with a striking urban aesthetic. Local timber and metal screens with rammed earth fence walls combine effortlessly in 5 linked loft-style residences. The design is one of the first sustainable real estate Ghanaian developments.

To submit projects for consideration as our Project of the Month, email your project to: projectpublication@ienvisage.space Further submission requirements are available at www.ienvisage.space/publication 5|

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

Project of the Month |

Left:

The internal double volume space is washed with natural daylight streaming through floor to ceiling louvred windows. The open plan ground floor layout comprises the living area with its kitchen and dining space. The flow of natural breeze is aided with long hangar, braced ceiling fans.

Plot Size :1763 sqm.

Building Coverage: 750 sqm.

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Site Layout Ground Floor Plan First Floor Plan

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Competitions & Upcoming Events |

Contact: Cell Phone: +233.24.432.2660

E-Mail: info@ghgbc.org

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

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01 EAST LEGON ‘J Barnor: A Retrospe the Nubuke Founda inaugural photogra exhibition within its constructed Gallery outdoor open amp space.

Architects: Baerbel & Juergen Strohma

in Pictures

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September - December 2019 in review

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James ective’ is ation’s aphy s newly y with phitheatre

l Mueller ayer

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

02 AIPORT RES. The 18-storey Mirage Residence sees its completion within the 2nd quarter of 2019.

The Turkish real estate development is the second for Yagmur Group after Turquaz Residence.

Architects:

03 EAST LEGON Legon City Lofts is the first of 2 blocks intended along the same property stretch.

The project employs local building materials and craftmanship. Architects: Orthner Orthner Associates

04 EAST LEGON The Design & Technical Institute bridges the gap between academic training and industry practice. Built using shipping containers, the bright coloured open courtyard form sits over red steel supports. Architects: Incept Consult Ltd

05 The Galleria, Kempenski was transformed with the pop-up exhibition ‘When We Were Kings’ by NUAFROPOLITAN; it was commissioned for the series of events marking the period of the ‘Year of Return’ by Diasporans to Ghana.

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

06 MAPUTO. The MaputoKatembe Bridge became Africa’s longest constructed suspension bridge in late 2018. The $750 million bridge will provide an important route across the Maputo Bay, reducing travel time between Mozambique and South Africa.

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

01 OSU No. 1 Oxford Street by Wonda World towers 230 feet above the heart of Osu. The 12-storey building comprises 108 residential units of studios, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments, penthouses with retail and recreational facilities open to both residents and guests.

02 KAMPALA 525-metre Jinja bridge, valued at $112 million is a cablestayed bridge creates an important connection between Kampala [west bank] and the Kenyan border [east bank]; public concern was raised when the surface of the bridge developed defects 10 days after it was commissioned.

03 The pop-up exhibition ‘When We Were Kings’ by NUAFROPOLITAN is expected to run till early January. The exhibition is a visual foray to ‘unlocking memory of our DNA & charting the next 400 years. Each piece on display is open for sale by the designer.

Designer: Jewel Arthur

04 East Legon Past Forward is a project investigating the spatial, sociocultural & migratory characteristics of Abotsiman, and the implications of urban transformation. It is a joint project between [applied] Foreign Affairs, Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Arts, Vienna and OOA.

05 Ghanaian firm, PREDIOS Group is conducting its research study in Kumasi, documenting the architecture of KNUST under the working title, ‘Experiments with the Tropics: Adaptations and Inspirations’. The firm is collaborating with KNUST students and faculty of Architecture.

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

06 VENICE The earthrendered curved galleries of Ghana Freedom, the national pavilion at the 58th Venice Art Biennale will display installations

by El Anatsui, Ibrahim Mahama, Felicia Abban, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, film by John Akomfrah and Selasi Awusi Sosu.

Architect: Sir David Adjaye

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Opinion | 2020 vision? A call to engage architects’ collective power

The State of Built Affairs

by Henry Abraham [the writer is a social entrepeneur, Managing Director of HJA Africa and and formerly Head of Transport and Economic Development for London. His columns are available on his blogsite.] hjabraham.com; email hjabraham@gmail.com

Let’s make this coming year a truly happy one, through seeking and implementing fresh approaches to addressing key challenges for our built environment, that benefit Ghana.

One huge challenge is the housing shortage, estimated by the Housing Minister at 2 million and by the Ghana Real Estate Development association at close to 6 million.

Such figures are compiled by trying to compare the number of housing units people desire with what they actually have – evidently not an easy task given the huge differences in the figures quoted by these knowledgeable sources.

Beyond practical measurement challenges in quantifying the housing shortage, there is a conceptual difficulty: we don’t speak of a shortage of motor cars because there are many who would like a motor car but don’t have one, or have one but not the one they would like. Similarly, with housing, it’s not just about what housing 12 |

each of us might desire, but what we have a potential opportunity to acquire, that should be counted as economically effective demand. Yet most of us feel that in a healthy society, everyone should have at least a chance to choose to live in reasonable accommodation with dignity, even if they cannot have the car – or indeed the house - they would ideally like.

We need to analyse both demand and supply issues for housing. We need to understand where demand can be expressed in more effective ways (for example, through increased availability of mortgages, or shifting demand for housing towards areas where it can be more easily and cheaply supplied); and where supply can effectively be increased (for example, by adjusting the utility companies supply charging structures to make construction of low and medium price housing more economically attractive to developers than at present). And of course, demand and supply issues interact and so need to be considered together.

Behind these calculated statistics

and economic dynamics is much difficulty, even suffering, endured by millions of Ghanaians due to their living conditions. Many have no stable place of abode, live in severely over-crowded conditions, spend the majority of their day commuting on crowded ‘tro-tros’ because it takes a lifetime to travel from where they can live to where they work and/or study, or suffer from the absence of water or electricity at the property they live in. It is to our collective shame that so little progress has been made over the decades to address these serious problems, and we cannot just give up on this.

roofscape . nima township

Many of the issues that need to be addressed to help improve the operation of housing demand and supply are well known, albeit they have proved difficult to solve.

They include improving our land acquisition and registration system and reducing the friction often amounting to years of wasted time before development can even start; facilitating the feeble

photography credits. EAK

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Opinion |

mortgage market so that many more Ghanaians can access finance to acquire housing; enabling alternatives for efficient provision of utilities to give choice and greater availability in more areas to developers and buyers; enforcing our planning system more rigorously so building is done in suitable locations, to the right standards, and coordinated with provision of wider infrastructure; avoiding the ridiculous waste of resources arising from stopping housing schemes started by previous governments whenever a new party comes to power, and so on.

I will add two less frequently discussed issues to this list. First, the need for greater taxation of capital gains on land and building value increases, to reduce the attractions of holding on to undeveloped or under-developed land and simply waiting for prices to rise whilst doing nothing to make the land more useful. Second, the technical and cultural barriers which mean that our desperate housing shortage is happening alongside a glut of under-occupied housing (often with an elderly couple or single occupant) and strings of uncompleted housing.

Addressing these two issues could go a long way towards solving our housing crisis at relatively low financial cost. However, to properly unpack them needs more space than is possible within the bounds of this column, and I hope to return to them in the future.

Coming back to the wider question of tackling the challenge of housing need, architects can play a key role as facilitators of a common agenda and united pressure for change from relevant built environment professional groups (analogous to the individual architect’s role in coordinating diverse professionals to carry out a building project).

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saglemi housing development

Architects could even form a vanguard for movements of civil society and individual citizens addressing wider built environment concerns, by helping pinpoint and publicise the questions that all should be asking, and the actions that would be most effective from a professionally informed perspective..

The time to act is now! Architects and other built environment professionals must seize the golden opportunity of an election year to promote a worthwhile debate that is informed by technical knowledge and practical experience.

They can encourage a context that elicits appropriate commitments from the political parties by playing the election game smartly.

For example, there needs to be a deeper diagnosis of the ills of our land tenure and registration system, going beyond simply talking of digitisation (desirable though digitisation is), towards identifying specific changes in our currently broken processes and incentives, and how these can be brought about. Professionals need to agree on key specific actions to deliver change, and create a context that

elicits greater accountability from our leaders.

Specifically, architects could orchestrate a public platform where political parties are challenged to respond to specific politically neutral and technically identified policy recommendations, on the record.

This platform should also challenge relevant institutions on what part they should play in driving change.

The platform should be webcast and video recorded, as well as having journalists and public present, to assist in holding political parties more accountable against the statements they make in response to the challenges put forward by built environment institutions, once one of the parties has been elected to power. If architects play their part in encouraging more effective civil society engagement with political parties on a major challenge such as the housing shortage, they will at the same time achieve something even more important: helping to build the culture of greater accountability from and engagement with our leaders, that we – and they – so need, for Ghana’s good. But time is short to influence the platform of next government, of whichever party that turns out to be. If architects are to build the necessary alliances with other professions, and achieve support for the sort of engagement sessions with politicians and institutions that I have suggested above, in time to influence key ideas in party manifestos, action is urgent.

Here’s to a future for Ghana in 2020 and beyond, where architects play that positive role, alongside many others, in ensuring the country develops in a sustainable and professionally informed way, that benefits all its citizens. It is a future that is within the built environment professions’ collective grasp, if they have the will to make this happen.

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

TAN

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

News Reel & Features | MARCH 28 - 29 2019

27 March. 2019

GIA Masters Series 4 held in Kumasi Architect Speaker: Prof. John Owusu Addo

The year 2020 promises to be served with anticipation for the GIA, with the election of its incoming 2020 President. Samuel Mbrayeh Quartey was elected Presidentin-Waiting at the 2019 AGM. Quartey has previously served on 2 GIA Councils.

He is the Principal Architect for ATELIER, in Tema. So what does the renowned architect intend as a strategic plan for the GIA? In recent times, the Institute has

28 - 29 March. 2019

GIA 2019 Annual General Meeting held for the first time in Kumasi [Great Hall KNUST] 29 April. 2019

GIA Council meets with Zongo Minister Hon. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid 15 May. 2019

2nd GIA Continuous Professional Development Seminar: Stone Depot 21 March. 2019

GMMB Temporary Exhibition: Architectural Heritage of Ghana closes

S.M. QUARTEY BECOMES GIA PRESIDENT-IN-WAITING seen a transformation in participation owing to its ‘Awake’ movement with membership taking particular interest in publicly campaigning for local architects.

Quartey will assume office within a period of complete overhaul of the Architects Registration Council, with core mandates of organisation of Architectural Competitions and Professional Examination most likely to be handed back over to the GIA. The question must be asked, how will Quartey ensure tangible results in a 2-year tenure?

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Jack Travis, FAIA Lectures at the British Council, Accra on ‘Culture + Design’ 07 August. 2019

GIA swears in newly inducted Architects as Associate Members of the GIA 16 August. 2019

Inauguration of the ARC Governing Board for 2019 at Ministry of Works & Housing 27 August. 2019

Richard Dadey is elected as Board Chair of the Architects’ Registration Council 4th September. 2019

Dr. Emmanuel Eyiah-Botwe is nominated as next ARC Registrar by the GIA 03 - 05 October. 2019

17th International Building Construction & Property Exhibition held at AICC, Accra 07 October. 2019

World Architecture Day celebrated under theme, ‘Architecture... Housing for all’ 21 - 23 October. 2019

Validation Board grants accreditation to KNUST Department of Architecture 23 November. 2019

Nubuke Foundation Reopens with new Gallery and James Barnor as first exhibition 29 November. 2019

GIA 2019 End of Year soiree held at Architecture House, Ridge 02 December. 2019

Public Lecture by Diébédo Francis Kéré at Great Hall, KNUST in Kumasi Writers for the news reel & features column: Ruth-Anne Richardson AGIA is editor of The Architect’s Newsletter; David Kojo Derban AGIA is the contributing editor for The Architect’s Newsletter and current GIA Honorary Social Secretary He is C.E.O of Ethnik International, an architectural, R&D firm based in Accra.

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CAA BOARD ACCREDITS KNUST’s DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE OCTOBER 21 - 23 2019 CAA/ARC/GIA Joint Validation Board has renewed Accreditation for the following programmes in Architecture for another five year term: BSc. Architecture as RIBA Part 1 Master of Architecture as RIBA Part 2

The Joint Board’s Chair, Kofi Essel-Appiah, AGIA commended the Department for maintaining their accrediation status and noted that they had done so successfully in all previous assessments.

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

DECEMBER 6 2019

STA ADVANCES PLANS FOR 5000 FOR 5000 PROJECT

Winner of Shelter Afrique’s 5000 for 5000 competition, Senyo Tetteh Associates has advanced its plans for construction of the project using interlocking compressed earth bricks. The firm held deliberations with organisers Shelter Afrique and the Ghana Ministry of Works & Housing.

Discussions would no doubt centre on funding commitment and infrastructural support to kick off a pilot project for 32 housing units, which STA plans to eventually scale up.

The firm has also stated its intention to build prototypes as ‘study units’ on the campus of Central University for various aspects of study by faculty and students as part of academic research programs. STA will fund the project, with results from the collective study shared by CU’s Architecture department. STA intends to use the results to improve its ‘5kfor5k’ unit. Approval for the research is expected to be confirmed

by CU within the first quarter of 2020.

NEW NUBUKE GALLERY OPENS WITH JAMES BARNOR: A RETROSPECTIVE

NOVEMBER 23 2019 Nubuke Foundation announced its reopening at the same time it ‘unveiled’ its new gallery building and extended campus grounds in East Legon, designed by Austrian architects, Baerbel Mueller and Juergen Strohmayer.

Following 2 years of reconstruction, the space now comprises of 3 buildings with galleries, shops, meeting areas, a residency and studio space, library, visitors lounge and a mix of recreational areas. The design offers a naturally lit and airy two-tiered gallery with over 500 sqm of indoor/outdoor exhibition space. The opening was marked by an inaugral exhibition on works by James Barnor 17 |

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

News Reel & Features | AUGUST 27 2019 The Board of the Architects Registration Council elected its Chairman at its first official meeting after being inducted into office. Richard Nii Dadey has stepped down from his two-year tenure as GIA President in order to assume this new role.

This obviously means some clear re-structuring within a GIA Council that has already served half a term. Although no stranger to high-tasking administrative positions, Dadey will have his work cut out for him as Board Chair, given the weight of

issues outlined by the GIA for address. He is expected to lead the Board in outlining a clear 5-year plan of action, taking decisions concerning regulation and mandates, questionable inclusions unto the Register of Architects, as well as the thorny issue of the intended repeal of the Architects’ Act. Speaking a little over a week before his election, Dadey had stated that GIA will ensure ARC Board addresses the matters.

RICHARD DADEY ELECTED AS ARC BOARD CHAIR

OOA HOST WORLD ARCHITECTURE DAY AT LEGON CITY LOFTS OCTOBER 07 2019 This year’s WAD celebrations saw the Institute recognise one of the city’s notable projects of 2018, Legon City Lofts as hosts for WAD 2019, ‘Architecture… Housing for All’. The GIA Council-organised event was a highlight for the Ghanaian architectural community as well as allied organisations.

Presentation were given by Legon City Lofts architects [OOA], 5000 for 5000 project architect Augustine Owusu-Ansah [STA], David Kwantwi a Part 2 GIA probationer as well as Council Member Tony Asare [TEKTON Consult]. The various presentations focused 18 |

ARC BOARD MEMBERS INDUCTED AUGUST 16 2019

on interventions within the housing discourse.

In his address, GIA President Richard Dadey said, “As diverse as the presenters seem they are linked together by that shared vision of responding to the unmet demands of housing the people in Ghana.” Dadey also announced the formal launch of a rolling exhibition to be opened at the next AGM scheduled for March 2010, dubbed ‘My City My Vision’. World Architecture Day is celebrated annually on the first Monday of every October to “remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat” and coincides with the UN World Habitat Day.

An induction of both the ARC and Ghana Engineering Boards. The 10-member Board is constituted according to the ARCHITECTS ACT 1969 [NLCD 357], Section 3. The inducted persons were: 5 GIA nominees [Richard Nii Dadey, Adotei Brown, Kofi EsselAppiah, Augustus Richardson, Rosemary Cobbinah]; Faculty of Architecture, KNUST nominee Prof. Christian Koranteng [absent]; Academy of Science nominee Professor HNA Wellington; MWH nominee Ms. Kwako; Attorney-General nominee Mr. Kpobi; ARC Registrar Ms. Stella Arthiabah

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

JULY 25 2019 The Ghana Trade Fair Company Ltd. hosted an Investor Conference dubbed the GHANA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, inviting financers, investors, bankers, real estate developers, public officials and building professionals for a presentation on the redevelopment project for the historic International Trade Fair site in Accra. BritishGhanaian architect Sir David Adjaye [Adjaye Associates] is the third architect to play the key design role on Ghana’s iconic postindepence site. The proposed Centre by Adjaye Associates includes convention and exhibition centres, aviation and petroleum hubs, two (2) five star hotels, residential and recreational facilities. The Centre will be reconstructed with an estimated $2 billion to be solicited from private investors. Sir Adjaye’s project is expected to contribute the needed influence to attract international investment and manufacturers. The development becomes the first multi-purpose Trade Centre on the African continent when completed.

TRADE FAIR REDEVELOPMENT INVESTOR CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 03 2019

ARC REGISTRAR NOMINEE NOVEMBER 29 2019 GIA announces that Vice President Kofi Owusu, AGIA has taken over the role of GIA President, following the resignation of newly elected ARC Board Chair, Richard Dadey. Kofi Owusu is the current KNUST College Examinations Coordinator and a member of the KNUST Academic Board.

KOFI OWUSU IS GIA PRESIDENT

By ballot box voting [92 to 42 votes], Dr. Eyiah-Botwe wins nomination for position as ARC Registrar. He will be the 3rd registrar of the ARC following Prof. Mills -Tettey [late] and Mrs. Stella Arthiaba. He is a Lecturer [Building Technology Department, Kumasi Technical Univerity] as well as former Vice Dean, Faculty of Built and Natural Environment. He is a GIA Associate member and former Vice President of the Ghana Institute of Architects (2014-2016).

Academic qualification - DPhil Engineering Management [University of Johannesburg]; MSc. Construction Project Management [Distinction], [University of the West of England]. Eyiah-Botwe will be expected to work with the newly governing ARC Board in addressing issues tabled by the GIA as crucial to the existence of the Professional Body of architects. He has stated his commitment to fulfilling his new role.

KERE PUBLIC LECTURE AT KNUST

DECEMBER 02 2019 A lecture titled “WORK REPORT BY PROF FRANCIS KERE” was held at the Great Hall [KNUST, Kumasi] under the Auspices of Innovation and Partnership for Sustainable Development and KNUST-TUM. It featured investigative research on Design and Build Projects using Multi- Functional Space by Prof Rexford Assasie Oppong – KNUST and Diébédo Francis Kéré - TU München, Germany. The Chair for the event was Professor Samuel Amos-Abanyie with Moderator Dr. Daniel Duah, both of KNUST Department of Architecture.

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Buildings Feature and construction are responsible Projects | ARCHETYPE OFFICE for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions? That 28% of these emissions come from the operational “in-use” phase to heat, power and cool the buildings, while the remaining 11% of these emissions are attributed to embodied carbon emissions. (www.worldgbc.org).

Thinking Inside The ‘Box’ TAN talks with ARCHETYPE Principal Architect, Philip Dadzie about their shipping container office in North Kaneshie [photography credits. ARCHETYPE]

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

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Projects Feature | ARCHETYPE OFFICE Photos: photography courtesy of ARCHETYPE.

TAN | What was the process of working on this project like?

PD | It was an exciting process. The first milestone was the positioning of the containers. It was exciting to have the containers delivered on site and lifted into their various positions.

It was a nail-biting, hair-raising yet exhilarating experience all in one!

The operation had to be rolled out with extreme precision and once all the containers were finally in their exact positions, everyone could let out their breaths which they had been holding in for so long!

ARCHETYPE Principal Philip Haywood-Dadzie sets a precedent in office design by opting to design and build his firm with shipping containers.

TAN asks him about the appeal of containers for build and the opportunities available for designing with them.

TAN | Can you give us some background orientation to the project, including the guiding rationale to using shipping containers as a primary building material?

PD | For close to four years, we had been operating our firm from a rented office space. As our operations and staff size grew, we needed a bigger office and began to search for office space; we contemplated the possibility of working from our own place... considering the limited time we had to find a place, we came up with the idea of using shipping containers for our office. At this point, we started searching for land instead of the initial search for the typical office space.

We found the perfect location in a serene part of North Kaneshie which we could lease for less than twenty (20) years. The tenure of the lease reinforced our desire to use containers, because it was important that our building would 22 |

The rest of the process was quite a smooth one... and there’s perhaps some novelty in the fact that the architects designed and painted their own offices once the spaces were ready. not be tethered forever to the land and would offer the flexibility of being movable whenever the time came for us to move on. We really needed the flexibility in terms of future mobility and shipping containers are unmatched in this respect. We also relished the opportunity to innovate. There were a few other parameters we needed to meet, however these were the major reasons for our decision.

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“ The challenge is in diffusing the fixed mind-set that container buildings are at best, fit for temporary structures like squatters and road-side ‘kiosks’. “ TAN | In designing this office what details were necessary to make this project successful as a container building in a hot and humid climate such as Accra’s?

PD | Of course, some interventions had to be employed to curb the amount of heat buildup in the containers. This is one of the major areas of concern for people who are interested in building with containers. We insulated the walls and ceilings and this worked excellently to mitigate the heat ingress.

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05 photography credit. AEK

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TAN | What appeals to you about working with shipping containers as an alternative?

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PD | Well, several factors work together to give a strong appeal to shipping containers as an alternative building material. The durability of the containers is a big one. These containers are designed to bear heavy loads and withstand harsh climatic conditions and rough seas.

The construction efficiencies and inherent construction benefits are also numerous; Shorter build time, simpler foundation design, and stackability of the containers for taller structures, to name a few.

Container buildings also give the opportunity for very unique, cutting-edge designs. It is also quite refreshing to note that using containers to build is good for the environment as there is an excess of containers left going to waste across the various ports in the world.

Container structures are one of the greatest recycling opportunities.

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01: 02: 03: 04: 05: 06:

shipping containers useful for construction must be carefully assessed for signs of corrosion gutted container at 2.89 m internal height for larger office volume created opening for straight stairs construction detailing. slit openings in timber slats reveal alumium face of the container finished steel and timber stair with bookshelving accentuating the undersides of the stair ground floor plan of office

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Projects Feature | ARCHETYPE OFFICE Below: building frontage. photo credits. photo kittoe Right: external cantilevered overhead. photo credits. photo kittoe

TAN | Most of your neighbourhood has a specific conventional aesthetic; given the form for this building, it stands out quite prominently. How does the public often react to this office?

PD | We have had several visits from passersby who were so struck by the uniqueness of the building, they couldn’t resist the urge to pop in, and get a glimpse of the interior space.

Of course we always oblige and often give a tour. Needless to say, they always leave very impressed. It feels great to know that we are part of a new wave of ingenuity blowing across these parts with alternative building design.

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TAN | Talk to us about some of the key believe that this was achieved with aspects that define this project. shipping containers when they can actually see parts of the container.

PD | Cladding: it was a point of excitement for us when it came to the choices we Overhang: Another source of pride had to make for cladding the structure. for us... the depth of the overhang We settled on timber slats for the upper we were able to achieve without the floor and a metal mesh we designed and typical stress that would have been fabricated on site for the lower floor. associated with trying to achieve The contrast we achieved between same with a regular brick and the natural wooden feel and the bright mortar building. The solidness of colors we used for the metal mesh is the container structure helped us to part of what adds to the attraction of push the boundaries a bit and never the building. We however made it a point once did our structural engineer to leave certain parts of the container recommend that we support it. exposed in order to maintain the integrity of the shipping container ideology. Of TAN | What were your specification course, it’s also easier for people to standards in procuring the containers?

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TAN | So overall, in terms of cost of PD | Yes, I do... it is a more affordable the project, how much more affordable and green option as it involves a was it to specify shipping containers? recycling of used containers into the creation of functional spaces. The PD | Procuring the container and challenge is in diffusing the fixed mounting it alone eliminated the mind-set that container buildings are cost of the regular foundation, at best, fit for temporary structures floor, roof and part of the walls, this like squatters and roadside ‘kiosks’. worked out to a considerable cost This will require time and some kind of reduction to the core of the building. structured and consistent advocacy.

So our main savings was in the reduced expenditure on the core and TAN | What is your favourite part of the shell construction as compared to a project? ‘regular’ building. This worked out to about a 20% - 25% cost reduction.

PD | My favourite part was the mounting, placement and positioning TAN | Let’s talk about some of the of the containers. We realised the form challenges in realizing this project... of the building within hours! It was the first and biggest milestone of the PD | There was no ready access project and it came out successfully. to specialised artisans or skilled labourers in this field. We didn’t TAN | What inspires the work you do as only detail the drawings but had to a firm with shipping containers? train and take the artisans available through a step by step process. We PD | Serving our clients with unique had to improvise a number of details and delightful architecture that has and we admit that some didn’t come the ability to induce tranquility in out as expected so they had to be their lives; whether it is a home, their revised. office or any public space, through sustainable interventions. Container TAN | Long term, how sustainable are architecture has great potential, containers for building, and do you see especially here in Ghana, and it is one a real future for them here in Ghana? of the ways of achieving our aim.

PD | The two main specifications we looked out for and demanded thorough physical inspection were: firstly, a container in good condition with minimal dents and scratches to the protective coating of the metal. This was key.

The presence of dents and scratches would require lots of repair work as any exposed metal will immediately start rusting.

Secondly, getting a high-cube shipping container which comes at a height of 2.89 metres rather than the standard height of 2.59 metres. This gave us good ceiling height to work with and the flexibility of introducing some ceiling drops in our conference room and reception area.

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Classified |

The Architect’s Newsletter Ring Road East, Nyaniba Junction Ground Floor GL-015-7692 P.O. Box KB 429, Korle-Bu. Accra

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Joelle Eyeson Co-Founder. Hive Earth.

About Hive Earth Team “...the Hive Earth team consists of myself(CEO/Co-founder) and Kwame Deheer, (CEO/Co-founder). Together we currently employ 1 supervisor and 14 laborers. We are passionate about training young men and women without a formal education. As our company grows we would like to employ more young people from rural areas, train them, give them benefits such as accommodation and company health care, so that they can be part of the growing Hive Earth team. The materials we use are recyclable, eco friendly and building with earth is 30-40% cheaper than conventional construction methods.”

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Green Spot | Buildings and construction are responsible for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions. 28% of these emissions come from the operational “in-use” phase to heat, power and cool the buildings, while the remaining 11% of these emissions are attributed to embodied carbon emissions. (www.worldgbc.org).

Achieving SDGs Through Green Building

by Foster Osae Akonnor, AGIA

[the writer is the chair of the Ghana Green Building Council]

Goal 8: 2020 is a key year for countries to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), especially concerning further actions to address energy use and emissions including embodied emissions in the buildings and construction sector, which refers to carbon that is released during the construction process and material manufacturing.

[2019 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction - issued

by Global Alliance for Building and Construction supported by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Energy Agency (IEA)].

In September 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that includes the seventeen (17) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals. These goals are a universal action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity”.

The 17 SDGs are as follows: 28 |

Goal 1: No Poverty Green buildings can curb unemployment Rain Gardens and improve local employment and rainwater absorption, contaminants filteration, rainwater percolation, training opportunities. A key area removal of sedimentation and debris worth considering is the creation of a from stormwater run-off, flooding deliberate government policy to create reduction/elimination, efficient stormwater systems the enabling private sector environment creation of natural habitats. for development of the green materials value chain in the building and Green Roofs construction sector. In addition, the vegetative cover on roof tops can energy consumption, cool implementation of strategies to reduce reduce buildings, reduce urban heat island or eliminate perennial flooding which effect, reduce stormwater runoff involves the construction of receptacles whilst extending the roof’s lifespan by up to 2 to 3 times. to catch storm water run off and channel water for reuse in the areas of Permeable Pavers irrigation, among others will help create they absorb water run-off, reduce jobs and save money for infrastructural stress on stormwater systems and decrease and/or eliminate flooding. development, beyond disaster relief ensures cooler open surfaces. management for flood victims.

Tree Canopies Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being Green buildings can improve human help purify urban environments health & wellbeing. This can be achieved by consuming the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by considering the Indoor Environmental released through multiple human activities.

Quality of green buildings which emphasises ventilation rates, carbon Plant Selection dioxide monitoring and control, daylight Selection of durable/resilient native and daylight glare control, high frequency plants is key to offsetting urban heat effect, shading & cooling spaces, ballast, electric lighting levels, external stormwater filtration, pollination. views, thermal comfort, individual

THETHE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER DECEMBER ISSUE 0201 ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER JANUARY ISSUE

comfort control, hazardous materials, internal noise levels, volatile organic compounds, mould ex-haust riser and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) control.

reducing portable water consumption for heat rejection systems - fire system water consumption (Heat Rejection Water), developing and implementing strategies that minimises stormwater run-off to, and the pollution of, the Goal 4: Quality Education natural watercourses (Water course Quality Education cannot be achieved pollution) and Rainwater Harvesting. through curricula change and policy alone. It must be noted that the Goal 7: Affordable + Clean Energy space and environment for studying Green buildings can use renewable plays a key role in achieving this energy, becoming sustainable and goal. Green buildings can improve cheaper to run. It must be noted we examination scores, health & well- spend about 90% of time in buildings being of students. (live, work, play). However, because renewable energy creates little if any Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation greenhouse gas emission, its use Green buildings help solve Accra’s in buildings and for that matter the water crisis by conserving every built environment will not disrupt the precious drop. This can be achieved radiative energy balance of the earth’s through the Water principle with atmosphere and will permit sustainable emphasis on reducing portable mitigation of climate change. water consumption by buildings (Occupant Amenity Water), designing Goal 8: Work + Economic Growth systems that both monitor and Building green infrastructure creates manage water consumption (Water jobs and boosts the economy.

Meters), designing and providing Green infrastructure is defined as an systems that aim to reduce the interconnected network of open, green consumption of portable water for spaces that provide a range of ecoirrigation (Landscape Irrigation), system services essentially creating

healthier environment through landscaping that deliver a sustainable return on investment.

In simple terms, green infrastructure is a natural solution for drainage, heat, air and water quality problems that we face in our towns and cities.

Examples of green infrastructure: a. Rain Gardens b. Green Roofs c. Permeable Pavers d. Urban Tree Canopies e. Plant Selection Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure Green building design and construction spurs innovation and contributes to climate resilient infrastructure.

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities + Communities Green buildings are the fabric of sustainable communities and cities.

This can only be achieved through the various aspects outlined as follows: 29 |

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DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Green Spot |

world bank building in accra. edge green certified.

a. Governance [creating sustainability awareness, operations, community engagement, climate adaptation and resilience strategies, environmental management, long term conservation management of communities, long term conservation management of wetlands and waterbodies] b. Design [site selection, employing urban design criteria, site and context analysis, emphasis on site planning and layout, reduced parking foot print - underground parking facilities, bicycle facilities, compact and mixed-use developments] c. Conserving the environment [site sensitivity, ecological enhancements, reducing heat islands - soft landscaping strategies, certified green buildings within communities, infrastructure provision for the collection and reuse of storm water, materials usage reduction, solid

waste management strategies, reduced emissions - green transport systems and infrastructure, harvesting rainwater, recycling and reuse of infrastructure, energy mix strategies - using renewable energy, waste water management strategies and wetland/water body conservation principles] d. Creating liveable communities [proximity to or good access to amenities and recreational facilities, compact development and walkable streets] e. Economic Prosperity [sustainable Cities and Communities will create housing, job proximity, educational facilities, skill development, economic resilience, affordability and return on investment]

a. Recycling Waste Storage b. Building Reuse c. Re-used Materials d. ‘Shell & Core’ [Integrated Fit-Out] e. Dematerialisation f. Concrete minimisation g. Steel minimisation h. Sustainable Timber i. Design for Disassembly j. Local Sourcing Goal 13: Climate Action Green buildings produce fewer emissions, helping to combat climate change.

Goal 15: Life on Land Green buildings can improve biodiversity, save resources and help Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and to protect forests. The under-listed Production principles are pertinent in achieving Green buildings use ‘circular’ principles, this goal: where resources are not wasted. This is achieved through the under-listed: a. Recognition for construction practices that preserve the ecological integrity of the topsoil. b. Reuse of Land: the use of land that has previously been developed and where the site is within an existing municipally approved urban edge. c. Reclaimed contaminated land: developments that reclaim land that would otherwise not have been developed. d. Change of ecological value: developments that maintain or enhance the ecological value of their sites. f.

Water Course Pollution: developments that minimise their stormwater run-off to, and the pollution of, the natural watercourses.

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals Through building greens, we create strong global partnerships.

It is imperative to place a lot of emphasis on green buildings in our national discourse, collaborate and form partnerships to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 which is about a decade away.

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The Sunken B

X

Affordable Housin THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

TAN_Edu |

EDGE Winner: The Sunken Box

structions, with all its benefits is causing a lot of damage to the environment but ainable and green architecture is a way out of this problem. Hence the Sunken Box ch represents the current situation of the environment which is being supported by ainable architecture.

The design brief To design a 75 square meter single family affordable, sustainable and green hom with a budget of 15,000USD. Ensuring the design is stunning, cutting edge and tren It should be a welcoming sanctuary from the outside world, a place of peace wh encourages positive human interaction.

David Gifat Ampiaw. Central University.

build has 4 basic principles it follows ainability building should be sustainable under edge ratings . cate ‘The EDGE Architecture Student Competition was form of the build in a society like Ghana would raise questions on to why that organized by Orthner Orthner & Associates in collaboration m, and the answer is ( to inform people that sustainable architecture is the way with IFC EDGE and Central University Department of ward). l materials usage Architecture. build would include only local materials for construction.

This is the maiden edition of the competition and it is hoped t and open design be open andannual free flow,event light and functional. thatwould it will be an for architecture students in

Ghana. The maiden edition was restricted to 20 students selected from the Central University Department of Architecture, with the help of their lecturers. Out of the 20 selected, 18 attended a specially organized EDGE training session on 17th July 2019, to familiarize themselves with the EDGE software and the concept of green buildings.

Following the training, the competition was launched on 18th July 2019, with a launch event at the IFC courtyard attended by the students, lecturers, invited dignitaries and representative from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The students were given month to submit their entries, with two internal juries organized

by Central University during the period.

17 students submitted entries for judging and assesment.’

Site

The build would be located at Oyarifa, Ghana.

Rosemary Orthner (AGIA) Head Juror + Principal [OOA]

Think Green, design GREEN. 31 |

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inFrame | MAYOR MOHAMMED SOWAH In 2016, GHG emission increases within the waste sector recorded the highest growth compared with other sources of emssions [17% more than in 2012], comprising 17% of national emissions, most of these within the national capital.

Three years and one bold declaration later, what is Accra’s contribution to a global climate change mitigation strategy?

Meet Accra Mayor Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah Mohammed Adjei Sowah is a receipient of the 2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards. TAN sits down with Accra’s mayor to discuss his Informal Waste Collection Expansion project, in relation to the vision for Accra to become ‘The Cleanest City in Africa’. [the writer is the editor of The Architect’s Newsletter] below: photo credit EAK. other photography courtesy the Office of the Mayor]

Sunday, April 24th 2017, “...the commitment I want to make, and for all of us to make, is that by the end of my term in office, Accra will be the cleanest city on the entire African continent. That is the commitment I am making.” These were defining words for President Akuffo-Addo that day at Mantse Agboona in Jamestown.

The man with the heavy task of implementing this promise, today sits across from us in his office at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. He is a man seemingly relaxed and unhurried, yet his eyes are clear and focused as we begin the

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discussion. We first ask him for background into Accra’s participation in the C40 Cities Awards. “Accra is a part of C40 cities,” he says, “and C40 cities are megacities across the world that are focused on climate change issues; So, we look at development

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through the lens of climate change and see climate change as part of development, and not a disruption,” he explains.

The C40 Cities Awards programme itself is the brainchild of former New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg and

provides global recognition for cities that are demonstrating climate action leadership1.

Mohammed Sowah entered his ‘Informal Waste Collection Expansion Project’ into the competition within the Category of ‘Citizen Engagement’;

Accra was shortlisted along with Barcelona, London, Sao Paolo and Los Angeles. The project won in its category for its integration of informal waste collectors into the city’s official waste management system, and achieving significant positive impact as a result.

This is no mean recognition for the Mayor or for Accra. The capital city, which is home to over 1.6 million people [4.6 million within the larger Greater Accra2] has been the subject of grave public discussion with regards to its waste management system and the seeming failure of the President to deliver on his ‘Cleanest City’ vision before the end of a first term, with new talks of carrying the agenda into an intended second term3.

Ghana is said to lose about $290 million annually due to poor sanitation in the country4. The amount is equivalent to $12 per person per year, translated to 1.6% of the country’s GDP. In May 2019, water and sanitation specialist, Patrick Apoya said the government had not considered laying the right foundation for its vision5.

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Mayor Sowah however sees the issue differently and perhaps from a clearer vantage point. “...this whole award is linked to our effort in waste management, he states “and reducing the emission from burning of waste in Accra - which is an ongoing project; the key component of the waste management is the involvement of the informal sector collectors, recognizing them and building their capacity to form part of the waste management chain.”

He recalls prior to his assumption, informal sector collectors were seen as a disruption of business, mainly because the ‘business of waste’ in Accra was claimed as the business of big companies. He is not wrong.

Large private companies have been awarded contracts for collection of Accra’s household waste. “If you go to Osu, the company is called ‘Jekora Ventures Ltd.’; in East Legon, it is ‘Zoom Domestic’; in Odorkor, Official Town, it is ‘Asadu’; in Abbosey-Okai, Zongo junction area, it is ‘MWatts,” he gestures broadly now for emphasis, “and these are big companies”.

Still, in a city with huge infrastructural challenges, relatively low technology, inadequate financing, and a poor waste disposal culture, even big companies suffer the issue of inefficiency and lack of capacity to properly collect waste.

“The involvement of the informal sector collectors is to fill that gap,” Sowah explains. “Presently 30-35% of household waste in Accra is being collected by the informal sector.”

It is clear that Mohammed Sowah has made waste management one of his administration’s main priorities. His innovative strategy for involving and improving the informal waste collection sector is what has made the difference in increased effectiveness. Listening as he enumerates the various measures he has implemented, it is obvious the amount of work already undertaken.

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“The future we want recognizes the crucial role of the informal sector in sustainable city development. Combating climate change requires inclusive decisionmaking which ensures all citizens are a part of the solution, to be acting local to impact positively on global challenges” [Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah acceptance speech, C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Award]

“We recognize them, we regulate them and we support them. Firstly, all the tricycles that are operating in Accra have been profiled - we have given them unique numbers which we emboss on their trucks for free, so that if you see a certain ‘aboboyaa’ tricycle in town, by just knowing its number, I can tell you who the truck driver is, where the vehicle operates and where it dumps its waste. Secondly, an association was formed for them with a leadership and occasional training,” he says.

These actions in themselves may seem like basic measures, however for a city with an admittedly poor waste management culture, these steps definitely go a long way in terms of proper monitoring and sensitization. The mayor also seems aware of a resulting socio-economic ripple effect of these actions.

“The flip side of it,” he says, “is that it has created employment [for] a lot of young people; our government had promised to provide jobs to people so we saw this also as an 34 |

opportunity to create employment as well as make some money.”

He continues somberly, “let me also add that our research shows that it has also reduced crime because a lot these waste collectors are young people, street kids that could otherwise be doing some mischievous things.”

Earlier in the year [April 2019] also saw the creation of the Accra Waste Recovery Park situated along the Mortuary road, in partnership with Zoomlion [of JOSPONG Group of Companies]. The facility records an 80% waste recovery rate.

“We provided the land and supported them,” he says, “they are now processing 400 tonnes of waste daily... 400 tonnes of waste amounts to about 350 tricycles, so you can imagine 350 tricycles, each tricycle [with] a driver and a conductor, so let’s say about minimum 700 people are earning a living.”

All said and done, the visible chain reactions from Mohammed Sowah’s initiative is exactly what won the project high international recognition. However, there is a seeming disconnect between the applaudable action of the AMA and

the reality of Accra’s overspill of urban issues.

So what is the mayor’s biggest challenge? It seems to be Accra’s culture of managing personal waste.

“If you go around the city presently,” he says, “you’ll see dustbins that have been locked all over. It is full and spilling over, uncollected because our assumption [on frequency of waste collection] is that you expect pedestrians to drop in small waste, so that will take a couple of days.”

Yes, this is a core issue, with both domestic and commercial waste being dumped into ‘litter’ dustbins with high frequency; smaller mounds of waste are often organised beside the overspills - the assumption being that it then becomes ‘someone else’s’ problem. For areas such as the Nima Police Station and Danquah Circle [along the Rind Road], major locations for many informal trading activities, waste generation is exponentially higher.

It is hard to explain what would account for this public behaviour,

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although an analysis of the situation would show that excessive waste generation and poor personal waste disposal habits occur mainly within certain urban population clusters.

The reality is that those who consider themselves the urban poor, and in many ways dependent on the public system feel less obliged to manage their urban space, let alone pay for their waste management.

However, the problem of Accra’s waste culture and fixed mentalities aside, the issue goes much further than dustbins.

Here we point out to Sowah, that especially challenging urban issues with peculiar cultural and behavioural inserts, such as these, are situations that call for creative urban solutions the most.

This is where good urban design has the potential to create the most meaningful impact. Sowah agrees.

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“Everyone should have an attitude of knowing where to keep their waste; put it in your pocket or when you buy it, finish with it” [Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah] 35 |

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He then counters with his own point, that generating effective solutions to urban waste management goes far beyond just the issue of waste.

Mayor Sowah has a much larger agenda on his mind. “...the steps that we are taking to address [waste management], he says, “it is not just to make Accra ‘clean’, it is also not to enhance the aesthetics of Accra, but also to deal with the issues of climate change because the adverse impact of climate change, for instance, is what is causing a lot of flooding in Accra.”

This year’s downpour began much earlier than expected, and ended much later than projected - a sure sign of the climatic dangers of our time. The flooding reported in all parts of the country saw over fifty (50) lives lost in total, with severe damage to homes and schools, loss to goods and property. Portions of the Kotoka International Airport’s newly opened Terminal 3 were also affected by flooding.

With the government already committing GHS200 million to address the growing perennial flooding challenges nationwide, Sowah insists that a focus on mitigation measures such as a

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properly designed waste management strategy within a properly designed urban environment is the way to go if Accra is to address its climate issues.

“We try to draw the lines and build the linkages and take a holistic view to addressing the issue,” he says of his administration’s efforts.

Sowah points out this is why he intends to involve architects in discussion at the strategy table. “The built environment sets the tone for everything,” he points out. “The disconnect between professionals in the built environment and us [local government], is not the best,” he adds regretfully.

“At our last spatial planning committee meeting, we tasked Mr. Kojo Yeboah [current Director of Policy] and his team to look at how Accra should look like.

The current plan doesn’t speak to the heart of life in the city.” He believes both the professional body and individual practitioners must strive for visibility.

“That is why I want you [architects] to look at the subject of waste management,” his voice is brisk again and all business.

“In our quest to make Accra clean, one of the issues is the culture of littering.”

He is convinced that design can succeed where even enforcement has failed.

“As much as you mount education and continue to do enforcement, arresting

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and prosecuting people who litter,” he argues, “there is still a question of how to provide roadside litter bins for people to dump their waste.”

He previously undertook a pilot study on these bins, with the One Ghana movement led by Joyce Aryee. His next thoughts are in retrospect.

“The question is..., are the kind of bins we provided ‘architecturally’ good? their placement... how is it going to be lifted and emptied? That’s the kind of thing I want to focus on.”

As important as the C40 award was in recognising his administration’s efforts, Mohammed Sowah is also aware of the limits of his power in seeing a far-reaching effect within the capital city, with the further municipal divisions of Accra. He is however a man very focused on looking past his challenges.

The Mayor of Accra makes a clear call to professional bodies to participate in realising urban change and contributing to a global climate change agenda. Perhaps it is a call that should see architects and built environment professionals come together to discuss solutions, build consensus. The mayor’s promise?

The doors of his office will always be open to built industry professionals.

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inFrame | City Construction & Properties Awards 2019 TAN’S CCPA 2019 COVERAGE IN ASSOCIATION WITH: WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH ALL ARCHITECT AWARD WINNERS ON WWW.IENVISAGE.COM

CCPA 2019 Winners Announced The 1st City Construction & Properties Awards invited participation of Ghanaian architects from all over the country, with over 15 different categories of entries. [photography courtesy of Image Consortium]

The idea of an awards scheme in itself gives a much needed recognition to the work of practicing local architects in the country. Over 30 submissions were received and deliberated on by the jury panel, with the number of entries for 2020 expected to rise with the success of this year’s Awards. The Awards ceremony was held 4th October 2019 [AICC, Accra] with invited dignitaries from the building industry. R-AR

Retail

39 Office

39 Education

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Industrial

40 Health

41 Interior

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Single Housing

42 Town Housing

42 Apartments

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CCPA AWARDS JURY: CHAIR. Willam

Nii Teiko Evans-Anfom FGIA [P.P.GIA; AUA Chairman Awards Commission], MEMBER. Kofi Essel-Appiah AGIA [Principal Partner, PREDIOS, Technical Director, Ghana Green Building Council], VICE CHAIR. Ing. Samuel Magnus Asiedu [PVP.GhIE, Council Member, Ghana Consulting Engineers Association], MEMBER. Ing. Dr. Nii Kwashie Allotey [Geotechnical & Structural Design Consultant, GhIE], MEMBER. Ing. Albert Viala [VP, Ghana Consulting Engineers Association], MEMBER. Surv. Dr. Benjamin Quaye [Governing Council Member, GhIS], MEMBER. Jennifer Mills [JM Design Consultancy], MEMBER. Erick B. Houadjeto [Executive Chairman, Image Consortium Group Ltd. Chairman CCPA Planning Committee], SECRETARY. Eric Asumadu [PM, Executive Director Image Consortium Group Ltd.]

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

Retail

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

WINNER Toyota GH Ltd. Motorway Branch ARCHITECT Incept Architectural Consult CLIENT Toyota GH Ltd. LOCATION Community 20

[Tema Motorway]

BUILT FOOTPRINT 1.5 acres

A modern facility designed to meet the growing needs of customers of the brand and to entrench the company’s name as one of the foremost automobile outlets in Accra.

It was designed incorporating a green concept. The facility comprises an administrative setup, service workshop, spare parts section, showroom, sales and support facilities, staff facilities.

Office

WINNER MTN Head Office ARCHITECT James Cubitt Architects CLIENT MTN, Ghana LOCATION Independence Ave. CONTRACTOR De Simone Ltd.

The Scancom Head Office welcomes visitors into a spacious, double height reception lobby which houses a security screening and generous, plush waiting areas. The building was designed to create a great place to work for MTN staff, communicate MTN’s longterm commitment to the Ghanaian market and provide an appropriate address for the multinational brand.

The Awards scheme is one conceived by the Image Consortium Group, a wholly Ghanaian event and marketing communications company based in Accra [Tesano]. The Award event itself followed the 17th International Building Construction and Property Exhibition (IBCPE), a recognised business exchange platform for the construction industry. The significance of the Awards was evident with the attendance of industry personalities and government dignitaries.

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

inFrame | City Construction & Properties Awards 2019

Education

WINNER Ashesi University ARCHITECT Sutherland & Sutherland Associates

The mission of Ashesi University College is to educate a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders in Africa; to cultivate within students critical thinking skills, the concern for others and the courage it will take to transform a continent.

CLIENT Ashesi University College LOCATION Berekuso CONTRACTOR Krane Construction Ltd.

Industrial

WINNER ADC2 & F4000 ARCHITECT Furler Architects CLIENT Promasidor LOCATION North Industrial Area BUILT AREA 12,135.66 m2 CONTRACTOR De Simone Ltd.

The ADC 2 & F4000 Projects are expansions to Production Areas, Warehouses and Offices for PROMASIDOR GHANA LTD, a leading manufacturer of various food and beverage products. These new facilities are intended to boost production capacity for the company, which also exports to other West African countries.

15 award categories were recognised that evening. Erick Bertin Houadjeto, Executive Chairman of Image Consortium Group and Chairman of the Planning Committee in his address said, “We were very pleasantly surprised at the number of entries received for each category, and I must say as organizers, we are highly encouraged and very grateful for the confidence reposed in us. Of the fifteen (15) awards, twelve (12) were competitive awards, and three (3) were awards by the Adjudication 40 |

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

Health

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

WINNER Greater Accra Regional Hospital [Ridge] ARCHITECT MULTICAD Consulting/

The project engages with the living qualities of the site and its place. Breezeways, public corridors, and waiting areas, passively cooled by natural ventilation are formally articulated as a series of layers reinterpreting the vernacular response to the place, where transitional spaces for gathering have a cultural significance. The building envelope at a larger scale provides solar shading with large concrete overhangs and canopies and at a finer scale, brise soleils for the glazing.

CLIENT Ghana Ministry of Health LOCATION Ridge BUILT FOOTPRINT 28521m2

Interior

CONTRACTOR Bouygues Group

WINNER Enterprise Advantage Place ARCHITECT Spektra Global

The main goal of this interior fit-out for the Enterprise Advantage Place was to consolidate all the client’s subsidiaries to one front line office to provide an engaging environment for customers.

This was achieved by the use of concepts of continuity and fluidity to achieve iconic space, customer satisfaction, corporate layouts and a warm ambience.

CLIENT Enterprise Group LOCATION Ridge BUILT AREA 285 m CONTRACTOR Spektra Global Ltd.

Panel, with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” being the highlight of the awards.” Ernesto Taricone was the receipient of the award, “For his dedication to the development of this country [Ghana] over the past fifty [50] years, through the production of building materials, components, providing infrastructure and housing and the employment that these ventures have generated for thousands of Ghanaians,” said the Chairman of the Awards Adjudication Panel, W.N.T Evans-Anfom, PPGIA, FGIA. 41 |

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

inFrame | City Construction & Properties Awards 2019

Town Housing

WINNER Legon City Lofts ARCHITECT Orthner Orthner & Associates

The aim of the design was to create one of the first sustainable real estate developments in Ghana.

The entire building is selfshading with roof overhangs, roof projections and screens protecting the facades from direct sunlight while encouraging sufficient daylighting. Longer sides of the building are oriented eastwest with no unprotected openings to north-south.

The roof and facade mitigate against possible heat island effects and are specifically designed to prevent heat build-up.

CLIENT Rosemary & Martin Orthner LOCATION East Legon BUILT FOOTPRINT 750 m2

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

Apartments

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

WINNER Mankata Apartments ARCHITECT Archxenus Co. Ltd.

Located in the heart of the Airport residential area of Accra, The Mankata Apartments offers 16 spacious, impeccably laid out and finished 3-bedroom apartments, lush gardens and recreational facilities. It was designed to offer residents the serenity of living in a landed property.

CLIENT DEVELOPER Imperial Homes LOCATION Airport Residential

WINNER Assin-Kushea RURAL AND SMALL TOWN DEVELOPMENT AWARD

Assin-Kushea is the traditional capital of the Owirekyiman Traditional Council with a population of approximately 8000 persons. It is a farming town and one of the cleanest towns within the Assin-North.

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

GIA People |

In Memoriam Professor Ralph Nii Aryee Mills-Tettey, FGIA [1950 - 2019] ARC Past Registrar [2000-2010]

January - December 2019 The GIA regrets to inform of the passing of the following members Harry Asante-Odame, GIA Probationer [Part 2] Richard Cofie, Rgd 804 Kobla Tamakloe, Rgd 216 Winfred Otu Afro Aryeh, Rgd 104 Richard Mensah Tsagli, Rgd 124 Yaw Opoku, Rgd 828 Prof. Ralph Mills-Tettey, Rgd 220 Kofi Gyinae Kyei, Rgd 804, [Past GIA President] To inform the GIA of the death of a member, please email: membership@gia.com.gh or call the GIA offices on 0302-229-464 with details of next of kin.

The Architect’s Newsletter also pays homage to some of the world’s most iconic architects, designers and curators that we lost in 2019.

I.M. Pei, FAIA, RIBA [1917-2019] Projects include: Louvre Pyramid [Paris], Kevin Roche, FAIA [1922-2019] Projects include: Ford Foundation HQ, J.P Morgan HQ. Florence Knoll Bassett, [1917-2019] Pioneer of Modernist office interior design and furniture Henry Urbach, [1963-2019] SFMOMA Curator, Architecture and design scholar, educator Christiano Toraldo di Francia, [1941-2019] Italian architect, co-founder of Superstudio Cesar Pelli, [1926-2019] Argentinian architect, Projects include: Petronas Towers, World Financial Center [New York City], One Canada Square Wharf Stanley Tigerman, [1930-2019] Illinois Regional Library for the blind & physically handicapped Alessandro Mendini, [1931-2019] Italian architect, Projects include: Torre Paradiso, Hiroshima, Proust armchair, 1978 Karl Lagerfeld, [1930-2019] German Fashion icon. Labels: Fendi, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

GIA Reports |

Annual Report 2019 Ghana Institute of Architects from GIA Honorary Secretary, Augustus Richardson AGIA

Dear Colleagues, It gives me great pleasure to shed light on the work that the Council of the Institute has been doing since the very successfully held 2019 AGM in Kumasi.

Architecture House currently features a photography exhibition within its Hall, which was put up to inform the membership on Council’s year of activities. The GIA Council has been working tireless to ensure that we make ‘Architecture Great Again’.

This report will touch on the following 10 topics: • • • • • • • • • •

Masters Series IV GIA Annual General Meeting 2019 GIA 2019 World Architecture Day ARC Board Inauguration CPD Programs Review of Statutory Laws Investment by GIA Council, 2018 AGM 2020: ‘My City, My Vision’ Renovation of Architecture House GIA 2020 Program

Masters Series IV This event was held a day before the 2019 AGM and featured the illustrious nonagenarian Professor Owusu-Addo. He gave a stimulating lecture on his life’s work. The event was very well attended and is featured within the exhibition.

GIA AGM 2019 The AGM 2019 was very exciting as the Northern Chapter of the Institute organised a culturally sensitive event. We recorded an amazing attendance at this AGM and raised a record GHC 350,000.00 towards this event’s organisation. It was a very well attended event, details of which are also exhibited in the GIA Hall.

GIA 2019 World Architecture Day This year’s theme for World Architecture Day was ‘Architecture…

Housing for All’. It led the GIA Council to organise an event at one of the most remarkable architectural developments in Accra, The Legon City Lofts, designed by Orthner and Orthner Architects. Presentations which focused on interventions by architects in the housing discourse were made by Architects such as Tony Asare AGIA, Augustine Owusu-Ansah AGIA and Mr. Kwantwi, a GIA probationer. It was an exhilarating night which saw 350 people attendance. This event is also exhibited in the GIA Hall.

ARC Board Inauguration

The Council of the Ghana Institute of Architects is very happy to inform the membership that after a period of over five (5) years of the absence of a governing body of the Architects Registration Council (ARC), the Board of the ARC was duly inaugurated on the 16th of August 2019. The inducted persons were as follows: • • • • • • • • • •

Richard Nii Dadey, AGIA Augustus Richardson, AGIA Adotei Brown, FGIA Kofi Essel-Appiah, AGIA Rosemary Cobbinah, AGIA Stella Arthiaba, AGIA Professor HNA Wellington, FGIA Stephen Koranteng, AGIA Lawyer Kpobi Ms. Kwarko

After the Inauguration it came to the Institute’s attention that there were 2 anomalies to the appointments that had been made by the Presidency.

The first was the appointment of Ms. Kwarko. The Architects Act 1969 (NLCD 357) states under its Section 3(1)(a) that the representative from Works and Housing is to be a Registered Architect, which by profession, Ms. Kwarko is not. This anomaly was first sited at the maiden Council meeting of the ARC Board and thereafter, Ms. Kwarko honourably excused herself.

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The second issue cited was the appointment of Ms. Stella Arthiaba.

The Architects’ Act 1969 (NLCD 357) states under its Section 3(1) (f) that the Registrar must be nominated by the Institute, which therefore indicates an anomaly in the appointment of Stella Arthiaba as Registrar. Although cited, there was resistance to this fact with a counter-arguement that the Registrar is no longer nominated by the Institute since the effect of the 1992 Constitution. The Institute had its doubts and sought a response from the Minister of Works and Housing on the matter; after a month without any response from the Ministry, the Council wrote to the Presidency, the appointing Authority, to seek redress. The Council received a letter from the appointing authority stating that our interpretation of the Act holds and that therefore Dr. Emmanuel Eyiah-Botwe, the newly nominated candidate for the position of Registrar be appointed. The Council still awaits a response from the Ministry on this directive from the Presidency; it has meanwhile followed up with

yet another letter to the presidency to inform them of the delay from the Ministry of Works and Housing. The Council expects to receive a response on this matter in the ensuing week.

CPD Programs The Council has been able to hold two (2) Continuous Professional Development programs so far this year.

Details of the second event attended by the membership, ‘The Stone Depot’ CPD, are also exhibited at the GIA Hall.

Review of Statutory Laws The Council called a membership meeting for the review of the National Building Regulations, LI1630. Consultations continue with the IFC, who act as a facilitator, to ensure an amended and updated LI1630 is introduced into our law.

We have also written to the Minister of Works and Housing requesting for the cessation of any process to repeal the Architects Act 1969(NLCD 357). The Chairman of the Board of the ARC, Immediate Past President

Dubai did it…Singapore did it……Can Ghana do it?

Dear Architect, Here is an opportunity to show the world, what your vision for your city would be if given the unhindered opportunity!

Pick a location / problem of your choice and present your vision of transformation or solution to that location. ✓ Let us define our cities on our terms. ✓ Let us put our money where our mouth is. ✓ Let us change the narrative.

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Richard Nii Dadey has also issued a letter to the Minister with respect to the repeal. Within the coming year, review consultations will be sought with the GIA membership on the amendment of the Act, to prepare a proposal for cabinet when the time comes to do so.

GIA Council Investment Out of the proceeds of work that was started by past Council (PP Joseph Hayford, FGIA), the Council has invested GHC 170,000.00 on behalf of the Institute. It is important to note that as stated at the AGM 2019, previous Council had already invested some GHC 50,000.00 odd on behalf of the Institute. The Council continues in this tradition and will set up a fundraising committee towards the much needed work of the Institute.

AGM 2020_’My City, My Vision” Council has set up a three (3) person committee to look at planning AGM 2020 dubbed “My City, My Vision”… The theme is culled from the need for proper planning of our cities. The subcommittee handling this will present their report in the coming year. We intend to hold this year’s event at The Royal Senchi.

AWAKE!!!!!!!

Renovation of Architecture House

My City My Vision (mcmv) #GIAAGM2020 #MCMV

Singapore now Singapore then

The Council intends to complete renovation works for this building before the next AGM to ensure that the Institutes image is uplifted.

We look forward to an interactive new year and wish all membership the best of 2020.

Report Delivered: 29th November 2019

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Culture | Nicholas Kowalski

Art Talk Nicholas Kowalski

by David Kojo Derban, AGIA

[the writer was the moderator for the event held at the Goethe Institute]

On Tuesday, the 26th of November 2019, architect Kojo Derban engaged the artist Nicholas Kowalski in a conversation over his thought-provoking, whimsical and dramatic artworks at the Goethe-Institut in Accra. [photography courtesy of Ethnik International]

The event was called ART TALK, and it followed an art exhibition titled ‘SYNERGY’ which featured the works of the renowned Ghanaian painter Nicholas Kowalski.

As an architect, a lover of art and a connoisseur of philosophies behind the art, I had the pleasure of talking to one of the rarest gems among the treasures of contemporary Ghanaian artists.

A unique and naturally gifted painter whose method of work represents that of a true creator; one who produces artwork of great complexity, borne from a deep silence, many vibrant thoughts strung together by experiences and drawn from the emptiness of the canvass into a bold, dynamic manifestation of structure, detail and mosaics of color in all types of shapes interacting with each other, similarly as humans do in real life.

Nicholas Kowalski, is a testament to the wonders of DNA and genetics, proof of the theory that one of the components of red blood cells is Art.

Kowalski was born of parents of mixed Ghanaian, Scottish and Polish heritage. His mixed race mother, a fashion designer was the granddaughter of the early 20th century great Scottish painter J.W Turner whose work bears an uncanny resemblance to the early works of a young Nicholas.

Nicholas a Wunderkind started commercial value painting at age 8, through high school and by age19, his works were hung in the residence of the President of Ghana. Early success meant that all roads led to KNUST where he graduated with first class honours and proceeded to do his Masters in African art studies and art history. Even as a student, he was accepted to exhibit at the Loom, by Mrs. Frances Ademola, a gallery that featured only artists of the highest standards, a feat not for the faint hearted. After his sojourn, he returned to Accra to join the vibrant Art community at the time, along with some his contemporaries: Mustafa Fiadzigbe, Wiz Kuduwor,

Larry Otto, Kofi Setordzi, Amarkai, and Robert Ayitey.

Never one to be boxed in and with a burning desire to explore the international art world, he traveled to live and work in New York where he lived a life most artists would only ever dream of. He was living with other budding artists, street musicians and dancers in a Manhattan apartment block on 2nd Avenue, 94th street, painting at night in a city that never slept and knocking on the doors of one thousand galleries during the day.

It was in New York while waiting in the lobby of a hotel for a friend that Nicholas became engrossed with observing the behavior of fish in a 47 |

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Culture | Nicholas Kowalski

huge wall aquarium. He noticed that they never moved in a straight path and never remained still. The fish concept which is present in many of his works was born that day as a personal philosophy of life. Calling on his studies of African art history he says, “Fish are a sign of life, forever moving, swift, able to change directions without inhibitions, the masters of their environment. “

roofs, wall motifs, the earth mosques, children playing, men meeting, the chiefs in their regalia at festivals..., the music, drums and the dance.

It was such a vast contrast to life in New York. It was and is still a wonder how much the rural northern village had to offer and it laid the foundations for the style for which I am well known.”

The Art works of Nicholas Kowalski have graced galleries all over West Africa - Abidjan, Lagos, Bamako, Dakar.

to call it the ‘free edge style’.

Nicholas Kowalski wields a unique painting style, characterized by bold and exciting reconstructions of free shapes and forms, overlapping and interconnecting with circles, splines and distorted triangles filled with over a hundred colors in different tones and shades. This is evident even as one takes a cursory glance through the exhibition.

The compositions come to life by use of shades of light, pale tones and dark shadows often depicting both day and night in one work.

The result is the intense, powerful, dynamic, vibrant, visual gourmet created from constructed logic and visionary skill.

It was a fulfilling interaction that evening, and one that I shared with many of the art lovers, artist and art students there to see Kowalski.

The Goethe-Institute is the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany with a global reach. It has supported the Arts scene in Ghana, encouraging cultural actors and networks, connecting artists, advocates and professionals to address issues in the cultural and creative industry.

After a second sojourn of 10 years, Kowalski returned to Ghana, but this time, he decided not to stay in the city but to explore the expanse of the country, an experience which he says defined his life as an artist. In his own words, “The dry harmmartan season in the northern region was so severe that year that one could now appreciate the presence of water. Many nights under the thatched roof, in the open starry night sky or a full moon was magic to my artist’s soul. It was strange as I felt my art vocabulary was being filled with every photo I took with my camera. The rounded huts, the women working in the courtyards, granaries, thatched 48 |

Not limited to Africa, Paris, London and a host of European cities have also displayed his work. Art connoisseurs may call it Afro–Cubist, but he prefers

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Products Review |

Introducing Pixel

by BENE Concept: Didi Lenz Design: Christian Horner

[discover even more about Pixel. https://bene.com/en/office-furniture-concepts/office-furniture/pixel-en/]

PIXEL #1 office product 2018

Award

The editors of the prestigious trade magazine “Das Büro” chose PIXEL

by Bene as the “#1 office product 2018”. From more than 1000 office solutions, they selected the 100 which they could particularly recommend for office work in both a narrow and broader sense.

In this competitive environment, they chose PIXEL by Bene as the winning project and thus “#1 office product 2018”. The editors’ ranking was independent and covered all industries and categories.

PIXEL may look like a box, but in reality it is much more than that - it is creative freedom. Depending on the need, PIXEL can transform into a table, a bench, a platform, a shelf and so much more. PIXEL building blocks ensure that you can flexibly shape space to support a number of different team tasks. The cubed timber product brings a new dimension in team working and meeting culture to the workplace, creating playground-like spaces that encourage lively group dynamics and high creativity.

Currently in the Ghanaian workspace, the most exciting innovations are being developed by people who have the freedom to think playfully.

Defined areas in the office that inspire a lively group dynamic and offer a creative playground are becoming increasingly sought after.

The challenge is to create a place that naturally compliments day-to-day working life – culturally and spatially.

Furniture that is as flexible and unfussy as the team itself can help to create such a space. This is where PIXEL comes in. These ingenious little boxes can be combined to create different pieces of furniture, be it storage containers, seating or a table – PIXEL is up for anything!

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Products Review |

PIXEL was exhibited at the 17th International Building Construction and Property Exhibition (IBCPE) held at the Accra International Conference Centre, where it displayed its versatility in creating multi-functional zones for sitting, standing or lounging activities.

The unit box itself is perfectly scaled to fit in perfectly with the accepted design standard for workplaces whether corporate or home offices.

BU ILD YOUR IDEAS.

PIXEL may look like a box but it can also be a table, a bench, a platform and so much more.

PIXEL building blocks ensure that you can flexibly shape space to support a number of different team tasks.

PIXEL brings a new dimension in team working and meeting culture to the workplace, creating playground-like spaces that encourage lively group dynamics and creativity.

C ONZE PT: Di d i Le nz DES IG N : C hri s tian H orne r

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The FRAME_S Boards add vertical work surfaces – digital or analogue – to PIXEL. It allows for restructuring open spaces in new ways, whenever desired.

There are two types available to choose from: the T-Type with a single T angle or the H-Type - a FRAME_S Board which, when equipped with PIXEL supports, can accept up to 20 PIXEL Boxes, 4 PIXEL Tops 180 and several single PIXEL Tops and Pads.

With PIXEL, the FRAME_S Boards

PIX E L Pa d: Sim ply pla ce on top a nd you h ave a com fy s ea t .

PIXEL So f t Pa d: Co mf o rta ble sea t pa d.

PIX E L Top: C los es t h e boxes a nd prov ides a su r fa ce.

PIXEL Tray: Co nnecting element a nd sto rage.

PIX E L B ox : M a de from pine ply wood a nd ava ila ble w it h or w it h out s tor age opening s .

PIXEL Po d: ½ PIXEL Box

combine into temporary and flexible room structures that can quickly be reorganised. It is very advantageous, as this makes it possible to respond immediately to various needs and levels of activity, for example during a workshop or a quick design strategy meeting.

Find out more about the various PIXEL configurations available to meet your spatial needs or design specification from BENE’s website.

F R AM E _ S B oa rd: H-T y pe w it h PIX E L t r a ns por t a t ion pla t for m .

PIXEL Top 180: a fu nct iona l boa rd t h a t ca n connect u p to 5 boxes , prov iding a su r fa ce.

C a r r y h a ndles : C a n a ls o be u s ed to connect two boxes toget h er.

Glides: Provides sta bility When sta cking.

PIX E L W h eel Tr ay : B a s epla te on ca s tors .

Sw ivel ca s tors : Wit h cla m ps .

F R A M E _ S B o a rd s s u p p o r t P I X E L by o f f e ri n g ve r t i c a l wo r k s u r f a c e s , be it digital or analogue.

A s a ro o m d i v i d e r o n wh e e l s , i t c a n b e e a s i ly m ove d to wh e re ve r yo u n e e d i t , a s we l l a s p rov i d e a p r a c t i c a l s to r age s o l ut i o n .

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

Products | Product Description PRODUCTReview DESCRIPTION PIXEL BOX CLOSED Basic module.

PIXEL BOX WITH OPENINGS ON THE SIDE Optional.

PIXEL BOX WITH LARGE OPENING Optional.

· 12 mm pine plywood, untreated · adjustment leg: synthetic material, black · holder: steel (foldable), black

· dimension of the cut-out: height 280 mm, width 130 mm

· dimension of the cut-out: height 280 mm, width 260 mm

PIXEL POD 1/2 PIXeL Box.

PIXEL TRAY Connecting element and storage.

PIXEL TOP 19 MM + 38 MM Closes the PIXeL Box.

· 12 mm pine plywood, untreated · adjustment leg: synthetic material, black · holder: steel (foldable), black

· 12 mm pine plywood, untreated · adjustment leg: synthetic material, black · closes the box

· melamine chipboard 19 mm or · lightweight honeycomb panel with melamine surface 38 mm · with mounted connectors · colours & materials: mW white

PIXeL FUnCTIOnAL PRInCIPLe

FUNCTIONAL PRINCIPLE Row connection

Stacking connection

PIXEL WHEEL TRAY Baseplate on castors.

PIXEL TRAY 180 multi-function desktop.

PIXEL TOP 180 multi-function desktop.

· 12 mm pine plywood, untreated · 4 swivel castors with clamps · basis for PIXeL Tower and PIXeL Wheel Lounge · maximum load: 200 kg

· 12 mm pine plywood, untreated · adjustment leg: synthetic material, black · joins five boxes together · horizontal connecting or end element · optionally with attaching hook

· lightweight honeycomb panel with melamine surface 38 mm · colours & materials: melamine, mW white · joins five boxes together · horizontal end piece · optionally with attaching hook

Joint 6 mm

HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT

PIXEL SOFT PAD Seat pad.

· 20 mm cellular rubber padding in black · in flame-retardant version

· core made of foam padding in flame-resistant version according to BS 5852 Part 2, Ignition Source 5 (Crib 5) · fabric cover, P0-P4 according to the Bene seating furniture collection · the bottom side always made of black corovin fabric · set of up to 3 pieces (in the same design)

366

PIXEL PAD Seat surface.

183

Joint 6 mm

46 46 46 46

198

198

198

183

381

2 © Bene GmBH, 01/2020

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THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

SIGNATURE KITCHENS P.O. Box C10955, Cantonments - Accra. Kwese Cul De Sac, Abofun Crescent Road, Labone. Contact: +233 24283 3664 +233 54 801 9474 Email address: signaturekitchensgh@gmail.com

52 |

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER ISSUE 02

TAN COVER ART

FOR

The Architects’ Newsletter

COMPETITION 2020

TAN FRONT COVER ART 2020 COMPETITION

CALL FOR ENTRIES:

The Architect’s Newsletter is a quarterly publication with features from within the architectural space. All cover art feature original work by talented creatives which visually showcase the theme for each issue.

TAN is throwing a challenge to students and designers to create TAN front cover artworks for the year 2020 in any range of medium: photography, paintings, digital art, hand drawings, etc. This competition is an opportunity for creatives to showcase their talent and to have your photography or digital artwork featured within as many as 4 issues of our publication, with mentioned credits!

HOW TO COMPETE: For themes, submission requirements and deadlines for the TAN Front Cover Art 2020 Competition, go to: www.ienvisage.space/competitions

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TOWER CASCADE

TAN Watchlist

THE SU TOWER DECEMBER ISSUE 02

THE ARCHITECT’S NEWSLETTER

Residential development that takes inspiration from the multiple paths of a rubik’s cube, to mirror the ‘hustle n bustle’ of activities in Dzorwulu, Accra.

Status: Shell & Core Completed.

Construction Value: 15 mil USD Client: HAWKRAD Properties Developer: HAWKRAD Properties Architects: Archxenus, Ghana Contractor: CNQC

Lettable office complex, located in West Ridge, Accra. The design seeks to effectively reduce solar heat gain by optimizing extensive screen shading.

Status: Completed Construction Value: 43.1 mil USD Client: Scripture Union, Ghana Developer: Eris Property Group Architects: Boogertman + Partners, S.A Architect of Record: Multicad Consulting, Accra Contractor: De Simone Ghana Ltd.

JANUARY - MARCH 2020

GIA Core Curriculum CPD Topics

54 |

Protection: Health and Safety External Management: Clients, Users and Delivery of Services Internal Management: Professionalism, Practice, Business and Management Compliance: Legal, Regulatory and Statutory Frameworks and Processes

AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GHANA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

The world over, professional Best Practice encourages Continuous Professional Development for professionals with the aim of ensuring leading, relevant and invaluable services for all clients.

It is with a similar intent, that TAN features TAN_Edu this year.

This is a Continuous Professional Development section in collaboration with the GIA aimed at ensuring that knowledge, competence and expertise of practitioners is current, maintained and enhanced for the benefit of clients as well as other members of the built environment team.

jan 2019 | iss

Sustainable

the architect’s newsletter

At a Glance

Climate and Environment: (Green) Architecture

Editorial 02 Council’s Window 03 GIA President’s New Year’s message.

At a Glance 06

2019 GIA Events Calendar Overview for January - March

Process :Procurement and Contracts Designing and Building it right: Design, Construction, Technology and Engineering

in Re:view 08

AGM 2018 - Induction of 2018 Council GIA World Architecture Day 2018 GIA Council’s visit to Jubilee House

inFrame 14

Meet the 2018 - 2020 GIA Council

Article 15

Stamping out rogue development:

Where People Live: Communities, Urban and Rural Design ;Planning Process

the thorn in the side of MMDAs

GIA Watchlist 16 TOWER CASCADES, Dzorwulu THE SU TOWER, Ridge

CPD Section 16

Context: The historic environment and its setting Access for all: Universal and Inclusive Design For more details on GIA CPD Programs and Courses, visit; www.gia.com.gh

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5 in 1 bookset also available at the GIA Architecture House.

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publication team: 4 students of architecture from the University of Applied Arts Vienna, 3 students of architecture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and 1 student of international development from Lund University.

The publication presents narrative and artistic field research created in and around Abotsiman, Accra, in September 2018. Texts by invited authors engage with intrinsic topics at hand such as urban sprawl, gentrification, land speculation, planning and lack-of-planning, demographic inequalities and economic pressures, and the lack of agency of communities such as Abotsiman. The scenario is at once specific and representational of the processes and interrelationships occurring in Accra and other urban agglomerations on the African continent.

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