For quite a long time, when individuals made new houses for themselves in Ghana’s capital, Accra, building a compound house has always been their first priority.
The building blocks of modern Accra were these mini-complexes of dwellings, arranged around shaded courtyards set back from the street and drawing together extended families who had relocated from the countryside. Even in the center of the city, the compound provided intimate kinship links and semi-private space.
However, the nature and status of these complexes have recently changed. Compound dwellings are progressively being divided into smaller, tighter rooms, mingling strangers together and becoming destinations for impoverished tenants with few options as international-style flats and villas for nuclear families become the favored housing form.
Since the colonial era, Ghana's housing sector has changed dramatically, as has the architectural design of most residential homes. Modern design and technology have caused the emergence of a new building trend in modern Ghanaian housing. Let's take a peek at some of Ghana's innovative home architecture concepts used in modern housing interior.
Louvre blades have been replaced by glass sliding windows in recent years. A notion that originated in the Western world, it first appeared in Ghana approximately ten years ago and has since become a popular trend in many Ghanaian houses. Louvre blades are now uncommon in new homes built within the last ten years.
Public servants and government officials resided in "stilted" residences after the colonial period. The major material used to create these structures was wood. These homes are now being renovated with concrete blocks, while others have been demolished to make way for modern luxury apartments and offices.
About 20 years ago, concrete tile roofs were all the rage. When building a home, it seemed virtually logical to use concrete tiles for the roof. Concrete tiles were chosen as the preferred material because of their low maintenance and long lifespan. Real estate developers, on the other hand, have turned to a less expensive option: aluminium roofing sheets. Concrete tiles are heavier and more expensive than aluminium roofing sheets.
Most Ghanaian homes had wooden front doors a few years ago. Carpenters had readymade doors for their customers and high demand for their services as a result. Security doors, largely built in Turkey, have seen an increase in demand recently. These doors are said to be more durable and resistant to wear and tear than wooden doors. Turkish security doors have now established themselves as a prominent part of home architecture.
Developers have had to be inventive in how they build as property in city centers becomes harder to come by and more expensive to purchase. When land was plentiful in the past, developers would build horizontally and put on rooms, etc. However, in recent years, developers have demonstrated their competence by building vertically while still providing ample space for a garden and parking. Townhomes have emerged as a result of this vertical building tendency.
Ghana, a West African country, is famous for its unique vernacular building and construction approaches. This country's architects are always endeavouring to grow and evolve natural building trades in order to maintain their cultural belief systems' immortality. The architecture of Ghana can be split into three zones: northern, middle, and southern, each with its own set of materials and construction processes.
Materials are critical to making the planet more sustainable and environmentally friendly. To put it another way, vernacular architecture is simply the use of locally available construction materials, lowering travel costs and pollution while also conserving resources such as coal and fuel. The following is a list of commonly used materials in Ghanaian architecture.
Ghana's abundance of timber is an asset that is exported to many countries. Sawn wood, veneer sheets, particle boards, and plywood are used as structural and non-structural elements in Ghana and are used as walls and structural frames for both export and indigenous use. It's noted for its toughness, fire resistance, and appealing appearance.
Scaffolding, furniture, panels, and boards are all fashioned from bamboo. It is utilized as a wall structure in Ghana's northern region. It lowers building and transportation costs and is renewable, making it environmentally beneficial.
In Ghana, clay bricks are a common vernacular material. Clay particles are coated with a thin film of water molecules, which aids in balancing the temperature of the building's exterior and interior. They are eco-friendly, readily available locally, require less labor and are energy-efficient. It has become one of the most popular materials for environmentally friendly or green structures.
So if you really want an inspiring architectural design for your Ghanaian home, you should really think about using these construction resources in your home.
Bamboo has a rich history of use as a building material in many cultures. It's lightweight, sturdy, and simple to grow. Bamboo construction has considerable potential for Ghana as a simple technology capable of providing long-term solutions to the country's building problems.
Ghana needs approximately 2 million new residences per year. Construction resources such as bamboo, clay, laterite, and granite can be used to meet the rising housing demand. Also, these construction materials can be used in building modern housing plans to achieve sustainability.
Devtraco Plus has adapted to change as architecture has evolved, bringing out the creative side of developers. They present the world with superior apartments and townhomes by combining a beautiful mix of architectural ingenuity and structural precision. To arrange a tour of their magnificent properties, contact them.