encouraging gro
Located in the Abetenim Arts Village, 40km from Kumasi, in the Ashanti
constructed during 2015, after being short-listed in the 2014 Mud House De
organisation ba
C
ross ventilation, thermal mass to reduce heat transfer, double skin roof
and Kente cloth shading devices are some of the environmental strategies
incorporated in Kente House, a house and working space designed for
Kente weavers to promote their work while encouraging growth and
development in Abetenim.
The competition was created as part of understanding that stereotypes
about buildings made of earth persist in Ghana and other West African
countries. Locals believe that earth construction is for the very poor, it
is seen as a weak material and is not as modern as concrete. 98% of the
dwellings in Abetenim remain in disrepair due to poor construction and erosion, which
is added to the lack of privacy that users encounter in the traditional compound dwelling
of Ashanti. However, 70% of the land that covers Ghana is laterite, a free, zero-embodied
material eligible for earth construction, quite appealing considering the gradual increase in
cement prices.
The Brief
Kente House is a 118m2 single-family unit designed for Kente weavers, as a way of
promoting the region’s cultural heritage. The house is located along the W/E axis.
Bedrooms are distributed in the central part. It also includes a weavers’ workshop in
the western façade in order to avoid the morning solar radiation during working hours.
20 africandesignmagazine.com