Culture and other indigenous factors are critical in architectural structural design for improvement of the built environment.

President of the Ghana Institute of Architecture, Richard Nii Dadey, has observed technological advancement pose huge challenges to professionals and their clients.   

“As we move towards the development of smart buildings and ultimately smart cities we need to ensure that our new developments are fit for purpose that our lifestyles are shaped and determined by technology.”

“This is a challenge that will go on and on and we need to prepare for that. How can we fuse our culture and blend technological improvements in our lifestyle into Architecture?” he questioned.

Mr. Dadey charged members at the 2019 Annual General Meeting in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region,to find appropriate measures to neutralise emerging challenges.

It was on the theme, “Expressing Architecture through Culture and Technology.”

Registrar at the Architects Council, Stella Arthiaba, however, wants negative cultural practices which affect beauty and function of architectural structures reviewed.

She says it will require efforts of stakeholders to harmonise various aspects of society to realise aspirations of the theme.

“This is a call for local architects to venture away from the status quo practice into an intelligent architecture where suitable energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable, and accurate and appropriate in the use of materials for the designs are attained,” she emphasised.

She added, “these attempts could be our social responsibilities to the populace and the environment and most importantly lead to the creation of our local brand of architecture, The Ghanaian Architecture.”

Otumfuo Apagyahene, Oheneba Akwasi Afriyie IV, noted the creation of the six new regions requires a re-design of regional capitals.

He wants architects to ensure posterity benefit from their work.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Works and Housing says the Architectural Registration Council will soon receive Presidential Assent.

In a speech read for him, Sector Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea, also hinted a technical committee will soon be set up to revise Ghana’s Building Code.