Architects encourage use of local building materials

An Architect on Monday encouraged Ghanaians to use locally manufactured building materials in real estate development because it was more sustainable.

Mrs Akosua Obeng, said the move to promote the use of local materials, was in line with government policy to have 60 per cent local materials in all public building projects by 2015.

Mrs Obeng, who said this at a round-table discussion, organised by Lamudi, an online marketing platform for real estate developers in Accra, explained that the interaction was to enable practitioners in the industry to exchange ideas on how to educate Ghanaians on the need to patronize locally produced building materials.

She noted that local materials, such as timber, compressed earth blocks, laterite, bamboo, coconut fibre, and wooden shingles, among others, would reduce the number of cement bags that could be used in constructing an estate building.

She explained that it would cost about 500 dollars per square metre when one uses cement blocks, as compared to 300 dollars per square metre with mud blocks.

The Architect noted that 75 per cent of building materials in Ghana were imported, pointing out that this was weakening the economy, but strengthening those of China, Europe and Turkey.

She said about 30 per cent local material was used in the building of the Labadi Beach hotel, and 15 per cent in the building of offices for the World Bank in Ghana as well as Wientjes Retreat, a private holiday retreat along the banks of the Akosombo river which has the highest percentage of local building materials in the portfolio of Orthner Orthner and Associates.

Mrs Obeng urged the Green Building Council in the country to get involved and be more proactive in assessing and certifying buildings that are using local materials, because the inherent properties of local materials make them suitable for the construction of green buildings.

She said government should also play a leading role in providing legislation, financial incentives, and creating the necessary public awareness for a change in the current building culture, which sees the use of local materials as a practice of unenlightened villagers.

Mr Brandon Rogers, a designer and building consultant, encouraged Ghanaians to use clay earth bags for building construction, instead of using cement or concrete.

He said the use of clay was much better than using sand for construction, because clay was more susceptible to sun, but when the heat of the sun burns the sand, it cracks.

Mr Rogers encouraged the use of mud blocks to replace concr