KNUST Architecture student designs amphibious buildings with local materials, waste plastic bottles

We are faced with uncertainties about the future due to the impacts of climate change on communities and our livelihoods. In the past decades, severe flooding in major cities and towns across the globe has resulted in loss of human life, damage to properties and infrastructure facilities, and destruction of crops among others. Coastal cities and island communities are among those facing the highest risks of climate change impact due to rising sea levels. Despite their huge tourism potential and economic opportunities, most island communities in Ghana are at risk of being abandoned due to climate crisis and limited investment. Azizakpe Island, located in the estuary of the Volta River, is one such example. Azizakpe has been in existence for more than a hundred years. However, in recent years, the island community faces existential threats due to severe flooding and erosion. About 20 acres of Azizakpe’s land has been lost to erosion. Farming and economic activities such as coconut oil production, crab hunting, boat making, fish mongering, weaving and broom making, etc. have been severely disrupted by this climate crisis and the emigration of most residents. To revitalize the community and make it attractive to both residents and visitors, a final-year Architecture student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Miss Rhoda Osei-Nkwantabisa), has designed resilient structures that can help the community withstand the impacts of floods and erosion. The proposed structures were designed based on the concept of Amphibious Architecture. This approach to design allows buildings to float on the surface of rising floodwater rather than succumb to inundation. The designer adapted local materials such as mangrove trees, thatch roof, woven coconut leaf walls, and bamboo raft floors. To enable the buildings to float without submerging, the designer created a bamboo cage at the base of each building. The cage is filled with waste plastic bottles for buoyancy in the event of a flood. The shape of the structures was inspired by the roots of the mangrove tree due to its ability to withstand floods and erosion. If sea levels rise in the future as has been predicted, the structures are designed to stay afloat with the aid of the bamboo cage and supporting mangrove sliding stilts. Due to the use of locally available materials and low-cost construction techniques, construction cost is estimated to reduce by 40 percent. This proposal, if implemented, will benefit the community socially, economically, and environmentally. The plastic bottles used to create buoyancy will reduce plastic waste in the community and its environs. The facility will also help to generate income for the community and the nation at large. It could serve as a model for the revitalization of island communities in Ghana. This research was supervised by Dr. Martin Larbi and Arc. Isaac Annor. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of Mr Emmanuel Kankam in the construction of the 3D impressions. This research was supervised by Dr Martin Larbi and Arc. Isaac Annor. The author gratefully acknowledges the support of Mr Emmanuel Kankam in the construction of the 3D impressions. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: