Ghana Institute of Architects unhappy with country’s built environment 

Ghana Institute of Architects has expressed disgust about the country's-built environment, disregarding building regulations and codes and other statutory documents.

According to the Institute, something ought to be done urgently to stem the uncontrolled nature of development that did not respect the statutory documents governing the management of the built environment.

Mr Foster Osae-Akonnor, the President of the Institute raised the concern when he was speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the Institute in Sunyani, as part of activities to mark the 60^th anniversary celebration of the institution on the theme, “the Architect and the Community”.

The day's meeting was attended by Heads of Departments and Agencies, representatives of District and Municipal Assemblies and planning officers as well as traditional leaders and representatives of religious organisations.

It aimed at discussing pertinent issues affecting the region and further strategizing for a better built environment that would promote the health and well-being of the people.

Accordingly, Mr Osae-Akonnor explained the Institute would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bono Regional Coordinating Council (BARCC), because of the region's development into a business hub.

The medium to long term outcome and benefits of the MoU, he explained, would lead to a built environment livable, developed sustainably and created the much needed economic prosperity in the region.

This would eventually lead to the overall health and well-being of the inhabitants in the region, Mr Osae-Akonnor stated, saying all the 12 political-administrative municipalities/districts in the region would also countersign the MoU.

Highlighting the roles of architects towards holistic national development, Mr Osae-Akonnor underlined the need to design or modulate space for human habitation, saying “this entails not only designing and specification, but contract administration involving supervision and eventually post occupancy evaluation.”

As architects, he said the Bono Region and Sunyani had to become a beautiful, vibrant, and sustainable city considering the opportunities in the area of economic, socio-cultural, physical development and environmental attributes.

“But this can only happen if all of us put our minds to it, have a vision for the development of the physical environment (built environment) of the entire region without leaving behind any of the 12 administrative capitals of the Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs)”, Mr Osae-Akonnor stated.

He therefore called for effective collaboration between the Institute and the RCC and entreated the MDAs in the region to send drone footages covering their entire boundaries that would serve as the base material for a Master Plan for the MoU.

Already Mr Osae-Akonnor said similar meetings had been held in six regions including Ashanti, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, and Oti Regions.

The Institute would further hold meetings in the Western, Western North, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions by the end of the year and continued with that of Bono East, Savannah, Central, Ahafo and North East Regions in 2024.

GNA