Call for Participation at The Earth Architecture Workshop 2016, Ghana

Earth Architecture Workshop 2016

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The eARThouse Project for the Arts | Building a Creative Platform of Hands-on Knowledge for Sustainable Development of Rural Villages

LOAD, the eARThouse2016 Designing Team is pleased to announce the Earth Architecture Workshop 2016!  We look for volunteers, experts, professionals, students of architecture and landscape to locate the completed unit and blend it with the rural surrounding, interior design to organize the interior spaces, product the furniture and fittings, photography/video arts for a documentary and artists to create works of art to adorn the various spaces. African students are welcome to do their part in the building project. Students can use the opportunity for an internship, personal research or thesis.

Follow the project updates on eARThouse2016

If interested in participating in the project, send an introductory material on you, and a statement of interest to [email protected]

When and Where:

The workshop runs from the 13 of July to the 14th of October. The site is Abetenim Village, in the middle rural territories of the ancient Ashanti region of Ghana.

The Purposes:

The aspiration is to help develop a contemporary earth architecture tradition for the region

and along the way, create arts villages to promote arts and design education. The basic idea is to generate user-centered design for low-tech construction to create durable and scalable house types by exploring the accumulated knowledge about ways of building in a

tropical climate.

A Platform of Hands-on Knowledge:

It is a reinterpretation of schools in terms of tradition and in the way communities hand down theirs culture.  Life-long education is woven into the political, economic, spiritual and physical life. In other words, it envisions the total development of everyone. In an art village the two processes, creation and learning by doing, are very close. The house for artist acquires sensory values and a special sharing spot within the village, as an open learning system. The design aims to integrate locals and guests artist, both interested in enhancing their skills. This full cultural immersion triggers a virtuous circle which improves the unrecognised local resources. The goal is to create an active network of artists and locals, offer a platform for the presentation art, and to develop a critical forum for the promotion of Ghana culture.

The site:

The site of eARThouse project will be Abetenim, located in the Ejisu-Juaben District of the Ashanti Region, 40km from Kumasi. The village is dotted by mud house types and within a population of 1000 inhabitants, the people of the village are essentially farmers. As a local and widely available resource, earth and mud construction can serve as a natural building technology for durable future homes without the high cost and negative impacts of imported concrete and other foreign construction methods, to overcome the stigma of constructions made by earth usually referred to poor farmer’s house and the mobilization of existing unrecognised local resources and cultural artistic heritage.

The Project:

Rammed earth method gives us the ability to self-build a wall with local resources and less waste of materials. The project emphasizes the use of available resources and employment to local artisans. The design is simple, practical and economical.

The Build-design Workshop:

The main goal is to bring together local builders, craftspeople and enthusiastic volunteers to share the knowledge and expertise of everyone involved to create a built environment in order to strengthen the earth construction in Ghana’s long tradition of sustainable housing. On top of providing a community in need with new housing solutions, volunteers will learn how to  build a earth house using a site-specific approach, traditional practices and encountering local materials, construction and community. They will immerse in the rich Ashanti’s culture to explore  and learn by collaborating on the building process and they will have the chance to visit local attractions participating in field trips.

Design, site-specific issues, and construction strategy are all debated in an effort to create useful structures that are environmentally sustainable and meet local needs. The project culminates in a public celebration of the completed project by way of open house exhibition, or public performance and foods. By engaging in field trips to observe local architecture and working on the building project with local builders, the international participants are exposed to Non-Western ways of thinking and doing in earth architecture.

The Costs:

The Earth Architecture Workshop 2016 is funded through participation donations from the project participants and private donations. These costs cover all fees associated with joining the workshop. The participation fee (300€) is used for the purchasing of material and supplies to complete the construction of the home for artists and a small percentage to cover the workshop organisation. Raising more contributions we will try to reduce them as much as possible. So, please help us to promote our workshop with  your interested contacts and ensure the successful completion of the project.

 

EARTH ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP 2016, ABETENIM VILLAGE, GHANA

JULY 13 – OCTOBER 14, 2016

Participation fee: 300€ (regardless your period of stay)
Weekly accommodation fee: 70€; Weekly food fee: 70€
Contact us: [email protected]