A Group of built environment students at Westminster University are planning to build a village in Ghana based on sustainable technology. Can they turn their plans into reality?
The United African Village is the brainchild of a group of international students at Westminster University School of Architecture and the Built Environment.
They argue that sustainability in construction needs to be introduced to African culture now whilst the economies are still developing. The idea is that the United African Village will serve as model for introducing sustainable technology into the culture, as well as more rigorous best practice and ethics during the building process.
The village will utilise Ghana’s natural climate, relying on solar power as its primary energy source. It will be built using local materials. There will be affordable housing in the form of flats so that the average Ghanaian can live there, rather than just featuring homes for the rich and middle class.
Hailing from different parts of Africa (as well as one from Lithuania) the five students involved have developed a site plan of a village, surrounded by trees, shaped like the African continent
They are currently looking for support from the industry, both in the form of guidance from experts who can mentor them through the project and ethical investors to help fund development.
Postscript
Would you like to see your design featured in the Designed by Students section? Or discuss a recent project you have worked on? If you're a student of the built environement and want to showcase some of your work on this page please email NShahmanesh@cmpi.biz
