Developing Guidelines For Sustainable-affordable Housing In Ghana

Sustainable architecture is the way forward for the building industry in the face of globalclimate change and dwindling energy resources. Various design, construction ideas, standardsand practices based on research are constantly emerging to facilitate this growing inevitabletrend.The developed world, in order to achieve a semblance of control and harmony has codifiedthese findings into standards that are widely applied in their construction industries. Examplesinclude LEED (USA), BREEAM (UK), and BEPAC (CANADA). Other examples exist in Japan,China, and Australia etc. These standards are generally seen as significant guidelines that arewidely applied. Ratings of individual buildings and projects as platinum, gold or diamond haveeven quickened the pace of their application.The situation in less developed countries like Ghana however is not the same. There is aslowly growing awareness of the need to make energy sources and their use, sustainable and costeffective. That is where sustainable architecture comes into play. The construction sector isknown to consume up to40%of the energy produced in this country,30%of raw materials,whilst generating35%of all solid and liquid waste.(Building and Road Research InstituteGhana,2008). This is what makes this critical sector a prime candidate in any effort towardssustainable development.At the same time, increasing population growth and rapid urbanization is exerting immensepressure on housing in general and the affordable housing sector in particular. Ghana’spopulation is said to be growing at2.08%and over50%of the entire population, it is projected,will live in urban areas by2015(World Bank Development Index,2008). It is for this reason toothat affordable housing is a critical issue for policy makers here.Several and varied interventions aimed at making architecture sustainable are beingproposed, adopted or in some cases already in use. As a result of this trend, the need for aframework for standardization, control and adaptability has become quite evident.This study therefore seeks to undertake a systematic examination of existing standards indifferent parts of the world. A synthesis against the background of existing current practices will also be carried out. All these will be geared towards the establishment of guidelines that willregulate the suitability of technologies, materials, services, systems and standards on asustainable basis.