Vernacular Material Modernism – Design Research in Ghana

About this course

Course Description

The traditional people of Ghana’s Ashanti region had a time-worn tradition of collective sculptural  plastering on buildings. This is one of the most unique cultures of relief sculpture with earth in the world,  developed over hundreds of years – a creative practice quickened during the intimate community  experiences of maternity (pregnancy and child-rearing). Despite their cultural importance, however,  pregnancy and child-rearing are serious risk-taking activities, especially in rural villages, due to the lack of  maternity health clinics and other basic infrastructures that allow mothers to access health care education  and services when necessary.  

What is the experience of maternity in a modernized Ghana? Is it still collective, culturally rich, and  creative? Is this not the most creative time in the collective lives of women – as they prepare for  childbirth? Has the influence of the Modern International Style – and the systematic replacement of rich  local materials and traditions with poor quality imported materials and construction methods negatively  impacted the local experience of maternity? What might be the best practice in designing and  constructing future maternity health clinics in rural villages while applying vernacular wisdom and tradition  with contemporary knowledge?  

Earthen construction and the manipulation of clay have been one of the most direct forms of creative  expression in vernacular cultures all around the world. This is especially the case with relief sculpture.  Building with the earth also – despite the false stigma propagated by modern Euro-centric development  work is one of the healthiest materials in the built environment. Concrete and steel cannot boast the same  thermally self-regulating, humidity-modulating, and bio-climatically optimal material for construction.  Where earth – and bio-climatic design – result in optimal human comfort and habitation patterns, modern materials often lead to poor health from thermal dysregulation, mold growth, and toxic materials in the  home.  

Should a modern maternity clinic not be an example of a new “vernacular material modernism”? This  Wintersession proto-design studio will grapple with what this means for the women of modern, post colonial Ghana. Students will work with the village community and local women – both those expressing  the need for a modern maternity clinic – and those who still practice the dying art of clay plastering.  

Can the deep material intelligence of the earth and of the vernacular building technologies be brought to  bear on the modern experience of maternity in Ghana? What is the modern exchange passed from  mother to daughter that can suggest a way forward for a participatory, owner-driven conception of the  maternity clinic and ward?

The course will draw on expertise in earthen heritage and tangible knowledge from a variety of sources  working in this region, including the International Center for Earthen Construction (CRAterre), UNESCO  World Heritages Sites Commission (WHEAP), and the World Monuments Fund.

During the trip, students will visit traditional and modern buildings in the coastal and inland areas, conduct  soil tests in fields, study and develop a catalog of local building materials and methods, and produce  proto-designs for a future maternity health clinic. 

Application + Registration

The entire application process will be completed using an online application portal. You will be able to upload, request and submit all required documents there. Apply to a Wintersession Travel Course