Design innovations towards enhancing the quality of living in multi-storey compound housing for low-income households in Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

A large number of low-income households in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region, live in compound houses. The earlier compound houses built in mud are mostly single-storey but this has gradually metamorphosed, over the years, into multi-storey compound houses within the urban areas. This has been attributed mainly to the high land values and efforts by landlords to maximize the use of land, thereby absorbing the large number of urban poor who lack accommodation. The incidence of a large number of rooms with this kind of design enable cost of renting a room to be cheaper and thus accessible to the poor. This paper seeks to present the merits and demerits of the compound house through studies conducted by the Department of Architecture, from 1985 to 2005, as well as employing an "archito-centric" approach to solving some of the problems, especially the preparation of fufu on upper floors of the building, washing and drying of laundry, refuse disposal, cooking, circulation and storage.

Towards Climate Responsive Building Design: Bio-Climatic Design Features of Residential Building Typologies in the Warm-Humid Climate of Ghana

“…The buildings with window-to-wall ratios below the recommended range are largely among the single-family private housing typology. Interestingly such spaces have higher occupancy densities and the function of the spaces double as both sleeping and living areas, as observed by [37].…”

The Changing Face of Compound Houses in Ghana and Its Effect on Rental Value: A Case Study of Selected Neighborhoods in Kumasi, Ghana

“…Currently, the Ashanti region, whose capital is Kumasi, has the largest numerical share of compound houses in the Ghana; more than 52% of all houses in the region are compound houses (Ghana Statistical Service, 2012). More to the point, majority of past studies on compound houses (such as Willis and Tipple, 1991;Afram, 2007;Afram and Owusu, 2006;Arslan, 2011;Korboe, 1992) were all conducted in Kumasi. Therefore, no other location in Ghana could have been more appropriate for a study of this kind.…”

“…Over the years, the sharing of common space and facility has been at the centre of many problems in compound houses in urban Ghana. Afram and Owusu (2006) found a number of tenants' complaints about the sharing of facility or space in a compound house. Firstly, they found that, most tenants had problem with the principle of equal sharing of electricity bills, especially where some households use more electrical gadgets than others.…”

“…Andreasen et al (2005) discussed the merits and demerits of compound houses in Kumasi. Afram and Owusu (2006) observed tenants' way of life in multi-storey compound houses and recommended an archito-centric design that is sensitive to the needs of those who reside in them. Arslan (2011) argued that compound houses in Ayigya are insufficient in quantity and are poorly serviced and hence unsuitable for the changing demographics and values in the neighbourhood.…”