Residence BD

Accra, Ghana

Add To Collection

Residence BD

Accra, Ghana

Firm

mobius Architecture

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2010

SIZE

5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

THE BD RESIDENCE

The project is located on a 0.33 acre site with a 1.2m gradient, the access road forms a loop that allows a full frontal view of the house from one direction.

The site is conveniently oriented north-south, temperatures in Accra are high from midday to sunset and if a building has a large exposed glass facade surface on the West there will be immense heat gain which means air-conditioning, energy, money and carbon footprints. Passive design principles are therefore adopted to some extent to help rely less on artificial sources of cooling. Sustainable practices adopted here include; rainwater harvesting, solar water heating and use of low energy light fixtures.

The building is designed to create interesting social spaces that allow daylight, without glare harnessing the masterly interplay of solid walls and large openings to effect. Large foldable doors, wide sliding doors and open spaces allow various scenarios to transpire subject to the desires of house occupants. The main internal space has been planned to make it as dynamic as possible, with the large sliding doors that transform the entire ground floor into one single space from terrace to terrace during social gatherings. The open kitchen layout links perfectly with the family area flowing from the Garage with a link staircase to upstairs, this is the private quarter that allows the family is remain in their own world.

The design resonates on the central idea of ‘the trinity in christian marriages; God, husband and Wife’. The trinity, represented by three distinct volume defining spaces, punctuated by an internal courtyard that creates visual linkages between the formal and informal areas of the house. These three volumes comes in different colors and texture, there is a cultured stone volume represents the ‘God’ element and two others in blue and White, husband and wife, volumes interchangeable depending on how you perceive it. The main entry is through the cultured stone volume which connects with the two other volumes through a vestibule next to the internal courtyard.

The volumes are simple and clear, horizontal lines that follow the general movements and sight lines of the site. The design is striped of ornamentation and it lies within the bounds of functional and contemporary design. The large openings allow visual communication with the available scenic views and with the overhangs protect parts of the building from the intense solar heat which can be as high as 32 celsius. The prevailing winds direction lie in the south-west axis that naturally allows maximum ventilation. In the space planning it stands to reason that the coolest part of the house will lie on the north-east and rightly so,the master bedroom was sited on this part of the site.