A remarkable residential project in Ghana demonstrates how traditional building techniques can meet contemporary architectural needs while promoting sustainability and community values. The BAMA House, designed by L'Africaine d'Architecture and completed in 2025, spans 720 square meters along Ghana's coastline and exemplifies innovative approaches to multigenerational living through locally sourced materials and environmentally conscious design principles.
The project's most distinctive feature lies in its construction methodology, utilizing rammed-earth walls that are mixed and compacted directly on-site. This approach not only reduces environmental impact but also creates a unique sensory experience for inhabitants. The earth walls naturally regulate humidity, store heat, and provide thermal mass that helps maintain stable indoor temperatures throughout the year. These walls carry the literal fingerprints of their makers, creating textured surfaces that are both visually appealing and pleasant to touch.
Designed specifically for multigenerational families, the house combines private retreat spaces with communal areas that encourage daily interaction and exchange between family members. The spatial organization prioritizes peace, balance, and openness to nature, following the architectural philosophy that "life precedes space, and space precedes the building." This principle guides every aspect of the design, from room layouts to the integration of outdoor spaces.
The architectural layout creates multiple courtyards throughout the property, while the porous ground floor design effectively dissolves traditional boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. Deep overhangs, strategically placed shaded patios, and carefully aligned openings work together to generate natural cross-ventilation and help regulate interior temperatures. Given the house's proximity to the equator where the sun stands high in the sky, these deep overhangs allow abundant natural light to enter while preventing uncomfortable glare.
Sustainability remains at the core of the project's design philosophy, with vegetation threading through the architectural plan as productive infrastructure. This integrated landscaping provides food production, natural shade, wildlife habitat, and helps reduce rainwater surface runoff, demonstrating how architecture and landscape can coevolve harmoniously. Local materials were prioritized not only for their reduced environmental impact but also for their sensory and emotional qualities that connect inhabitants to their cultural heritage.
The construction process itself became an educational opportunity, transforming the building site into a living classroom where traditional techniques merged with contemporary architectural ideas. Every aspect of construction became an act of cultural transmission and community care. Windows throughout the house are crafted from locally sourced wood with operable louvers that facilitate natural airflow, while terrazzo flooring extends consistently throughout the interior spaces.
Beyond its architectural merits, the project carries broader social and economic implications. By sourcing materials and labor locally, the BAMA House reduces carbon footprint while strengthening the regional economy and honoring cultural traditions. This approach provides resilience against disrupted international supply chains, offering what the architects describe as a "hopeful, low-impact, high-dignity, and deeply rooted answer" to contemporary housing challenges.
The project represents a deliberate rejection of globalized construction practices that source concrete from one continent, steel from another, and decision-making from a third. Instead, it strengthens local economic fabric, escapes volatile global market prices, and reinjects value directly into the community. The architects emphasize that choosing earth as a primary building material constitutes "a cultural, political, emotional, and poetic act" that involves slowing down, listening carefully, and valuing existing resources.
This architectural approach rehabilitates forgotten traditional knowledge while restoring meaning to the act of building itself. The BAMA House demonstrates that building with earth is not a regression to outdated methods, but rather a precise response to today's ecological and social challenges. The project shows that beneath our feet lies a material capable of offering comfort, pride, and resilience without compromise, providing a model for sustainable residential architecture in tropical climates and beyond.
