DeRoche Projects has completed a groundbreaking community tennis facility in Accra, Ghana, that represents the country's first use of precast rammed earth construction technology. The Backyard Community Club, located in the urban district of Osu, introduces an innovative model for community spaces in a city where access to green and recreational areas is severely limited. The project centers around a professional-standard clay tennis court while combining athletic training, educational programming, and sustainable ecological practices within a compact urban site.
The most significant technological achievement of the project lies in its pioneering use of precast rammed earth panels, specifically developed to meet Ghana's unique climatic conditions and local labor capabilities. Traditional rammed earth construction, while environmentally sustainable, is typically slow and heavily dependent on weather conditions, which limits its application in large-scale development projects. The architects solved this challenge by introducing off-site fabrication methods that allow for controlled production environments, greater precision in manufacturing, and significantly faster delivery times. The modular panels are easily transported and can be adapted for future construction sites, creating a replicable model for sustainable building practices throughout the region.
"We wanted the architecture to carry the same sense of purpose as the programming, grounded, expressive, and innovative," explains Glenn DeRoche, creative director of DeRoche Projects. The facility is designed to serve multiple functions, with training programs meeting community togetherness in a carefully planned environment. The clay tennis court at the center provides a professional-standard training environment specifically for athletes under 18 years old, while free lessons open access to the sport for local children who might not otherwise have such opportunities.
The architectural design features a floating bench system embedded along the shaded perimeter of the court that serves dual purposes as both seating and an observation deck. This design encourages informal interactions and exchanges between players and community members. Surrounding the court, simple ancillary spaces including changing rooms, showers, outdoor counters, and barbecue areas are seamlessly integrated into the landscape. These spaces are designed to maximize natural light and cross-ventilation rather than relying on mechanical systems for climate control.
The entire facility is wrapped in a 4-meter-high rhythmic enclosure constructed from the innovative precast rammed earth panels. This modular structure effectively filters wind while casting intricate shadow patterns throughout the day. "Backyard is about more than tennis, it's about creating a platform for youth, for mentorship, and for community," says Glenn DeRoche. "We developed a custom precast system that acts as both structure and expression, pushing construction to meet the ambition of a purpose-built community space. The architecture is deliberately open-ended, where lines between sport, gathering, learning, and rest are blurred."
Extending from the tennis court is a 230-square-meter sustenance garden that cultivates more than twenty species of edible and medicinal plants. The garden includes guava, banana, lemongrass, peppermint, soursop, and coconut trees, serving practical rather than purely ornamental purposes. The garden is designed to nourish young athletes while simultaneously teaching them about ecological responsibility and sustainable living practices. Youth participants learn to tend and harvest the plants alongside their athletic training, creating an integrated educational experience.
Ingredients from the garden are used to prepare fresh juices, healthy snacks, and community meals that are prepared on-site. The garden itself becomes a social gathering space that promotes exchange of ideas and encourages self-reliance among community members. When not being used for matches or training sessions, the tennis court transforms into a multipurpose community space that can accommodate exercise classes, local produce markets, outdoor movie screenings, and evening social gatherings.
Sustainability operates at both material and systemic levels throughout the project. The design prioritizes low-carbon, locally sourced materials, utilizing rammed earth construction to enclose the clay court while significantly reducing reliance on imported or energy-intensive building components. Because clay tennis courts require consistent moisture to maintain proper playing conditions, the team implemented a sophisticated borehole system combined with a stormwater harvesting strategy. This system irrigates both the playing surface and the surrounding vegetation while minimizing the facility's dependence on municipal water supplies.
The project employs an earth slurry finish instead of conventional cement render, allowing the walls to breathe naturally while substantially lowering the structure's embodied carbon footprint. Passive ventilation systems and strategic natural daylighting eliminate the need for air conditioning throughout the facility, ensuring low operational energy requirements across all structures. This comprehensive approach to sustainable design demonstrates how traditional building materials can be adapted for contemporary, scalable construction projects that serve modern community needs while respecting environmental constraints.
