Courtyard Living: A Model for Sustainable Community Housing in Ghana

Tackling Ghana's Housing Crisis Through Sustainable Community Housing

Ghana faces a severe housing shortage, with households of up to ten people sharing a single room—often without access to basic infrastructure like electricity and water. The national housing deficit exceeded 5.7 million in 2020. Despite an annual need for over 100,000 units, only around 35,000–40,000 homes are built. In response, this project proposes a sustainable community housing model that weaves together traditional architectural practices and environmental strategies. Inspired by the compound house typology common in northern Ghana, the project integrates courtyard architecture and uses locally sourced Earth blocks to create affordable, climate-responsive living environments.

Urban Context and Cultural Fabric

Located in Bolgatanga, Upper East Ghana, the project is situated within a rapidly urbanizing context where commerce, culture, and agriculture intersect. The city’s compact, walkable layout is anchored by three major commercial roads. Bolgatanga is well-known for its artisanal crafts, such as Bolga baskets, and courtyard-based farming that supports both nutrition and income. Given the region’s hot savannah climate and alternating wet-dry seasons, architectural solutions must prioritize passive cooling and seasonal adaptability.

A defining feature of Bolgatanga’s architectural identity is the courtyard—a central or interconnected open space where life happens. These spaces are used for cooking, drying clothes, hosting events, weaving, farming, and more. The design leverages this cultural element to foster interaction and preserve traditional lifestyle patterns.

Design Program: Community Engagement Through Courtyard Architecture

The spatial organization follows an irregular grid informed by surrounding building patterns. Voids, or courtyards, serve as connective tissue between buildings, enhancing community interaction and social infrastructure.

• The front courtyard doubles as a flexible market area linked to the main road.
• A playground adjacent to a daycare supports working parents.
• A communal courtyard hosts events and links to an enclosed hall.
• A community garden at the edge transitions into the city’s agricultural landscape.

In addition to these shared spaces, semi-private courtyards and balconies support daily life and strengthen intra-community bonds. Shops and studios reinforce the city’s arts and crafts economy, adding economic viability to the sustainable community housing concept.

Materials and Construction: Local, Modular, and Climate-Responsive

The primary construction material is the Earth block—created from site-excavated soil mixed with additives and finished with a limestone-cement coating for durability. This modular unit enables diverse stacking configurations, adjusting porosity based on functional needs:

• High porosity for markets and communal zones
• Low porosity for private living spaces

Steel-reinforced columns within Earth blocks provide structural strength, while thoughtful orientation maximizes cross-ventilation and natural light. The strategic use of balconies encourages air circulation and community visibility. Louvers and bamboo screens shade the sun-exposed façades, and a steel-trussed freeform roof unifies the buildings while enhancing airflow and passive cooling.

Stormwater harvesting systems channel rainwater for irrigation and greywater use, offering a sustainable response to Bolgatanga’s dry-season water scarcity.

A Holistic Vision for Resilient Housing

This award-winning design by Robert Holton, Thu Nguyen, Clara Jimenez, and JouChuch Lee—recognized as a Winner of the Earth Made Competition—offers a compelling model for sustainable community housing. It:

1. Embeds cultural relevance through traditional courtyard-based spatial design.
2. Strengthens communal bonds via multifunctional public and semi-private spaces.
3. Integrates passive design strategies for lighting, ventilation, and thermal comfort.
4. Promotes ecological resilience through stormwater reuse and green infrastructure.
5. Enhances local livelihoods by incorporating market spaces, workshops, and childcare facilities.

Courtyard Living is more than a response to housing needs—it is a celebration of Ghanaian identity, environmental consciousness, and community-centered design.