This webinar presents research funded by the RSA MeRSA
Grant.
While the concept of adaptive reuse is widely prescribed in the existing
literature as a panacea for revitalising derelict buildings, there seems to be a
knowledge gap on how it could be useful in Ghana’s coastal cities. These cities
are characterised by many old and historic buildings constructed during Ghana’s
colonial era that are decaying due to continuous neglect. Cities’ transformation
through regeneration and adaptive reuse of derelict buildings is yet to become a
policy priority in Ghana. The increasing demand for buildings for different uses
in Ghana’s twin city, Sekondi-Takoradi makes this research important and
timely.
This research aims to explore the drivers of derelict old and historic
buildings in Sekondi, the older part of the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis and to
propose a strategy for utilising those buildings. This is deemed necessary for a
city which is striving to ensure that its infrastructure, including buildings,
keeps pace with the increasing population, a phenomenon largely induced by the
in-migration of people in search of oil-related opportunities. The study is
grounded in action research design and will rely on a qualitative approach for
empirical analysis. I will use interviews, oral histories, building tours and
archival materials to construct histories of the case study vicinities in
Sekondi and to understand why buildings are being neglected. Additional
interviews with owners/families, planners, city authorities, architects and
other relevant stakeholders will be used to determine how neglected buildings
could be revitalised and given new functional uses.
The research is expected to inform local policy on integrating the
regeneration of old and historic derelict buildings in the planning schemes of
Sekondi-Takoradi as well as provide data on the attributes and history of
buildings since such information is rarely documented. Promoting adaptive reuse
of historic buildings will create a myriad of economic opportunities for people,
contribute to heritage conservation, inspire a sense of community and a basis
for the city to reinvent itself.