A SURF CLUB IN THE HEART OF BUSUA

A new canopy creates a social space over an adapted building

To improve the existing Surf Ghana Collective edifice, DeRoché Strohmayer added a new canopy that replaced a leaking roof, which was the original structure’s only demolished element. The new ‘plugin’ canopy spans the existing house and a newly extended ground floor terrace, which features large steps towards the ocean acting as both access and seating.

This social space is constructed around two existing Ficus trees that have been preserved. Given the lodge’s small preexisting footprint, the architects utilized the canopy’s rooftop to increase the Surf House’s area, providing a respite point that features a playful array of pillars to hang hammocks and offers a new vantage point for surfers to observe surf swells.

This multipurpose canopy is supported by sculptural columns that integrate new functions such as a bathroom and shower, storage for surfboards, a wet suit and rash guard rinse area, and water storage. The form of the new canopy and pillars echoes the sculptural qualities of the contemporary built environment along Ghana’s coast. The new canopy’s raw concrete texture and patina embeds it within the oceanfront’s existing context and creates a strong form that is visible from the beach and serves as both the club’s community marker and an orientation point for surfers.

Material sustainability to strengthen the community

DeRoché Strohmayer’s considered approach to Surf Ghana’s brief fostered an environmentally responsive design that adapted the existing building on the site. While using passive cooling strategies through a double-roof design and cross-ventilation were important, the architects also considered how the materiality of the project could further the sustainability aims of the project.

To reduce the amount of cement, they worked with an engineered mix-design which substituted cement with a readily available laterite (soil), which resulted in a reduced-carbon concrete. This mixture was used to finish the existing structure’s plaster and new concrete elements.

To further minimize the project’s carbon footprint, DeRoché Strohmayer substituted imported formwork with local raffia. This decision integrates into the region’s existing design language, as raffia palms clad many structures in Ghana’s Western Region, such as in the Nzulezu stilt village. This innovative formwork also resulted in a fluted concrete finish that beautifully contrasts with the existing structure’s smooth plaster.

The combined reduction of cement through local soil substitution and the embrace of an alternative formwork not only complemented the passive climate strategies of the design, it also had a major impact on the economic sustainability of this new community hub.