DeRoché Strohmayer’s adaptive reuse project, Surf Ghana Collective, is a beachside community space run by a youth empowerment group.
© Julien Lanoo

Surf Ghana Collective, says Juergen Strohmayer, is the first and only “surf lodge” for local surfers and youth in Busua, an up-and-coming surfing hotspot along the western coast of Ghana. DeRoché Strohmayer adapted a single-room structure on the beachfront into a versatile community space.

Strategic design interventions have generated new social spaces, and passive design strategies were incorporated for comfort. The project has been operational for over a year.

The formwork used to cast the roof and columns of Surf Ghana Collective was made with local raffia palm leaves. This technique is common in the region.
© Julien Lanoo

A new low-carbon, cementitious concrete mix was used to cast a new roof that replaces the leaky one that previously existed. The rooftop has been made accessible, thus increasing the space available for use. The new material has also been used to repair and finish the existing structure.

Designed by Akl Architects, Kfar Houneh Ecolodge aims to provide an immersive experience to guests while boosting the local agricultural industry.
© Akl Architects

Kfar Houneh Ecolodge, explains Akl Akl, is a recreational and agro-production facility located in Kfar Houneh, a small town 80 kilometres from Beirut, Lebanon. Surrounded by agricultural land, it seeks to promote responsible tourism and historical preservation, while shedding light on the region’s biodiversity. Construction is yet to begin.

The Ecolodge design integrates the ruins of buildings damaged during the Lebanese Civil War. They will be revived and connected by a web of hiking trails.
© Akl Architects

Self-sufficiency is ingrained in the design: photovoltaic panels and wind turbines will generate energy on site, and a local agro-food processing centre will allow the locals to make and sell food products to tourists. A stormwater catchment system and a wastewater treatment system will be installed.

Despite their small building footprints, the two projects have big ambitions. Surf Ghana Collective aspires to create opportunities for local youth and prevent the depopulation of talent from the area. Juergen points to some successes: the building is now homebase for events such as international surfing workshops and swimming lessons for children.

Activities such as sports training, competitions, cultural events, and art workshops are regularly organised at Surf Ghana Collective by the local youth.
© Julien Lanoo

Akl explains that creating jobs locally is crucial for economic revival in Lebanon, which has been grappling with the aftermath of several decades of war, a financial crisis, the pandemic, and the Beirut explosion of 2020. Kfar Houneh Ecolodge will fulfil this need by supporting internal tourism and promoting the local agricultural industry.

The projects’ demonstrated and potential impact owes much to the collaborative and broad-reaching approaches taken to developing the briefs and designs. Juergen, for instance, reveals that the brief for Surf Ghana Collective emerged incrementally over multiple informal meetings with the client and engagement with the neighbourhood and community.

For Akl, it was important that consideration of the local ecology, history, materials, and workmanship informed the design process. Collaboration with an environmental scientist and engineers, as well as input from local builders and residents, were instrumental to the design development.

The guest units at the Ecolodge will be oriented toward the wilderness, promoting a sense of connection between people and nature.
© Akl Architects

In both projects, in-between spaces are significant. At Surf Ghana Collective, for example, the steps to the beach and the shaded deck act as social centres, teaming with life. Doors are kept open for natural ventilation and thermal comfort, which leads to a blurring of the boundaries between the inside and outside. Where the building begins and ends, says Juergen, is up for debate.

Activities spill into the open spaces around Surf Ghana Collective.
© Julien Lanoo

Akl takes Juergen’s sentiment a step further. Architecture, he says, should be present and not present at the same time. This idea is reflected in the dispersed approach taken to the site planning of Kfar Houneh Ecolodge.

Bifolding glazed doors will surround the restaurant at Kfar Houneh Ecolodge, allowing diners to engage with the site.
© Akl Architects

Surf Ghana Collective, in many ways, is already living up to its intent. It is not only a hub for local surfers, but is also serving the community at large. Though mindful of regional instability and war, Akl is hopeful that Kfar Houneh Ecolodge will soon materialise. In the long term, he expects the project to become a socio-ecological hub that will create jobs and push sustainable development in the region, while also being a profitable endeavour for the client.

Both Juergen and Akl mention that winning a Holcim Award has generated greater interest in their projects, which they hope will translate into more such opportunities to make a deep local impact.