Last spring Finnish students from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture’s Humanitarian Architecture studio, along with Tampere Faculty students of Built Environment, traveled to Kumasi, Ghana to learn about their cultural differences and similarities while exploring the living environment of the old Asante culture. The students worked together with local students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to implement an urban survey of Kumasi. Their work will be exhibited at Aalto University in fall 2023.
Exploring the City of Kumasi
During their fieldwork, students interacted with locals, learned about their culture, and participated in local workshops to understand their values and needs. Kumasi is a unique and historically significant city with a tropical climate. Students observed and interviewed locals while taking into account the climate of the city. The students were divided into groups for field work and analysis to develop sustainable design solutions.
Learning about Responsibility and Values Systems
The students developed their knowledge on building sustainable design solutions with cultural awareness. After their field work, students traveled to Cape Coast, where they participated in a canopy walk in the forest and visited Elmina castle, where they were educated on the West African slave trade. They finished their trip in Accra, where they visited African art museums and traditional markets.
Continued Collaboration and Exhibition
The students have returned to Aalto’s campus, but their studio work and collaboration with architecture students from KNUST continues online. Their work will be exhibited at Designs for a Cooler Planet at Aalto University in fall 2023. The Interplay of Cultures Studio 2023 is organized with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in the city Kumasi, Ghana, and is a part of the research and education unit Aalto WiTLAB.
The Aalto students’ trip to Kumasi was a valuable learning experience that allowed them to immerse themselves in a new culture. The continued collaboration between the Finnish and Ghanaian students will foster a stronger understanding of cultural differences and similarities while promoting sustainable design practices.
