We love to see house designs, plans and pictures that make us go wow. We are fascinated by the picturesque houses seen on our favourite TV shows and on social media, and fantasise how fantastic our dream home could be. But what if I told you that there were such dream homes here in Ghana? Chancing upon such inspiring homes is not quite common, by their mere definition they are quite rare, yet this list should give us a peek at some of what we would certainly qualify as inspiring homes right here in the country. Enjoy!

The Bridge Residence, East Legon

If you ever relished the thought of being in one of those LA houses used in Hollywood movie locations but thought such house designs were only found in the West, think again.

Sure, it is hard to come by such a residence on your conventional Ghanaian street, and for that matter, one that is thoughtfully designed I might add, but the Bridge Residence, East Legon breaks the mould.

Various elements come to play that make us love this home designed by Mobius Architecture. The tasteful use of stone, wood and glass materials within this build gives it the warm vibe of a resort right at home. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels slide open to blur the lines between the living area inside and the pool outside.

Mobius Architecture _ The Bridge Residence, East Legon, Accra, Ghana from Mobius Architecture on Vimeo.

And who wouldn’t want to have a go at the open-air shower featuring in the master bedroom? Any family with a modern tropical taste would feel right at home here!

The Ark, Salem Estates

When you picture your dream home, you may want many rooms where you could do many things. But then you remember you only have a small building plot and you start to mentally cut out some rooms and features you had included in the original dream till all you are left with is but a shell of what you wanted. Good news is, it does not have to be so.

The cleverly designed Ark by IAC Consults proves small-sized lands can still birth magnificent homes. Small house designs are possible. Nestled within the Salem estates, the location of this house gives little away on your approach, seamlessly blending in with its 2 storey neighbours.

Open the gates, though, and you are in for a series of surprises: first off being that this semi-detached house has 4 levels. Other surprises include the 3-level sky-lit atrium that greets you at the entry foyer, the 180-degree bulletproof glazing enclosing the sunken living/office basement from whose windows you can see the manicured garden outside and the rooftop garden viewpoint!

Did we mention that these were only on one half of this semi-detached building? The Ark packs a punch on your regular sized plot and does so very ingeniously.

The Innonative House, East Legon

For those among us who believe in having their homes be a true reflection of their cultural heritage and identity but yet have no interest in living in the traditional mud house, you may love this one. Although, widely regarded as a less sustainable material, concrete is king in building mostly everywhere, and more certainly in Ghana.

However, the people who lived here before us prove better to have better sustainable measures and building materials that, more appropriately, respond to the climate of our region. When such indigenous building measures are refined by modern minds like that of Arch. Joe Osae-Addo, we get the widely acknowledged and respected home of no less quality than the Innonative House.

With a heart to bring the nativity of its people to the homes they live in, the Innonative House defies the tradition of building with concrete and, in essence, makes this house more environmentally responsive and energy-efficient.

This simple house design, unlike your conventional home, doesn’t need an air conditioning system to keep it cool! Yes, you read that right! Raising the ground floor off the earth and cleverly using wood in walls and flooring, landscaping the gardens outdoors to complement and integrate with the spaces inside as well as carefully placing ceiling-high louvred windows about the house, this home is perpetually kept comfortably cool all day and all night mainly by functional design alone.

And those are only a few elements that give this eco-friendly and energy-wise home its widely known repute!

House Turtle, Biriwa

If you wanted to be free from the confines of the city and its bustle and be nestled right in the heart of nature between land and sea, you might want to take a look at this next entry. Designed by artists, Carsten Holler and Marcel Odenbach, this home in Biriwa seems like the perfect getaway for ocean lovers.

Defying the conventional rules that make your normal house… well, a normal house. These artists let the site dictate more of this house’s design. Simple, yet profound. With no visible boundary walls, you walk on the sands of the beach right up underneath the house, go up the stairs and into an open living-dining and kitchen area that opens right out to the sea.

The deck beyond is a diving spot to the pool right below. Once again, simple, yet profound, this house has served as an exhibit for the Ungers Archive for Architectural Science(UAA), Germany and continues to be the winter escape getaway for the owners.

This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of the inspiring house designs that dot about the regions of Ghana. Though rare to come by, when found, such houses do provoke an appreciation for great design and inspiration, defying the conventional and blazing trails to show what is possible. I hope these homes give you a bout of inspiration to know what your dream of a home could be.

Guest Post by Seshiena Lotsu

Being fascinated with the prospects of great design, Seshiena Lotsu has spent close to a decade working, studying and learning the design disciplines of architecture. As an architectural designer studying at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Germany, he is one who hopes to help address the concerns people have in coming up with the spaces we use, grow and live in today.