The 23rd induction ceremony of the ARC, which was held last Thursday at Ghana’s Shippers House, Ridge, Accra, was on the theme: ‘Upholding the Highest Moral and Ethical standards as a Built Environment Professional’.

The ceremony bridges the academic and professional life of every architect and climaxes six years of academic qualification at a university, a minimum of two years of post-qualification coaching and internship under a qualified principal architect, structured seminars and tutorials and finally professional examination to gain state licence to practise in the country.

At the event, Gabriel Yaw Osei, was adjudged the overall best student at the colourful ceremony, which assembled fellows of the profession, past presidents, principal architects, professional bodies and academics.

The inductees were sworn in by both the ARC and its professional body, the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), by the registrar and president respectively.

The Special Guest of Honour was the Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, while guests included the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Grace Jeanet Mason, and the South African Minister for Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi, who delivered the keynote address.

Harmonise designs

The Registrar of the ARC, Dr Emmanuel Eyiah-Botwe, on behalf of the governing board and the council, congratulated the newly inducted architects on having laboured, studied and proved themselves worthy to practise architecture.

He stated that the theme was timely as architects must harmonise their designs with the inhabitants and the environment.

“I will urge you to have Zaha Hadid as your role model, among others, and be diligent and hardworking, pushing the boundaries of architecture and urban design and never give yourself the luxury of thinking that you have made it,” Mr Eyiah-Botwe told the inducted.

He urged the newly inducted architects to be mindful of building a good reputation and to be respectful and conscious of the impact of the concept of modernism.

The Registrar also urged the architects to be motivated by love for humanity and be the light needed for the dark path.

The Chairman of ARC, Richard Nii Dadey, urged architects present to align themselves with contemporaneous issues, such as climate change, social justice and equitable access to resources.

“Your profession as an architect requires that you use your unique attributes to contribute positively to these challenges as you strive to achieve ethical practice.

“As an architect, you have an ethical responsibility with the power to create and shape a more suitable future for all humanity.

As you begin this journey, take with you contextual sensitivity, adaptability, sustainability, aesthetic excellence, clarity and balance,” Mr Dadey advised. 

New building regulations

For his part, Mr Asenso-Boakye said the theme was timely, considering how the country was grappling with the challenges posed by poor development controls, illegal structures and developments in communities.

He said the ministry had spearheaded a comprehensive review of the Building Regulations L.I. 1630 of 1996 as it had become outdated due to swift urbanisation trends.

“We are, therefore, pleased to announce the adoption of the new Building Regulations L.I. 2465 of 2022, which is designed to equip municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies with the necessary tools to effectively address the challenges posed by the rapidly changing built environment,” he said.

For her part, Ms Kubayi entreated Ghanaian architects and their counterparts from South Africa to consider a more collaborative effort and knowledge sharing to contribute to the creation of one Africa to spur unity.