Surf Ghana Collective

Surf Ghana Collective creates a dynamic community space for youth in Busua, a surfing hotspot on Ghana’s western coast.

The community-run lodge plugs into a network of surf schools and oceanfront lodges.

It is the first hangout spot for local youth, providing amenities such as wifi, a beach shower, equipment storage and ocean-facing terrace.

The adapted single-room preexisting structure is used flexibly throughout the year.

For large surf events, the room acts as a classroom and dormitory for visiting surfers. In off-season, the building is rented out to cover running costs.

The new rooftop increases the club’s small footprint and provides pillars to hang hammocks, and a new vantage point to observe surf swells.

The new structure spans over the existing room and creates social spaces above and below. 

The design uses passive cooling strategies, a double-roof design and cross-ventilation. 

To reduce the use of cement, the mix-design substituted cement with a readily available laterite.

It was used to finish the existing structure’s plaster and cast low-maintenance and salt-resistant concrete elements. 

Local raffia substituted imported formwork, to obtain a surface effect integrated into the region’s design language.