College of Art and Built Environment
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- ItemNational Art Gallery, Accra(1986-06-26) Hayford, Joseph E.This resort constitutes an essential complement to the design thesis providing the essential verbal support for the thesis development from concept to design solution. The first chapter introduced the subject of designing an art gallery, establishing the need and social role-of such a facility and the service it renders to the community. The scope of the design thesis was established here. The second and third chapters of the report dealt with the state of Ghanaian art today, an assessment of existing gallery facilities and the existing structures for the administration, finance and promulgation of the arts in Ghana. The fourth chapter discussed systems of financing artistic activity and the practical element of financing a national art gallery, its brief, what its functions, and activities will be etc. Matters of site selection and chosen site properties are presented in the fifth chapter. In chapter six, the approach for evolving an organising principle by which some conscious form can be arrived at for the art gallery is presented. This involved a detailed study of art expression in African sculpture and how this might be suitably harnessed for the purpose. Three examples of art galleries were treated as case studies in chapter seven these being preceded by a historical assessment of arg art galleries. The rest of the report was then devoted to presenting all aspects of the design solutions proposed for the national art gallery.
- ItemA comparative study of public and private schools in the provision of quality education at the basic level in urban centres in Ghana(2002) Asiedu, SamuelIn spite of the considerable state funding and donor support to public basic schools in Ghana, trends in academic performances indicate a low level of performance in public schools. Private schools with little or no assistance from the state performed better academically than the public schools between 1996 and 2000. The study compared the private schools with the public schools with the view of finding the factors that contribute to the poor academic performances in public schools. The educational process was analyzed as a system composed of educational inputs, process, and output. Eight public and five private schools selected from two urban centres namely Sunyani and Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region were compared. The results of the study indicated that parents’ investments and support in their children’s education were higher in the private schools than the public schools. The study also found that the parents’ investments and support were influenced by the socio-economic background of parents namely income, education, occupation and status. The physical infrastructure of the public schools especially the buildings and classrooms had deteriorated due to neglect and lack of maintenance. Teaching and learning materials in the public schools were inadequate because they depended on government free supplies. The private schools, on the other hand, had adequate textbooks and stationery as well as the teaching materials and equipment. This was due to the fact that parents bought the textbooks and stationery for their children. The proprietors also bought teaching materials and equipment for their schools In conclusion, the study suggested among other things that awareness be created for parents, chiefs and their elders, Churches, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the general public to support the public schools in the provision of their needs. Pupils, in public schools should be supplied with textbooks and be allowed to send them home for use The instructional time for students must be increased by increasing the length of the school term. The public school buildings should be rehabilitated to make them attractive. Parent- Teacher Association should be strengthened in the public schools to ensure parents support for the schools development.
- ItemEvaluation of the visual art programme in the Western Region of Ghana(2006-08-08) Quayson, Susana AkuaThis thesis aimed at evaluating the Visual Art programme in the Western Region of Ghana and was concentrated within Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA) and the three Wasa districts, namely, Wassa West, Wasa Amenfi East and Wasa Amenfi West districts. It was to ascertain whether the programme was offered in the selected SSS; the subjects taught whether syllabuses were covered, the facilities or human and material resources available to the programme, and how society upholds to the programme. The research started with review of related literature and discussed information from the various books. The researcher conducted a survey in the selected SSS visual art departments, assessing the quality of the programme. The lapses of the programme were analysed and suggestions made for improvement of the quality of the programme. Students, teachers and heads of selected institutions answered questionnaires, they were interviewed and observed to assess the teaching and learning, infrastructure, logistics, patronage or social recognition, general students’ responses; performances both internally and externally, general atmosphere and perceptions about the programme. It was realised the programme is not pursued in most of the schools in the region. The only district where most of the schools offered VAP is SAEMA. Most schools do not have good facilities to qualify them for the running of the programme. The study conducted within the Wasa districts revealed only one school offered the programme and there were some lapses in the organisation of visual art in that school. Emphasis was on the teaching of Textiles and Graphic Design with other subjects not given much attention. Though, there were marked differences in between the parents and students from urban and rural setups, certain conditions seemed the same. Discrimination against VAP was paramount in the SSS as a result, members were disillusioned and these influenced students to swap programmes. In all circumstances, the best candidates hardly found their way to VAP, but wonderfully they succeed in their numbers to boast the images of the various schools. Lack of textbooks is one of the main problems confronting this programme which equally lacks sponsorship from major education stakeholders. Inadequate facilities, coupled with the absence of orientation disenable effective academic work with a grave absence of foundation at the basic level. In view of these, some urban students were surcharged each term whiles rural parents and their wards complained bitterly of the financial demanding nature of the programme as they fish out for their logistics individually. Though the current syllabuses is in use in all schools, there is no proper organisation of the programme like workshops and seminars to expose teachers to new trends, let alone cope with difficult aspects of the programme. Teachers faced with peculiar problems concerning their daily delivery had nowhere to resolve their problems since the mother organisation: Ghana Art Teachers Association (GATA) was not operational within the region. This has made the teaching of visual art decentralised at school levels.
- ItemAssessment of linkages between the JSS Pre-Vocational Skills Programme and the SSS Visual Arts Programmes: A Case Study Of Selected Schools in Akwapim South District of Eastern Region, Ghana.(2006-08-10) Tawiah, Vernon NyameSchool education in Ghana has undergone many transformations. One of the major ones of our time is the Education Reform of 1987. One of the pillars of these reforms is to develop the need to recognise Technical and Vocational Education. Secondly to improve upon the teaching and learning of the programmes. Finally to improve the linkages between the JSS Pre-Vocational Skills and SSS Visual Arts programmes. In spite of these objectives there appears to be a gap between the JSS Pre- Vocational Skills and SSS Visual Arts programmes. The researcher therefore investigated the problems associated with the gap between the JSS Pre-Vocational Skills and SSS Visual Arts programmes in three (3) out of five (5) SSS in Akwapim South district, namely Adonten Secondary School, Saint Martins Secondary School, Aburi Secondary Technical School and forty (40) out of seventy- one (71) JSS in the Akwapim South District. Questionnaire were designed and administered to sample opinions from two hundred (200) Students, eight (8) Visual Arts Teachers and forty (40) Pre- Vocational Skills teachers from selected Schools in the district for the study. Findings made include: 1. Lack of qualified professional Art teachers to teach the Art related subjects in Pre- Vocational Skills at the JSS level. 2. Lack of Studios, teaching and learning materials to help promote the basic training in the JSS Pre-Vocational Skills and SSS Visual Arts programmes in the district. 3. Lack of linkages between the JSS Pre-Vocational Skills and the SSS Visual Arts programmes studied by students. ii Recommendations made were that emphasis should be made in the teaching of Art related Vocations in the JSS, more qualified professional Art Teachers should be posted to the JSS to teach the Art related courses in the Pre-Vocational Skills; the various vocations offered in the SSS should be offered directly in the JSS and basic Visual Art skills should be introduced at the JSS for pupils to prepare them for the SSS Visual Arts Course.
- ItemRemodeling of the Baptist Children's Orphanage. (Trotor, In Southern Ghana)(2007-05-11) Boye, Nii Adjetey(social welfare of Ghana, 2005). In present times a number of factors have lead to the ineffectiveness of the role of the extended families. Mortality during the past times was low since it was usually as a result of female mortality during birth or as a result of health problems beyond their medication. The number of children who lost their parents were not many and could be catered for by their extended family members. With the present trend of life style, especially with the emergence of the information and communication technology, means of transportation, the upsurge of HIV/AIDS and, mobility or mortality rate among child bearing women more lives are lost cumulatively over a very few years as compared to the various world war eras in Ghana. These are some of the reasons more orphans are getting into the system than ever. If this situation is not check by creating well organized institutions to complement the broken down traditional systems and present life style, most of these children will become burden to society. This thesis seeks to investigate by data collection and analysis, factors which impact on the establishment of orphanages in Ghana and the fundamentals of the scientific principle for establishing an orphanage under modern prevailing conditions. It looks at the town and country planning principle for citing orphanages, most progressive spatial planning conditions for a typical orphanage in order to determine the nomenclature or type of orphanages and also to determine the specifics of the climate requirement on the orphanages. The whole study was done with the use of qualitative and humanistic approach toward orphanages, 'phenomenology' (Jackson and Smith 1984). It was found out that though there are specific regulations governing the minimum spatial requirement for eachenCol">description provenance Submitted by Richard Lamptey (phanerosis75@yahoo.com) on 2011-08-11T21:00:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 KNUST Library.pdf: 7257 bytes, checksum: 649cf3199c3e426ac59d46e128b7b99e (MD5)
- ItemTowards an appreciation of symphonic music: the role of the performing theatre(2007-05-24) Hagan, Gabriel AcquaahSound quality is a fundamental requirement in performing theatre and auditorium designs. Over the last century, a lot of progress has been made in the study of acoustics in relation to performing theatres. Most, if not all, have revealed that acoustics depends to some extent on the geometry of the space under consideration. This dissertation discusses the relationship between geometry, objective parameters such as finishing materials, volume etc. and sound quality in performing theatres. It studies the development of theatre designs over the last century and reveals that for a hall, designed primarily for symphony orchestra musical concerts, to fulfill its function well it must be conceived partly as a musical instrument, like the box of a violin or the sound board of a piano. It concludes that every good performing theatre or auditorium requires more than ordinary architectural design skills; it should solve not only acoustics but also the functional problems of comfort and sightlines as well as the problem of visual coherence, all of which revolves around the shape or geometry of the enclosed space.
- ItemDesigning to heal: the role of architecture in promoting healing in the long-term care setting(2007-08-08) Marfo, Thomas NtiamoahHospitals first appeared at the start of the Christian era to shelter sickor weary travelers and persons too poor or ill to be treatedat home, yet their dirty, crowded and dark environmentwere anything but hospitable. The change from this tothe present day hospitals has been metamorphic.(Shi, L., & Singh, D, 2001). Hospitals are complex buildings containing many departments of different specializations where diagnostic or therapeutic activities take place, while other administrative, ancillary, or service units sustain, and support main functions, to compliment the health care process. While healthcare functional aspects following the same medical trends have the same influence on hospital architecture all through the world, yet, cultural aspects form a dominant deviant influence in each country according to its different cultural trends following habits and traditions. Although sustaining patients’ comfort is a universal demand, its application might warrant different methods. This thesis therefore describes in detail the status and perspective of Ghanaian healthcare facilities with an analysis of emerging trends of healthcare facilities, the impacts hospital architecture has on patients and staff with an overall aim of improving design efficiency in healthcare facilities and improving patient and staff comfort healthcare facilities. The study was carried out on a random sample of hospitals operating under government jurisdictions. Sample size was roughly restricted to the two main teaching hospitals in Ghana; Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye and the Sunyani Regional Hospital. The material itself consisted of pictorial and technical data, as obtained from the archives of said institutions. Plan types of these institutions were examined and analysed with respect to functional classification of spaces constructed.
- ItemThe development of an information management system for materials management in large construction companies operating in the Ghanaian construction industry(2007-08-24) Manteau, Eric KofiMaterials are one of the resources that require special attention while creating a project's master plan as well as during the daily construction progress. The absence of materials when needed is one of the main causes of loss of productivity at a jobsite. Inefficient materials management can lead to an increase of 50% in work hours. As a result, a detailed plan for the materials management of each construction project is« necessary. The critical role of materials management in the success of a construction project motivates the development of a new model for the process of materials management for the construction industry. Materials management problems have a great impact on general contractors. It was based on these preliminary findings that the researcher decided to carry out the research. Currently, materials management functions in the construction industry are often performed on a fragmented basis with minimal communication and no clearly established responsibilities among the parties involved. In addition, the collaboration required among departments has not been considered and implemented. This fragmentation creates gaps in information flow, which leads to delays in material ordering and receiving, expediting costs, excessive inventories of some items and project delays. However, model-based, computerised solutions to materials management problems is the way forward in summarising the duties of the materials manager at the same time bridging the information gap that exists between these departments and providing synergy amongst the departments. The objectives of the research were the following: • To undertake a comprehensive study and documentation of the current materials management systems in the Ghanaian construction industry. • To identify the major factors that influence the dissemination of information for the efficient and effective management of materials within construction companies in Ghana • To develop information management system for the efficient Management of materials for Construction firms in Ghana. The researcher used purposive sampling in obtaining the population (36 D1 contractors) as provided by the ABCCG, it was deemed that these contractors (Dl) would have an outfit capable of having a structured organisational hierarchy, thus giving the researcher credible information for the research. Some of the major findings in the study brought out interesting facts and Solution to these problems; these problems were directly tied to the objectives of the study. The researcher noticed that in general the construction industry is not paying enough attention to materials management rather focusing on labour to make savings. The next finding was in respect to information creation, dissemination and destination in the area of materials management it was the authors observation that the information flow was fragmented and open for errors due to double-entry and mismanagement of the information created, this was further compounded by the problem of easy accessibility since 36% of the information existed in a locked paper environment, 42% of the information generated went home with the personnel in charge of the creation of the information and the final 22% existed in personal devices such as office computers, PDA's and mobile phones. This made accessing the information time consuming. The study developed a computer based model for materials management practises which runs through five phases of the materials management practised in Ghana and developed in the study namely bidding, sour ring, material procurement, construction phase and post- construction phase, it is the authors hope the model will bring about standardisation in the industry which may pave the way forward. In conclusion the primary goal is to have the material needed, in the amount needed with the quality required, and the time that they are needed at the right cost. Most companies have a materials management system that serves their needs, although it could be improved. Standardisation of the materials management system could be a step forward in improving the system and eliminating some of the challenges. The research presented in this document is aimed at designing an integrated system for materials management. A fully integrated and standardised approach will better improve communication and minimise gaps in information flow among all the parties and departments involved. The research derives the optimal integration of people, decision processes, information support systems and data that are required to support efficient and effective systems for acquisition, procurement, transport, storage and allocation of materials in the construction industry.
- ItemEntrepreneurship Training for Senior High School Visual Arts Graduates (Case Studies Kumasi and Accra Metropolis)(2008-07-15) Kokotah, GabrielSenior High School Visual Arts graduates do not have jobs. Some find themselves in apprenticeship training under the tutelage of master craftsmen whiles others end up selling all kinds of products on the streets of Ghana. This research sought to find the causes of unemployment among Senior High School Visual Arts graduates who fail to further their education, and to identify and describe some entrepreneurial training centres in the Kumasi and Accra metropolis which provide vocational skills for Senior High School Visual Arts graduates. The study also sought to assess the effectiveness and impact of these centres in order to make recommendations as to how parents, government and non-governmental organizations can intervene to help the Senior High School Visual Arts graduates gain employment through entrepreneurial training. The qualitative research design was used by the researcher. Interviews and questionnaire were used to collect data to explain the importance of entrepreneurship training to Senior High School Visual Arts graduates and efforts being made by parents, government, non-governmental organizations, entrepreneurs, master Craftsmen and industries to help these Senior High School Visual Arts graduates. Interviews were used to collect data from Senior High School Visual Arts graduates who end up selling on the streets of Ghana as well as vocational training centres. Questionnaire was used to collect data from Senior High School Visual Arts graduates who are pursuing apprenticeship training and self-employed artists (master craftsmen). Data collected from first-hand experience was treated as primary data whiles those that were collected from other sources such as text books, brochures, journals and internet was treated as secondary data. The study found that many Senior High School Visual Arts graduates were unemployed. Vocational training centres and government responsible to train the Senior High School Visual Arts graduates paid little attention to these people. Suggestions are that parents, entrepreneurs, vocational training centres government and non-governmental organizations should come to the aid of the Senior High School Visual Arts graduates by providing them with necessities to make them enter into gainful employment.
- ItemThe Cultural and Aesthetic Significance of Motifs on Selected Asante Temples(2008-07-18) Larbi, StephenAsante temples are small edifices built over one or two hundred years ago to house the shrines of some of the deities of the Asante. They are adorned with beautiful motifs which tell a lot about the culture of the Asante. But the lack of adequate and comprehensive studies on them has kept them away from the public. This study therefore studies the history of selected Asante temples and the cultural and aesthetic significance of their motifs. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, the researcher used the qualitative research method. The primary sources of data of the study were interviews and observation. They were carried out at the villages where the temples are located. The researcher selected some people from the villages where the temples are who could provide him with the primary data and consulted them for the data. He also contacted some scholars of Asante culture for the primary data. The secondary data was obtained from books and the internet. The motifs tell a lot about the religious beliefs and social norms of the Asante. They also reveal a lot about symbolism in Asante art and serve as decorations on the temples. They symbolise concepts and beliefs personified in human and animal forms and geometric shapes. The findings go to confirm the theory that African, and for that matter Asante, arts are influenced by the culture (believes, practices, notion of beauty and world view) of the people. The arts are also used to send symbolic, social and religious messages to the people.
- ItemAffordable energy efficient housing: The Proposed Tema Community 23, Greater Accra Region.(2008-07-19) Agbomanyi, Freeman KwameGlobally, affordable energy efficient housing has become a better option for providing adequate housing for urban dwellers. Most developed countries have considered the option passionately and have been enjoying the benefits of allocating resource towards developments of such nature. Some of the benefits include low energy use, low operational cost and increased rate of development of housing units. However, this has not been given adequate attention in developing countries like Ghana where the adverse effect of rapid population growth on housing delivery for urban dwellers and energy use in housing is prominent. The adverse effect includes the accumulation of housing deficit and energy crisis. The housing deficit was 250,000 units in 1985, 300,000 units in 2002 and in 2006 it was 500,000 units. To help solve the problem, this thesis investigates the benefits of tropical architecture design principles such as the use of passive ventilation techniques, use of courtyards, building orientation, appropriate window sizing and placement. The use of compressed earth as walling material, design standardization, efficient land use planning and measures put in place to reduce energy use in the buildings were also considered. The advantages of encouraging the use of energy saving technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LED), air conditioning exchangers (HVAC) and biogas in the Proposed Affordable Energy Efficient Housing for Tema Community 23were highlighted. The proposed affordable energy efficient housing for Tema community 23 may serve as a good model to help government and private developers to increase the supply of adequate housing units. It also serves as case to encourage policy makers to develop and enforce measures for ensuring that energy is efficiently used in buildings to prevent energy crisis.
- ItemAn Inclusive Vocational and Technical School at Sokwai, Ashanti Region(2008-07-20) Tettey, Nunya YaoEducation is said to be an equalizer of society, but sadly this exists only in theory rather than in practice. Vocational and Technical Schools are meant to prepare students for careers that are based on manual or practical activities to equip them for a specific trade, occupation or vocation. The pursuit of this endeavour is however a challenge to persons with disabilities because of the difficulty to access these facilities. Moreover, institutions or schools that are specially designed for persons with disabilities do not incorporate elements that address their special needs such as ramps, tactile markings, grab bars in sanitary areas and acoustic panels. These students feel more segregated because they are excluded from the mainstream education and society making their integration difficult. This thesis, therefore, seeks to highlight some of these anomalies and propose specific design parameters that incorporate the needs of students with disabilities in an Inclusive Vocational and Technical School. The goal is to foster integration and inclusion of students with disabilities in education in particular and society in general.
- ItemDetermining and monitoring of project contingency sum for building developments in Ghana. (A case Study in Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions)(2008-08-08) Oduro Asamoah, RichardRisk management is a major concern to players in the construction industry. Poor management of risk has resulted in delay in completion of projects, and in some cases leading to litigation. Several management strategies have been adopted for managing risk. Amongst such strategies is the use of Contingency Sum in construction projects. This study was to identify existing methods and factors influencing determination, monitoring Contingency Sum and propose guidelines for determining and monitoring Contingency Sum. Random sampling technique (stratified) was used for determining sample size for selected building professionals (Quantity Surveyors, Architects and Civil Engineers), using the Kish formula. 250 questionnaires were administered to professionals in the building industry and 133(53.2%) were returned. Data collected were analysed using the relative important index (4 - most important factor and 1 – least important ranking). Kendall’s co-efficient of concordance was used to measure the degree of agreement among the selected professionals. The study identified that Deterministic approach (percentage method) was the most widely used method. Unexpected ground conditions (substructure works), design consideration and inflation were identified as the most influencing factors. Contingency Sums were mainly monitored by Project Managers. The study concludes by proposing a method for determining contingency sum and suggests the use of a more scientific approach such as Estimating Using Risk Analysis or the Monte Carlo Simulation. Further, an over site body should be established to monitor the management of Contingency Sum.
- ItemThe impact of information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the Ghanaian Academic Publishing landscape: A case study of central university college(2009-07-18) Sitsofe, Kwadzoe TetteyIn the academia, publishing plays a vital role in making research findings known. Lately, the advent of computers and information technology has changed the academic publishing landscape, making publishing and search for information quicker and easier. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are impacting on publishing at the Central University College (CUC) in Accraand also what ICT policy CUC has. Using a population of 45 to assess the impact of ICTs on publishing at CUC revealed that the use of ICTs in publishing at CUC was minimal. The study found that 17 respondents had published books and none had published in a journal during the period. One striking feature about these books published was that 12 were self-published. Observation revealed that a large majority of academics in CUC who claimed to be competent in Internet use were found to have had no prior formal training and would need further training in order to acquire or sharpen their abilities needed in such areas as using File transfer and presenting course description on the Internet. In the area of the use of ICTs in publishing, it came to light that even though CUC had provided computers connected to the internet, these computers were not used largely to publish. It was also realized that the respondents were not skilled in how to conduct a search on the Internet. A manual on how to conduct a search on the internet was therefore developed and pre-tested compiled to help users to conduct a search on the internet. It was concluded that CUC being a research institution has to do more in the provision of ICT facilities to help enhance learning, teaching, research and publishing.
- ItemTeaching Hospital - Tamale(2009-08-18) Kemetse, Francisca E.A Teaching Hospital usually combines assistance to patients with teaching to medical students and this kind of hospital is often linked to a medical school. The University for Development School (UDS) which is situated in the Northern Region-Tamale has a Medical School which is not linked directly to any Teaching Hospital. As a result, they resort to sending the students to the south to study at the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Korle -Bu Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and Accra respectively. The students are faced with lots of challenges- change of environment, new faces to live with, new methods of teaching and learning etc which they cannot compromise. There is therefore the urgent need for a Teaching Hospital close enough to the Medical School so as to facilitate high standards of teaching and learning. This project can only succeed if the various stakeholders- the UDS Medical School, the Government of Ghana and the community at large collaborate intensively. A Teaching Hospital in the Northern part of Ghana will attract workers and investors and also reduce migration to the south. This project will not only reduce migration but also serve as a source of revenue for the country since the health delivery system will be patronised by the neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali for example.
- ItemFishing Port Design, Elmina(2009-08-23) Enningful, Josephine PeaceSince the creation of man, the quest for survival has led him to explore many ways of finding food. He hunted for animals if he found himself in the forest and fished if he was at a riverside lake or lagoon side or at the coast, by the sea. Fishing became a very important means of finding food. In ancient times, some of the tools used for fishing included fishing hooks tied to the stems of the vine plant. In the second (2nd) and third (3rd) centuries (AD), the Roman rhetorician, Claudius Aelian wrote about Macedonian trout anglers who used artificial flies to catch fish. Over the years, civilization has enabled man to find many improved ways of fishing from the use of fishing hooks and rods to seine nets, canoes, boats, trawlers and ships. The growing population of the human race has made it expedient for fishing to be commercialized so as to satisfy the growing numbers. The commercialization of fishing has called for facilities on land where the catch will be loaded off and sorted out before it could be sold off quickly since fish tend to go bad easily especially in hot humid environments. In Africa, most commercial fishing is done on the coast because it has been found to be a « cheaper and easier way of fishing as compared to inland fish farming. Consequently, most fishing ports in Ghana, for instance, are found on the coast. » From this study, one could deduce that the fishing ports in Ghana have to be put in a proper shape in order to meet the growing demand for seafood. It has therefore become imperative to make recommendations for the upgrading of one existing fish market. The Elmina, (Edina) fishing port has therefore been selected to help solve the problem of inadequate seafood for the people.
- ItemTema Railway Station (Inter-modal transport system)(2009-08-23) Asante-Odame, HarryNovelty characterized the Victorian period. It is the period best known for inventions, for remarkable technological advances and engineering technology. The speed of change throughout the period was phenomenal, a movement best encapsulated by the arrival of the steam engine-the locomotive by Richard Trevithick (a British engineer and inventor-1804 in England). Suddenly it was possible to travel great distances at speeds hitherto unimaginable. Within decades of the first train, a recognizable railway network sprang up. An iron spider's web, it quickly spread out, connecting up most of the country, dissolving distances. People and goods could now move easily around, and with them ideas. As travelling is now relatively cheaper, most can afford to experience the new railways and their destinations. The population's sense of places is now transformed. No longer tied to a locality, people can move as they wished, changing jobs, towns, religious denomination and status. And this excitement and flux is reflected in the magnificent railway architecture dating from the 1830s onwards. The design thesis focuses on the reinstating of the country's railway through a proposal for the redesign of a new station at Tema Municipality to cater for the numerous transportation problems associated with the city. This proposal was made after a detailed study of the population dynamics, commercial activities as well as futuristic programmes stipulated for the Tema community. There was therefore the need to make a bold decision, hence the design of a magnificent structure to serve as node to attract attention and urban development within the Tema municipality. The decision to relocate the station to a new site was crucial, thus, owing to the old site's state and size as against the anticipated volume of traffic in the foreseeable future. The design evolves out of a purely futuristic architecture with inorganic forms to express movement, dynamism and aggression (a peculiar characteristic of Futurism style of architecture). However, the peripheral warehouses and container terminal informed the decision of wide spanning and roofing making it an icon of Tema township.
- ItemDesign and production of decorative facial slices for the Building Industry(2010) Imbeah, Henrietta Meakoahe study explored the possibility of producing facial slices using locally available materials. The prime motivation for the study stems from the fact that most facial slices found in the Ghanaian open market are imported into the country and appears very exorbitant to the average Ghanaian citizen. In addition, the slices found on the Ghanaian open market are very plain and devoid of aesthetic look. Studio based together experimental and observational approach were used in producing the facial slices. Geotechnical methods were used to ascertain the physical properties of Mfensi clay and other additives in order to know its suitable body for the production of the slices. In order to achieve an aesthetic look, traditional motifs were manipulated and generated using Adobe Photoshop into philosophical designs. The designs were incorporated onto the surfaces of the slices with the view to promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of Ghanaians. Among the various methods used in transferring the designs onto the surfaces of the slices were incision, stamping, springing, Sgraffitio, texturing, marbling, and embossing. The study concluded based on the results of the experiments that the locally available materials are suitable in the production of facial slices since its porosity, shrinkage and over all properties are standard to its production. In addition, the slices produced were preponderantly artistic since the traditional designs incorporated on the surface reveals aesthetic sensations in the eyes of viewers.
- ItemSolid Waste Management in Ghana: The Case of Tamale Metropolitan Area(2010-07-12) Puopiel, FelixThe study aimed ensuring a clean environment in the Tamale Metropolis. It analysed the underlying factors affecting effective solid waste management in the metropolis and suggested possible measures to tackle the problem. The research gathered data from two main sources namely: secondary and primary sources. The three main techniques employed in gathering the primary data were: preliminary field investigation, questionnaire survey and face-to-face interview. The following key findings were established to be the factors affecting effective solid waste management in the Metropolis. These are: • Inadequate skip supply for storing waste. • Lack of routine collection of waste. • Poor methods of waste management. • Inadequate resources for waste management institutions to effectively collect the waste generated. In the light of these problems enumerated above, the research recommended the adequate supply of skips, regular collection of waste, use of Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) Model, proper management of the landfill and adequate rsourcing of the waste management institutions.