Student Housing

University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

Judith DiMaio, as the architect, and Karen Hobson, LTD, as the developer

Judith DiMaio and Karen Hobson, LTD, founded the company, E-DomusAfrica with their goal to elevate the quality of life for Ghanaian students through quality and affordable student housing.

Recognition award: The Wharton School of Business awarded E-DomusAfrica 3rd Prize for their Entrepreneurial Proposal design approach.  

Student Housing

Site strategy: With only an undefined location within the greater campus landscape, designated by the University, DiMaio intervened with a broad stroke aligning to campus sightlines with one of the housing arms opening up to catch the landscape and providing a sense of freedom unavailable to them, due to unimaginable overcrowding. The units are flexible and accommodate two or four students.

Exterior walls: The  walls facing onto the plaza serve a dual purpose: one pragmatic, for cooling; the other design, where the walls become dazzling displays of Ghanaian heritage—the Adinkra symbols cut into the walls and highlighted with colors.

Wall inspiration: Le Corbusier’s Notre-Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France.

Adinkra: visual symbols, originally created by the Ashanti of Ghana. They present concepts or aphorisms, and are extensively used in fabrics, pottery, logos and advertising.