Winners of 3rd EDGE Design Competition receive awards
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has climaxed the third Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) Students Design Competition in Ghana, with three students emerging as the overall winners of the competition.
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The top three winners were recognised for showcasing their skills in sustainable, cost-efficient
Building designs.
Joel Jojo Osam Mensah from Central University placed first for his innovative design of an affordable, sustainable three-bedroom home for a family of five, featuring passive design and low-maintenance landscaping for comfort.
Dinko Abdul-Nasir Mor-Tumah, also from Central University, earned second place while Emmanuel Amadu from Kumasi Technical University secured the third position.
They received an all-expenses-paid trip to South Africa to attend the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), the Green Building Convention, as well as the EDGE expert training, publication opportunities and certificates.
The competition, supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) on the theme: “Promoting Affordability and Efficiency through Passive Design”, aimed at promoting sustainable design practices and empowering the next generation of designers to contribute to a greener future.
It attracted 90 participants, including students and young professionals who were tasked with designing an affordable, three-bedroom home with a $30,000 budget, covering 150m².
The designs needed to incorporate passive strategies to ensure sustainability, resource efficiency (energy, water and materials) and aesthetic appeal for a family of five.
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Participants relied on the EDGE app, an IFC innovation, to guide design decisions and showcase potential environmental and financial savings.
The projects were evaluated on four criteria: innovation, sustainability, feasibility and impact.
Sustainable development
Speaking at the awards ceremony in Accra, the Senior Country Manager for IFC Ghana, Kyle Kelhofer, said through initiatives such as the EDGE Design Students Competition, IFC was committed to fostering sustainable development and resource efficiency.
He said by collaborating with local partners and supporting young talents, IFC was building a foundation for a low-carbon future that aligned with Ghana’s sustainable development goals.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Works of Housing, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, said the ministry was committed to promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly building practices in Ghana.
He said the designs by participants demonstrated what could be achieved when talents were nurtured with a shared vision for a sustainable future.
For her part, the acting Head of Cooperation, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Magdalena Wuest, said, “Sustainability and skills developments are top priorities for SECO.