Ghana precast rammed earth project

Ghana precast rammed earth project - DeRoche Projects has completed the Backyard Community Club in Accra, introducing a new model for sustainable urban space in a city where green and recreational areas are scarce.

At its center lies a clay tennis court, surrounded by facilities for sport, learning, and ecological cultivation. The project marks Ghana’s first use of a precast rammed earth system, a breakthrough that reinterprets traditional building materials for scalable, contemporary construction.

The design’s most significant innovation is the precast rammed earth panel system, developed specifically for Ghana’s climate and labor conditions. While conventional rammed earth is sustainable, it often requires long curing times and favorable weather. DeRoche’s off-site fabrication method resolves this limitation, ensuring quality control, faster installation, and greater adaptability. Each modular panel can be transported, replicated, and reused across multiple sites, suggesting a new model for sustainable construction in West Africa.

“We wanted the architecture to carry the same sense of purpose as the programming — grounded, expressive, and innovative,” says Glenn DeRoche, founder and creative director of DeRoche Projects.

Training Meets Togetherness

Set within a compact plot in the Osu district of Accra, the Backyard Community Club integrates training, social gathering, and environmental education. At its heart, a professional-standard clay tennis court welcomes athletes under 18, while free lessons open access to local children. Along the shaded perimeter, a floating bench doubles as seating and an informal viewing platform, encouraging interaction between players and community members.

Surrounding the court, lightweight ancillary structures — changing rooms, showers, counters, and barbecue areas — are designed with natural light and ventilation, minimizing the need for mechanical systems. The 4-meter-high precast rammed earth walls form a rhythmic enclosure that filters wind and light, creating patterns of shadow across the court. “Backyard is about more than tennis — it’s about building a platform for mentorship, collaboration, and youth,” DeRoche explains.

A Living Landscape of Nourishment and Sustainability

Beyond the court, a 230-square-meter sustenance garden grows over twenty species of edible and medicinal plants — guava, lemongrass, banana, peppermint, soursop, and coconut among them. Designed as a living classroom, it nourishes young athletes while teaching ecological responsibility. Ingredients harvested from the garden are used to prepare snacks, juices, and shared community meals on-site.

When not used for matches or training, the clay court transforms into a multipurpose communal space — hosting exercise sessions, produce markets, outdoor film screenings, and evening events. The architecture supports this flexibility through material and environmental intelligence: rammed earth walls reduce embodied carbon, stormwater harvesting irrigates the court and vegetation, and an earth slurry finish replaces cement render to improve breathability. The result is a low-energy, community-driven model that connects sustainability with social infrastructure.

Ghana precast rammed earth project - Written by Otávio Santiago, a designer passionate about creating meaningful visual experiences through graphic, motion, and 3D design. Based between Berlin and Lisbon, he works across disciplines — from print and branding to digital and animation.