Abstract:
The promotion and use of indigenous building materials are critical for the preservation
of our ancestral architecture and technology. The housing needs continues to grow. To
alleviate the shortfall, the circumstance necessitates more research activities. Housing
issues (shortage, poor quality, high expense, etc.) are more prevalent in developing
countries than in developed countries. According to Ghana's 2019 Budget Statement,
Ghana's housing shortfall is 1.7 million units. The aim of the study is to assess the
perspective of consultants in the sustainable use of indigenous building materials to
meet the housing needs of people in the Central region of Ghana. The research design
adopted for the study was a cross-sectional survey. The population for this study
therefore constituted all construction professionals in the built environment in the
Central region with interest in the use of indigenous building materials for the
construction affordable houses. This study used purposive sampling as its sampling
technique. The study found out that using indigenous building materials promotes a
safe and healthy environment, preserves natural resources, and improves environmental
quality. It again found that, using indigenous building materials stimulates material
reuse during major restorations, lowers construction costs and improves economic
sustainability, and lowers the cost of cooling and heating homes. The study concluded
that using indigenous building materials is a means for the construction industry to
advance toward environmental protection. The study recommends that Ghana
government should promote the use of indigenous building materials in the Ghanaian
construction projects since its usage comes with sustainability. Professionals within the
construction industry should encourage the use of indigenous materials in construction
projects by specifying them in their designs.
Description:
A DESSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
CONSTRUCTION AND WOOD TECHNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF
EDUCATION, WINNEBA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER’S OF TECHNOLOGY
(MTECH) DEGREE IN CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY