The Architects’ Registration Council held its 23rd induction ceremony, granting state licenses to 55 individuals to practice as architects.

The induction ceremony bridges the academic and professional life of every architect. It climaxes six years of academic qualification at the university, a minimum of two years of post-qualification coaching and internship under a qualified principal architect, structured seminars and tutorials and finally professional examination, with a minimum pass mark of 60% to gain state license to practice in Ghana. The overall best student was Gabriel Yaw Osei.

The colourful event, attended by Fellows, Past Presidents, Principal Architects, Professional Bodies, and Academia, featured the induction of both local and foreign architects by both the ARC and its professional body, the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), led by their respective Registrar and President.

The Special Guest of Honor was the Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye, and the invited guests included South Africa’s High Commissioner to Ghana, HE Grace Jeanet Mason, and South Africa’s Minister for Human Settlements, Ms. Mmamoloko Nkhensani Kubayi, who delivered the keynote address.

In his welcome speech, the Registrar of the ARC, Arc. Dr. Emmanuel Eyiah-Botwe, representing the Governing Board and the Council, congratulated the newly inducted architects for their hard work, dedication, and proven worthiness to practice architecture in Ghana.

He emphasized the timeliness of the theme, urging architects to harmonize their designs with the inhabitants and the environment while promoting sustainability.

He encouraged them to be diligent, push the boundaries of architecture and urban design, and maintain good reputations, respect, and consciousness of the impact of modernism.

He observed that the theme; “Upholding the Highest Moral and Ethical standard as a Built Environment Professional” was timely as Architects, he said, must harmonise their designs with the inhabitants and the environment and be sustainable.

“I will urge you to have Zaha Hadid as your role model amongst others and be diligent and hardworking pushing the boundaries of Architecture and Urban design, and never give yourself the luxury of thinking that you have made it.”

He urged the newly inducted architects to be mindful of the need to build good reputations, be respectful and conscious of the impact of the concept of modernism. He further admonished them to be admirable and awesome in all their endeavours and avoid being aggressive and abusive in practice.

He concluded by asking them to be motivated by love for humanity and be the light needed for the dark path.

He assured the audience that the Council will work together with other built environment professionals to address the menace of unauthorized development, frequent collapse of buildings and the achievement of urban resilience.

“The Council through compliance has compelled some foreign architects practicing unlawfully to regularize their practice”, he added.

Chairperson of the ARC, Arc. Richard Nii Dadey urged the Inductees and Architects present to align themselves with contemporaneous issues such as climate change, social justice and equitable access to resources. “Your profession as architects requires that you use your unique attributes to contribute positively to these challenges as you strive to achieve ethical practice.”

“As an Architect, you have an ethical responsibility with the power to create and shape a more suitable future for all humanity. As you begin this journey, take with you, contextual sensitivity, adaptability, sustainability, aesthetic excellence, clarity and balance. Be truthful, fair and honest in order to achieve the levels of moral and ethical standards that are expected of you,” he advised.

In a goodwill message, the President of GIA, Arc. Foster Osae Akonnor, congratulated the inductees and tasked them to be duty-bound to uphold the Institute’s constitution regulations, bye-laws, code of ethics, conditions of engagement and scale of fees and any other statutory document governing the practice of architecture and its other disciplines in Ghana.

He reiterated that as a body of knowledge, it is imperative that the inductees do not sit on the fence but actively participate in the activities of the Institute and take roles in any of its committees. The Institute, he pledged will continue to support its members through the Continuing Professional Development programmes and other initiatives to enable them become effective practitioners, policy developers/technical advisers to help them maintain the highest standard of the profession.

The Special Guest of Honour, the Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye in his address, observed the theme as timely considering how the country is grappling with the challenges posed by poor development controls and illegal structures and developments in our communities.

The Ministry he informed has spearheaded a comprehensive review of the building regulations L.I. 1630 of 1996 as it has become outdated due to swift urbanization trends. “We are therefore pleased to announce the adoption of the new Building Regulations L.I. 2465 of 2022, which is designed to equip Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with the necessary tools to effectively address the challenges posed by the rapidly changing built environment. He indicated that he would like to see more architects going out into the various municipal and district assemblies in order to produce a good spread of professional inputs in the development process.

Ms. Mmamoloko “Nkhensani” Kubayi, Minister for Human Settlements (South Africa) in her keynote address called on Ghanaian Architects and their counterparts from South Africa to consider a more collaborative effort and knowledge sharing in order to contribute to the creation of one Africa to spur unity.

She admonished them to ensure the rate at which the inclusivity and sustainability in their designs will not be oblivious to the rapid rate of urbanisation.

She expressed her admiration for the encouraging number of female architects who had passed out and indicated that this is a good trend for the profession.