As part of its series profiling West Africa’s architectural future, Wallpaper turns its focus to Ghana’s Hive Earth. While they aren’t architects per se, their specialization in rammed earth construction is having major influence on the local built environment and beyond. Husband-and-wife team Joelle Eyeson and Kwame Deheer formally established Hive Earth in 2017, but they have been collaborating and doing research into building with earth since the late noughties. They set up Hive Earth to combine sustainability and a desire to develop traditional, African ways of building into contemporary architecture. Eyeson’s strong background in business and property management, as well as her interior design degree, perfectly complements Deheer’s creative approach, draughtsman training, and experience in some of Ghana’s largest real estate companies. There’s a big project about to be completed – a three-storey gallery in Accra, the biggest they’ve built so far – alongside an office building and a key project in Nigeria, which they feel ‘will be one of the most significant buildings in the continent when it’s done.’ At the same time, they are in discussions about projects beyond the continent, in Europe and Asia.
Hive Earth Leads the Charge in Contemporary Building with Earth
- AFRICA TOP 10
- 1 min read