Three Patio House

A porous surface wraps pockets of private outdoor space and the interiors of the Three Patio House. Situated on a constrained site in the growing neighborhood of Adjiringanor, Accra, the design’s feature breezeblock façade mediates between the residence and its surroundings enclosing an accessible green roof, three courtyards, and interior rooms in a suburban area with few green spaces. The monolithic and enigmatic outside appearance of the building contrasts with the variety of interior and exterior spaces draped by the façade. An organic floor plan across the building’s one-and-a-half stories shifts between qualities of an open plan; the processional patterns of courtyard architecture that create privacy without enclosing spaces; and a variety of lighting and ventilation scenarios. The façade’s form reacts to the building’s courtyards by creating pockets. Folds in the surface support the structural stability of the freestanding, double-story breezeblock wall.

Location: Accra, Ghana / Program: private residence / Year: 2021 - ongoing / Project team: Juergen Strohmayer, Abdul-Rauf Issahaque