The? Ghana? Institute of? Architects? (G.I.A) has? launched? its? Golden? Jubilee? in? Accra? under? the? theme ?Integrated? Development? for? Ghana ? The? Architect?s? Focus? on? the? Future?.
The? celebration? will? involve? public? lectures? and? seminars? between? now and? the? event?s? climax? in? October. It? will? also? feature? a? product -exhibition, public? forum, gala nights, and a tour? of? Accra? among? others. The? celebration? of? the? event? aims? at? sharing? ideas? on? the? future? of? Ghana?s? cities.
In? a? speech, the? G.I.A? President Mr. Adotei? Brown said: ?It? is? time? to? talk? about? green? buildings? and? to?? stop?? felling??? three?? or? four? wawa? trees? to? put? up? a? two-storey? building, only? to? burn? them? off? at? a? chop-bar. We? need? to? consider? intelligent? villages? with? recycling? of? waste, rain-harvesting? and? the? like.??
The? G.I.A? was? established? in? May? 1962 with? a? small? membership,? but? now? boasts over? 700? qualified? and? licenced? architects? practicing? in? the? country.
Over? the? past? years,? G.I.A? members? and? other? building? industry? professionals? have? changed? the? skyline? of? the? country?s? towns? and? cities? through? designing? schools, hospitals, housing? estates, factories, civic? buildings, commercial? houses? and? other? structures? that? have? propelled? the? country? forward.
In? addition,? the? G.I.A? is? represented? on? a? number? of? boards? and? committees? that? provide? professional? services? and? advice? when? requested.
Internationally the? architects? are? members? of? the? International? Union? of Architects (IUA), the? Commonwealth? Association? of? Architects (CAA),? and? the? African? Union? of Architects (AUA).
Several? individual members? have? held? and? continue? to? hold? executive? positions? in? these? bodies.
By Fredericka N.D. Tettey
