Assessment of sustainable use of indigenous building materials (IMB) the perspectives of consultants in the Central Region

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.