IFC rewards top-three winners of 3rd EDGE Design Students competition 

By Deborah Asantewaah SARFO

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has climaxed the third EDGE Design Students Competition by awarding the contest’s top-three winners for their outstanding solutions.

The competition’s 2024 edition was held under the theme ‘Promoting affordability and efficiency through passive design’ to encourage sustainable design practices and empower the next generation of designers to contribute for a greener future.

Joel Jojo Osam Mensah from Central University emerged first with his innovative design of an affordable, sustainable three-bedroom home for a family of five; featuring passive design and low-maintenance landscaping for comfort.

Dinko Abdul-Nasir Mor-Tumah, also from Central University, secured second position while Emmanuel Amadu from Kumasi Technical University placed third.

All three received an all-expenses-paid trip to South Africa to attend the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) Green Building Convention, as well as EDGE expert training, publication opportunities and certificates.

As part of demands for the competition, participants were tasked with designing an affordable, three-bedroom home with a US$30,000 budget – covering 150 m² – that incorporated passive strategies to ensure sustainability, resource efficiency (Energy, Water and Materials) and aesthetic appeal for a family of five.

To augment their efforts in achieving a good design, participants relied on the EDGE app – an IFC innovation – to assist with design decisions and showcase potential environmental and financial savings. The final project presented by participants was evaluated on four criteria: innovation, sustainability, feasibilityand impact.

According to IFC Senior Country Manager, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Kyle Kelhofer, the competition will help open new spaces for creativity and innovation here in the country, where more students and professionals will use local content to design with low carbon usage to aid in the fight against climate change.

He noted that in addition to empowering local designers in the country, IFC has also offered financial assistance to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), manufacturing and other sectors of the economy.

“Here in Ghana, last year we provided approximately U$450million across a range of sectors. Whether it is the banking sector to help access to finance for SMEs or woman-owned enterprises, buildings, manufacturing, warehouses or others,” he said.

Technical Advisor to the Minister of Works of Housing, Jesse Agyepong, speaking on behalf of the minister said: “The designs we celebrate today are a shining example of what can be achieved when we combine our talents with a shared vision for a sustainable future”.

Responding to the motive for supporting the IFC’s initiative, Acting Head of Cooperation, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Magdalene Wuest, indicated that the programme’s purpose aligns with the organisation’s objectives – including sustainability and skills development.

“Our two priority areas are sustainability and skill development and this programme combines those two. So, it is fully aligned with the Swiss development agenda.”

Narrating the sacrifice and investments made in achieving the best design, Mr. Mensah said the competition was demanding because one needs to go the extra mile to come up with a design that’s unique.

“It was not easy and entailed many sleepless nights. A lot of thinking goes into a design like this. So, you have to try and think about the other interventions that your colleagues will bring on board to come out with a design better than theirs,” he said.

The post IFC rewards top-three winners of 3rd EDGE Design Students competition  appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

Read Full Story