Dot.ateliers by Adjaye Associates

dot.ateliers is a community-oriented and ecologically responsive space for artistic production. Located within the Osu waterfront neighborhood in Accra, this is a highly sustainable artist’s residence and studio made from local materials with local skills. The monolithic, three-story structure serves as an incubator, showroom, and gathering point that advances both the Ghanaian arts scene and architectural innovation.

Nestled within a midblock plot, a perforated wooden structure offers a tranquil entry from the busy street. Designed as three stacked volumes, each floor expands in scale and height to accommodate internal programming, from the external garden, café, office, and library, to the studio and gallery space. A double envelope rammed earth façade extends from the ground floor to the highest level, leveraging the natural insulating properties of local earth to foster a healthy environment, ecological sensitivity, and a low carbon footprint.