Accra, Ghana, June 14, 2007 – The Minister of Tourism, Mr. Jake Obitsebi Lamptey, is the invited speaker at a ceremony marking the beginning of a cooperative effort to preserve Ghana’s architectural heritage. The opening ceremony will be held Monday, June 25, 2007, from 9 am to 12 pm at the Naa Laingoye House in Jamestown on Bannerman Road. The ceremony marks the beginning of a two-week hands-on building conservation workshop that is bringing students and volunteers from around the world to Accra to learn about historic building conservation and participate in actual restoration work at the Naa Laingoye House and a stone residence in Ablekuma. Prof. George Hagan, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture will also be present to lend support.

The workshop is being organized by US-based non-profit Heritage Conservation Network in association with Mr. Sam William Nii Baddoo of Home Tours. Mr. George Tetteh will be leading the work, assisted by Mr. Kofi Frederick Amekudi of the Ghana Museum and Monuments Board. Participants will be learning about vernacular and colonial buildings and the most appropriate materials and techniques to use to preserve them. As part of their experience, they will also learn about restoration work being undertaken at Fredriksgave, an old stone plantation house which is being restored with Danish architects and students from the Archaeology Department of the University of Ghana, and tour several of Ghana’s World Heritage sites.

The Naa Laingoye House was constructed near the ocean in the mid-1800's and shows clear British influence in its design. The Ablekuma House is a vernacular stone building constructed with local materials. A group of thirty-five students from the Building Technology Department of Kumasi Polytechnic will be working in Ablekuma over the weekend of June 29. With that many people working, there is every expectation the restoration work will be completed. Prof Alex Asiedu, Head of Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, LEGON, is also hoping to bring a group of students to participate.

Both projects are intended to demonstrate the value of historic preservation, particularly its role in preserving traditional building skills and the potential for developing cultural heritage tourism. Once restoration is complete, the Naa Laingoye House will be converted to a bed and breakfast/restaurant and the Ablekuma House will be a community center.

Heritage Conservation Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of architectural heritage around the world. HCN produces an annual series of hands-on building conservation workshops in association with local preservation partners in order to further the sites’ preservation and provide an educational experience for participants.