Renowned architect Professor John Owusu Addo, who studied at the University of Westminster’s predecessor, the Regent Street Polytechnic, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of his significant contributions to Ghanaian architecture and education.
Born in 1928 in the British colony of the Gold Coast, Professor Owusu Addo won a scholarship to study Architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic in 1952. After qualifying as an architect in 1958, Professor Owusu Addo returned to a newly independent Ghana where he worked with Kenneth Scott to develop Tropical Modernism, a place-based and naturally ventilated and appropriately oriented style of architecture of vital importance in developing sustainable architectural solutions.
In 1961, Professor Owusu Addo was invited to design and build large parts of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), now part of Westminster’s Global Partner Network. He later became the KNUST’s first Ghanaian Head of the Architecture Department before becoming Dean of the Faculty in 1978 and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University until 1982.
As a leading educator in Africa and the Commonwealth, Professor Owusu has also held positions as Chairman of the Commonwealth Board of Architectural Education (CBAE) and Board Chair of Education Research and Technology for the Africa Union of Architects. His contributions to architectural education and architecture were recognised with the award of an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by the KNUST in 2002, followed by the prestigious Order of the Volta award for outstanding service to the Republic of Ghana in 2005. He was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ghana Institute of Architects in 2007.
At 97-years-old, Professor Owusu Addo’s remarkable legacy lives on in Ghana and across the world. An immersive film featuring an interview with Professor Owusu Addo alongside panoramic portraits of his work was recently exhibited at the V&A Museum’s 2024 exhibition Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence, which explored Tropical Modernism’s origins and evolution as a visible symbol of the progressive independent Ghana.
Westminster’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Bonfield with Professor Owusu Addo’s son, Yaw, and nephew, Godfried, who accepted the award on his behalf
About the award Professor Owusu Addo said: “I’m extremely happy and highly honoured to receive this award. I hope the younger generation of architects will be inspired to further develop and evolve the concept of Tropical Modernism ensuring environmental stewardship, sustainability and energy efficiency for future buildings in the tropics.”
Professor Owusu Addo’s work directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4: Quality Education and 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Architecture, Interiors and Urban Design courses at the University of Westminster.
Read about last year’s honorary awards.
