ArchXenus Turns 15: Accra Firm Launches Book, Foundation and Urban Futures Conclave to Shape Ghana's Built Environment

One of Ghana's notable architecture practices, ArchXenus, has marked a decade and a half in the industry with a series of bold new initiatives aimed at reshaping how Ghanaians think about, build and live in their cities. The firm, which has completed more than 140 projects since its founding, used a two-day anniversary celebration in Accra to launch a documentation book, a new foundation and an ambitious urban planning conclave targeting the whole of West Africa.

A Celebration Rooted in Ghana's Built Landscape

The anniversary event took place on 10 and 11 November 2026 at Christ Temple East in Accra — a building that ArchXenus itself designed and whose construction it supervised, making the venue a fitting symbol of the firm's journey. The celebration brought together architects, engineers, investors and other stakeholders to discuss the future of Ghana's cities, climate-responsive design, housing challenges and investment in the built environment.

The firm is led by Partners and Principal Architects Nana Akua Oppong-Birmeh and Agnes Ofosu-Appiah, who reflected on fifteen years of building not just structures, but people. Both partners emphasised that their greatest achievement was not the volume of completed projects, but the careers they had helped nurture — particularly those of women navigating professional and family life simultaneously.

"Just by virtue of our existence, so many people have found their feet, especially women. They have found the confidence to pursue their passion, to proceed into family life, and not worry about so many things, because we are modelling this and creating an opportunity for us to grow," Nana Akua said.

Agnes added that running the firm as co-directors had demonstrated the practical value of partnership: "When one person is down or out, the other steps in. We complement each other, which allows us to work, see where the gaps are in the built industry, and provide solutions for them."

GeneXus, AX Press and Documenting Ghanaian Architecture

Among the key launches was GeneXus, a publication produced under AX Press — the publishing arm of the newly established Xenus Impact Foundation — which documents 12 selected ArchXenus projects. The book is intended to address a persistent gap in locally produced architectural reference material, with many Ghanaian students and practitioners still relying heavily on foreign publications despite the wealth of quality design work happening at home.

"This is an opportunity for people to gather inspiration right here, in our cities, in Ghana, designed and led by Ghanaians, with familiar names. In places where you can actually pick a cab, go and experience them, and get inspired," Nana Akua said.

The Xenus Impact Foundation itself was conceived to allow ideas to flourish beyond the firm's commercial brief. It operates across four areas: publishing through AX Press; building through community impact projects; convening through events such as the forthcoming African Urban Futures Conclave; and showing through exhibitions, including a planned display titled Time Space and Essence in Venice in 2027.

Why It Matters for Ghana: Housing, City Planning and a West African Conclave

The initiatives launched by ArchXenus speak directly to some of the most pressing challenges facing Ghanaian cities. Agnes drew attention to Ghana's well-documented housing deficit — commonly estimated at around 1.8 million units — pointing out that a visible construction boom had failed to produce adequate options for middle-income earners. While luxury developments and some affordable housing schemes exist, there remains a significant gap for those who fall between the two categories, including informal workers such as the kayayei who migrate to Accra and other urban centres in search of opportunity.

The Foundation's pilot impact project, CoSpace, is designed to begin addressing that gap, exploring models for housing and shared space that serve underserved communities.

Nana Akua also called for stronger urban vision and coordination in Ghana's city planning, arguing that architects are typically constrained to individual plots even when the broader urban impact of a building extends far beyond its boundaries. Without a shared city-wide vision, she argued, it becomes difficult for individual projects to contribute meaningfully to the kind of cities Ghanaians aspire to live in.

The African Urban Futures Conclave, which will be held in full in April 2027 and is planned to run biennially thereafter, is intended to break down the siloed conversations that currently characterise the built environment sector — where architects, engineers, urban planners and investors rarely share the same platform despite facing interconnected challenges. ArchXenus has also partnered with the Ghana Institute of Architects on a challenge calling on practitioners to present practical solutions to the problems facing Ghanaian cities ahead of the Conclave.

Taken together, the anniversay launches position ArchXenus not merely as a design firm, but as an institution committed to shaping the intellectual, social and physical future of Ghana's urban landscape.