The TCC International Centre for Innovation, Manufacturing, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship (TCC-CIMET) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has secured a major grant from the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) to advance the Building Capacity in Circular Natural Materials using Frugal Digital and Traditional Engineering Innovations (BUCABUMA) project.
The grant, issued under powers delegated by the European Commission, is aimed at accelerating research and capacity building in climate-resilient construction across Africa.
BUCABUMA seeks to strengthen skills within the building industry by blending traditional construction knowledge with modern digital technologies. Using locally available renewable materials such as clay, bamboo, wood and natural fibres, the project will develop affordable and environmentally friendly building solutions. Digital design and frugal engineering tools will be applied to reinterpret traditional techniques and create new pathways for sustainable construction.
The initiative also responds to mounting environmental pressures by promoting circular economy practices that reduce resource depletion and lower carbon emissions. By integrating advanced digital fabrication with indigenous building traditions, the project aims to improve material efficiency and support climate adaptation efforts.
Led by the Principal Investigator, Prof. Alexander Marful, the project will involve students from KNUST’s Colleges of Engineering, Art and Built Environment, and Science. Participants will take part in an intra-Africa mobility programme across partner institutions in Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa.
The consortium includes five institutions: TCC-CIMET, KNUST (Ghana); the University of Nairobi (Kenya); the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development at Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia); the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa); and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany).
Director-General of TCC-CIMET, Prof. Francis Davis, said the project was timely and would strengthen the mandate of the UNESCO Category 2 Centre of Excellence for Africa hosted at KNUST.
Through large-scale promotion of natural materials, development of climate-resilient housing models and research into biological and technical circular economy cycles, the BUCABUMA project aims to help drive a shift towards greener and more adaptive construction practices. The initiative will also explore the use of renewable plant resources, agricultural by-products and repurposed plastics from landfills.
By focusing on hyperlocal materials and community-driven solutions, the project marks a step towards a more sustainable, affordable and climate-conscious built environment for Africa.
