WHAT WE DO
Founded in 2015 by Alice Asafu-Adjaye, MUSTARD is a boutique architecture and design studio that draws from the art of her Asante heritage, and the unique landscapes and vibrant social milieu of Africa.
Drawing inspiration from the environments we inhabit - the colours, textures and evocative smells that reflect everyday life - and with sustainability at its core, MUSTARD designs innovative and functional spaces and objects that are relevant to how we live today.
We create constantly evolving and above all functional spaces and objects for Commercial, Residential, Recreational and Cultural use by our clients in the private and public sector.
OUR TEAM
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
ALICE ASAFU-ADJAYE
A product of Ghanaian and British secondary school education, Alice trained at Nottingham University and at The Bartlett, University College London, before practicing architecture for nearly two decades in the United Kingdom with Foster + Partners and Adjaye Associates.
Returning to her country of birth in 2012, she was instrumental in the launching of Adjaye Associates Ghana, where as Associate Director of African Projects she managed cutting-edge projects in Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.
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In response to and as a reaction to a growing demand for beautiful spaces and objects by an increasingly discerning clientele in the region, Alice founded MUSTARD, a dynamic boutique studio with young talented architects in Accra, Ghana. She is also a member of RIBA, ARB, GIA and ARC and the current RIBA international council member for the Middle East and Africa.
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Alice's passion for the arts has led to collaborations with artists and designers such as AMWA Designs in the creation of furniture collections and co-curating the inaugural Africa by Design exhibition in Accra, Ghana in March 2017.
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Alice has acted as adjudicator in the Barclays L’Atelier Art Competition 2016 and 2017.
She has a keen interest in fashion, film, photography, travel and the exploration of unfamiliar territories. She enjoys long distance running, tennis and swimming and has participated in the AIM marathon in Accra as well as the Ghana Triathlon.
ARCHITECT
ekow Aseda INkoom
A graduate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, with a Bachelors Degree in Architecture, Ekow completed his formal education with a Masters of Science in Architecture from the Politecnico Di Milano, Italy with a thesis investigating collaborative research in the development of ‘scalable housing hybrid’ with AM ARCHITECTS in Milan.
Ekow is a key member of the team at Mustard, working on a variety of projects ranging from residential projects such as townhouses for the developer Devtraco Plus to cultural projects such as Door of Return monuments.
Ekow’s previous experience includes an internship with Adjaye Associates Ghana, and as a design assistant and project architect for Swiss design studios Brügger Architekten, and Raumforum.
He enjoys making music and painting, keeps active in the gym and swims regularly. He travels extensively exploring unchartered territories.
ARCHITECT
latifah iddriss
A graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, Latifah is an all-rounder in the studio exhibiting her talents in photography, architecture, graphic design and all things art in the output of the studio. Her investigation into the blurred lines between art and architecture is drawn from the exploration of form, texture, nature, technology, human behavior and simplicity and finding the balanced interplay between of these elements.
Latifah’s approach and incite into art and architecture allows her to contribute to most projects at mustard from concept through to the delivery of buildings and objects.
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She has had previous work experiences with OMKAS Construction, ArchiAfrika, Mobius Architecture and a period as a teaching assistant at Ashesi University's Summer Design School.
Latifah also works with AfricaBYDesign, volunteers at the Nubuke Foundation and collaborates with ArtHaus.
She has exhibited her work in art, photography & architecture at the 1:54 contemporary art fair (London 2016), artXlagos (Lagos, 2017) and the ANO Gallery (Accra, 2015 & 2017), and has been an adjudicator for the ABSA/ BARCLAYS L’ATELIER competition, 2016.
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She is a keen gardener, an avid reader and an explorer.
Her passion for sports and food is unsurpassed by any other member of the team and she has a reputation for talking to herself!
ARCHITECT
michael darkwah
Michael completed his entire formal education in Rabat, Morocco obtaining a Bachelor's as well as a Master's degree of Architecture from Ecole Nationale D'Architecture. With Morocco as his case study, he completed his thesis in the facilitation of migrant integration into urban environments in the Mediterranean.
Michael’s contribution to the team is immeasurable, with tasks including the design and construction of projects such as the Capital Group Pavilions.
Michael has previous experience with Groupe Al Omrane and Groupement des Architects in Morocco.
He devotes time to community participation and outreach programs, is a keen photographer and enjoys watching films.
ARCHITECT
nyansah essandoh
Nyansah holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
His meticulous and thorough approach to design paired with a strong sense of materiality means he works on the majority of projects in the studio.
Nyansah has previous experience with Adjaye Associates Ghana and with the Parliamentary Service of Ghana on the JOB 600 building refurbishment project.
He also worked on a resettlement project in Obuasi while working with Anglogold Ashanti.
He has keen interests in music, sketching, fashion and keeps active in the gym.
He also consults on brand development.
HOW WE DO IT
At MUSTARD we work towards developing contemporary architecture suited to the sub-Saharan African climate.
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Together as a team, we approach each project critically, looking at how to achieve buildings with intriguing characters embedded within a sustainable and affordable core.
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“The power supply is bad here, so it’s crazy to build a house with tiny windows that needs air-conditioning all the time,” - Alice Asafu Adjaye.
