32. Roof Crew

When we first started the project we were 6 people that planned to stay from start to finish. We called ourselves the "ground crew". Now with less than 3 weeks left, and having seen many great volunteers come and go, we are the final 8 members of the team.  

I introduce to you the "roof crew". Sam- designer and project developer

The mastermind behind the design, Sam has such a great eye and a passion for the quality of space. Her simple yet elegant approach to form and function makes for a powerful building with a genuine and down to earth statement. She not only facilitates good design, but also makes sure the construction process is in service of that design. The execution of the site's events and each day's goals is thanks to her and her foresight for scheduling and order of operations has been invaluable to the project.  She's 100% hands on and has been involved with all aspects of the construction.  Our fearless leader, our guide at the helm- yes her and Eddie crafted this project together, but this Boss Lady has got it together! Medase Pa Sista (thank you very much) !

Eddie- construction and project manager

Eddie is responsible for all things logistic. He makes sure our team is equipped with everything we need from tools, materials, manpower, to snacks and water. His organization, communication to the group, and balancing of the books is without a doubt what keeps us going.  He balances the books like a pro and through all the stress and frustration manages to maintain the smile we all love. His attitude and playfulness add such delight to each workday and the local guys really connect with him. His strong and mutually respectful relationship with all our local team members is something to be envied. He has made a huge effort to immerse himself in the culture which makes him our star player for sure. Gold star Eddie!! Boko! (Smooth) Frenchie- quality assurance/ quality control 

Whenever there is a solution to be found you can bet Frenchie is involved. His deep thought process and weighing of options comes in handy when designing and building simultaneously. He is able to look at a situation and isolate issues and (sometimes) quickly come up with a resolution. Frenchie has been all over the site working on everything from formworks, carpentry, general labor, and design development. For this reason he has really gotten to know the design very well and has served as our quality control agent. He has a good eye to see that things are going the right way or if they are not going quite according to plan. He is good at vocalizing issues and works hard to ensure we are working in a seamless and efficient way. Cama Cama! (Perfect!) Dan- general labor division 

From the very beginning Dan had jumped right in with the Ghanaians as part of the manual labor force. Not having a background in design or architecture, he quickly found his place in the field digging, shoveling, and mixing with the guys. At first Dan was clearly an outsider in the group and had a lot to learn, but so quickly assimilated to the process and techniques. The Ghanaians are beyond impressed with Dan's strength and stamina- they affectionately call him "kun kuma" strong man. Dan works closely with our site manager Kohei to ensure scaffolding, tool and material organization, and staging are accurate and timely. Ajumaye (good work) Dan!! Kohei- site manager

This guy is awesome. Kohei has taken it upon himself to spearhead the management of our construction site. He quickly realized that with about 15 people on site at any given day the work zone gets messy, unorganized, and above all dangerous. Kohei works hard to maintain lumber organization and uses. There are neat piles and areas for scrap wood, good wood, worse wood, etc. Kohei is also a very talented structural engineer. He has worked closely with our general labor division to design and build scaffolding, benches, saw horses, stools, and even a rake for our landscaping efforts. Used nails are hammered back to straight and kept in a bucket for quick and temporary applications. As site manager, Kohei makes sure there are no loose nails on the ground, especially after there were a couple puncture wounds. Wo sisi a wo ya?  Amos- construction administration 

If anyone on our team still has patience it's Amos. We can always  count on him to lighten the mood, be a voice of reason, and clearly articulate needs of all parties. His role on our team had been all over the map because he can do anything and do it well! He has taken a strong hold over the set up and breakdown of all the formworks and has created a beautiful system and order of operations for this effort. He knows all the nuisances and works really well with our carpenter to efficiently align, brace, level, and detail the forms. As we transition out of wall forming and move into various new tasks Amos has jumped right in wth two feet to make sure the process is smooth, efficient, and acurate.   Yeah yeah Wo chadi aba!!  Brian- detailing and fabrication  

Brian is responsible for designing and building the roof structure.  He has taken these lumber pieces under his wing and really made them come alive.  Brian knows a lot about fabrication and the tricks behind installing trusses, rafters, and roof panels.  Brian had a lot of experience designing and building with Americorp and Habitat for Humanity.  He brings a wealth of knowledge as well as an abundance of tools to our project and site. Brian joined our team and jumped on the wall forming efforts right away.  He quickly made templates for building the formworks pieces and was able to create a nice assembly line of tasks that accelerated the process.  He worked closely with Amos and Frenchie in site to devise the process of installation and disassembly of the formworks.

3y3 pa Brian! (Very good!)

Nicole- idea and execution facilitator 

Throughout the project I have worked a lot to forward the design and translate the ideas to paper.  I have done a lot of drawing, a lot of studies, and have worked closely with Sam and Eddie to strategize project development.  I work frequently with Frenchie to sift through processes and quality strategies.  On site, I have tended to be a floater- all over wherever I am needed.  I participate in fabrication, aesthetic clean up, some general labor, a lot of facilitation of procedures... I will cut pieces for assemblers, retrieve tools and materials, etc.  Some of my favorite tasks have been cutting and bending metal rebar for concrete pours and fabricating shelving boxes that are cast in the walls.   I enjoy being on site very much and leave work each day feeling really accomplished.  

I am so grateful for this amazing group of people.!! 

32.