Regulatory Distress: Architects’ Perspective on Enforcement of Building Regulations in Ghana

Building regulation is considered as a remarkable means for ensuring orderly and sustainable development. Unfortunately, it has become a fault line and an elusive tool for developing countries. In Ghana, the chronic collapse of buildings, haphazard developments and increased number of defective buildings are signs of weaknesses in the enforcement of building controls. Based on the perspective of architects, the study seeks to confirm the key factors that accounts for the laxity in enforcement process and the potential use of smart building regulations to improve the system. Architects present during the Annual General Meeting of architects in Ghana were purposively sampled to answer survey questionnaires. Based on response from 86 architects, institutional factors; Inefficient and Insufficient Staff, Corruption and Absence of Public-Private Partnership were established as key factors that impacts negatively on enforcement of building regulations. The study recommends the use of smart approaches for effective building controls in Ghana.