Dr. Kuukuwa Manful

Biography

Kuukuwa Manful is an architect and researcher specializing in the study and documentation of architecture in Africa. As an Assistant Professor at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan, she focuses on projects such as 'The Architecture Education Ghana' and the study of the formalization and informalization of architecture in West Africa, utilizing a collection of endangered archives that have been digitized. Her previous roles include being a visiting post-doctoral scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, and a post-doctoral researcher for the African State Architecture Project at SOAS, University of London. Manful holds a PhD from SOAS, University of London, as well as an MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford and both Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Architecture from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Her academic contributions include publications in various journals such as African Affairs and Al Jazeera, and she has curated significant exhibitions in multiple countries, including Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, and the United Kingdom. One of her notable works is the co-edited book 'Building African Futures: 10 Manifestos for Transformative Architecture and Urbanism', published by Iwalewa Books. She is also involved in the architectural collective Adansisɛm, which focuses on documenting Ghanaian architecture, and co-founded Sociarchi, which provides architectural services to underserved communities. Additionally, she serves as the president of the Docomomo Accra Chapter.

Research Interests

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