Sammy Ansah Transforms Refuse Into Objects of Beauty.

Apartments made from bits of wood and broken tiles are his latest creation in Abelenkpe, western Accra.

"I don't believe in waste. If I can recycle rubbish and help the world, then why not?" he says.

As a child, Mr Ansah was very artistic and loved building things with his father.

This inspired him to study architecture in the US. Unfortunately, financial difficulties curtailed his studies.


Pine fragrance

He moved into a New Jersey apartment and slept on the bare pine floor. He was captivated by the fragrance
of the wooden floor boards."The wood smelt nice," he recalls. "Most of the wheel can be re-used, even the nuts and bolts which hold it together," he says.In 1987, his first building project was a Thai restaurant in Accra.
He designed the interior and made all the tables, chairs and doors from the wooden wheels.

Bird shape


The Abelenkpe apartments are even more adventurous. Mr Ansah has combined the dismantled wooden wheels with junk from construction sites, broken tiles, burnt tree trunks, bits of china, old paving stones and scrap metal - in fact, anything that people consider rubbish. He feels the overall effect is very artistic and pleasing to the eye.
"It's like a jigsaw puzzle," he says.He is particularly proud of one apartment.
Part of the interior, where he has combined bits of wood with a burnt tree stump, resembles a bird in its natural habitat.
The smell of the wood from the wheels also reminds residents that they are living very close to nature.
"The beautiful pine gives the apartments a unique fragrance. They smell like lavender or a fine nice lady," Mr Ansah says.

Expansion plans


His friends and family are impressed with his ability to transform waste into art, tables, chairs, wardrobes or houses.
"They are excited about how I can create something out of nothing. They always encourage me. They call me the junk man," he says.
He hopes his passion catches on.
"My plan is to rescue all the wooden wheels in Ghana and run workshops in construction for those who want to learn.
"My dream is to build schools and hospitals with construction companies who want to make use of all the wooden wheels in the world," he says.