Prof. Emeritus Henry Nii-Adziri Wellington is presently engaged with the University Of Ghana,Legon in the field of Archaelogy and Field Studies.
Prof.Emeritus Henry Wellington was born on 1st December, 1942 at Akuse in southern Ghana. He has a gentle personality with an eye for discipline. He likes to play croquet (a British game) and table tennis in his leisure time and is married with three children. He enjoys lot of hobbies and leisure. He also likes reading, especially fascinating Christian books and biographies; preaching; walking and making social visits.
He is very conversant with Presbyterianism as he attended the Presbyterian Junior and Presby Middle Boys Boarding Schools at Osu, Accra. He continued to secondary school from 1958-1962 at Presbyterian Secondary School, Krobo Odumase. He majored in Physics, Chemistry and Biology and as a Science Student at that time; he did the unusual by adding Art to his subjects, including Literature and Religious Knowledge which were compulsory at his time.
He chose architecture as a career path when he was in Form Three at Presec. After reading a little career -counseling book, he realized that his talents, spread out in all subjects including art and mathematics (he was nicknamed Dr. Faustus because he appeared to be at home well in all subjects) were appropriate for architecture. When he entered KNUST in 1962, he knew he had made the right decision. But in the second year due to an a health condition, he landed in the hospital for about a week. When he returned to the Department, he had virtually lost interest in architecture and university and Adziri was ready to pack out and go back to Accra to become a fisherman! But Jesus, whom he had gotten to know as his personal Savior and Lord while in the First Year, intervened and He changed absolutely the course of his career path. Architecture became not just a profession but a vocation. This is why he became a professor of architecture. He enjoyed teaching architecture for 31 years.
He was in Tech (KNUST) to do Pre-Architecture. He had his tertiary education at same university from 1962-1969. He graduated with honors with an M.Sc. Architecture, and B.Sc. Design. He continued to Rheinische Westphaelische Technische Hochschule in Aachen, Germany from 1969 to 1972 and graduated with a qualification: Dipl. Ing. (Urban Design). He studied further at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany and earned a Doctorate Ing. (Architecture and Development Planning) from 1978-1981. He trained at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Accra in 1992 and achieved a Certificate in Consultancy.
Since 1972, he has designed and supervised construction of several architectural and housing/ planning projects. He has also researched in and made publications on housing, urban design and urban conservation issues. In 1994, Professor Wellington was awarded a Fellow of Ghana Institute of Architects. In 2001, he was appointed a member of the Visiting Board of the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) to the University of Free State and University Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He was appointed Head of the Department of Architecture, K.N.U.S.T., and Kumasi, a post he held and performed admirably from 1999 to September 2002. He was also elected, Vice Dean, Faculty of Environmental & Development Studies at this same university and served at this position from 2001 to September 2002. In October 2002, he filled the Acting. Pro Vice-Chancellor position of the prestigious K.N.U.S.T., Kumasi until December later that year.
He has had a lot of academic successes and has risen through the ranks of Lecturer to a Professor. He has been educating and training Ghanaians since 1972. He became an associate Professor in 1992. He has been teaching the following subjects: Design Thesis, Urban Design, The Built Environment, Architectural Design Studio, Settlement Planning and Design and held seminars in Architecture Research Methodology. He has also supervised student projects, work, thesis, and research.
Prof.Emeritus H.N-A Wellington was appointed as a leading consultant for rehabilitation of the Bank of Ghana Cedi House, refurbishment project in 2002. He initiated the academic link programme arrangement with the Ecole Africaine des Metiersde l’architecture et de l’Urbanisme (EAMAU), Lome, Togo in 2001. In the same year, he was a member of the board of advisors for the proposed Centre for the Arts and Culture of Ghana at the College of Art, KNUST, Kumasi. Due to his experience and expertise, he was the project architect for the Monastic Church for Benedictine Monks, Kristo Buase near the town Tano Buase, a very historic Brong settlement located on the north east of Tekyiman in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. The Monastic church he has designed may become a world icon. The Monks are soliciting funds from ROME to have it built because of its uniqueness. He has been given seminars and talks on the design and the resonance to date has been fascinating. Prof.Emeritus H.N-A Wellington also served as chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Transformation Code Review, FEDS, also in 2001.
Since 1973, over 20 of his research projects have been carried out in issues in the area of architecture, urban design, housing and rural development in Ghana. From 1988 to 1996, he served as the course director for the Undergraduate Programme in the department of Architecture at KNUST. To date, five books and mimeographs have been jointly published with other authors. Since 1982, four major exhibitions have been undertaken on his architectural and cultural works.
In 1991, he was the co-coordinator in a team to prepare a prequalification document on proposals for archival and documentary research – St. George’s Castle, Elmina and Cape Coast Castle by TODSCER and the urban conservation of historic areas of Elmina and Cape Coast townships by Central Region Development Commission (CEDECOM). In 1995, he represented the Ghana Institute of Architects of the Workshop on the Draft National Plan of Action – U.N. Conference on Human Settlements Habitat II at the Golden Tulip Hotel organized by the Ministries of Environment, Science and Technology; and Works and Housing. From 1998-1999, jointly consulted with Messrs. Afrika Design Centre for the rehabilitation and refurbishment on Regional Offices of State Insurance Company. In 1996,he submitted a Memorandum on the Final Country Document prepared by the National Committee for Habitat II (NATCOM HABITAT II) on behalf of the Ghana Institute of Architects. He was also a member of the National Disaster Management Organization (Ghana) from 1999 to 2002. He held the position of being the project architect for Agricultural Development Bank – Regional Office for Sunyani. He got involved in the K.N.U.S.T. – Golden Jubilee Preparations as a committee member from 1999 to 2001. He doubled as a consulting architect and project architect for the erection and completion of the Scripture Union National Camp Site of Twinidurase. He got involved in the building of Valley View University at Oyibi in Accra as the consulting architect and planner.
Professor Wellington taught at the Department of Home Science, University of Ghana from 1996 to 1998. Subjects included Introduction to family housing and the physical environment, Design and Alternatives for Individuals & families and Special Topics in Home Management. In the same time span, he was also a visiting Scholar (teaching) at the School of Interdisciplinary Programme, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio in the US and also held lectures and seminars in Creativity and Culture and also taught in the Department of Architecture, at the same university as a Guest Lecturer in Interior Design 4th Year Class and as a guest Critic in 3rd and 5th year Architectural Design Studios. In 1996, he also coordinated the project team which produced “Statement of Work” for the preparation of master plan for Nyankpala Campus, UDS in Tamale.
He has participated in a lot of community service projects, both locally and internationally. He was the local Coordinator of the University of Washington, Seattle – Ghana study abroad programme. His fervor for Christian beliefs and things led to his numerous appointments in religious organizations. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Christian Service University College, Kumasi. He served as the consultant (Ecclesiastical Buildings) for the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Osu District, Haatso – Accra. He was the national director at large for Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International as well as that for Ashanti Region. He was appointed as a pastor of the local bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Oxford, Ohio – congregation consisted of Black Students and Faculty of Miami University and African – American families in August to December, 1996. His dedication to the upliftment of youth led to him being the resource person for youth meetings across the country. He also spoke at church revival meetings. He spearheaded links between the department of architecture, K.N.U.S.T and Ecole Africaine des Metiers de L’achitecture et de L’urbanisme (EAMAU), Lome, Togo to promote regional integration as well as links between KNUST and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, U.S.A. He co-coordinated a Miami University students’ House-building project at Abrafo-Odumase in the Ashanti Region. Professor Wellington cooperated with African Action e. V., a German NGO, to put his contribution in the 4th Edition of “Symbolic Language of Ashanti” on the Internet. He also acted as an academic mentor for an International and Undergraduate Students of the School for International Training, the accredited College of World Battleboro in Vermont, USA. His practice in architecture has primarily glorified the One who made him to regain interest in architecture, JESUS CHRIST. This is his personal testimony.
Credit:PRESEC OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION.
