Case Study · Wli, Volta Region · 2022–2024
Sage Centre
A full-property fitout in solid Ghanaian teak — built to international standards over 26 months.
26 months
Duration on site
18 bunk beds
Custom beds built
100% Ghanaian teak
Material
International standards
Client specification
The Brief
An Entire Centre, In Solid Teak
Sage Experience is a US-based educational NGO founded to build bridges between Ghanaian communities and students and alumni from America's leading universities. Its centre in Wli, in Ghana's Volta Region, was conceived as a residential hub for cultural exchange — a place where Ivy League students and Ghanaian youth could live, learn, and work alongside each other.
The founder, Ben Schwartz — a former Dartmouth College admissions officer with postgraduate degrees from MIT and Harvard — had a clear and uncompromising vision for the space: every piece of furniture, every surface, every fitting would be built from solid Ghanaian teak. Nothing prefabricated. Nothing from a showroom floor. The entire centre, from the hostel rooms to the dining hall to the outdoor terraces, would be furnished by hand.
The scope was unlike anything typically commissioned in Ghana — and the standard expected was international.
The Story
The Only Contractor Who Stayed
Projects like Sage Centre are rare in Ghana — and rarely straightforward. Before Neewoody was brought in, other contractors had taken deposits and left the work incomplete. The client was left exposed, behind schedule, and understandably cautious.
Neewoody arrived and stayed. But more than staying, the process of working on this project forced a genuine raising of standards. Ben Schwartz had an eye for detail that most Ghanaian carpenters — trained in a market that often prioritises speed over precision — were not equipped to meet. Every joint, every surface, every dimension was scrutinised. Problems were identified before they became expensive. Solutions were expected, not excuses.
What could have been a difficult relationship became something more valuable: a 26-month education in building to a different standard. The craftsmanship that left Wli in October 2024 was measurably better than what arrived in June 2022 — and that improvement carries into every Neewoody project that has followed.
The Work
The Setting
Wli, Volta Region
Sage Centre sits in Wli — a community in Ghana's Volta Region, nestled at the foot of the Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary and the tallest waterfall in West Africa. The site itself is a carefully cultivated property with extensive gardens and unobstructed views of the surrounding mountain range.
The setting informed the brief. A facility built in a place this considered deserved furniture built with the same intention — materials that belonged to the landscape, craftsmanship that would hold up for decades, and a level of finish that matched the ambition of what was being built around it.
Every piece Neewoody built was made from solid Ghanaian teak — a timber that grows in this same region of West Africa and carries its own connection to the land.
The Full Scope
Every item below was designed, built, and installed by Neewoody in solid Ghanaian teak — with select steel elements where the design called for it.
18 Student Bunk Beds
Custom-built across 7 hostel rooms. Solid teak frames with integrated ladders and storage shelving.
Interior Seating Suites
Large L-shaped sectional sofa for the main lounge, upholstered armchairs, and two-seat sofa sets for guest rooms.
Outdoor Seating
L-shaped sectional sofa for the exterior terrace, weather-appropriate upholstery on solid teak frames.
2 Live Edge Dining Tables
Natural live edge teak slabs with glass centres and custom X-form steel bases. With matching bench seating.
Shelving & Cabinetry
Library bookshelves, sideboard units, buffet and dresser units for the dining space, and lower cabinet storage throughout.
High Tables & Bar Stools
Mixed teak and steel construction. Bar-height tables with matching stools for the communal areas.
Bathroom Fixtures
Wooden shelving, fittings, and repair work across 4 bathrooms.
Staircase Railings
Solid teak railings designed to complement the architectural language of the building.
Side & Coffee Tables
Round side tables, glass-top coffee tables, and accent pieces throughout the living and bedroom spaces.
The Beds
Nee is one of the very few carpenters in Ghana we trust to deliver quality results. He communicates promptly and transparently. He's good at identifying potential issues early with the aim to offer solutions that meet our needs. Our guests and students and faculty from across Ghana and the world all complement the custom woodwork Nee and his team have done. He pays attention to details and is responsive to address concerns with finishings. We're extremely pleased with the results Nee has provided us over the past several years! Highly recommend if you're looking for something custom that needs to meet high standards.
Ben Schwartz Co-founder, Sage Experience · Former Admissions Officer, Dartmouth College · MIT Sloan MBA · Harvard Kennedy School MPA · Google Review, December 2024
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