mutwiri31

[mutwiri31]

Just submitted a paper for the Sustainable Futures Conference 2016. Architecture and Construction in the global South. I try to bring awareness of the lack of documentation for African vernacular architecture. My abstract was accepted and here it is….

African vernacular architecture, instead of being celebrated for it’s beauty, is ignored and minimized. Just try to find something about it on-line; there’s very little relevant information or photographs. In this day and age of technology and communication, that’s almost impossible to believe. For those of us who care about preserving history, there should be more.  A country’s culture is defined by many things, including language, music, art and cuisine. There is a term called ‘genius loci’ that translates to the spirit of a place. It is what makes a culture distinct from another one.

The most visual of these cultural components is a country’s architecture, and it is quite varied and distinct. From a cathedral in England to Cape Dutch architecture in South Africa, all have a unique spirit, different from all others. This is also true for African vernacular architecture. But vernacular architecture in most (if not all) African countries is disappearing, being abandoned for Western materials.

There exist many negative perceptions regarding African vernacular architecture; namely, that it is temporary, substandard or for the poor. The value is placed on Western materials and construction techniques, which are viewed as the future, permanent and for the wealthy.  

These perceptions have persisted over the years because of the lack on information available that shows that African vernacular architecture is relevant, diverse and beautiful.  African vernacular architecture has been a topic both under-documented and ignored for far too long.

People’s concept of a mud hut is one of a small. delapted structure with mud walls and a thatched roof. This misconception is just not true. There needs to be awareness, not misconceptions, which leads to appreciation, and when value is placed on vernacular structures, perhaps these myths will change. The time for documentation is now, before this part of culture is gone forever.

[mutwiri31]