Reflective Essay - Affluent Africa

AFFLUENT AFRICA How do architectural practices, both Western and African, approach design in Africa and to what extent is their response sympathetic to the continent’s diverse and extensive built history?

Henri Lacoste S1117686 Architecture Placement: Reflection

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Abstract Synopsis

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Introduction 1. Michaelis Boyd in Africa 1.1 Arijiju

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1.2 Sandibe

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2. Beyond MBA 3. Summative Reflection

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4. Conclusion

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Bibliography 16

List of Illustrations

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Abstract

“Africa is a great opportunity for architects” states David Adjaye at the “Design Indaba Expo”, the largest curated design event in the southern hemisphere.1 This is an opportunity that many western architectural offices are taking advantage of, and a prospect that I have experienced first hand this year on placement. I have seen that when approaching design from another continent, it is not only issues of logistics that will arise, but also, an altogether less tangible problem of sympathy and understanding to the existing built history. A designer, whether of the continent or not, can be unsuccessful if this complexity is overlooked or misguided, and it is that which this essay is concerned with.

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http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/25/africa-is-an-extraordinary-opportunity-at-the-moment-david-adjaye/ opened 20.10.14

Image Reference http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Blank_Map-Africa.svg

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Synopsis

This essay aims, through practical experience, to interrogate attitudes and stances appropriated by architectural practices, particularly of western origin, designing in Africa. By examining the buildings I have had an involvement with on placement, from concept to completion, I will, through interview, discussion and analysis, be able to reflect effectively on the way in which their designs were conceived and why.

Using those projects as case studies a critical understanding of the way Michaelis Boyd approaches design in Africa can be gained. This can be achieved through interrogating conceptual sketches, drawings and choice of materials as well as considering the particular circumstances and progression of the projects with regards to the relationships between client, architect and contractor. Combining this, with a comparison against architectural styles of the relevant areas, such as the Swahili style that populates the East African coast, and the architecture of the Tswana that reside in Botswana, the origins of the designs may be better understood.

Beyond the international portfolio of Michaelis Boyd Associates I intend to look to the work of other architects, in particular those with a stronger connection to the continent to determine the similarities and differences in design attitude. I will look at the work of Joe Osae-Addo and Lesley Lokko who both returned to Africa to build homes in their mother cities. To give insight into the ongoing nature of the questions posed in this essay I will look back 70 years to the work of Hassan Fathy whose ambition it was to ensure the modern era did not forget Egyptian vernacular architecture.

Introduction

Over the past 10 months I have been in full time employment at Michaelis Boyd Associates, a growing architectural office located in London’s affluent Notting Hill. The vast majority of work is conducted within the surrounding area, comprising of high-end residential refurbishments and large basement constructions with which I have had much involvement. When I commenced my work placement I was the 41st employee at MBA, which has since grown to over 70.

This growth has been down to the procurement of projects such as Battersea Phase 2, and has facilitated international endeavors across Europe and more recently in the United States, Asia and Africa. I was lucky enough to be placed within the office as an architectural assistant working under Alex Michaelis on four Africa based projects; two located in Kenya, one in Botswana and one in Mozambique. Three of the four projects are commercial commissions either to design or refurbish safari lodges for experiential travel company, &beyond. The fourth is a private residential project. The contrasting client type has given an intriguing insight into the motivation for a given project, as one would expect, a commercial client’s concern with budget and schedule will seldom be lesser than the concern of the private patron pursuing their dream home.

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1: Michaelis Boyd In Africa 1.1 Arijiju

Fig.1 Arijiju from the sky

Situated on the Laikipia Plateau in the north-west corner of the Borana Ranch, Kenya, Arijiju sits itself considerately in to the earth so as not declare its presence. This discretion was a concern made known from the beginning by our client, the chief executive officer of a Nigerian oil and gas provider who lives between London, Nigeria and Kenya. For the purposes of this report and to maintain confidentiality I will refer to our client as Mr. I. The plan and orientation of the building is primarily focused around the unspoiled view of the majestic Mount Kenya and secondary to meet the requirements of it functioning as a guest lodge, when not being used by the client. Mr. I is a previous client of the office for whom we refurbished his west London home in 2010 and, following its completion two years later, approached us with the opportunity to design his Kenyan residence, Arijiju.

For one to construct an informed evaluation of an architect’s sensitivity to the location for which they propose to design, first we must gain an understanding of the architectural milieu. Arijiju is located 300 miles north west of the Lamu region where the densest concentration of Swahili architecture is located2 ; a style that is commonplace along the South-Eastern coast of Africa. As a consequence of its proximity to the sea, coral rag and mortar construction was often used in pre-colonial Swahili architecture and this is true of the coral stone houses of Lamu old town.3 It is not a building material used exclusively in Eastern coastal African architecture with examples of coral rag buildings being found in the Caribbean, such as the parliament of Barbados. Coral was used in several distinct ways by the Swahili, a finer-grained, harder to work variety of coral was used to decorate architectural elements such as doorjambs, wall niches and arches.

Another example unique to Swahili architecture involved a laborious process of puzzling irregular shaped blocks

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De Verre Allen, J. Swahili Architecture in the Later Middle Ages. African Arts Vol.7 No.2 pg.42

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De Verre Allen, J. pg.43

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together, which was not only more efficient in use of material but also enabled virtually mortar-free construction.4 The presence of wall niches is consistent throughout Swahili architecture, used for the display of porcelain and other precious possessions,5 the use of which peaked in the eighteenth century when entire walls would be covered in them, elaborately shaped and carefully graded for visual effect6 .

There is undoubtedly an Arabic influence on the Swahili style, this is thanks in part to Lamu’s positioning geographically.

It functioned as a great trading base and the first known reference to Lamu can be found in a second Century GrecoEgyptian shipping guide, which describes the island as an anchorage for Arab traders7 . With the Persian Gulf close by, Arab and Persian immigrants would have undoubtedly settled in the East African region although Lamu has remained an African society.8 An example of this Arabian artistic impact can be seen through Swahili artist’s employment of geometric and calligraphic motifs, prevalent in the wood carvings of the grand doors of East African costal churches (Fig. 2). However, we must appreciate that there is a distinction between “borrowed form as a means and original content as an expression” for this is imperative in reading Swahili art9 .

Fig.2 St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church - Zanzibar An example of Swahili written in Arabic

Fig.3 Vaulted Ambulatory, Arijiju

The main house at Arijiju revolves around a central vaulted cloister (Fig.3) enclosing a peaceful, sunken, landscaped courtyard. This provides a covered ambulatory from which one can access any room and all exterior spaces including the roof and pool terraces. The cloister is graduated with generous steps down from the entrance to the main living space. This change in level allows one, upon arrival, to see over the lower rooms to a view to Mount Kenya (Fig.4). There are two guesthouses and a manager’s lodge located close by, all of which share the same architectural language of the main house. The construction throughout the project is simple, involving an in situ poured concrete floor slab with block work walls rendered and painted to the inside, and clad in local Meru stone on the outside. To enhance the building’s efforts to minimise its presence in the landscape, green roofs planted with local grasses have been employed universally, which successfully eases the otherwise unnaturally orthogonal forms in to the softer, undulating scenery (Fig.5).

Ensuring this sensitivity towards the natural surroundings was of paramount importance to the client and where possible trees are built around and in cases such as the pool terrace, made a focal point (Fig.8).

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De Verre Allen, J. pg.67

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Ghaidan, U.I. Swahili Art of Lamu. African Arts Vol.5 No.1 pg.56

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De Verre Allen, J. pg.67

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Ghaidan, U.I. pg.54

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De Verre Allen, J. pg.44

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Ghaidan, U.I. pg.56

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Fig.4 Alignment with Mount Kenya, Arijiju

Fig.5 Green Roof, Arijiju

Located south west of the main building is a cluster of smaller buildings, housing facilities including a gym, hamam, treatment room for massage, and a raised yoga platform. This area of the project was one in which I was more heavily involved and was a thoroughly enjoyable aspect of the scheme to work on. The gym, yoga platform and treatment room share an architectural language whilst the spa building takes that of the main and guesthouses. The gym and treatment room both utilise an in situ poured concrete floor slab on which a basic block-work sits and Meru stone cladding is applied externally. This build up is in keeping with the materiality of the rest of the project, however the roof is constructed in a traditional Kenyan style called Makuti. This method utilises a timber frame construction with woven leaves from a coconut plant, typically found in coastal regions of Kenya called mnazi in Swahili. Makuti roofs are quick to erect, cheap to build and carbon efficient as resources can be sourced locally and are renewable. This choice of roofing style, paired with louvered timber sliding doors, is also successful in the Kenyan climate as it ensures passive cooling due to its materiality and tall ceilings.

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REVISIONS Rev. A - Updated layout Rev. B - Updated layout Rev. C -16.06.14 - Updated details Rev. D -25.06.14 - Updated details Rev. E - 30.06.14 - Updated details Rev. F - 01.07.14 - Updated details Rev. G - 14.07.14 - Updated details Rev. H - 16.07.14 - Updated details and annotations Rev. I - 30.07.14 - Updated details and annotations

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Michaelis Boyd Associates Ltd 108 Palace Gardens Terrace London W8 4RT t +44(0)20 7221 1237 f +44(0)20 7221 0130 michaelisboyd.com

Client: Mr and Mrs Ihenacho

Date Created: 16.06.2014

Project:

Arijiju, Kenya Drawing Title:

Proposed Spa/Hammam Building Scale: 3

Revision Date: 27.10.2014

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Fig.6 Plan and Sections Spa Building, Arijiju 5

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Rev. A - Updated layout

Rev. A - Updated layout

Rev. B - Updated layout

Rev. B - Updated layout

Rev. C -16.06.14 - Updated details

Rev. C -16.06.14 - Updated details

Rev. D -25.06.14 - Updated details

Rev. D -25.06.14 - Updated details

Rev. E - 30.06.14 - Updated details

Rev. E - 30.06.14 - Updated details

Rev. F - 01.07.14 - Updated details

Rev. F - 01.07.14 - Updated details

Rev. G - 14.07.14 - Updated details

Rev. G - 14.07.14 - Updated details

Rev. H - 16.07.14 - Updated details and annotations

Rev. H - 16.07.14 - Updated details and annotations

Rev. I - 30.07.14 - Updated details and annotations

Rev. I - 30.07.14 - Updated details and annotations

Rev. J - 27.08.14 - Courtyard omitted, change in floor finishes,addition window

Rev. J - 27.08.14 - Courtyard omitted, change in floor finishes,addition window

Rev. K - 27.10.14 - Courtyard amended. Hot tub relocated away from Hammam.

Rev. K - 27.10.14 - Courtyard amended. Hot tub relocated away from Hammam.

108 Palace Gardens Terrace London W8 4RT t +44(0)20 7221 1237 f +44(0)20 7221 0130 michaelisboyd.com

108 Palace Gardens Terrace London W8 4RT t +44(0)20 7221 1237 f +44(0)20 7221 0130 michaelisboyd.com

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Whilst working on the project I spent a great deal of time reworking the spa building. Initial schemes saw all of the facilities (gym, treatment, yoga, hamam) merged together in an almost health centre typology, thankfully they were broken down and made to suit each, almost ritualistic, processes. Enclosed by a curved screen of timber, the spa (Fig.6), as in the main house, is bedded into the inclining topography to minimise its visual impact. The spa encourages Michaelis Boyd Associates Ltd Michaelis Boyd Associates Ltd reflection, passing through a semi external planted courtyard you enter the changing room with a wood-burning stove, beyond which is a wetroom with a plunge pool and from here you can access the Hammam. The vaulted Hammam (a steam room of Arabic/Turkish origin) is the focal point of the building and a clear reference to the Arabic involvement of the Swahili style.

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Client: Mr and Mrs Ihenacho

Date Created: 16.06.2014

Client: Mr and Mrs Ihenacho

Project:

Project:

Arijiju, Kenya

Arijiju, Kenya

Drawing Title:

Drawing Title:

Proposed Spa/Hammam Building Scale:

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Plan 1:50 @ A1

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1:50 @ A1

Proposed Spa/Hammam Building

Revision Date: 27.10.2014

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Plan

Scale:

Revision Date: 27.10.2014

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Drawing No:

Drawn By:

Checked by: Revision:

11032 /01/101

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DO NOT SCALE FROM DRAWING, ALL DIMS TO BE CHECKED ON SITE. REPORT OMISSIONS AND DISCREPANCIES TO THE ARCHITECT IMMEDIATELY

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Date Created: 16.06.2014

Drawing No:

Drawn By:

Checked by: Revision:

11032 /01/101

HL

KS

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DO NOT SCALE FROM DRAWING, ALL DIMS TO BE CHECKED ON SITE. REPORT OMISSIONS AND DISCREPANCIES TO THE ARCHITECT IMMEDIATELY

In an area such as the Laikipia Plateau, as with many rural regions of East Africa, there is little in the way of architectural precedent, documented or existing, in which materiality is substantial or long term, or practical, from which to take inspiration. Arijiju, without question, is an intervention that does not adhere, in a pure sense, to East African vernacular architecture, although subsidiary buildings such as the yoga platform do utilise native timber, and local techniques of construction. Our client understandably wanted the practicality of a building that would endure, so proven materials such as concrete and steel have been used. These contemporary materials not only afford the building longevity, but also have been used to uphold our Fig.7 client’s respect and awe for the beauty of the landscape Songo Mnara, Tanzinia by making possible elements such as green roofs and allowing large glazed openings to enjoy the spectacular views. The building’s widespread use of concrete also provides thermal massing and living roofs improve insulation to maintain a more consistent temperature throughout hot days, and at 6,500ft, cold nights. Despite contemporary materiality we cannot dismiss the intervention as ignorant of the history of its location. The central cloister around a sunken courtyard on which the scheme is focused, is typical of the Swahili/Islamic architecture found at sites such as the ruins of Songo Mnara (Fig.7) in neighbouring Tanzania and at the many monasteries of Lamu. Proposed interior details such as wall niches that hold lighting and carved wooden doors are obvious in their Arabic inspiration but nonetheless appropriate.

During my engagement with this topic I interviewed Alex Michaelis to further my understanding of the inspiration for the project, and find out the significant difficulties that have arisen thus far. From my existing familiarity with the project’s construction detailing and my new eye for restrained Swahili influence I was keen to hear first hand how the building was conceived. He spoke of how wherever one is designing, the first consideration must be for the materials available; in this case the readily available material was Meru stone, and from there you can work within the parameters of the resources. After material, comes local buildings conventions and in isolated areas the available work force. In the neighbouring towns of Isiolo and Nanyuki Alex recalled a tendency in domestic architecture for rooms to be arranged independently of each other but around a communal space. This arrangement, coupled with the monastic cloisters found in the Swahili architecture of Lamu, Arijiju’s focal point, the courtyard, originated. This Fig.8 Plan of Main House, Arijiju insular building style was particularly practical in Arijiju’s setting as I am told large game such as buffalo and lion are often nearby, this arrangement therefore affords a peaceful, protected, external space accessible by all rooms. The logic behind the arrangement of the rooms around the courtyard was that all of the bedrooms would be located on the East and have a view to the sunrise, and the social, evening rooms would be on the West with views of the sunset.

“The project has been enjoyable to work” on maintains Alex, despite it being more than a year overdue. “The site is stunning and Mr. I is an ideal client” but jokes; “the only issue is Plewman”. Alex was referring to Nick Plewman, the South African architect with whom we are collaborating on Arijiju. When working on international projects, having someone on your team who is familiar with local building regulations and authorities saves significant amounts of time and as the distance inhibits regular site visits, someone to relay information to and from site on your behalf. However, this collaboration can occasionally turn to interference resulting in an inability to retain creative control of one’s project. Alex reiterated that the building always takes priority over either architect’s ego and that pride should never get in the way of great architecture and despite disputes between Michaelis and Plewman, this has remained true.

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1.2 Sandibe

Fig.9 Main Area, Sandibe

Since 2012 Michaelis Boyd Associates has been working closely with the luxury travel company &beyond, who provide uncompromising experiential holidays in Africa and South Asia. During my time at Michaelis Boyd I have worked on three projects for &beyond, one located on Benguerra Island, Mozambique, which is still in its early stages and due to go on site in the new year, the other two have since been completed one in Kenya and one in Botswana.

Sandibe, completed at the beginning of September this year, is located in the heart of the Okavango delta in Botswana, and has been built from scratch to replace an existing safari lodge of more than twenty years old. At a threshold, hidden in a maze of bowers and laths, guests arrive at the main building of Sandibe lodge, confronted by a sweeping, organic, timber shingle clad form that rises and falls to allow movement between spaces (Fig.9). Stepping through the main entrance a panoramic view of the delta can be admired via a sequence of levels from low down on the forest floor, up to a raised viewing platform that stretches out through the woodland. The main area accommodates a restaurant, bar, library and a communal seating area focused around a “boma”, a traditional African pit fire formed from huge cut timber logs.

Twelve independent “nests” (Fig.10) are scattered amongst the landscape, lifted to achieve an affinity with the tree canopy and augment the views across the delta. Designed to accommodate one couple each, the “nests” are arranged in a seamless progression of internal to external to further obscure the definition of indoor and outdoor that pervades the entire project.

My involvement with Sandibe consisted mostly of producing technical and representational drawings for issue to the client, contractor and sub contractors, tasks that left little room for my own creativity as design decisions were naturally left to my more experienced colleagues. An opportunity did arise however, for me to apply my design aptitude in the solving of a problem that arose in the bathrooms of each of the “nests”. A sketch 3D model of the curved laminated beams that form the skeleton of each unit signalled that one of these beams would penetrate the Fig.10 Nest, Sandibe

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cylinder in which the shower was located (Fig.11) conflicting with the original intention of having a circular roof light through which the user of the shower could gaze up at the sky. I proposed that we might suspended a circular ceiling from the intruding beam that did not meet the walls, thus creating a halo effect washing the walls with light from above whilst also providing a surface on which to mount the shower head. My idea was accepted and has since been realised.

The arching structure that wraps both the main and subsidiary spaces is constructed from laminated Saligna timber beams, engineered in neighbouring South Africa, to which timber batons are applied and finally clad in timber shingles. The application of local timber and use of Fig.11 Structural Sketch, Sandibe curvilinear forms, coupled with minimal use of concrete (all of which is below ground) displays sensitivity to the environment and a general softness to the intervention is achieved. The inherent sensitivity for the natural surroundings is integral to the way in which Alex Michaelis approached the conceptual stages of this project10 , the same can be said for Arijiju as previously discussed, but what about the vernacular architecture of Botswana?

Botswana is located in southern Africa sharing its borders with South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and Namibia, placing it in a hot semiarid climactic region. Summers are warm and wet, and winters are cool and dry with large diurnal temperature ranges and periodic drought.

These conditions can limit construction materials available in areas of Botswana, as they may inhibit tree growth with many landscapes consisting of expanses of grass and thorny acacia. To gain an understanding of Sandibe’s attitude towards its location we must first look to the architecture of its vicinity. Tswana, a term first used by western travellers in the early 19th century such as Henry Lichtenstein, refers to the majority ethnic group of Botswana11 whose architecture would be most prevalent in the area in which Sandibe is located. There is little documentation on the architectural style of the Tswana pre 1800, with more comprehensive publications on the subject emerging throughout the 19th century. The sheer spread of the many different Tswanan tribes, (there are twelve principle tribes12 ) means that there are undoubtedly many different building techniques employed but a particular typology is cited in multiple accounts. In Sir John Barrow’s “An Account of Travels into the Interior of Southern Africa” Barrow describes a Twsanan chief’s house, built of circular form and raised four feet from the ground13 and writes that this is typical throughout the Fig.12 Early Sotho-Tswana Building, Botswana town. The cylindrical dwellings built with walls of timber and stone set in clay are bounded by palisade walls curving and wrapping to provide privacy and protection which can be seen in Fig.12 as can the roofs of holcus and reeds thatched into a cone. This building style was not exclusive to the Tswana. In John Sanderson’s “Memoranda of a Trading Trip into the Orange River” when documenting the architecture of the Pugeni, in the Magaliesberg, South Africa, he reports: “Every hut or house is divided from the others by a fence or wall, and is surrounded by a broad eaves or verandah. The hut itself is circular, built of stone plastered over with clay”14 .

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Interview with Alex Michaelis

Frescura, Franco. An Introduction to Tswanan Architecture. http://www.sahistory.org.za/franco/indiginous-tswana-architecture.html opened 20.10.14

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Reid, A. Lane, P. Segobye, A. Borjeson, L. Mathibidi, N. Sekgarametso, P. Tswana Architecture and Responses to Colonialism. World Archaeology Vol. 28 No. 3.

1997. Pg.375 13

Barrow, Sir John. An Account of Travels Into the Interior of Southern Africa, Volumes 1-2 London Cadell & Davies. London. 1801. Pg.114-5

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Sanderson, J. Memoranda of a Trading Trip into the Orange River (Sovereignty) Free State, and the Country of the Transvaal Boers. Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 30 1860. Pg. 249

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Fig.13 A Curled Up Pangolin

Fig.14 A Weaver Bird’s Nest

Sandibe’s architectural style is not one that immediately appears to have its origin anchored in African built history, but is however, firmly rooted in African wildlife. The main area’s form (Fig.9) is derived from that of the endangered Pangolin, a small armoured mammal found in Africa and Asia (Fig.13) and the private nests (Fig.10) that accommodate guests take their inspiration from the nests of the weaverbird (Fig.14) found in sub-Saharan Africa. I interviewed Michaelis to better understand his design approach to the brief and from where he took inspiration. In short his attitude towards the vernacular architecture of Botswana was one of indifference, which, it can be argued, was wholly justifiable in this context. &Beyond, the client, wanted a truly unique lodge which would be just as exceptional as any other part of the guests’ holiday experience. This is achieved by creating innovative architecture that presents the surrounding natural beauty and is capable of enhancing that experience. It would have been inappropriate for MBA to attempt a pastiche of Tswanan architecture, yet elements such as the woven external divides, elevated verandas and extensive use of curvilinear forms are reminiscent of the houses discussed by Barrow and Sanderson, although after discussion with Michaelis this is more than likely coincidental.

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2: Beyond MBA Thus far my understanding of ways in which design can be approached in Africa has been presented through exploring just one, current, western, architectural practice’s work. Whilst my experience at MBA has been valuable to engage with we might look to examples by designers with a closer affinity to the continent to draw comparisons and highlight differences in style, approach and philosophy. Of course the discussions of legacy that are faced when challenging traditional vernacular architecture with contemporaneous methods and styles are not new, and it is important that we acknowledge the endeavors of past architects in Africa who challenged the architectural discourse.

It is an unfortunate truth that there is a lack of critical theory with relation to contemporary African architecture, with many publications focusing on vernacular and colonial architecture. However, that is not to say there is no commentary on the subject with architects such Ghanaian Joe Osae-Addo, whose work has a deep concern with the social and economic progression of the continent as well as maintaining its historic traditions, often discussing the topic. OsaeAddo posits the development agenda in Africa has stripped design from the architectural discourse,15 and is frustrated

by Africa being defined by its problems rather than its rich history of creativity. Talking at Architecture ZA in 2012, Osae-Addo suggests this loss of regard for design occurred in the transition to a more formal, western approach to building. He claims that the focus of current African design should be a reinterpretation of the vernacular along with a freer definition of who may be the designer, since “that’s how we built our (African) traditional cities, they were built by farmers, elders, crafts people, women and the community at large…were all involved in the design process.”16 In 2004 Osae-Addo moved back to Ghana from Los Angeles to build, with his wife, a family home on a piece of land given to him by his mother in his home city of Accra. The house was built in typically rural materials, timber and adobe mud bricks, which, being unavailable in Ghanaian cities in favor of the concrete block, Osae-Addo made himself.

The plan involves large open rooms that seamlessly merge with one another to enhance ventilation. This sequencing of spaces allows air and light to flow freely and pushes the circulation outside of the building to a walkway (Fig.15) that wraps around the building, a feature inspired by rural Ghanaian courtyard houses and English colonial bungalows17 .

Multiple efforts were made to ensure the house would be airconditioning free, the house is raised off the ground by approximately a meter to allow a cooling breeze to pass underneath, wood-slated sliding screens divide rooms and full height louvered windows are employed to provide shade and encourage cross ventilation. The house is not off the grid but does take advantage of the plentiful sun, utilizing solar panels as a means of backup power, heating water and lighting18.

Osae-Addo’s design approach is applicable globally, not just in Africa, he has combined 21st century amenities, bringing his sofa, TVs and bed Fig.15 directly from L.A, as well as a $50,000 kitchen he jokes is more than the Osae-Addo’s Home, Ghana budget for the house19 , with traditional, tried and tested methods and materials. He has reinterpreted the vernacular and made it work for the way in which he lives his life today resulting in a successful, clever and comfortable home about which Osae-Addo’s wife, Sara Asafu-Adjaye delights “the house is so comfortable and easy to live in, I don’t like to go out.”20 For this method of designing he has conveniently coined the term “Inno-Native”21 a hybrid approach, which respects past conventions

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Osae-Addo, J. Speaking at AZA in 2012 in Cape Town. http://www.designindaba.com/videos/interviews/joe-osae-addo-aza-2012 opened 20.10.14

16Osae-Addo,

J. Speaking at AZA in 2012 in Cape Town. http://www.designindaba.com/videos/interviews/joe-osae-addo-aza-2012 opened 20.10.14

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Anderton, F. An Innonative Approach. Dwell Magazine September 2007. Pg 82

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Anderton, F. An Innonative Approach. Dwell Magazine September 2007. Pg 86

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Anderton, F. An Innonative Approach. Dwell Magazine September 2007. Pg 86

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Anderton, F. An Innonative Approach. Dwell Magazine September 2007. Pg 86

Anderton, F. An Innonative Approach. Dwell Magazine September 2007. Pg 86

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whilst seizing opportunities afforded by technological development both of which play their part in ensuring sustainable, intelligent architecture.

Lesley Lokko, also strongly associated with Ghana, is a writer and architect who, like Osae-Addo, set herself the challenge of building a house in her home city, Accra (Fig.16). In her short essay entitled “D.I.Y. Doing It Yourself. Doing It Myself. Doing it My Way.” Lokko documents her architectural experiment from acquiring the land through to construction, sharing anecdotes of miscommunication with her various contractors. However the interest of her essay lies in how the design engages with the social context of Ghana and her own relationship with the Fig.16 Lesley Lokko’s Home, Ghana country. Lokko uses her building to start a dialogue on the West African notion of a ‘gap’, which refers predominantly to development, between the developed and the developing, between First World and Third and goes further to the gap of African and European, and black and white22 . For Lokko the home she built in Africa would engage with this notion and the truth of the project was concerned with bridging the gap23, both traditional and modern, African and European, on a personal level too since she lives between Edinburgh and Accra, her father is Ghanaian and her mother is Scottish. The building as with Osae-Addo’s home is a synthesis of modern and vernacular since she makes reference to Mies, Neutra, and the Bauhaus and combines this with vernacular materials such as adobe bricks.

Both Lokko and Osae-Addo’s projects are concerned with, unsurprisingly, the architectural discourse in Africa today however this concern is not new. Hassan Fathy was a postmodern Egyptian architect whose best known work was a government commission in 194524 to design New Gourna; a resettlement plan for the villagers of Old Gourna which was intended to provide them with a better standard of living.

Although the project was abandoned incomplete in 1949, Fathy displays incredible ambition for using traditional building techniques in a contemporary manner to synthesize a relevant and appropriate architecture for the project. Fathy collected ideas from Copt architecture, Nubian building practices and mud brick construction, to inform his designs seeing great value Fig.17 in recycling century old proven methods. He was alarmed that Plan of New Gourna, Egypt the modern movement, gaining momentum in Africa at this time, proposed solutions that would break all ties with tradition. He believed that attempting to enhance a local modern language would avoid a rootless architecture, which he foresaw to be the product of modernism. He would re-create catenary vaults and domes, commonplace in Nubian architecture in modules, repeating them to cover all manner of spaces, from hotel vestibules to schools to kitchens, the layouts of which were also considered with reference to the aforementioned Nubian and Copt styles.25 The houses and streets of Cairo offered additional inspiration from which Fathy took elements including passive cooling systems, courtyard centered planning (Fig.17) and narrow streets which afforded networks of shaded pathways for pedestrians to avoid the harsh sun. The systems of ventilation, whose origins lie in ancient Islamic tradition, drew air from passing air currents through filtering openings situated on the roofs. The air then passed down and over pools where a process of evaporative cooling would lower the air temperature of the homes26 .

The purpose of including Osae-Addo, Lokko and Fathy is to highlight alternative approaches towards creating architecture in Africa. Each architect has a different relationship with the continent, whether living between Africa and Europe, returning from America or remaining in Africa throughout their career. All three have a common goal, to take lessons from traditional vernacular architecture and enhance the local architectural language through introducing progressive technology and philosophy as they see fit.

22

Lokko, L. D.I.Y. Doing It Yourself. Doing It Myself. Doing it My Way. African Cities Reader http://www.africancitiesreader.org.za/reader/chapters/26_LL.pdf opened 19.10.14 Pg. 262 23

Lokko, L. D.I.Y. Doing It Yourself. Doing It Myself. Doing it My Way. African Cities Reader http://www.africancitiesreader.org.za/reader/chapters/26_LL.pdf opened 19.10.14 Pg. 263 24

Guitart, M. The Failed Utopia of a Modern African Vernacular: Hassan Fathy in New Gourna. The Journal of Architectural Education, Vol 68, No.2, p167. 2014

25

Guitart, M. p167

26

Guitart, M.p169

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3: Summative Reflection This reflective exercise began by examining and analysing the various attitudes a designer can adopt when approaching a project in Africa, through which it has become clear that this area of investigation need not be restricted to designers from one continent alone. More often than not an architectural intervention’s success will be measured on its ability to exist harmoniously within its context and this could have been achieved in a multitude of ways. Has the designer considered the historical context by way of understanding and learning from the vernacular? Has the designer considered the historical context in terms of social convention? Is the palette of materials used sensitive to the building’s surroundings? Through interview and consultation of key texts, I have evaluated the approaches of various designers who have the responsibility to consider the impact of their design decisions. Hitherto this text has strived to present projects in an objective manner, however it is the ambition of the essay to present an informed personal critical insight alongside this. Above all I believe that when we approach design in any given place we must first gain an understanding of the existing techniques before reinterpreting and building upon this prior knowledge.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Michaelis Boyd Associates on Arijiju and Sandibe, two exciting and unusual projects, with such talented designers through whom I have learnt a great deal about architectural design and practice. Working on UK based projects has exposed me first hand to the nuances of client, architect, contractor relationships but international projects have given me the chance to consider and critique more subtle design problems and solutions that I had not previously given much thought to.

Arijiju’s liberal use of concrete and steel allowed an accelerated rate of construction, afforded versatility and has unrivalled qualities of permanence and durability. The project is successful in respects that could not have been recreated through more traditional techniques, for example over five metre wide glazed spans to allow panoramic views could only be achieved with the application of steel, the same goes for the green roofs. Though, perhaps a more authentic scheme for the East Kenyan region could have specified a coral rag and lime mortar construction. This approach would have had a reduced environmental impact since it is a local, more carbon efficient material, and can be used as an alternative to concrete block work. A more specialist labour force would have been employed, helping to endure a traditional building technique and as previously mentioned, for the private client as opposed to the commercial, the likely additional strain on schedule and budget may not have been of significant concern. Features such as the groin vaulted cloister or the wooden beams that span the main living room and bedrooms are visually impressive but are, like the Meru stone cladding, simply applied features that serve no structural purpose. This dishonesty of material application is disappointing and could have been avoided with a greater understanding of the construction of the aforementioned styles, such as the groin vaults from the Lamu monasteries.

The private residence at Arijiju need not be judged solely on its cultural relevance rather its success might be better measured by the user’s experience. The client is very pleased with the scheme and it will undoubtedly be an exceptional piece of architecture once complete early in the New Year.

My reflection and critique on the execution of Sandibe follows much the same progression. It too displays sensitivity for its physical context, more so than Arijiju since its palette of materials is softer and more sympathetic to its setting, favouring local timber and using concrete sparingly. Where Arijiju’s architectural heritage is limited, Sandibe’s is absent but its form is not irrelevant to Africa. In the case of Sandibe, I do not believe the vernacular architecture of Botswana could have enabled an appropriate intervention, as the client required a permanent and truly unique design, which MBA has certainly delivered. Sandibe has been well received by guests and the client and its lack of cultural appropriacy has not seemed to hinder its success, after all the target market is largely western.

With reference to the three designers with a stronger relationship to Africa it is apparent that their ambition to pay homage to African history is deeper, and perhaps patriotic. In particular Hassan strives to pull traditional techniques into the modern era to ensure they do not get lost in history, as do Lokko and Osae-Addo by using adobe mud bricks in the construction of their homes. Lokko’s cathartic design process, in which she contemplated her relationship with Africa, and included an African social commentary is successful in ways that could not be expected of MBA.

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4. Conclusion

Both MBA projects display a deep respect for their physical surroundings; however, I do believe in both projects there are significant shortcomings in their considerations towards the historical African contexts in which they exist. I do not consider the responsibility of an insufficient regard for African built history to lie solely with MBA although of course creative direction was largely our prerogative. The weakness of MBA’s projects may be due to the lack of critical theory on contemporary African architecture, which has left the architects involved without precedent or reference. Both the private client at Arijiju, and the commercial client at Sandibe sought functionality and an aesthetic from their projects that could not be achieved through utilising the traditional materials and methods of their respective regions and as such MBA was encouraged to experiment and learn.

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Journals -Barrow, Sir John. An Account of Travels Into the Interior of Southern Africa, Volumes 1-2 London Cadell & Davies. London. 1801 -De Verre Allen, James. Swahili Architecture in the Later Middle Ages. African Arts Vol.7. UCLA 1974 -De Verre Allen, James. Swahili Culture and the Nature of East Coast Settlement. The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 14, No. 2. Boston -Ghaidan, Usam I. Swahili Art of Lamu. African Arts Vol.5 No.1. UCLA 1971 -Guitart, M. The Failed Utopia of a Modern African Vernacular: Hassan Fathy in New Gourna. The Journal of Architectural Education, Vol 68, No.2, 166-77. 2014 -Larsson, Anita. Traditional Tswana Housing. Botswana Notes and Records Vol. 17. Botswana Society. 1985. university African Studies Centre. 1981.

-Lye, William F. The Difaqane: The Mfecane in the Southern Sotho Area, 1822-24. The Journal of African History. Vol.8 No.1. Cambridge University Press. 1967.

-Prussin, Labelle. Non-Western Sacred Sites: African Models. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. Vol. 58. No. 3. University of California Press. 1999.

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Web Sources -http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/25/africa-is-an-extraordinary-opportunity-at-the-moment-david-adjaye/ opened 20.10.14 - Frescura, Franco. An Introduction to Tswanan Architecture. http://www.sahistory.org.za/franco/indiginous-tswana-architecture.html opened 20.10.14 - Osae-Addo, J. Speaking at AZA in 2012 in Cape Town. http://www.designindaba.com/videos/interviews/joe-osae-addo-aza-2012 opened 20.10.14 - Lokko, L. D.I.Y. Doing It Yourself. Doing It Myself. Doing it My Way. African Cities Reader http://www.africancitiesreader.org.za/reader/chapters/26_LL.pdf opened 19.10.14 - Anderton, F. An Innonative Approach. Dwell Magazine September 2007 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=NMYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA86&dq=osae+addo +house&#v=onepage&q=osae%20addo%20house&f=false opened 18.10.14

Photographs & Illustrations Fig.1 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.2 http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000w2HW6IiBhqg/s/900/900/MG-6803-Zanzibar.jpg Fig.3 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.4 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.5 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.6 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.7 http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/thumbs/site_0144_0027-594-0-20121111133403.jpg opened 27.10.14 Fig.8 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.9 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.10 Courtesy of Michaelis Boyd Fig.11 Sketch by Henri Lacoste Fig.12 http://digital.lib.sun.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10019.2/504/247.C.1(22).jpg?sequence=1 opened 28.10.14 Fig.13 http://africa.ap-photography.com.au/wp-content/uploads/IMG_7232.jpg opened 20.10.14 Fig.14 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Weaver_Nest.jpg Opened 04.12.14 Fig.15 Osaer-Addo http://www.houseandleisure.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Addo-Residence-Accra.jpg Fig.16 http://www.lesleylokko.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BMOH.jpg Fig.17 Guitart, M. The Failed Utopia of a Modern African Vernacular: Hassan Fathy in New Gourna. The Journal of Architectural Education, Vol 68, No.2, p169

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