BOOK REVIEW

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AND REGIONAL DESIGN: Cultural Process and Environmental response. By Kingston Wm. Heath

source: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vernacular-Architecture-Regional-Design-Environmental/dp/0750659335

This book is more or less similar in nature to Lessons from Vernacular Architecture, however, it focuses more on vernacular architecture as a means of interpreting in-depth understanding of the characteristics of a regional setting. It includes chapters which are basically case studies of vernacular projects in various regions of the world. 

There are two cases in this book that I would like to make reference to, the first of which is new Housing for rickshaw drivers in a community known as Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. The process involved a team of workers including architects and planners and it also involved the Centre for Development (CEDMA) Tamil Nadu, India. The objectives of the project were to understand the social,cultural and economic characteristics of the community where the drivers lived with their families and in doing so, to understand the people of that community, their beliefs and practices.

Community members in vellore where all asked their opinions in regular design meetings regarding the planning of spaces. The design of home units was modular in the sense that it could be re-used and it was informed by the cultural and social analysis of the people and also, their contribution. The architecture of these housing units had to respond to the cultural complexities of Vellore hence some customs had to be respected, for example, toilets are usually not under the same block/roof as the other living areas unlike what in western cultures where toilets are integrated with the living areas.

The second case is that of the Visitor’s Interpretive centre in Namibia, also known as the Rock art centre which was designed by architect Nina Maritz who specialises in making the best use of local materials and recycled materials in her designs but is still able to design buildings with character and elegance. 

The nature of the site is rocky, therefore, the architect decided to make the building blend with its surrounding and the materials used for its construction include rocks gotten from the site, recycled steel oil drums for the roofing slates and some walls, steel which is fabricated and clay bricks which are produced locally. 

The is no form of cement or concrete used for the buildings construction, instead rocks are used to make gabion walls which act as the main supporting structure of the building. The curved surfaces of the recycled oil drums sliced in two and used for the roofing slates and their tops are utilised in some walls with some holes in them which create an interesting atmosphere.

The most valuable lesson learnt from this books is the fact that architectural responses are made to the very specific region and culture and this would be the most appropriate way of approaching the design in Danbushiya.

Architecture for Humanity

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd2YJ9Jk6-E

I think this type of approach is the most appropriate for my design thesis, In other words, my approach is a humanitarian approach where by I would seek to make the most out of what I like to term as 'hidden resources' to produce an appropriate, sustainable yet elegant design.
The advantages of this approach are numerous. I particularly find very interesting the contribution and the involvement of the clients (the villagers) from the video, I think it develops an emotional level of attachment to what is built and it's existence is much more appreciated than if it were built by outside contractors. 

BOOK REVIEW

Image source: http://www.routledge.com/architecture/blog/category/professional/

This book, edited by Willi Weber and Simos Yannas is basically about the relationship between vernacular architecture and climate in other words how vernacular architecture responds to climate. The books has 2 parts and 14 chapters all of which are papers and case studies derived from essays of conference proceedings for the twenty third (23rd) Passive and Low energy architecture (PLEA) conference in Geneva which went with the theme; Clever Design, Affordable Comfort.

What interests me about this book is the very first chapter which is practically a case study of the small island and Santorini, Greece. The author in this chapter, Thanos Stasinopoulos studies the vernacular architecture of the island use of available minimal resources in terms of building materials to achieve maximum comfort in terms of the response to the climate.

It is suggested in this chapter that since the time of ancient Greece, there have always been four elements of nature namely fire, earth, air and water and that these elements have all played a major role in the vernacular architecture of Santorini. For example, The walls are constructed with red and black lava stone and then covered with plaster, This is part of the earth element. Since the island is one which was one prone to volcanic eruptions, volcanic ash with properties similar to cement are used to cast mortar for thicker and stronger walls. (Weber and Yannas, 2014:19)

Naturally sourced red lava stone for masonry construction (Weber and Yannas, 2014:19)

It also provides that water is sourced primarily from the rain and the traditional system used is such that the roofs of the buildings are used to collect rainwater and the water is then channeled through routes which are frequently disinfected with a piece of naturally sourced limestone, the water itself is also disinfected with limestone. The roofing system is usually in form of a vault where the roof structure is connected mainly to two opposite thick external walls in order to achieve long span of construction.

Vaulted roof structure which allows for the proper drainage of rainwater which is then channeled through the  narrow route beside the stairway to storage location. (Weber and Yannas, 2014:21).

One other aspect of this the transportation of materials which is done by the use of donkeys due to the very steep nature of the island and for that reason, there are many stairways.

In conclusion I find the case of Santorini Island very interesting as there is maximum use of the local natural resources available and the construction of these buildings have a very low negative effect on the environment. I only focused on the natural resources and local materials, however the vaulted roofs, thick masonry, smooth plaster and small size window openings say a lot about the identity of the vernacular architecture of the island. I think the philosophy of making use of resources available to reduce both negative environmental impact and cost can be implemented in my thesis project. Another area of focus and further research is the water collection, storage and circulation system, how this could be achieved in a similar but more innovative way using River Kaduna.

INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN THESIS

Danbushiya village, Igabi Local Government, Kaduna State, Nigeria

This design thesis is about the state of the basic and secondary education system in the rural areas of northern Nigeria and as an architectural response to the issues raised, it proposes a new typology of education which integrates formal education with the skills/interest of the people of the site in question.

The proposal is a maize processing facility building in the small village of Danbushiya, Igabi Local Government, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The proposed project seeks to respond appropriately to the growing issues related to basic primary and secondary education in the rural areas of Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria. 

There are numerous physical issues related to education in the whole country, however, the very important issue which this project seeks to respond to is that of high level of illiteracy among the youth of these rural areas, this is usually as a consequence of non-attendance and low enrolment rates in the primary and secondary schools available.

Due to the unfavourable economic situations, pupils are forced to forfeit schooling in order to find some kind of vocation that can generate sufficient income to help themselves and their families survive. In other words, they cannot afford to go to school thereby rendering them uneducated by default. This in turn means that education and vocation in the eyes of these pupils are two separate things and one cannot be done without compromising or terminating the other.

The main objective of this design project is to, through in-depth research, determine the best possible way to integrate secondary education and vocation so that school-aged pupils in the rural area of Danbushiya can have the full benefits which come from participating in both activities.

The idea of proposing a maize processing facility emanates from a site analysis conducted in Danbushiya village. The building is proposed to be linked to the maize farming area of the village and would also have integrated vocational and educational spaces where pupils can work and learn.

It is a high expectation that this proposed project will be environmentally, socially and economically beneficial to the small village of Danbushiya, its surrounding villages and Kaduna State as a whole and also that the government would consider the implementation of such kinds of projects across the other local governments in order to increase the literacy levels in the states and more importantly broaden the opportunities of the inhabitants of these rural areas. 

Location of Danbushiya village along with neighbouring villages and the urban area.

The proposal showing the issues, resources, approach and expected outcome of the project implementation

Urban analysis of the village showing main areas

Analysis of chosen site (Presently a maize farm area)

The advantages this typology of building would yield for both the village and prospective users are numerous and the economic strategy of this proposal recognises the fact that the people or parents of Danbushiya do not have sufficient means to sponsor their children to secondary school, not to mention the materials for primary schools. Therefore, payment of fees in this secondary school/maize processing plant would be in the form of appropriate and adequately allocated labour and in return, standard level of secondary education for the pupils which would meet the standard of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). This would be a fantastic opportunity, based on the natural resources available, for the village to introduce processing and even branding in order to give them an economic advantage, create jobs for the people and create an identity for themselves as pioneers of such a project.

By doing this, the pupils at the end of their studies would have acquired both vocational and educational qualifications and with that, they have what they require to either seek a full time job at the facility or become instructors to the next generation or seek a job elsewhere or further their education.

The approach to the design and construction of this project is one which takes very much into consideration the resources available for the actual implementation of the project. In an effort to avoid high cost which eventually leads to abandonment, reduce negative environmental impacts and achieve a natural but elegant design, three major approaches are being considered namely, waste recycling for innovative building materials, cost effective appropriate construction technology and biophilic (nature-inspired) design approach.

Wall construction with the use of recycled plastic bottles in Kaduna State, Nigeria. source: http://greennigeria.wordpress.com/tag/nigerias-plastic-bottle-house/  

Images showing reading space of a library in Gando, Burkina Faso which was done using sliced clay pots and was transported to the site by the villagers. Image source: http://www.designboom.com/architecture/diebedo-francis-kere-public-library-in-gando/