Back to the Boma: The Sustainability of Traditional East African Architecture

Many of East Africa’s metropolises are adorned with steel high-rises, concrete shopping centres, and homes with red tile roofs. This is, however, a relatively recent phenomenon, and regionally, traditional architectural styles remain. The beauty and remarkability of traditional East African architecture cannot be over-stated. The round, thatched-roof mud hut is an iconic symbol of distinctly Sub-Saharan African heritage that has withstood the test of time and colonial forces. Equally admirable is the fact that traditional construction relies on locally sourced materials and resource-conservative methods that bring communities together to build a homestead.

Given that the Paris Agreement stipulates a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030, it is imperative that low-carbon alternatives be sought and implemented in construction. With cement accounting for 8% of global emissions, and construction machines releasing 400 megatons of CO2 annually, traditional architecture may be the much-needed solution for East Africa, with potential for adoption in construction approaches worldwide. 

Historical Overview of East African Architecture

Eastern Africa is home to at least 160 indigenous ethnic groups. This robust cultural diversity fosters a variety of traditional architectural styles. Aside from indigenous culture, East African architecture has been defined by the region’s ‘triple heritage’ – the intertwining of indigenous, Islamic and European colonial influences. Huts constructed using sticks and mud or manure, topped with thatched roofs, are common among the agricultural Bantu and Nilotic communities dotting the Great Rift, due to the abundance of arable red soil, which is easily fashioned into a binding material. This soil also yields bountiful vegetation, which provides the branches and reeds used for structural supports and roofs. On the Swahili coast, Sultanate-era edifices and coral buildings are common architectural elements.

Due to colonialism and globalisation, Western construction styles using manufactured materials have gradually dominated East Africa’s urban spaces, and are the conventional design for public facilities like schools, hospitals, office spaces, etc.

Traditional Homes as Solutions to Modern Challenges

Considering the urgency of keeping average global temperature increases below 1.5°C, and the fact that the construction industry accounts for roughly 37% of global carbon emissions, the development and implementation of alternative construction methods is urgent.

Contemporary construction is energy-intensive, expensive, and destructive on many fronts. On top of cement’s hefty carbon footprint, steel production accounts for up to 11% of global emissions. Mining to obtain materials causes soil erosion, degradation and demineralisation, water pollution, and habitat destruction. Timber, another common construction material, perpetuates deforestation which exacerbates the greenhouse effect and ecological destruction. Additionally, communities are often violently evicted from their lands to facilitate materials acquisition. In Kwale, Kenya, locals lost 1,500 acres of land to Bamburi Cement. When these shortcomings are considered alongside 15-20% price increases in the construction industry, the need to return to cost-effective sustainable practices becomes glaring.

Traditional architecture is virtually carbon neutral; biodegradable mineral and plant matter from the immediate environment negates the need for imported materials, reducing cost and carbon footprint. There is also the benefit of traditional architecture making use of what would otherwise be waste, maintaining resource circularity.

Traditional materials are ideal for the East African climate. Mud’s heat capacity, as high as 3.5 kJ/kgK, allows it to absorb and store heat during the daytime, then dissipate this heat into the household at night. This passive insulation allows for reduced energy consumption for temperature regulation and is harmonious with East African weather patterns featuring hot days and cold nights. Mud is also fireproof, and permeable, allowing for rainwater drainage, something often obstructed by concrete foundations. Uniquely, cow dung possesses antimicrobial properties that make it a rare antiseptic construction material.

 Structurally, huts are impressively efficient. Their circular shape makes optimally utilises wall materials and renders them more aerodynamic and wind resistant. They have even stress distribution, making them earthquake resilient. Further, sound waves dissipate as they wrap around round structures, making them soundproof.

Traditional construction styles are adaptable and rapidly deployable, which could ease shelter crises. For instance, in the face of droughts and flooding in the Horn of Africa, Somali Aqals, which can be assembled and dismantled in a matter of hours, could be instrumental in evacuating vulnerable populations from flooded or drought-stricken areas. Traditional architecture also protects cultural practices from erasure and serves as an envoy for ancestral wisdom. For pastoralists like the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, the construction of Manyattas is engineered by women, who generate camaraderie to build a collective home and transfer this knowledge to their daughters. In this way, traditional Maasai architecture ensures the intergenerational preservation of Maasai culture, fortifying their sense of cultural pride and identity.

 Modern Adaptation of Traditional Architecture

While traditional homes are sustainable and affordable, they often are not as durable as modern structures and are incompatible with modern amenities. The homes of the Bushenyi people in Uganda, for instance, rarely outlive 25 years. However, modern adaptations to traditional practices could maximise their potential. Locally sourced mud could replace cement, while hemp could be used to make bricks and weave roofs, as per Malagasy tradition. Sun-dried adobe bricks could replace conventional bricks which must be fired at 1100 °C in furnaces that require exorbitant amounts of electricity.

Iterations melding traditional aesthetics with modern technology to create novel yet distinct buildings already exist. In Swahili architecture, otherwise modern buildings include thatched roofs. Similar approaches could be taken regionally to honour heritage while meeting modern safety and comfort standards. Autarky infrastructure can also be exploited to make traditional homes suitable for contemporary lifestyles.

While there are many advantages to integrating traditional and modern styles, implementing this comes with challenges as well. Firstly, traditional technologies are unstandardised, making it difficult to regulate their safety, and existing building codes might not always recognise their value. Kenya’s 2022 building code, for example, has unclear definitions and restrictive rules around ‘temporary buildings’, paying little regard to traditional homes.

 Conversely, steps have been taken to dissolve reverence for Western culture and the perception that foreign methods are unequivocally better than traditional ones, with the University of Rwanda including vernacular architecture in its architecture syllabus. More such efforts will make successful integration of traditional architecture possible. The aforementioned emphasis on Western modernity and limited education on traditions has meant that many East Africans lack the skills necessary to execute traditional architecture styles. Training programs and apprenticeships would need to be instated to collate and pass down existing knowledge on traditional construction practices. This is a challenge, but it presents opportunities for job creation and economic growth.

Another challenge is the fact that East African governments struggle to fund infrastructure projects. Uganda, for example, would require $1.4 billion to meet infrastructure goals in the coming decade. Yet, agencies like the African Development Bank, which granted $223 million to Ethiopia in 2021, could help fund ventures like traditional public housing projects, and over time, such projects would become cost-saving measures, as talent for architectural infrastructure projects would no longer need to be sourced overseas. With continued investment traditional construction education could create a sustainable cycle of knowledge preservation, job creation, and architectural innovation while maintaining East African cultural heritage.

Case Studies: Projects Born from Tradition

East Africa features many architectural projects paying homage to tradition. The Lideta Market in Ethiopia, which mimics traditional fabrics, is one such project that is visually appealing and utilitarian, serving as a shopping centre and monument. It prioritises sustainability, maximising use of natural light and ventilation, and is equipped with rooftop rainwater collection systems.

Elsewhere in Africa, traditional architecture seeps into modern construction. One notable work by Francis Kéré is the Burkina Institute of Technology, built on a local clay foundation with wooden beams for its walls and windows. It maintains an open-air feel and maximises natural lighting and ventilation, while respecting its architectural ecosystem by bearing resemblance to nearby buildings.

Both examples are remarkable in scale; shopping centres and university campuses are not typically made with local materials or fashioned after traditional aesthetics, but these projects demonstrate the applicability of traditional principles to modern architectural projects.

Conclusion

East African architecture varies greatly, as Islamic and Western influences have shaped the region’s architectural topography. There remains, however, the overarching theme of homesteads modelled with community and the natural environment in mind.

The integration of traditional architecture into modern construction would beget not only an environmental revolution, but a cultural one as well. A greater sense of pride in East African traditions could be restored – one which was fractured by colonialism and Africa’s compromised position in the geopolitical hierarchy.

Dreams of hospital wards modelled after Maasai manyattas and airport atriums influenced by the Kasubi tombs may still be slightly out of reach, but with adequate financial and cultural investment into further research, policy support, community involvement, and traditional architecture education, these visions could become reality. In the meantime, a moment of deeper appreciation for red-earth huts during the next ushago visit is a good enough start.