ABOUT US: MANIFESTO

The Community Planning & Design Initiative Africa (CPDI Africa) is a culture-inspired, research-based, design-build competition, created to inspire the development of successful neighborhoods and communities on the continent, with modern African architecture that is both culturally and environmentally sustainable. Believing that the redevelopment of Africa’s built environment should be as it has always been, built as a collaborative effort between the community members and designated master builders, CDPI Africa engages participation from the design community in Africa and the Diaspora at large, for the accomplishment of its vision.

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25 ELEMENTS OF TRADITIONAL YORÙBÁ ARCHITECTURE

The architecture of the ancient Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria was a communal endeavor and the house was a statement of ideological, economic and social position in the larger urban context. Below is a list of 25 elements of traditional Yoruba architecture, as I cannot detail all about the Yoruba people in this documentation due to how lengthy I would need to write, the brief bio of the Yoruba people samples the Ijebu kingdom. Read also: - The Most Interesting Facts I Learnt Researching Yoruba Architecture - 5 Proposed Standard Elements of Yoruba architecture: Inspiring a Modern Language! - About the Author

25 ELEMENTS OF TRADITIONAL XHOSA (NGUNI) ARCHITECTURE. SOUTH AFRICA

Image:tony gum (https://www.instagram.com/tony_gum/) The Xhosa, also often called the “Red Blanket People”, are of Nguni stock, like the Zulu. The name Xhosa is a generalised term for a diversity of proud clans, the Pondo , Bomvana , Thembu and the Xhosa tribe itself. Red and the orange of ochre were the traditional colours of the Xhosa, Tembu and Bomvana (“the red ones”). There are approximately 8 million Xhosa people in South Africa, and the Xhosa language is the countries second most-populous language in the country, after Zulu.

ARCHITECTURE AND EVERYDAY LIFE IN CHAD AFRICA

The rate of urbanization in Chad is low, with most of the people still living as cultivators and pastoralists in dispersed hamlets, cattle camps, villages, and oases. Old capitals of the sultanates and kingdoms (for example, Njimi, capital of the Kanem kingdom, Wara of the Ouaddaïsultanate, and Niere of the Tama sultanate) have dwindled in size and few historical structures remain except for some palaces and mosques. There is a significant variety of building styles, use of space, mobility patterns, and material culture across the ethnic groups and climatic conditions. In the countryside, the traditional house- and hut-building styles are maintained, although the construction of corrugated iron and concrete buildings has rapidly expanded. In the sparsely populated north, with its vast expenses of desert plains, distances are great between pasture areas and human settlements. Several nomadic groups live in tents and shelter structures. The sedentary cultivators in the south live

Elements of Traditional Hausa Architecture

Emir's Palace Kano. Image: ⓒ Hauwa Mahmoud Hausa architecture, as dictated by culture, is traditionally designed to be inward-looking in order to maximize privacy. Residential architecture is characterized by high walls with openings few and small, large courtyards, and entrance porches meant to welcome but keep out strange male visitors from the inner private quarters. These features usually have the double function of ensuring privacy, which is an important consideration in Hausa architecture. They also aid temperature regulation which is vital in the hot and arid regions of the West African Sahel where the Hausas are predominantly located. Plan and layout of Emir's Palace, Kano Dmochowski 1990 The layout of a traditional Hausa residence rarely takes a defined shape. This flexibility allows for expansion as needed as most households tend to be polygamous. However, there are certain features that are consistent in any layout no matter how big or small.

25 Elements of Traditional Hausa Architecture

Mai Deribe's Palace - A hidden gem in Borno state, Nigeria

Little is known of the hidden gem in North-eastern Nigeria that attracted kings, princes, prime ministers and heads of state back in its heyday. While the media talks about insurgency and terrorism in North-eastern Nigeria and discourages people from visiting for security reasons, let's shine a light on the more appealing aspects of the region by looking at its not-so widely portrayed architecture. Late Alhaji Mai Deribe's palace in Maiduguri city was constructed in the early 1980s and is said to have been built over a period of 10 years with parts of it constructed with liquid gold. During its prime, it was known as the most expensive dwelling in West Africa. It is expansive and a sight to behold with four apartments for his three wives and his mother. While the building's architectural influences are clear to see, the architect behind the palace remains unknown. Its simple and geometrically etched courtyards, fenestrations, exterior wall embellishments, as well as its ri

25 ELEMENTS OF TRADITIONAL IGBO ARCHITECTURE

The Igbo people of Southern of Nigeria are more than 4000 years. Their architecture speak volumes as it cuts through all the expects of their very existence: Spirituality and Philosophy, Materials and Sustainability , Culture and lifestyle, Aesthetics and Form, Process and Cost. All these were always achieved to portray the very fabrics of the society the building or its element found itself. Pertinent also to note is the involvement of every tier of the society in building its architecture: Men, Women, Children. Why Igbo architecture was great was the level of green and sustainability in their Architecture. The 25 ELEMENTS show how organized their societies were through Architecture.

The Most Interesting Fact I Learnt Researching YORUBA Architecture

The architecture of the ancient Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria was a communal endeavor and the house was a statement of individuals social status and position.... A quick slide. The courtyard design is the root architecture of the Yoruba people, inspired by a culture of honoring family unity. The open spaces or courtyards are designed to be much larger so as to encourage communication between family members, it serves as the point of social contact, cooking and craft making, family meetings, political gatherings, social gatherings like ceremonies and wedding, food processing, worshipping and also used as a court to settle disputes. In the courtyard was where the ancient Yoruba people lived most of their daily lives. There are several other interesting facts about Yoruba architecture, the few mentioned where my most interest. I hope you find them interesting. Feel free to mention those you find int

5 PROPOSED STANDARD ELEMENTS OF YORUBA ARCHITECTURE: Inspiring a Modern Language!

Today at CPDI Africa we continue our journey into the exploration of YORUBA Architecture, through its dynamic traditional languages, aesthetics, spirituality and technology. Selecting KEY elements from traditional Yoruba Design, what 5 Modern Elements can we propose for Creating a Recognizable Modern Language for Yoruba Architecture!? I've summarized this KEY QUESTION for our summer Cohort of architects, as I progresses on this journey to creating a modern Masterpiece of YORUBA Design for the Internship. Follow my full research on Traditional Yoruba design on this BLOG, and glean the 25 Traditional Elements that Inspired this PROPOSED 5 Standards for Designing Modern Yoruba or 'Afrofuturistic' Architecture. Enjoy!!! Read also: - The Most Interesting Facts I Learnt Researching Yoruba Architecture - 25 Elements of Traditional Yoruba Architecture - About the Author

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