CPDI AFRICA BLOG

The Hausa Resort and Cultural Center aims to capture the essence of Hausa culture at a glance given the visitor an immersive experience at one location. Drawing inspiration from the layout of a typical Hausa city, and more specifically inspired by the Emir’s Palace in Kano, the resort has been laid out as a mini gated city that captures various activities that highlight Hausa culture and architecture. Play video below to watch the design  Quick Animation. Conceptual Statement The Gidan Hausa Resort and Cultural Center is designed to give the visitor an experience of Hausa culture from the large scale i.e. the city with its robust activities to the small scale of the home with its intimacy and privacy. Play video below to watch the full design Presentation. 15 elements of Hausa architecture incorporated into the design of the resort Illustration of the main entrance  Illustration of a villa entrance View from within a courtyard in a private villa Read also some of Hauwa res...

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. 

Ilé ọrọ ̀ is a Yoruba translation for “house of wealth” and in other translations “house of riches”. Every time culture is a subject of discussion, we all try to express how rich our individual culture is. The truth is words alone cant express how rich any culture is. Adelaja Fawaz is an African (Yoruba) architectural designer, he preferred to express the riches of his yoruba culture in this design with a statement noticeable from miles away. One that speaks the native language… a cultural landmark that beats the test of time. The ilé ọrọ ̀ resort. Play video below to watch the design Quick Animation. The resort concept is from a cowrie shell and Yoruba divination tray. Cowries were used as currency for centuries in west Africa, it is viewed as a symbol of wealth and well being and are commonly used in jewelry and other decorative pieces. They are also used during divination by casting them down on a divination tray to reach out to the  ancestors. Doing this in this design, Fawaz...

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

We are Thrilled to Announce CPDI Africa Internship June 2020 Goes #Live @ our Virtual Studios! Welcome to our 21 Pan African Interns & Fellows - for 10 Weeks - with 5 Distinguished Professors of African Centered Architecture!  Follow our Pioneering designers and researchers on their journey into Developing Contemporary interpretations of their Culture and Traditional architecture!  #Kenya #Nigeria #Jamiaca #Haiti #RepublicofBenin #USA #SouthAfrica  To learn more of our upcoming Internships, Certificate Courses, Competitions, Seminars and Exhibitions, and how You can join Us, visit cpdiafrica.org. Developing New African Centered Architecture that is Culturally and Environmentally Sustainable! Welcome from Our Team at CPDI Africa! On this blog our interns share their knowledge and research on topics from African ARCHITECTURE to SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION. #AfricaDefinesArchitecture #cpdiafrica #Architecture #AfricanCulture #TraditionalArchitecture #Lou #Igbo #Xhosa #Ta...