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Matthew FloresAfrican Seminar Project / Presentation

Fall 2012

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Matthew Flores12/14/2012

Professor Donna CohenARC6793 African Architecture Seminar

Table of Contents:

Seminar Project I. Background Information / History Traditional African Architecture 6 Nomadic Huts 8 The Gabra Domicile Tent 10 Santa Fe Collaboration 12 II. The Project The Concept 14 Design Options 16 Construction Methods 20 Conclusion 22 III. Bibliography 24 Seminar Presentation I. Discussion Notes 28-32 II. Migration and Colonization Maps 31-41 III. African Nomadic Images 39-41 IV. Bibliography 42

Special thanks to:Professor Donna CohenProfessor Sarah CervonePaul Boutin (Matt’s Father-in-law)Russ and Sam from Professor Cervone’s African Humanities class

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African Hut Reinterpretation

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I. Background Information / History

Traditional African Architecture:Traditional architecture across Africa can be described as one of many styles of tents, kasbahs (small settlements), ghorfas (vaulted rooms), underground structures, and monumental structures. This eclectic mix of building types extends far beyond the typical mud hut that is often tagged as the entire continent’s staple vernacular architecture. As developing countries within this continent have progressed and been ruled by or influenced by first world countries, their architecture has expanded even more to include modern and contemporary design among other influences. Historically, many European countries have established a tabula rasa approach to urban development and architecture in African countries such as Ethiopia, Libya, and several others. This has created several problems throughout the past century including exacerbation of the chasm between the rich and the poor, as the poor have been driven from their homelands and customary ways of life. The purpose of this paper and project is not to give a detailed history of European settlement and influence on African countries. It is however intended to be a small-scale example of an alternative solution to this tabula rasa approach or blank slate theory, which ignores the presence of established architecture, symbol-ism, customs, etc. The goal of this project is to reinterpret an African nomadic hut with a combination of contemporary and vernacular architectural language. In order to better understand how to design contemporary architecture in the ancient contexts of the African continent, one must first have a general understanding of the designs and indigenous practices used by African peoples for centuries. “Traditional architecture in Africa can be advanced and incorporated into contemporary buildings if its roots in antiquity are understood.” (Elleh, 24)

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Nomadic Huts:The foremost scholar on nomadic architecture is architect Labelle Prussin. She, more than anyone else, has sought to understand the architecture of vernacular tent structures throughout different regions of Africa. In her book African Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender, Ms. Prussin elucidates the history, technologies, designs, symbolism, and creative processes of women’s tensile and arma-ture tents. “The essence of nomadic architecture lies in the process of creation, not the end product.” (Prussin, 44)

A commonality that nomadic African tribes share is that the tent structures are generally built up and broken down by women of the tribe. The men, who don’t seem to have as many responsibilities as the women, build the kraal around the perimeter of the selected site. Another commonality among tribes is the interface between transport technology and building technology. The tent structures themselves break down and transform into saddle-litter-palanquins, which in turn work efficiently with the structure of the camel on which it rests. This is used to transport people and goods to the next site. The gender roles that have been established for centuries not only create a ritualistic nature to the tribes’ way of life, but it also establishes a certain amount of efficiency needed for the nomadic lifestyle.

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The Gabra domicile tent:All nomadic tent structures can be categorized as either tensile or armature structures. “A tensile structure (or, as some would have, a true tent) consists of a center pole (or system of poles) put into compression by stretching a fabric or membrane tautly over it. The tent (a particular type of tensile structure) used by the African nomads rests on the structural interdependence between the pole(s) and the membrane or velum,: the poles will not stand up unless the velum is pulled tautly over them.” (Prussin, 54) On the contrary, armature structures contain an autonomous tectonic structural sys-tem that does not rely on the tension of taught envelope. It is imperative to point out that all of the materials and structure for these huts are comprised of limited natural resources, not store-bought or manufactured structural elements. The connection to the natural environment is a quality character-istic to nomadic tribes, and will be emphasized in our more contemporary design. We have specifi-cally taken inspiration for our project from the Gabra domicile tent, a structure found in nomadic tribes of Kenya and the border of Ethiopia. It is an armature tent, which includes a reinforcing wall in the rear called utubu boru. “It is the first structural component to be put up; it is the wall that receives the ritual marriage containers, that is addressed poetically, and that defines the orientation of the house.” (Prussin, 55) The structure of this particular tent is made of grass and Acacia roots. These roots are lightweight, relatively strong structural elements that are tied together to form domicile shaped liv-ing quarters. The significance of this round shape is found in the female architects and builders who erect them on a regular basis. The curvilinear shape signifies an inward focus and a softer feminine form.

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Santa Fe Collage collaboration:This project was originally an extension of professor Sarah Cervone’s ethnobotanical garden con-cept, which initially was to be installed at Santa Fe College’s downtown Gainesville Blount campus. Professor Cervone, who teaches an African Humanities course at Santa Fe, proposed that this gar-den would utilize north Florida’s subtropical-temperate climate to grow plants, fruits, and vegetables indigenous to African countries. Our initial design concept began as an architectural extension of the garden. However, after Santa Fe faculty and administration further discussed the project, it was determined that the garden would be located at the main Santa Fe campus and the architectural intervention would be erected at the Santa Fe teaching zoo. Regardless of the location and some programmatic changes, the objectives of the garden and architecture remained the same. The goal of these African inspired projects is to internationalize the curriculum for Santa Fe College, create in-terdisciplinary collaboration, student empowerment through experiential learning and mentoring, and build community. It is fair to say that all of these objectives were met through the construction of this project.

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II. The Project:

The concept:As stated earlier, the original concept for the design was to create an architectural intervention that adds to the experience of the African ethnobotanical garden. The early idea for function and pro-gram of the intervention was to create a structure that was conducive to vine growth so the garden could grow vertically and create a shaded space for visitors. Since the site for the construct has been moved, the program of the space has changed. It is now seen as more of a sculptural element on display at the zoo that will be used as an ongoing educational device for visitors. Different African-inspired projects created by students from Professor Cervone’s courses will also be on display within the construct, which is offset four feet from the main path for safety reasons. Although the program-matic aspect of the design has changed since its move to a wooded area in the teaching zoo, it still meets the objectives set out by Professor Cervone, especially by internationalizing the curriculum and creating collaboration among different disciplines.

The African section of the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo will now include a contemporary architectural element that is inspired by indigenous African architecture. As previously mentioned, the first con-notation with African architecture is often times the mud house or grass hut. This project will seek to represent the qualitative nature of domicile nomadic huts and express the evolution of African archi-tectural design to modern day standards. This approach to design will also serve as an alternative to the tabula rasa approach that has been used by European countries in the colonization of African countries. The design will take on the materiality and tectonic nature of African tents described in Labelle Prussin’s book African Nomadic Architecture: Space Place and Gender. However, it will do so with a modern formal influence.

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Design OptionsThe formal characteristic of this construct is inspired by simple modern orthogonal geometry, and it is created from what could be understood as a deconstructed Gabra hut. The void in the cube delin-eates the spatial condition and memory of the African domicile hut within this modern form.

Iteration 1The first iteration consisted of a language of 1100 dense, thin vertical bamboo elements of varying lengths that hang from a 15’ x 15’ grid of intersecting structural elements. Due to its purely concep-tual nature at this point, this iteration may have been the most successful from a purely conceptual design perspective. However, it was not feasible, as the parameters of site, structure, and cost were not yet accounted for in the design. Therefore, a series of iterations were created to make the design a reality.

Iterations 2-3Iterations 2-3 and some others that are not shown here consisted of a heavier structure, which would act as an armature for the lighter elements to hang from. After much consideration it was determined that the structure was resembling a typical pergola, which was not desired. These iterations would have been in the $700 range, which was still too expensive

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Iteration 4We resolved to create a structure where the dense tectonic elements themselves were the makeup of the structure as well. Iteration 4 met those requirements, and the cost was now at a more accept-able $300-$400 range. However, the cantilever was still to precarious, and this design also required a larger site for the tension cables to extend from the actual construct.

Iteration 5This was our final 3D model iteration from which the final design came. The construct consists of a 9’ x 9’ grid of bamboo elements, which are one foot off center from each other in the X and Y direction and 22 ½” off center in the Z direction. The overall dimensions of the design is a 10’ x 10’ x 10’ cube. This was the most successful design that accounted for conceptual design goals, structure, cost, and minimal use of the site. The 1” tonkin cane diameter bamboo poles, which densify the cube also be-come structural elements, which are tied off to each other with natural fiber rope. Bamboo was cho-sen as a lightweight, sustainable, naturally abundant material, which resembles the Acacia root used by the Grabra people.

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Construction methodsThe site of the project is located in the back of the zoo, which is surrounded by animals that can’t be disturbed by power tools or loud noises. Therefore, it was imperative that we prefabricate as much as possible before assembling the structure. The bamboo elements were categorized according to their x,y,or z direction and measured in the 3D modeling software, and a spreadsheet was made to orga-nize the precut bamboo poles off site. We created a 9’ grid and utilized a 3,4,5 triangle to verify that it was squared off correctly. We hammered in 4’ x ½” rebar two feet into the ground as foundation for the 10’ vertical tonkin bamboo poles that touch the ground. We researched several types of knots, and decided on a simple square knot that could be easily taught and repeated quickly for efficient construction. Upon cutting and bundling the poles we transported all the materials and assembled the outer walls just outside the zoo to create a tilt-up style construction that tied off to the rebar. We be-gan with the back wall, the main support that is reminiscent of the utubu boru of the Gabra hut. Once the perimeter walls were in place, we systematically filled in the rest of the structure with bamboo and rope. Lateral bracing was added for extra structural support. This is the only place where minimal screws were used. The rest of the structure was assembled by square knots tied with natural fiber rope. The void of the domicile shape was delineated by curvilinear rope tied to the ends of the bam-boo poles.

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ConclusionI would consider the project to be a success overall. We hope that this is the first of several collab-orative efforts between Professor Cohen and Professor Cervone’s African classes. The concept of internationalizing the curriculum is an important one for students such as myself who would like to be exposed to multiple customs and design alternatives while still in an academic setting.

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III. Bibliography

Elleh, Nnamdi. African Architecture: Evolution and Transformation. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. Print.

Kultermann, Udo. New Architecture in Africa. New York: Universe, 1963. Print.

Prussin, Labelle. African Nomadic Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1995. Print.

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Seminar PresentationNomadic Architecture

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Discussion Notes

Space Making For Nomadic People: - On the rain forest and the desert: “These unique environmental qualities are instrumental in structuring another architectural dictate: movement in space. Constant movement in space hones the senses differently.” (186) - The nomadic tradition embraces a different sensibility about the natural environment than that found in the Western sedentary tradition. The intent of human life is not to oppose and endeavor to control nature, but rather to maintain a dialogue with the natural environment in order to find union with it; only by doing so can the nomad survive. (188) - Space not only structures behavior, but is used as a type of nonverbal system for the commu nication of aesthetic concepts and appropriate behaviors, as does any iconography, or system atically elaborated two-dimensional (i.e. surface) representational tradition. Space itself is used as a visual metaphor. Space for the nomad exists only by virtue of human occupancy. (188) - Space is itself also used as a surrogate for the architecture of the artifact” (188) - Nomadic women use their bodies as a primary measure for the creation of its bounded, en closed space. - The essence of nomadic architecture lies in the process of creation, not the end product. - Critical to our sense of emotional well-being is the sense of space. For the nomad, the sense of space consists of a hierarchy of spaces from the infinite, unknown expanse to the known grazing lands, to the men’s kraals enclosed and surrounded by their thornbush fencing, to the intimate container of space within a woman’s tent, and ultimately to the litter or palanquin which in one form or another sits within her tent.(190) - In the desert environment where encampments sit precariously in profile against the sky on the uninterrupted boundless infinity of the horizon line, the continuous, often curved, building surface strengthens the sense of concentration and further intensifies the sense of isolation. (Norberg-Schulz 1971:40). Beauty lies in the opposition, the polarity, between the intensity and concentration of interior space and the boundless infinity of exterior space. (191)

Does constant movement in space hone the senses differently than a sedentary lifestyle? How so?Does the nomadic life maintain a stronger dialogue with the natural environment than a sedentary lifestyle ever could?Describe the spatial and symbolic significance of the polarity between the “uninterrupted boundless infinity” and the interior space of the intimate domicile structures.

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Gender Roles: - “Girls emphasized inner space and the boys outer space.” (190) - “Women students tended to design from the inside out, rather than working from the outside inward; and, in contrast to male colleagues, I stressed a design process that began with the accommodation of interior behavior patterns.” - In all cases, whether armature frame or tensile structure, the pitching of these tents is always a woman’s work. - Men and boys spend their days largely outside the camp; women and girls stay within it, even though the “work” of each gender may be equally necessary to the productivity and to the maintenance of the social structure” - “The division of labor by sex and the nature of gender-discrete labor, productivity and cre ativity in nomadic society are somehow far more evident and obvious than in sedentary agricultural societies. The responsibilities are more specifically defined along gender lines: who does what, who is responsible for providing what, who speaks to whom, and which gender occupies which space in the course of the day. The very division of the spaces within a tent reflect and echo, as already pointed out, this division of social labor.”(59) - “’When a thing becomes isolated, it becomes round, it assumes a figure of being that is concentrated upon itself’. Furthermore, the concentration within creates ‘a concentration of intimacy.’”(191)

Is the concept of “inner space” something that is exclusive to this nomadic culture, or is it a biological difference that is found in every culture? If so, do we apply the concepts of gender roles to our design processes in our modern world? Should we?What have we lost or gained by diminishing gender roles in our society?

Land Ownership / Mapping

-“Tent history is a far richer, more complex amalgam than unilineral explanation allows for: weaving together the threads that could synthesize history and anthropology into a plausible historic reconstruction remains a challenge.”(1) -“Practices in African land tenure provide a clear analogy from which a parallel could be drawn: grazing land is distinguished from “bush” land; it “belongs” to people only when it is being used. When not in use, it reverts back to the community or to the bush.” (188)

Can this way of life continue to endure colonization and modernization of the world around them?What precautions/strategies should take place if contemporary architecture is woven into these soci-eties?

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Current African Nomad Issues

What are the aims of the MNLA?They want a country of their own, a country called Azawad, which will comprise the three northern-most provinces or regions of present-day Mali – Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. There has long been a debate within Tuareg society about what they want; autonomy within a federalist Malian structure or a completely independent state. After the last big rebellion in the early 1990s, when the suffering among the civilian population was quite extreme, many Tuaregs fell back to a more conciliatory posi-tion, saying that they did not want an independent country but wanted their rights; cultural rights and economic rights. This position has hardened in recent years to the point where the MNLA want abso-lute independence for Azawad, the long-dreamed-of Tuareg state.

•Sometimes called the Blue People because the indigo used in some traditional robes and turbans dye their skins dark blue•Historically nomadic Berber people who live in the Sahara and Sahel regions of Libya, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, which they call Azawad•When camels were introduced into the Sahara 2,000 years ago, the Tuareg became the main opera-tors of the trans-Saharan caravan trade in commodities such as salt and gold•Lost out when trade switched to the Atlantic Ocean•The Tuareg in Mali say they face discrimination because they are light-skinned and have been ne-glected by the government in far-off Bamako•They prefer to call themselves themselves the Kel Tamasheq or speakers of Tamasheq - their lan-guage which has its own alphabet

A rebel group in northern Mali has declared independence for a region it calls Azawad, after seizing control of the area last week. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) made the statement on its website, adding that it would respect other states’ borders. The MNLA is one of two rebel groups to have gained ground in the area after Mali’s government was ousted in a coup.The African Union has condemned the declaration as “null and void”. Former colonial power France and the European Union have also said they will not recognise Azawad’s independence. Meanwhile, the UK has closed its embassy in the capital, Bamako, and withdrawn its staff. The army seized power on 22 March, accusing the elected government of not doing enough to halt the two rebel groups - the MNLA and an Islamist group opposed to independence, which wants to impose Islamic law, or Sharia, across the whole country. The declaration comes as rights group Amnesty International warned that Mali was on the brink of a major humanitarian disaster in the wake of the rebellion. It demanded that aid agencies be given immediate access to the country after days of looting, abduction and chaos in the northern towns of Gao, Kidal and the historic city of Timbuktu, which have all been taken by the rebels. On Thursday the MNLA rebels declared a “unilateral” ceasefire after the UN Security Council called for an end to the fighting in Mali. A statement posted on the rebel website on Friday proclaimed indepen-dence, adding it would respect existing borders with neighbouring states and adhere to the UN Char-ter. The statement also called for recognition from the international community.“We completely accept the role and responsibility that behoves us to secure this territory. We have ended a very important fight, that of liberation... now the biggest task commences,” rebel spokesman Mossa Ag Attaher is quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. The Tuareg people inhabit the Saha-ra Desert in northern Mali, as well as several neighbouring countries and have fought several rebel-lions over the years, complaining that they have been ignored by the authorities in distant Bamako. But the Tuareg are not the only people who live in the area they claim as Azawad

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IV. Bibliography

Prussin, Labelle. African Nomadic Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1995. Print.

Aronson, Lisa. “Present Tents.” Rev. of African Nomadic Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender, by Labelle Prussin. The Women’s Review of Books, Vol 13. No 12 (Sep., 1996): pp8-9. Old City Publish-ing, Inc.

Demissie, Fassil. Rev. of Rev. of African Nomadic Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender, by Labelle Prussin. The international Joural of African Historical Studies, Vol. 30, No. 2 (1997): pp.395-398. Bos-ton University African Studies Center

Loughran, Kristyne. Rev of African Nomadic Architecture: Space, Place, and Gender, by Labelle Prussin. African Arts, Vol.30, No. 2 (Spring, 1997): pp. 91-92. : UCLA James S. Coleman African Studies Center

All maps taken from: http://www.zum.de/whkmla/histatlas/africa/haxafrica.html“WHKMLA : Historical Atlas, Africa Page.” WHKMLA : Historical Atlas, Africa Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2012.

Video shown: http://www.footstepsafrica.com/film.html“Footsteps in Africa: A Nomadic Journey.” Footsteps in Africa: A Nomadic Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2012.

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