Brick by brick one can build a house. I am eager to discover the positive influences that diaspora, African migrants that live in the Netherlands, have on Dutch architecture!
Some years ago I traveled through Kenia and visited the Masai. They were busy thatching their houses and asked me to give them a hand. Eagerly I assisted and covered a reed African hut with cow dung. The Kenian Masai explained that this method resulted in a cool and well isolated house. They told me that family was important to them and that therefore they live in small houses in eachother’s vicinity.
Sharing and reciprocity are an important part of the daily lives of the Masai and other African tribes. I saw these social aspects reflected in the way houses are built. Families and tribes preferably stick together and are taught to share at an early age. What I wonder is how the aspect of sharing, labeled by some philosophers as ‘Ubuntu’, shapes African architecture.
Brick by brick one can build a house. I am eager to discover the positive influences that diaspora, African migrants that live in the Netherlands, have on Dutch architecture!
— November 4, 2009 —
Indeed the social aspect of sharing and having family near to you appeared to be elements that characterise what might be called ‘African architecture’. Unfortunately these elements are hidden and are yet invisible in the Netherlands.
The absence of African migrants that live in the Netherlands and were able to show their successful project related to African architecture is what most struck me during this meeting.
The African House meeting, initiated by STAND and ArchiAfrica, brought together an interesting blend of people. The panel speakers from African descent currently resided in the United Kingdom. They were able to characterize the meaning of ‘African architecture’, together with a number of Dutch experts on the topic. I thought it was disappointing that nobody from the panel, nor from the audience was able to provide a successful case of African Architecture in the Netherlands.
During this meeting it soon became clear that architecture is much more than the physical aspects, such as materials and space. African Architecture might better be described as being intangible.
The term flexibility was used by the panel to conceptualising spacial exchange and African Architecture. Flexibility in the social setting was identified as a crucial factor resulting in a successful adaptation of African migrants to a foreign setting. Unfortunately the rigid Dutch society can not be regarded as the most ‘diaspora friendly’ setting when it comes to the encouragement of African Architecture.
It is the responsibility of policy makers to:
‘start becoming inclusive in your thinking. This means opening an ear: policy makers should start listening’
argued Alexander Vollebregt from the TU Delft. This was supplemented by Giles Omozi who argued that:
‘you don’t need to create frameworks; immigrants can find a way’.
Read more in the November 2009 newsletter by ArchiAfrica.
Ha, wat een interessant thema, de combinatie van immigratie en architectuur. Ook de andere kant op is interessant, in de zin van westerlingen of remigranten. Het schijnt dat migranten in hun land van herkomst juist westerse huizen neerzetten voor zichzelf. Dit heeft veel te maken met status waarschijnlijk. Bij een project in mexico voor armen, heeft men een keer traditionele lemen huisjes gebouwd voor sloppenbewoners. Deze wilden er niet in, vanwege de lage status! Pas toen men een sjiek lemen buurtcentrum maakte met veel hottemetotum steeg de status van het materiaal en trokken de mensen in de huisjes.
Leuk onderwerp, hou me op de hoogte svp