Kenyan architecture is a paradox for many. There are many studies and theories that have been put forth regarding Kenyan architecture, and what it is. It has been the subject of many a lecture to students of architecture, and the centerpiece of much research that attempts to define what it is.
What are the trends in Kenyan Architecture?
thatched roof tented cottages
One issue with Kenyan architecture is that it has developed largely amorphously, with different players making their contributions from an individual perspective. Different architects have come up with their particular signature design styles and depending on their professional success in getting projects, the architecture prevalent in Kenya is difficult to be associated with a particular kind of identity.
Modern Kenyan architecture has been derived generally as a response to the location and type of projects that are being constructed. Different towns in Kenya have had their particular regulations that have been in force as regards their building requirements. These regulations include for example types of materials allowable, as well as plot coverage and plot ratios. All these factors have a strong influence on the type and style of building that a developer is likely to put up in whatever given locality.
Many buildings in Kenya have been largely created as a response towards developers’ aspirations to create the most viable project possible within given limited resources. The main forces at play therefore is the speculative nature of the real estate market, and premium at the point of design is placed on the most attractive way to create the most viable business models with maximum returns.
As a result, there may not have been as much of an interest in creating signature architecture as much as would be the interest in maximizing returns of a real estate investment. This leads to a dearth of well-designed buildings of a particular language and having a signature style manifest. Buildings having a strong character of a certain type are difficult to find in sufficient scale to be related to particular Kenyan architecture.
The influence of Vernacular Architecture on Kenyan Architecture
In the past, different tribes of Kenya had their particular methods of building their dwellings, depending on their location and cultural practices. The maasai living on the hot tropical savannah plains constructed their houses out of dung, having a monolithic structure. This was a suitable response to their nomadic lifestyle, as well as appropriate for their climatic conditions. Their house typologies were generally an ovoid or rectangular with rounded corners.
Other Nilotic and Bantu communities within the region constructed their houses from sticks tied together, plastered with mud and cow dung. Their roofs were constructed with simple conical thatched roofs, again with simple timber structural elements tied together. Housing types from these communities were generally round with conical roof forms.
At the coastal region, construction of lime and coral walled structures with mangrove pole roofing was quite prevalent, leading to construction of rectangular housing typologies with flat roofs that were great at warding of harsh coastal elements.
All these communities had a particular style of construction based on the building technology that was available to them, in addition to their cultural practices. However, the resultant was that one could associate the housing architecture of a particular kind with a particular community at that time. Indeed, one could claim that this kind of architecture was Kenyan architecture, despite it being vernacular in character.
Application of Vernacular Principles on Kenyan Architecture
In modern times however, the onset of modernization and forces of globalization have entirely changed the horizon of the built environment. Today, everyone builds with a strong desire to appear modern, and create architecture that is global in appeal. The building materials of the day include concrete and steel, or stone and brick masonry, bonded together by cement mortar. As a result, the units of the day have become more and more universal in their construction technique and resultant forms. The resultant architecture that has been born as a result of globalization is extremely generic in nature, and one can hardly claim to be uniquely Kenyan in the type of architecture that is being produced.
Probably one of the ways that a modern architect can seek to create Kenyan architecture is to go back to these roots and pick out principles and typologies that were prevalent in vernacular architecture prevalent in Kenyan communities, and apply them within our modern context of building. Some well known hotel chains have done this with a good level of success, creating exotic modern lodges which have a strong connotation of Kenyan architecture.
Another good way of creating architecture that is Kenyan is deriving of architectural forms from elements of material culture that are unique to the country. Abstracting these elements into a built form can give very powerful design compositions that are difficult to find anywhere else on the planet. These elements can again be utilized as design motifs on various parts of a building, be it on facades or its interiors. The resultant composition can be hailed as having a strong local appeal, such as would be expected of good Kenyan architecture.
Kenyan Architecture is in the whole and in the part.
In short a building can be said to exhibit Kenyan architecture at the level of the whole, whereby its very form and morphology is reminiscent of architectural forms that were associated with particular Kenyan communities. Kenyan architecture can also be exhibited at the level of detail, whereby a designer utilizes elements of material culture in a particular fashion or motif, to create a truly local Kenyan feel. These elements can be abstracted into functional and aesthetic architectural elements such as balustrades, window mullions, door handles, counters and joinery fittings.
One may be interested in being relevant to an environment and modern trends of design and building, but in order to achieve architecture that can be relates to the people of Kenya, the architect has plenty of diversity to choose from. The link with Kenyan vernacular forms and material culture cannot be dispensed with as a key method of creating truly Kenyan architecture.
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