The development of rural vernacular architecture in Southern Africa

Abstract

The Southern African rural house form has over the years been subjected to a number of pressures of a cultural and technological nature. These have resulted in its evolution through a number of stages usually also involving the introduction of new materials and the development of new building technology. The links in evolution which exist between the one form and the next are discussed. The special role played by the 'fo u n d ' and natural m aterial in 'w attle and daub' and tra d itio n a l natch c o n s tru c tio n is stressed as, w he n n the case of som e m o d e rn squa; ?r settlem ents, th o s e b u ild in g m aterials cease to be available and substitutes, have to be found. Evolution and change in vernacular architecture have also involved the elem ents of w all d e c o ra tio n , social and c u ltu ra l values and the role of the house fo rm w ith in the e n v iro n m e n t. The va riou s types of rural se ttlem en t patterns in v o lv in g the h o u s e h o ld u n it and the c o m m u n ity as a w h o le are analyzed in b oth th e ir tr a d itio n a l and m o d e rn co n te x ts The final c o n c lu s io n a rrived at is that a lth o u g h rural v e rn a c u la r a rc h ite c tu re as a w h o le is a th re aten ed e le m e n t o f o u r e n v iro n m e n t, its continued existence may ultimately be guaranteed by the economic necessity of implementing low - technology self-help housing projects.