table of CONTENTS
04 06 20
EDITORIAL
38
ARCHITECTURE IN COSTA RICA
54
INTRODUCING LITTLE SUN
64
RETURN TO LAGOS 2042
78
MOVING PICTURES
2
By Tuuli Saarela, Editor of ArchiAfrika Magazine
CHAIRMAN’S CORNER
By Joe Osae-Addo, Chairman of ArchiAfrika Foundation
FEATURE: BAYELSA NIGERIA
- Interview with Special Advisor to the Governor of Bayelsa State on Investment Cyril Akika - An Interview with Costa Rican Architect Marianella Jimenez Calderon
- ArchiAfrika partners with Little Sun to promote solar energy
- A Nigerian diasporan returns home in 2042 to find his city has changed By Godson Egbo
- A travel series about urban spaces in Kampala and Johannesburg By Thomas Aquilina
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
82
AiD EVENTS
90
ARCHITECTURE AND ITS FUTURE
94
RETHINKING BANK DESIGN
98
SUSTAINABLE LOW COST HOUSING
- An AiD event about cross generational collaboration with Ghanaian musicians Edem and Pat Thomas
- ArchiAfrika Educational Network Lecture Series 101 with Ben van Berkel
- An architecture design studio student project By Peter Odoh
- Changing Mindsets in the Approach to Government Low Cost Housing Projects By Mary Anne Constable
106
Art & Architecture At Work
114
FOOTBALL FOR HOPE
- Mobilization for inclusive urban development
By Kathleen Louw, Centre for Fine Arts Brussels (BOZAR)
- An Interview with Wahab Musah of NGO Play Soccer Ghana
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
3
EDITORIAL This issue of the ArchiAfrika Magazine is late. The original intention was to publish the magazine ahead of our African Perspectives conference in Lagos in December 2013. However, the conference had to be cancelled at the last moment and this issue, also, was left to wait. We are now in preparations to host a mini symposium in Lagos next month. The highlights of this issue remain on our host country Nigeria with center stage taken by Bayelsa State, where we had a rare chance to interview the Governor of Bayelsa State, Honorable Henry Dickson and his advisory team on the opportunities and challenges of development in the heart of Nigeria’s oil state. Also in Nigeria, we found a futuristic perspective on the city of Lagos through Godson Egbo’s narrative about returning to his home city in 2042. Read this story to imagine what Lagos would look and feel like in the future. We also look beyond Africa in this issue, through our Chairman Joe Osae-Addo’s travels to Kathmandu, Nepal where he visited with diplomatic incident as one of the first Ghanaians ever to enter Nepal! We also hear from Costa Rica’s Marianel Calderon, who is the sole woman on the board of the Federated Association of Engineers and Architects. How can we compare experiences and strategies from these far off places? Find out as part of our continuing efforts to encourage south south dialogue. 4
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
The activities of our organization are also highlighted in this issue, including a reportage about our Adventurers in the Diaspora series in Accra and a recent ArchiAfrika Educational Network lecture series with Ben van Berkel and 600 students of EiABC (Ethiopia), Central University (Ghana) and KNUST (Ghana). We are also proud to introduce Little Sun solar lamps designed by Oliafor Eliasson as the newest partner of ArchiAfrika! In this issue, we feature projects which interest us, from Mary Ann Constable’s new approach to low cost government housing in Cape Town to Wahab Musah’s passion for football at Cape Coast’s FIFA Football for Hope Center. We also provide space for the next generation to get published including student Peter Odoh’s effort in Nigeria to rethink bank design in a new cashless economy. Finally, we feature BOZAR’s recent initiative in Kampala Uganda through the eyes of Kathleen Louw, whose project aimed to mobilize groups across the continent to define a model By Tuuli Saarelafor inclusive urban development in Africa. I hope you enjoy the magazine. Encourage us by sending article suggestions and ideas for the next issue! Regards, Tuuli Saarela Editor of ArchiAfrika Magazine
PARTNERS DOEN Culture Programme funds, promotes and connects cultural organizations and collects stories about significant changes caused by cultural activities. DOEN believes that a green, sociallyinclusive and creative society is achievable. The world is full of committed entrepreneurs eager to develop sustainable, cultural and socially-engaged initiatives. People who are not afraid to take risks while putting their pioneering ideas into practice. People who inspire others! DOEN offers these people financial support and brings them together to connect them.
The Prince Claus Fund is connected to an expansive global network of artists, cultural organisations and critical thinkers. When asked what the Fund’s motto ‘Culture is a Basic Need’ means to them, we received the following responses from various project partners: ‘Culture is intricately linked to social and political questions; like food, shelter, health and education, we have an absolutely essential need to make our individual cultural expressions seen and heard; culture thus is a question of our survival. Hence, it is our right to be able to make our own cultural expressions, without having to succumbe to the powers of cultural hegemonies.’ - Bhowmik, Bangladesh and India.
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
5
6
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Chairman’s Corner 2014 has been one big travel adventure so far. Bayelsa State, Nigeria, several times, Segou and Bamako, Amsterdam, Brussels, Durban, and now Kathmandu. I don’t mean to sound overly idyllic with all these travels, we have also remained in the dramas of existence in Africa and the world. But we still love it!!! All these visits were meetings and conferences on culture, development and architecture. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
7
The common thread is the sheer beauty of these places in their own unique manner but I must confess (hope I to not offend) my favourites are Segou and Kathmandu. To my Dutch, Belgian, Nigerian and South African friends, please do not stop inviting me. I still have much love for you all. Segou hit all the right buttons of the visual and the emotive kind. The powerful sensous river Niger runs through the town, complemented by indigenes of the most elegant kind: women wrapped in beautiful cotton, with poise and determination, a unique trait of francophone West Africa, in full display at the festival. My hosts Mahmadou and his team were absolutely the best. Merci beacoup! 8
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Now to Kathmandu, where I attended the Prince Claus Fund partner days in early May.
Getting to Nepal is a whole story in itself, as I am the only Ghanaian who has been issued a visa in decades!!!! Yes, this almost became an international incident, as my hosts Khanak and his team, worked tirelessly to realign Ghana-Nepal relations
Photo caption: Joe Addo with Prince Claus Fund partners in Kathmandu
to make my trip trip possible. Whatever happened to the Non-Aligned Movement of countries established by the great leaders of our time such as Nehru, Nkrumah, et al? I thought it was to prevent such issues from ever cropping up!!!! Kathmandu to my surprise, is a bustling city of 2 million inhabitants plus, and to my surprise, very contemporary. I do not kow what I was thinking, but I had a more idealized, romanticized impression, surely shaped by confusing Nepal with Tibet!!! Such ignorance is completely unacceptable but I have since found out that some of my most erudite friends had similar impressions as I did. ‘Its not only me who has been overly influenced by the comic books of my youth
such as Tintin in Tibet,’ I thought. This place actually reminds me of Accra. Yes, Accra!!!! It’s the feel, energy and soul of Kathmandu. It’s really all about people. Very special indeed. One such special person I met is Kashish Das Shrestha, a young photographer/ entrepreneur who runs the newly established City Museum. I am previledged to share some of our conversations with you all. I must take this opportunity to thank the Prince Claus Fund who funds ArchiAfrika’s Creative Force platform for an extraordinary partner meeting of shared ideas and ideals. To the organisers who were in Nepal with us, Christa, Emma, Bertam, Khanak, Sarita and Laxmi, a special Thank you!!! ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
9
Tell me about background. Are you a Diasporan, have you left Nepal and then come back or have you been in Nepal this whole time? I have left Nepal and I have come back. I have lived in New York on and off since January 2003. I am a resident of the state of New York and I am a citizen of Nepal. And I love the fact that I live in between two worlds because that is probably what allows me to do this. Otherwise, I think if you’re just in a bubble in either of the countries... then you’re just in that bubble. But here you are constantly shifting your entire worldview and reality. Even though I was living and working in New York, I would come back to Nepal at least once if not two or three times a year. What I would do is I would shoot the New York Fashion Week in New York and then I would use that money and do environmental research in Nepal for a few months and then when I ran out of money, it was just perfect timing to go back to New York and shoot the fall season. But you see that technology allows us to do this and we as diasporans, we all have this diasporan connection. I think it’s the future and we need to harness it properly. I think that at least in Ghana/Africa, people have great ideas about this. I think it’s about contextualizing our influences outside into tangible projects, which seems to be the missing link at the moment. That’s what is missing! But you have actually done it! How do you take all of these wonderful experiences, but it has to be embodied in something that people can physically experience. You can’t just keep saying, but there is nothing like that in Kathmandu, so in the summer I go back to New York and enjoy it. No. That’s nothing, that does nothing. We’re really good at pointing out problems, faults, wrongs, what’s missing and we’re very good at saying, this should have been done, that should have been done, but we’re quite terrible at saying we did this. 10
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
We joke about this on the continent, in Africa, it’s an African thing. But I think maybe it’s a cultural thing. The thing about culture is, it transcends geographical boundaries.There’s something about South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean, which maybe it’s the climate or something which makes us have a very similar disposition towards the environment, towards humanity and towards politics and the economy. I felt this when I arrived in Nepal, Kathmandu, a few days ago. I just felt at home, there was a kinship to what I was experiencing and it may be superficial, but intuitively I felt at home.
‘That buzz, you know what it is. You can’t quite explain it but you know exactly what to expect on how things work here, because our worlds are similar in that sense. We were talking about this last night, the organized chaos. You know how to maneuver in traffic of this kind and sidewalks of this kind.’ Have you done any work with Africa at all? No, unfortunately not yet. It’s a continent that I have been fascinated with ever since I was a child because I was fortunate enough to grow up with a lot of national geographic and International Herald Tribunes, so it’s always been in my mind, but I’ve never had a chance to travel or work with or in it, so I hope that comes around sooner rather than later.
11 11
Photo credit: Joe Addo ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
11
I think for the emerging economies like Africa or Asia, artisanship and craftsmanship is something that we need to exchange, same as with the arts. One of the things that I would love to work with you on, is to think about how do we bring for example, bamboo weavers, cane makers, carpenters, brick layers, steel workers, and fabricators into Africa. In Ghana, we are losing these skills and I see it all around me here, we have the same clays, but we don’t build out of brick. We don’t do it because we don’t have the pool of artisans who can actually assemble a brick building plant or make the brick to start with. Yeah, it’s interesting, we’re doing an event in June, where we are bringing in a group of traditional weavers from an ethnic community called the Tatopani in the South. We are demonstrating here in the gallery, how they make huge floor mats out of elephant grass. So they will be using elephant grass to make large floor mats and we will be retailing it. So it’s real interesting that you recognize this artisanship.
‘We have this thing called living heritage. This stems from the fact that every century we have a massive earthquake. So the tangible reason why we’re able to build the same structures generation after generation is because for hundreds of years we had to rebuild over and over again. a need for it.’ 12
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
In fact, the same artisan families that built the temples five hundred years ago continue the living heritage today. However, in the last ten years we’ve forgotten that we have an earthquake pending. How can you forget that Kathmandu is one of the world’s most earthquake vulnerable cities? The scary part is the next earthquake has been due for almost ten years. So we’re waiting and it’s an any-day moment. You’ve seen some of the city now and you see a bit of how it is. We will see how it all ends up. That instability you describe has created a kind of stable, entrenched, extraordinary artisanship! Isn’t that the dichotomy of it all? The need and the function, right? Exactly. There is a conversation in Kathmandu in which we debate whether it is good or bad that this kind of artisanship has been commercialized. The genre that often comes up includes Thangka art, which is an ancient traditional Tibetan art. People complain that there is no devotion attached to it anymore. They see it as a pure business interaction: the wood and stone carvings are a pure business interaction. I personally think that’s fine because I’m a pragmatist, if that is how you keep the craft alive. Absolutely, people tend to romanticize artisanship. It is in the transition from artisanship to commercial application and mass production that people develop romantic ideas. Sometimes, there may be no conflict at all. I always see it from the point of view that we may be forced to choose: it’s either neither or it’s all of it. Talking about culture, clearly I see it all around me. However, contemporary culture as we know is not static, it’s organic and evolving and it’s not about tradition alone but also other influences. How does this shape your worldview and how do you engage in the creative community both here and in New York?
Photo caption: The City Museum in Kathmandu. Credit: Joe Addo ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
13
I was lucky enough to grow up with photography all around me so it was within me before I even knew it was in me. My parents collected art too. Somehow I knew that if I was going to America, I was going to New York and San Francisco. This you can credit entirely on the American pop culture. Long before I traveled to North America, I was extremely well versed in its culture only because I grew up in an era in which satellite TV and internet had blossomed. My family got satellite TV in the 1993 and internet in 1994. So by the time I went to New York in 2003, it was practically as if I had already lived there. That’s true, same for me. We grew up through the music and through the films, the magazines and publications. Precisely, and my dad had the taping of Woodstock 1969, he had bought it in Bangkok and I use to watch that over and over again and it shaped much of my worldview. I was influenced by the literature, contemporary art and pop art from the 50s and 60s, the whole idea of traveling the world and understanding that things are always in a flow.
‘This is the advantage of drifting into multiple worlds and cultures, the question that automatically comes to mind is: while we have amazing art in our country, why don’t we have an amazing art venue? Why not in Nepal? Why do we assume that the first world countries are the only ones who can do it?’ 14
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo caption: Joe Addo with Kashish Das Shrethra of Kathmandu City Museum ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
15
16
16
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
When I built this gallery, as people walk in, it should just feel like a gallery and not a gallery in Kathmandu. I would love to hear about how Kathmandu has changed. Are the artists influencing and eliciting change in the society and in the identity of Nepalese people? Not yet, but also I think this generation will and I’ll tell you why. Between 1996 to 2006 we had a civil war in the country. During that time, an entire generation grew up before their time. Every morning people wake up to the newspapers exclaiming that more people were killed in an ambush. This happened for eight or ten years.
‘There’s an entire generation that grew up with a real proximity to violence. By the end of those 8 years, they feel almost completely detached from it. Death and war was in Kathmandu, in the papers and in the houses of our city on a daily basis.’
Photo credit: Joe Addo
Everyday 15 people were killed, 20 and 30 people killed. Kids who were 8 years old in 1996 spent the next 8 or 10 years trying to cope with this. Schools were shut down. Suddenly a violent group could show up at a school, attack the teachers, burn the school busses. Our generation lived through this and I think we are now slowly beginning to express all of our experiences. Some of that expression includes people saying: ‘Screw this, I’m leaving the country, there’s a better world out there.’ Some expression is created through music, on a canvas, and writings on a piece of paper. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
17
‘Today, artists are expressing their realities. There are artists working on climate change and its effect on Nepal; there are artists making art on the politics of Nepal; others on the ethnic politics of Nepal; performance art is coming onto the scene... so we are getting there. No, I take that back, we are already there and our expression has already begun. Our expression is only going to continue to get louder and it’s only a matter of time when, if nothing else, out of shame, policy makers are going have to listen to the screaming.’ 18
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credit: Joe Addo ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
19
20
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
An Interview with
Cyril Akika
Special Advisor to the Governor on Investment On Behalf of Bayelsa State Governor
Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson
Massive oil production has brought both development and challenges to Bayelsa State. Please share with us how your development agenda balances these sometimes opposing forces.
Photo credit: http://www.aukevisser.nl
To talk on the effects from the point of view of government, we would say that oil production has brought more challenges than development. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
21
The reason is structural. The way Nigeria is structured currently, all the production that happens in the oil exploration sector is recorded for the federal government, and not necessarily for the state government or the community where the oil production takes place. When oil companies come into Bayelsa, they set up shop, drill wells. When oil is explored from those wells, all the revenues are said to belong to the federal government and goes into a pool for the entire country. It is only from this pool that it is shared between the three tiers of government in Nigeria, the federal, state and local government. Despite this centralization, there is a feature of the system that earmarks funds for the state where the oil is produced. For oil producing states like Bayelsa, we share in derivation funds, which amounts to 13% of the revenues generated from the wells in Bayelsa.
‘Comparing the percentage that comes to Bayelsa by way of direct revenue from oil, we can say it’s almost negligible when you compare it to the impact of the production on the environment and the community that is directly situated around the production. That is why we say that the challenges are more than development, because the development that happens in the community doesn’t really have an impact on the people.’ 22
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
You can understand why we say that we don’t see development, and that we see more of challenges, because when there is a spill from any of those wells, it immediately affects a community. You will not see a new city or industries come as a result of the oil business; all you will see is an oil well. Meanwhile, the supporting services that go with that oil well are not even headquartered in the community, but rather in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja. The impact of the crude oil production on development is not a direct impact but indirect because it is controlled by Federal Government. Whether you are an oil producing state or not, we share in the national revenue that comes from oil. When a spill happens, the regulatory authorities responsible for monitoring the effects are national and international agencies. The state has little control over, and therefore do not have rights to legislate over, what happens when these negative events take place. To clean up oil spillage, for example, is usually not the role of the state government, but rather the federal government. So the state government would have to take permission from the federal government to do something with regards to cleaning up the environment. We have waterways within the state which are not actually controlled by the state, but monitored by the Federal Inland Waterways Authority. They are supposed to police and manage the inland waterways within the country. Having this type of structure within the Photo credit: http://www. country sometimes creates restrictions and a aukevisser.nl disconnect. Production is happening, people are living in those places and there is a state government, but at the end of the day most of the activities relating to oil are legislated from the federal government and we do not see immediate action when there is an event that is negative and requires immediate response.
23
Photo credit: www.cometonigeria.com Photo credit: ndlink.org ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
23
24
Photo credit: www.cometonigeria.com 24
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
The way we are trying to manage this as a government is to actively become involved in the production process. We have decided that the state, people and community must be directly involved in oil production activities. There are plans for divestments in oil assets by major multinationals, in which the Bayelsa State Government will take part. For example, Bayelsa State has set up an oil company and has entered into agreements with partners to bid for oil blocks that are being divested by the majors.
eastern region of Nigeria. Before then, it was called the Oil Protectorate. It gained its name not necessarily because of crude oil but because of palm oil. Bayelsa state now owns a company called the Bayelsa Palm Limited, which is a palm oil company with a plantation of 1200 hectares that produces palm oil.The first crude oil well in Nigeria was found in Bayelsa State in 1956. Bayelsa State only came into being in 1996 during the military era. At the time of the creation of Bayelsa State, there was no development plan and oil production was already happening in Bayelsa. During that era, any plan made by the military administration would usually be a short-term plan that does not last longer than a year. Incoming money was projected from federal government sources, and this was used to plan the development for the state for that year. That was how the structure was until the advent of democracy in 1999, after which successive democratically elected governments tried to create a plan for the state.
‘That way, we believe, the state can become a part of the managers of the oil assets, and this way we will have control of the revenues that come out of the production. Most importantly, we The impact of crude oil production on develwill have the capacity to be opment, as I explained earlier, is not a direct credit: www.cometonigeria.com impact but indirect because it is controlled by able to channel Photo development federal government. Whether you are an oil into the communities affect- producing state or not, we all share in the naed by oil production. We have tional revenue that comes from the oil. For now the federal allocation has been the mainstay already competed and bid for of the economy of the state, because it is this allocation that is used for the economic one of the assets through the federal activities of Bayelsa State. The state is largely last divestment by Shell.’ a civil service state with almost non-existent That’s exciting! I would like to ask about the historical context of the Bayelsa State development plan. How has it changed before and after the oil production? What type of impact do you see the Bayelsa State Sustainable Development Strategy having on the state in the next 20 years? Bayelsa State before 1996 was part of the old Rivers State which was equally part of the old Photo credit: Associated Press
industries. So you have a civil service structure and government, as well as very small, medium enterprises but not necessarily industries.
With the advent of the current administration, we have come to realise that this structure of the economy cannot be sustained, the reason being that when there is an impact on either production or on the price of oil, we feel the impact immediately on our economy, as revenues accruing to the state also fluctuate. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
25
When this happens, even normal everyday activities are handicapped. What this administration has decided to do is to diversify our economy.
‘In our development plan, we are looking at improving other sectors of the economy, trying to create industries, develop agriculture, improve the infrastructure of the state as well as put power in the state and encourage tourism, develop our educational, health sector, and generally make Bayelsa a place where people would want to visit, live, work and play.’ The first development plan and the masterplan for the state were created by the first civilian government. But these plans were also largely based on projections on the federal allocations expected. The difference with our administration today is that we are creating a development plan that goes beyond expectations from the federal allocations. We are looking at increasing the internally generated revenue of the state from varied sources and not only from the federal government allocations. Income will come from taxes, dividend incomes from businesses that happen in the state and generally productive activities in the state. So that’s the focus of our development plan now. Photo Bayelsa State Governor’s Office 26 credit: ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
credit: Bayelsa State Governor’s Office Photo credit:Photo bayelsanewmediateam.wordpress.com ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
27
Photo credit: Bayelsa State Governor’s Office 28
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
We are a design organization that also believes in planning. Would you say that you are following a particular design philosophy or do you see Bayelsa State playing into a particular design philosophy? Maybe this question would be answered differently by a professional town planner, rather than a politician. Looking at what I see happening in Bayelsa now as a layman and as a finance professional, I really do not see a pure, specific design philosophy, but a town planner may tell you something different.
’Going forward, I know that we have specific programs to carry out urban regeneration and revival of aspects of the old city in Yenagoa. We are also developing a new Yenagoa city, which will feature a component of our culture because we recognize that promote tourism and investment, we should also feature our traditional culture. As far as a design philosophy for Yenagoa city, we felt there was a need to create a new environment that serves as a joy, a living area where people feel happy and satisfied that they live in a modern city and environment.’
To begin this design process, the state government set up a committee consisting of town planners, land and estate surveyors, architects, professional people, accountants and lawyers. The mandate of the committee was to come up with a design for a new city that attracts people and business. The committee visited other cities within Nigeria to get a feel of what cities were doing this successfully. They also carried out studies and interviews and to date, has drafted a master plan and a preliminary report that gives you an idea of the design of the city. How will the different elements of your city be realized? Is this a state initiative and how will private sector play a role? One of the standing rules for the administration, with regards to the transformation of the economy, is to have the private sector play a very key role. We feel that the private sector can ensure sustainability whether government revenues are increased or reduced. The private sector will continue to grow at its own pace and ordinarily ensure sustainability. Therefore, the state government is focused on encouraging partnerships with the private sector to create projects and businesses that will stand the test of time within the economy of the state. Within the new city of Yenagoa, we have areas designated as residential areas, others designated as commercial areas and we will have green areas as well. The residential and commercial areas will be constructed by the private sector. Facilities are being set up by the state government and commercial entities. The state government has already allocated lands towards the new developments including a property, which used to be the governor’s mansion. The property covers an island in Yenagoa and is now being converted into a five star hotel with a golf estate, polo field and a tennis arena. These areas are meant for relaxation and entertainment areas for tourists and residents of the city. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
29
Talking more about green areas and sustainability, do you see a role for designers in promoting the idea of sustainability and the development of local industries? Do you think that design can actually help you with some of the environmental, economic and social concerns? As part of the design for the new city, we are cleaning up a strip of land that borders the development area. This strip of land is by a natural creek and as of today has informal developments. In fact, a lot of them are shanties, and many of the inhabitants are rural people because the town of Yenoagoa was a rural community until Bayelsa became a state and Yenoagoa a state capital. You can begin to imagine the effect of a rural town becoming a state capital, particularly in terms of informal settlements. So as one of the direct interventions of the state government, we are looking at redesigning and redeveloping this strip of land and converting the riverfront into a multi-use recreational and commercial area which includes pedestrian walkways, green areas, shopping facilities, and rest areas. We hope to create a beautiful environment where you can walk, jog or ride a bike around the creek. So design definitely has a role to play in the development of the new city and also in carefully preserving the traditional areas.
‘As a state, we want to promote culture and ensure that when a visitor comes to Bayelsa, he is presented with our culture and invited to partake in it. We intend to ensure that development of the state depicts the genus loci of our people.’ 30
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
ArchiAfrika focuses on education of new architects, young people and young design professionals. We think about the challenges of development and the need to bring a critical design methodology to begin to address development challenges. What is the role of the educational system in improving the lives of Bayelsa’s citizens and how does the development plan address the most impoverished citizens? I will tell you a little bit of what we have done in the educational sector as an administration. Firstly, Baylesa was categorized as one of the least educationally developed states not too far back. That was as a result of the state being rural and not having a lot of educational infrastructure. Right now we are executing a plan building and equipping primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa state and the state government has also declared free education in the state, up to the secondary level. Right from primary to secondary school, a child in Bayelsa state will not have to pay tuition fees for education and the state will also provide school uniforms, shoes, books and textbooks. All the parent will need to do is to just make the child available for school. We are also encouraging all students within the public school system to attend boarding school in the last three years in upper level school, the state intends to give the youth a new orientation to help them prepare for life after secondary school. We hope to make them see life in a different way- in a more positive way- and from there they will move into tertiary institutions. To support this effort, we are currently providing scholarships for graduates and postgraduates to continue their education outside of Nigeria. We have about 150 scholars in PhD programmes in the western universities, mostly Britain and Europe. We have over 200 masters degree scholars and another 350 maybe even 400 undergraduates on state scholarships. We also have students that we picked from primary schools, who we have sent to what we call our “Ivy League” secondary schools within Nigeria.
33
Photo credit: http://saintmienpamo.blogspot.com ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
31
Some of the brightest students from primary schools around the entire state have been sent to the best schools in Nigeria.
‘The intention is to instill in the youth a sense of nationalism and for them to interact with other children from different parts of the country. This experience will give young people a national outlook so that when they come back to Bayelsa, they will come back with a sense of exposure and understanding.’ We are improving education and increasing opportunity for our people so that they can have an impact on the larger society. We believe that, this way, we will be able to affect the ability of the next generation to take us to the next level. For the youth who are already beyond the age limit to benefit from the new drive for education, we have set up skill acquisition centers where they will learn trades that they can use within the oil industry. Right now despite the oil industry in the state, there is great unemployment, so we are trying to give people the skills that can enable them get jobs within that industry. Similarly, the fact that there is a lot of construction work going on in Bayelsa, we have also transferred skills to workers with in the construction sector so that residents can continue to benefit from the boom that is happening now in Bayelsa. When people have jobs, their level of income will increase, and then they can begin to take care of their daily needs. This brings a lot of stability into the system. 32
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
In the long term, these approaches will reduce youth restiveness in the state because before now there was a lot of fighting. I’m sure you have heard of the militancy situation in the Niger Delta and part of this militancy is also present in Bayelsa. However, today in Bayelsa, the youth see a reason to want to walk tall, become better and active citizens within society. It seems you are doing alot in terms of education and in 20 years you may see the rresults. So what is your 20 year plan for the state? For the state, the plan for this administration is to create institutions, structures and systems that will outlast the tenure of this administration. The current focus is on creating laws that will help the institutions exist even after the tenure of the current governor. The current administration had signed into law bills such as the transparency bill and a savings bill. The transparency bill talks about the governor delivering, on a monthly basis, his reports and accounts. He comes before the public and makes known to the public how much revenue he has generated for the month in the state and how the money has been expended. The law requires him to deliver this report on a monthly basis. If he does not do so for 3 consecutive months, it becomes a reason for impeachment. These public responsibilities have been signed into law by this administration, so that the next administration- whether they want transparency or not- will have to comply with the laws. By the time the next administration takes over, we intend to instill a culture of transparency and this will help to check some highhandedness that creeps into government administration in Nigeria. We hope that transparency and accountability will also filter down to the local government level, where the executives are also supposed to report using the same instruments. Once this culture becomes a way of life, it means that the civil service will be accountable to the political class.
33
Photo credit: Associated Press ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
33
http://www.fascinatingnigeriamagazine.com 34
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credit: Bayelsa State Governor’s Office
The entire fabric of the state will change. Like I mentioned before, we also have a savings act. This savings act makes the state save, on a monthly basis, a portion of the monthly revenues generated into a savings account. And this again, is the law and the next administration will be compelled to continue with these procedures. Through the implementation of the law, we have begun to create a savings buffer that can help us to mitigate any unforeseen circumstances.
‘This system really helps because in 2012 we had a major flood crisis in the state and because we had savings, we were able to get permission from the legislators to take money out of the savings account to enable us to immediately intervene with the effects of the flood.’ During the crisis, we realized that if we didn’t have that savings and buffer, there would have been a panic around the state, especially for those directly affected by the flood. So we have already seen the benefits of having to carry out monthly savings. The focus of the current administration is in building institutions and this is something we are also doing with business. We are about to launch a privatization law and the focus is to encourage the private sector to partner with state government to set up commercial projects that translate into businesses. These companies will be run by the private sector and when they show profitability, the state government will have the opportunity to reinvest profits from ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
35
36
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
those businesses for the benefit of the general public. In this way, the state increases its revenue base, and can also help other businesses within the state to grow. Successive state government will not have control over those businesses, and it can do nothing about them, except allow them to grow and flourish. The privatization law gives effect and force to agreements with private sector partners who are investing in Bayelsa, and it also helps to ensure the success and ability of the companies in the long run. The vision for 20 years will be bolstered by each of these initiatives as we are ensuring that our laws help to ensure success and continuity of economic growth. What is the unique sense of culture within Bayelsa state and is culture something you plan to preserve while at the same time rushing towards modernity and development? What is the message about Bayelsa State that you really want the world to know about?
Our people are known for aquaculture or fishing. The average Bayelsa man is believed to be a fisherman and to mostly live around the river and waterways and be a part of fishing communities. I also hear that Ijaw have even made it all the way up to Accra! However, because the areas where we live tend to be swampy, it is also more difficult to develop real estate. To develop land, you first have to conquer the swamp and then add filling, which can become a huge portion of the construction cost. What we are tinkering with now and trying to experiment is having hous es built on metal pillars over the swamps with a fishpond underneath the house. We have looked at some preliminary designs and are trying to incorporate these ideas into our mass housing schemes because they are a direct reflection of the culture of our people. This interview was held by Tuuli Saarela in Accra.
We can say that Bayelsa state is the only homogenous state of the Ijaw tribe in Nigeria.
‘Bayelsa is the Jerusalem of the Ijaw people. We consider it important to preserve the Ijaw culture. Through the President of Nigeria, the Ijaw man’s attire has become national attire. Today, you see other tribes within the country also wearing our attire.’
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
37
An Interview with
Architect Marianela Jim茅nez Calder贸n
Costa Rican Architect Marianela Jim茅nez Calder贸n, President of the Association of Architects of Costa Rica, speaks with ArchiAfrika about sustainable architecture, design and her role in transforming the face of architecture in Costa Rica. 38
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credit: Marianela Jimenez Calderon ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
39
COSTA R
Photo credit: www.costaricantimes.com 40
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
RICA
Your work with the Association of Architects in Costa Rica has placed emphasis on sustainability, heritage and education. Can you talk about some real world approaches or examples of interdisciplinary models at work, in Costa Rica which could be applicable in Africa? Our approach to the concepts of sustainability has been strengthened in recent years because we have concluded that professionals in architecture must approach the issues that affect all people. That is why we are giving a strong impetus to the standard RESET "Requirements for Sustainable Buildings in the Tropics," which is a design guide with seven chapters taking into account the economic conditions of the site where the project will take place, to the development of construction technologies and manufacturing of local materials. The question allows me to take this opportunity to explain about the process of the norm RESET, and I can share examples of interdisciplinary work that have enabled us to achieve a greater audience for our work. At first, an entire process was performed mainly by the IAT (Institute of Tropical Architecture), the CACR (Association of Architects of Costa Rica) and INTECO (Institute of Technical Standards of Costa Rica), for the development of a standard for general dissemination free of charge. The RESET generator concept was born several years ago in the IAT. It was in 2009 when the architect Bruno Stagno convened a group of professionals, called "Junior Group" with weekly meetings, information gathering, studying international standards related to sustainablility, setting parameters, adapting information considered useful and essential for the tropics, and gradually putting together after two years the first version of what would be RESET. Once there was a complete product, the next goal was to turn it into a National Norm, that had more presence ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
41
and could make a real difference to local, regional and global levels. Thus in 2011 a joint effort with INTECO started forming a technical sub-committee of the norm with representatives from various national organizations and government institutions to engage RESET according to ISO standards and supplement according to the requirements of ECA (Costa Rican Accreditation Entity). Finally, after much work and several months public consultation at the national level, the Norm was presented in December of the following year, with reference Inte 06-12-01:2012 RESET. In parallel, the CACR supported us with issues related to sustainability in our profession. In 2009, at the council of the International Union of Architects (UIA), held in San JosĂŠ, the COSTA RICA 2009 Declaration was signed by the President, the chairman of the CFIA (Federated Association of Engineers and Architects) and the presidency of the CACR. The proclamation stands for architecture, regardless of the form of the project, assesses the best conditions for a building in your location, takes into consideration all aspects of a construction that must meet to provide a sustainable future for all species. Taking up this challenge, the CACR performed in 2012 its Biennial under the theme "Meeting Green Architecture and Sustainable Construction," exposing national and international projects focused on this subject, with world-class speakers and a fair on materials and construction products and alternative technologies responsible with the environment. The goal was to reward projects that have that component of environmental protection as a fundamental objective, not necessarily the most spectacular, expensive or sophisticated. But rather projects that have greater importance to construction alternatives that will 42
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
43
Photo credit: network.aia.org ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
43
Since the RESET norm is ready, the CACR has privilege little affected soils, use of materials presented and local labor, use of passive strategies to regAn Interview withits advances in international organizations: FCA - Central American Federation of Arulate light and temperature, so that the use of chitects, the FPAA - Pan-American Federation of energy technologies are as small as possible.
In 2013 the CACR will readopt this topic in its Congress, under the theme "Sustainability, Heritage, Education" because
‘We are convinced that the implementation of sustainability concepts and heritage protection, rather than laws, are required to have a society educated on these issues and that instruction starts from childhood’ where our commission CACR "Constructed Space and Childhood in Costa Rica" is doing a great job. As part of that event, was achieved for the first time in Latin America, a session of the Committee on Children of the UIA, reaching representatives from many countries.
‘Furthermore, within the heritage field, it is much more sustainable to restore existing buildings, rather than demolish and make new projects, without forgetting the cultural identity and content that is rescued.’ Also every year our committee CIDECA (of architecture students) organizes the event "Alternatives for Our World Towards Sustainability". 44
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Architects, at events of the AIA - American Institute of Architects and the UIA - International Union of Architects.
‘In all the RESET standard has been received with great appreciation, interest and support, since it may be applicable to the entire tropical zone around the world.’ For example, the UIA shares information on their official website and are now sponsoring their translation into English and French, which are very close to completion. FCA also has shown a willingness for the RESET to become the regional standard and will begin using it in the Central American Committee of Architecture and Sustainable Construction. Therefore, given the interest of society in general for starting to certify projects, we have already begun in our country the next stage with another group of experts. Again we are reviewing one by one the criteria of each chapter of RESET, this time with the intention of determining the evidence that an applicant must provide to the project to be evaluated and then certified. Due to the complexity and various stages through which an architectural project passes, it was decided to certify independent design stages (this possibility certification was presented to the public in March this year), construction and operation, which are already under review and hope will begin to certify in the course of this year.
Photo Marianela Jimenez Calderon Photocredit: credit: barriobird.blogspot.com ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
45
46
Photo credit: Marianela Jimenez Calderon 46
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
There are other steps to overcome; training on how to approach the national and international level for future evaluators of buildings, getting state institutions and banking organizations to provide benefits to certified projects, etc. However, we have no doubt that, continuing downs the road of teamwork and strategic alliances, these will soon become a reality.
Also, to provide a useful solution, the architectural work must respond to the environment. This is in the tropics and elsewhere in the world. Now in our tropical context, this means responding to particular conditions of sunlight, ventilation, humidity, etc. These must be taken into account to ensure the comfort of the people who inhabit or use the spaces.
In your experiences, what should be the role of the architect in Tropical countries such as Costa Rica and developing Africa. What are your views on better collaboration within these regions within the framework of South-South dialogue?
There is also a responsibility to provide architectural solutions that take into account human di-
The main role is to develop architecture. Personally I do not like talking about the good or bad architecture, because if it is bad you should not have that denomination itself. So the question is:
‘How to define architecture? Many famous architects have described this with absolute poetic inspiration. I will not dare to emulate them because sometimes these are barely understandable descriptions for most people. Leaving the poetry aside, you could say it is the creation of space solutions for users. It can be that simple, but sometimes we forget that our creations must respond to the needs of people and not egotistical or banal interests.’
versity. That is why this year 2014, our Biennial has the theme "Architecture for All," which focuses around the fact that all projects, public or private, internal or external, should take into account human diversity. Not only because of the different physical or cognitive characteristics of each human being, but also in cultural diversity in which we live today thanks to the globalized reality. Also, as CACR, we have promoted the formation of autonomous associations on various topics, to address specific problems. In our recent biennial, congresses and new associations have guided us towards a common strategy: the creation of a team of thematic advisers, to meet the challenges of the topics. To understand architectural professionals requires knowledge of other disciplines in order to face problems that are inherently human. Thus, teams are professionals from different disciplines, some architects, engineers from various fields, educators, public officials, community leaders and private consultants will engage with each other. I think this kind of approach can be applied in other regions of the world, including African countries. This requires the involvement of people who understand that no profession is over the others, but all are important and complementary. This allows for a frank and productive dialogue, which can be among people, organizations, regions and even between nations.
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
47
In Africa, one of the challenges for architects who operate under principles of sustainability is that clients and the public do not see or understand the benefits, nor the approach of design. What do you think about this trend and how can architects begin to address this misconception? I think the only way to reverse this misconception is to show results based on technical data. For example,
‘It can be shown that a large window in the sun transfers a number of degrees of temperature inside a space, while if the same window has adequate cover or screen to protect from the sun, the temperature drops considerably. It can be shown that it is more cost effective to build appropriate shade than to spend on an air conditioning; energy expenditure involves an economic cost to the building owner. This means turning our eyes towards the ancient techniques, using passive strategies to control lighting, ventilation and general comfort in the spaces, but being creative enough to give a contemporary language, according to the reality that we live in today.’ 48
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
This involves applying the concepts, not copying the old ways or forms literally. I want to share with you some ideas taken from RESET Principal Concept of RESET: More Design than Technology. • Sustainability and bioclimatic concepts should form the basis of policy and must be supplemented with technology. While technology is not excluded entirely, it is limited. • RESET wants to be a "popular" norm within the reach of the majority. That’s the only way to create a real change.
Photo credit: costaricanimages.com
• Architects should be responsible for their designs Examples of Design Strategies: • We can make openings in the direction that the wind comes and accelerate speed with apertures to generate freshness. • Glasses must have shade, so it does not warm up. • Prefer materials and local labor. To do this you have to be creative and imaginative. • You have to be Critical! Test the materials and products offered by the market.
The field of architecture in Africa is seen as male dominated. What is your experience of being a female architect in Costa Rica? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your gender in your field of work? Particularly, does gender influence your efforts in advocacy? Although there are still quite a macho influence throughout Latin America, the fact of the matter is that as years go by these ideas are fading, thankfully. Moreover, in Costa Rica we have a number of legal instruments that protect the rights and freedoms of individuals, withArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
49
in our consolidated democratic system. But the main thing is that the change is within the consciousness of people, or the laws will not be worth anything. In the case of my country, during the nineties you could see a good number of women studying architecture, but with few teachers giving lessons. Currently, of the approximately 3,300 professionals in architecture enrolled in our school 35% are women. Note that the CACR is part of the CFIA (Federated Association of Engineers and Architects), which consists of 5 schools, one of them is ours and the other 4 are engineering professions. The percentage ratio of women in those other schools is much lower than in ours. This is exemplified in the formation of the General Board of the CFIA Directive, where of the 10 titular members I'm the only woman. However, in past years, the Board has been taking the presence of women seriously, even in the position of president.We also have a committee on gender issues, which organizes activities and workshops that help us to empower and educate women and society, which holds events for high school youth of both sexes, in which youth are encouraged to reach out towards careers and professions related to architecture and engineering. For example, there have been conferences by Sandra Cauffman, a Costa Rican who runs the MAVEN project of NASA. In my personal experience, both in the professional field and the general society, we have had very satisfactory results. I will not talk about advantages and disadvantages on me as a woman. Of course I have had to confront prejudice and stereotypes (with clients, builders, institutional officials, etc) but that happens in many professions and in many circumstances. And we must remember that women are not the only people who are discriminated, but there are other issues like culture, sexual orientiation, ethnicity, disability, age (very young, very old) etc.. 50
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credit: Marianela Jimenez Calderon
51
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
51
52
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
‘In the case of women, I think the main decision is to refuse to be victims and to assume our role with courage. Prejudices and stereotypes have no basis against dedication, professionalism and commitment. There are no excuses for not getting involved and doing what you can.’ On a practical level, how can ArchiAfrika and your association cooperate on sharing ideas on innovative solutions for design and construction, with an emphasis on educating the public? We can also offer our CACR magazine called "Habitar", which we do a print and digital version also, which is visited by people from many countries. That way, we could transmit Archiafrika to many people, especially in Latin America and Costa Rica. Also, within a scheme of mutual cooperation, we may share your material on our media: website, Facebook profile, Twitter account, you tube channel, etc. I deeply appreciate this interview, allowing us to project what we do to the people of Africa and many more, and that is of immense value. Find out more on Association of Architects Costa Rica by visiting: www.cacrarquitectos.com Via Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arquitectos-de-CostaRica/193116537387117?fref=ts
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
53
ArchiAfrika partners with
Little Sun to promote solar energy
54
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
ArchiAfrika Accra and Little Sun have partnered to distribute a solar lamp designed by artist Olafur Eliasson and engineer Frederick Ottesen. Little Sun aims to provide clean, reliable and affordable light to the 1.6 billion people without access to electricity. While Ghana boasts a relatively high electricity penetration rate of 74%, many parts of the country plunge into frequent power outages or “dumso,” due to challenges in the power supply sector. School children suffer, particularly in rural areas, by not being able to read homework in the evenings. ArchiAfrika and Little Sun have teamed up to distribute Little Sun solar lamps within Ghana and West Africa. Little Sun is not a charity, distribution of solar lamps is a business that aims to form a network of distributors to provide people in rural areas with income. ArchiAfrika Accra, on the other hand, is an NGO concerned with promoting good design solutions for Africa’s development challenges. Together, they will create a marketing approach for Little Sun in Ghana and set up distribution networks to encourage the use of solar lamps as an alternate source of energy.
sign in responding to development challenges.” ArchiAfrika is broadening the discourse on Africa’s built environment to encompass the role of socio-cultural design inspired development. Our goal is to promote design strategies developed within the continent, which address the challenges of our future and engage the next generation of professionals in this critical dialogue. Since launching in 2012, Little Sun has distributed more than 165,000 lamps worldwide. Little Sun’s unique combination of beautiful design and exceptional engineering has made the lamp popular across the globe, and people are discovering just how useful the lamp is even in areas with electricity. The lamp is a fun, accessible tool educating people all over the world about the benefits of solar power and sustainable sources of energy. To learn more www.archiafrika.org www.littlesun.com
Architect Joe Osae-Addo believes that:
‘Solar energy is an answer to the demands of both rural and urban communities in Ghana, the sun being a clean, dependable and renewable resource. Little Sun’s design makes it stand out from other solar lamps on the market and brings a focus back to the central place of good deArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
55
LITTLE SUN ON THE ROAD
By: Ali Ouedraogo Our new ‘Little Sun On the Road’ series features firsthand stories collected by members of the Little Sun team as they travel around the world with the Little Sun project working with our international distribution partners and Little Sun sales agents – all in the business of spreading Little Sun solar light. The first entry comes from Ali Ouedraogo, our Africa Business and Development Coordinator. He has been on the road in Zimbabwe working with our partners Alight Zimbabwe Trust since January. Following is Ali’s account: I first met Darlington Guru last year. As a child, Darlington was sponsored by the NGO Plan Zimbabwe. He grew up in an environment full of adversity where uncertainty and hope sometimes walk side by side. But with the support of Plan Zimbabwe, he is now studying sociology at the University of Zimbabwe. He feels an urgent need to giveback to his community.
“I have rediscovered myself and what I can achieve.” – Darlington Guru Last March Darlington was introduced to the Little Sun project through Alight Zimbabwe Trust, an organisation comprised of formerly sponsored Plan children. While pursuing his studies, Darlington started selling Little Sun lamps in his hometown of Mount Pleasant, a small suburb of Harare with a low electrification rate. He organized small campaigns educating residents about the economic and health benefits of using solar energy, even recruiting one community member to help him sell lamps. Today, Darlington is the owner of his Little Sun small business. He makes enough money to cover some of his daily expenses, 56
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credit: Little Sun
Zimbabwe ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
57
58
Photo credit: Little Sun 58
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
and most importantly for him he is giving back to his community. Selling Little Sun lamps helps me cover transportation costs from my home to the University of Zimbabwe and has given me marketing skills. I have rediscovered myself and what I can achieve. Darlington’s Little Sun business is an opportunity to support himself financially while helping his community members acquire a reliable source of energy. He is currently making one dollar for each lamp sold and the benefits of Little Sun are spreading in his community. Darlinton is now working toward developing his entrepreneurial skills and recently began interning in Alight Zimbabwe Trust’s office. He is learning sales techniques from other Little Sun sales agents and also sharing his experiences with them. The story of Darlington highlights the social and economic impact of Little Sun in off-grid communities. I hope to see many more young people like Darlington, whose commitment to give back and desire to explore all opportunitieserves as an inspiration for others.
“The Little Sun lamps are helping the children in my community by providing them with light so they can study at night and become successful. But many other children in other parts of my country are waiting for the same opportunity. And I want to be there for them.” ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
59
60
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credit: Little Sun ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
61
Photo credit: Little Sun 62
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
63
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
63
Return to
Lagos 64
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
This is an extract from the journal of retired architect Godson Egbo, on his return to Lagos in 2042, following an absence of 39 years. In it he recounts some of the changes in the city since last visiting in 2003.
Godson Egbo
2042 ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
65
Original artwork by Lekan Jeyifo 66
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
1
It had been almost forty years since I had been in Nigeria. I used to go regularly when I was much younger, but I had a bad experience when I attempted a property deal that would have made my fortune. I staked my credibility on the viability of a scheme known as Lekki Palace Towers. British investors raised £2m to purchase land and we were promptly duped by a guy I had been at school with! I was disgraced, and lost face in a major way. So I turned my back on Lagos and decided to concentrate my efforts in the UK. Throughout all these years, Lagos has been on my mind; a distraction; the question, what if...? A vague desire to return; a curiosity.... Now as an old man, I’ve finally taken the opportunity to see what I had missed all these years. The huge Airbus C400 superliner rolled imperceptibly to starboard as the captain announced the beginning of the descent into Lagos. As features on the ground became more discernible, I looked out in an attempt to make sense of the geography. Below me I saw a great sprawling conurbation, spreading almost as far as I could see. The spread was contained on one side by the horizon, and on the other by a wide, glittering sea. I had expected to see the familiar rusted metal roofs, but was surprised by clusters of megalithic blocks and avenues of jostling towers. The buildings appeared to dance and shimmer in the late afternoon sun as their taut glass skins reflected and refracted the sun’s rays. I didn’t recognize the airport until I spotted the old hexagonal control tower of Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The plane spewed us out into Terminal 3. The doors opened and the smell of Africa soon found its way into the cabin. That smell! A rarely-tapped vat of memory was opened up by that smell.
14-05-2042 ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
67
68
Original artwork by Lekan Jeyifo 68
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
‘It smelt of musky earth; of diesel and palm wine; of kola nuts and congestion; of honest sweat and treacherous bile.’ I was immediately transported back to a time of youth; a time of strength and confidence; of love and the vast potentiality of heroic adventure. I headed for passport control. A girl in a turquoise uniform and sputnik plaits eyed me coolly as I ambled up to her window. Wordlessly, she took my European passport, checked it minutely, found a blank page and finally stamped it. “You’ve been gone a long time,” she said, handing me the passport back. Then she smiled, revealing pearly teeth, and said, “Baba, welcome home.” I thanked her and hurried off so that she did not see the small tear that had begun to form in the corner of my eye. Having collected my single item of luggage, I followed the signs for ‘Ikeja Interchange.’ Departing the Terminal, I found myself in a vast plaza. At the far end of the plaza, a huge red stone arch signaled the location of the ‘Mono’ which is the
‘The Lagos State Magnetic Transport Medium, the celebrated magnetic monorail system that had been built in the late 2020’s when the Lagos’ roadbased transport system hit complete gridlock.’
The city’s business community had put such pressure on the government that it was forcedto enter an agreement with the Chao San Construction Company of Shanghai, and Chinese National Railways to build the system. Since its inception, the Mono had proved a massive hit with Lagosians to the point where having a means of private transport was no longer a necessity, and the Mono was patronised by all sectors of society. If a ‘big man’ in a big car wanted to spend his time stuck in traffic, that was up to him! I spotted a Hovering Okada to take me to the Mono terminus. “Hovering Okada, sah. I can drop you to the Mono in great comfort and incredible speed. Only 25 naira!” I was just about to attempt to board his machine when I remembered something: “Twenty-five naira!” I exclaimed in mock disgust, “You must think I am some kind of JJC. Do it for ten.” He smiled and shouted, “Oga, you too tough for me. Okay, enter!” I clambered aboard, and I felt the machine subside a little under my not inconsiderable weight. He revved it up, and in a haze of thin blue smoke, we were underway. He zipped through the throng of the plaza turning this way and that to avoid colliding with pedestrians and other Hovokadas. Now if you ever get the chance to ride on a Hovokada, I would recommend it. It is a smooth ride; there is no contact with the ground and you have your own little semi-open cabin. As the broad canopy of the Mono Terminus grew to meet us, I was curious and urged the driver to keep following the tracks. Up ahead of us a massive, ground-hugging monolith of a building loomed. The road seemed to disappear into its bowels. As we got closer, traffic-calming measures slowed us down to walking pace. We were now in the Guild. It turns out that the Guild - the Oshodi Guild of Market Traders and Allied Practitioners is a quasi-independent body that governs the affairs of this small enclave of Lagos. My driver recounted the history to me. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
69
‘When my father first came to this country in 2008, there were many problems in Lagos. No light, no water, and go slow! Go slow like you never see!’ Apparently, the traders at Oshodi Market got fed up and started to take over the services that the state government should have provided. They sank boreholes, built an incinerating generator, and installed four massive telecom towers. Local people opted out of the regular systems and bought their power, water and telecoms from the Guild. The Guild got wealthier, and started to invest in cleaning up the local environment. People began to notice the difference, and the area started to become popular. The Guild set up an unarmed patrol force, whose signal presence mollified residents and deterred the robbers. Areas adjacent to the Market clamoured for the cheap and regular power; and the new security, and so the Guild spread its influence. In fact, so popular was the Guild, that of the nineteen local government seats, the Guild were returned in twelve in the elections of 2021. At its height the Guild controlled the power, water and most of the telecoms in around 20% of the city. Their influence spread from Ikeja in the north, to Oworonsoki in the east, to Mushin and Fadeyi in the south. We reached the Mono station above Oshodi Market. “I’ll get off here”, I said to the driver. I paid him a hundred naira and he zoomed off grinning. From my elevated position on the overzoom I could see a frenzy of activity in the market below me. The voice of a Taiwanese trader reached me from below. He was loudly berating a Yoruba man 70
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Original artwork by Lekan Jeyifo ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
71
72 74
Ikoyi, artwork Lagosby Godson Egbo Original 72
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
dressed in navy agbada for asking for such a preposterous discount. The Yoruba man in turn accused the merchant of charging criminal prices. But it was all a charade: within moments they had retreated into the trader’s stall to make the transaction. Looking beyond the market, I could clearly see the limits of the Guild.
‘Huge ten to fourteen storey steel monolithic buildings defined these limits, forming an almost medieval city wall.’ Four soaring telecommunications towers rose from the teeming centre of the Guild Zone. I took the underpass and walked the short distance to Oshodi Central station. The station, a much less grand affair than the Terminus, was nonetheless an elegant and practical building. Fat terracotta columns, encrusted in reliefs and reflective tiles, carried a sloping timber ceiling around ten metres above the Kwara marble floor. A façade of glass and perforated metal panels faced the small square in front of the station. I bought a thirty-naira day pass, then stepped up to the platform and waited. A few moments later, the train, splashed in vivid red and white livery, arrived. I stepped into its air-conditioned interior, and was thankful for the cool. Opposite me sat a man I recognised from the flight. I nodded and he smiled back. After a couple of minutes, the train smoothly and silently pulled in to Mushin Gardens. A pair of muscular youths entered my carriage. Speaking in pidgin at an unnecessary volume, the pair were completely self-absorbed. Looking out of the window, it appeared that Mushin hadn’t changed much. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
73
The houses still crowded together as they used to, each appearing to jostle for space and light with its neighbour; but the place was a lot neater than I remembered it. And I think I even saw a small park. The next stop was Yaba Lotus. “Lotus?” I wondered to myself. But looking across the street I saw an imposing building, about 16 storeys high and a whole city block long. Huge letters on the roof advertised the presence of the Lotus Hotel. “I see”. The fellow opposite piped up: “This is our Chinatown”, he said. And when I looked up and down the street, I wondered why I hadn’t noticed earlier. Shops had names like Chang’s Mercantile Emporium, the Double Happiness Restaurant, and Great Wall Real Estate. There was a branch of HSBC. But more striking were the faces on the street. My companion explained that
‘there had been a Chinese presence in Lagos since the 1960s and 70s, but that there had been a more recent and voluminous influx in the years following the Sino-Nigerian Mutual Development Pact of 2012.’ This agreement traded Nigerian raw materials for Chinese technological assistance. “Indeed”, he ventured, “this very train system was built under the Pact.” At that moment a huge motorcycle roared by. I could just make out Guangzhou SD1200 on the fat tank. A young Chinese boy with film star good looks was riding it, and he had a fat-thighed African beauty-riding pillion. The ‘sokoto’ he was wearing flapped in the wind, and she had a job keeping his hair out of her eyes. 74
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
75
The ‘Mono’
Original artwork by Lekan Jeyifo ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
75
Photography
076
Sketches by Godson Egbo
The train pulled out of the station, and soon slid into Yaba South. Next, Ebute Metta; Ijora; Ebute Ero; Tinubu, where I was to descend. After bidding farewell to my companion, I stepped out into the late afternoon heat. The sun was sinking in the sky and I made my way to my friend’s office on Broad Street. Broad Street itself was lined with high buildings; it was like walking through a deep ravine, dark and cavernous. A congestion scheme kept most traffic off the Island, so the streets thronged with pedestrians and Hovokadas. Tired from the journey, the myriad images recently encountered swirled around my brain.
‘Lagos had indeed shed its image as the quintessence of dysfunction; but how much of its soul had it sacrificed in the bargain?’ In my younger days, I had been impressed by the city’s primal energy. Living in Lagos since the reforms started by Olusegun Obasanjo in the early part of the century, much of the biting poverty that made Lagos such a desperate place had softened. And now the city seemed to ooze a sense of contentment; the punch was gone.
‘The city was a little like a boxing champion who became too fat: still a fearsome prospect, but lacking the former drive.’ I entered the sparkling atrium of John Godwin House, and took the elevator to the twentyseventh floor. Surveying the broad panorama of the city from my lofty vantage point, I thought to myself, “You win some, you lose some”.
MOVING PICTURES
- Kampala and Johannesburg
Photo caption: Godfrey M., in Nakasero Market – Kampala, Uganda
78
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Thomas Aquilina
Photo Caption: Graffiti illustration in Yeoville – Johannesburg, South Africa
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
79
In this feature, I want to show you two photographs of bicycles, which I took on my last days in Kampala and Johannesburg. The bicycle as a primary mode of transport in these two cities is rare. Its function for mobility is underutilized. Perhaps this has to do with the high cost of maintenance, or the safety of the bicycle when sharing the road with other larger and faster vehicles. In Kampala and Johannesburg, public minibuses are affordable and the surest way to get around for the majority of commuters. In Kampala traffic is thick and boda-bodas (lightweight motorbike taxis) are also widespread. Nakasero Market, Kampala, Uganda In a fruit market, a toolmaker toils. With a bespoke bicycle powering a grindstone, he sharpens knives. His hands hardened from operating the abrasive disc. It is a clever mechanism and, from the look of it, a nylon string is tucked between wheel rim and tyre, and driven by his pedalling. In the same way as nearby parasols, a broad-brimmed hat shades him from the searing Ugandan sun. He appears undisturbed by the nonstop purchase and sale of livestock and commodities.
‘A little distance away, market traders watch the toolmaker at work. Some watchers look curiously, their gaze captured in the photograph. However, there is something about the bicycle.’ Yeoville, Johannesburg On a plastered wall, a piece of graffiti provokes. A comic illustration of a cow piggybacked on a man, riding a bicycle. The stenciled characters appear life-sized. But the cow is disproportionately heavy for the cyclist, and
burdens him. Its coat is patterned to resemble a world map. The world held aloft the cyclist’s shoulders. Instead of a monkey on your back, the cow is favoured as a metaphor to the customs of traditional Zulu life. It is painted with a black-tipped nose, a feature of the Nguni cattle breed and indigenous to southern Africa. The two photographs reference the same simple subject: locomotion on two wheels, and the images also speak of imagination and inventiveness. Both the toolmaker and graffiti artist are operators in the informal sectors of cities, and they each have very different uses for the bicycle. The toolmaker, Godfrey N.,
81
Photo caption: Nakasero Market – Kampala, Uganda
told me “all things in the market move around knives. Traders need them to cut anything from tomatoes to meat.” Godfrey, propelled by his pedals, would usually sharpen around two hundred knives per day. Lwazi M., a Johannesburg resident who showed me the graffiti image, said the illustration tells the story of many informal livelihoods. He suggested, “Life in this condition is always compromised.” Their carrying capacity, though, shouldn’t be underestimated. In this upending and unsure mode of operating, people are agile. Lwazi assured me “They’re all heading somewhere.” The pictures invoke a feeling of momentum.
‘To me the bicycles also represent aspirations for residents to change their circumstances.’ Not necessarily an outward mobility in which inhabitants physically depart from their city, but a transformation of their current condition. The photographs point to the possibilities to reposition what already exists. Follow on Twitter @thomasaquilina ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
81
gene
PAT THOMAS
82
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
erations
AYIGBE EDEM ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
83
Across Generations was an Adventurers in the Diaspora [AiD] event which took place on Thursday, 7th November, 2013 at the Damba Terrace of the Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra. Panelists Denning Edem Agbeviadey [Ayigbe Edem] – Ghanaian hiplife musician Patrick Thomas [Pat Thomas] – Ghanaian highlife musician Ben Brako – Musician, Radio Presenter Ama K. Abebrese – TV Presenter, Actress AiD’s Across Generations series showcases cross-generational collaborative efforts in different areas of the arts. Across Generations explores the potentials for collaboration in music, poetry, filmmaking, painting and sculpture. For the first of the series, the focus was on musicical collaboration. Pat Thomas and Ayigbe Edem, who collaborated on a re-mix of Pat Thomas’ classic song ‘Sika ye mogya’ were featured. Pat Thomas Patrick Thomas was born in 1951 in Kumasi, to a father who was a music teacher and a mother who was a “singing band” leader. The wave of disco and reggae that swept Africa in the mid-70s created differing responses in the music community in Ghana. Whereas some musicians shunned imported music entirely, others like Pat Thomas adapted the trend successfully to their unique styles. His band, The Sweet Beans, was very popular in the late1970’s and toured the whole country. They also accompanied the president General I.K. Acheampong on trips during State functions to entertain invited guests. Once named as “The Golden Voice of Africa” by the Arts Centre, Pat Thomas has won numerous awards, including ECRAG album of the year. Hit songs include ‘Medo Wiase’, ‘Megyedzi So’, ‘Gye Nyame Dzi’, ‘Sika Nantee’, ‘Anoma’, ‘Medo Waise’, ‘Yesu Se Bra’, ‘Marijata’, and ‘Stay there’. His most popular song has been ‘Sika Ye 84
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credits: ArchiAfrika ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
85
Mogya’, a 90’s classic which is still popular today. Ayigbe Edem Denning Edem Agbeviadey is a young Ghanaian recording artist and entertainer who performs under the name Ayigbe Edem or Edem for short. Edem rose to fame with the release of his maiden album, The Volta Regime in 2008, which has songs like the hit ‘U dey craze’, ‘Bra fremi fremi’, ’ Nyornuviade’, ‘Give it up’, ‘Emmre Sesa’ and ‘Lorlortor’. This album was produced by Edward Nana Poku Osei, aka Hammer of The Last Two. He has collaborated with other Ghanaian acts such as the sensational Samini, Sarkodie, Kwaw Kesse, Kwabena Kwabena, KK Fosu, Obrafour and E.L. Some of the discussion points from the first Across Generations event were:
1. The relevance of mentorship in the music industry as well as what older artistes have to learn from the younger artistes. The panelists shared what they had learnt from each other in their work together. Pat Thomas got Edem interested in playing guitar for example. “It’s good to mix with the younger ones. You pick up so many things from each other…” Pat Thomas said, describing an encounter with Edem when he taught the young artiste to tune a guitar. “We learn from each other, and that’s good.”
86
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credits: ArchiAfrika ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
87
2. The need for more cross generational collaborative efforts in music. The panelists touched on the commercial successes of musical collaborations such as Obour and A.B. Crentsil’s “Adjoa” and “Juliana”. Each artiste was exposed to a different, previously untapped generation of fans through the collaboration. They spoke about how similar collaborations would boost sales for older performers. Ben Brako spoke about improved lyrical content as an example of why there should be more collaboration. He spoke about how the culture behind music is very important. He believes that younger artistes can learn how to better represent themselves in their music and stagecraft from older artistes.
3. The importance of performing live and playing one or more musical instruments. Ben Brako spoke about the richness of the experience of of live music shows and advised young artistes to perform live more often. He also admitted that digital recordings were extremely convenient and helped young artistes to release their songs often. He thought that older artistes could learn from this and release more songs.
88
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Ama Abebrese brought up the issue of financial gains from music in Ghana. She pointed out that unlike in the West, royalties are not paid and there are no major record labels signing on and managing artistes. She asked the panelists how they made money off their music. Edem spoke about monetising youtube videos for instance and said that was a way of getting money, even though that was meager. He said there was a need to explore other ways for Ghanaian artistes to make money off their music because the foreign methods are not applicable here in Ghana.
89
Photo credits: ArchiAfrika ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
89
90
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
ArchiAfrika launched the ArchiAfrika Educational Network [AAEN], a partnership of architecture schools across the continent in cooperation with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The AAEN aims to develop excellence among the next generation of professionals in the African built environment.
The 10 architectural schools that launched the AAEN agreed that strategies to address the challenges in the African built environment should be developed from within the continent, in a cross disciplinary and cross cultural dialogue, by highlighting the work of excellent contemporary architects of Africa. One of the AAEN activities is the online lecture series.
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
91
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
92
Joel Attah, Central University College: “You spoke about making changes to designs that will be beamed out on site and edited in just seconds. How do we get similar systems to work in Africa, since we have low levels of IT networking?” That’s an interesting question. I don’t know what the amount of knowledge is when it comes to down to production techniques and design techniques in Africa.What we have learned is that in each country, in each location you work in, you can adapt the systems you’re working with to that particular locality.So it is not particularly necessary to always use the most advanced techniques. It is definitely possible also to come up with technologies that are local as well as working methods that are adaptable to the localities. Bekalu, Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Build and Construction: “The super geometries that you work with might be considered as luxurious in some contexts. How would you justify them, and explain the complications and possibilities of dealing with such structures?” Geometry has always been very important in architecture. If you look at the history of city development - the development of cities like Amsterdam and Manhattan for example, the geometry of the city has modulated the whole aspect of consumption, production and finance of the city. We shouldn’t forget that a similar kind of quality of geometrical principles has been playing a very important role in the making of buildings too. So, If we talk about consumption, production and the way that people use the building, it’s often connected to organisational principles. I’m not interested in geometry itself, I’m more interested in what the geometry can do to the organization of the building.
And maybe, I’m more fascinated in the principle of infrastructure and the rooting and the way people meet on the staircase, in the hallway, in the corridor or there wherever you have an infrastructural knot to be brought towards architecture is for me already a first reason to think of the geometry of the building.If you take the Mercedes Benz building with the double helix, the double helix is an infrastructural idea, it’s not a geometrical idea. It might look like a highly complex mathematical geometrical structure, but it started on an infrastructural basis. Edem Tamakloe, Kwame Nkrumah University if Science and Technology:“With regards to social sustainability of space, is there the possibility in the future, that people’s perception of public spaces will change?” The idea of social sustainabilty, I think, is a very fascinating concept in architecture. Like so often, I’ve noticed, when people are using an elevator, they don’t often talk to one another. And I think that’s not very sustainable. It’s not sustainable simply because, it’s not healthy to always take an elevator, it’s much nicer to move around a staircase because you can meet each other, and there is, hopefully with that, a better way of exchanging knowledge. And I think the public space is to be found in many places of architecture. It is not to be found in the public square in the city alone. No, it is to be found also in the way you meet each other in a waiting space, or in a corridor before you go into a classroom, for instance. There are many ways where socially sustainable ideas can motivate people to work differently, exchange knowlegde, to share more ideas, and to interact much better than we engineer these spaces to be.So I do believe that a form of social science is very important before you engineer a public space. ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
93
Lagos is Nigeria’s economic focal point, generating a significant portion of the country’s GDP. Most commercial and financial businesses are carried out in the CBD situated on the island. This is also where most of the country’s commercial banks and financial institutions and major corporations are headquartered. The fact that Lagos remains the nation’s commercial capital naturally draws many people into banks. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s new cashless policy aims at reducing (NOT ELIMINATING) the amount of physical cash (coins and notes) circulating in the economy, and encouraging more electronicbased transactions (payments for goods, services, transfers, etc.). The policy was introduced in Lagos for a number of key benefits, including: For Consumers: Increased convenience; more service options; reduced risk of cashrelated crimes; cheaper access to (out-ofbranch) banking services and access to credit. For Corporations: Faster access to capital; reduced revenue leakage; and reduced cash handling costs. For Government: Increased tax collections; greater financial inclusion; increased economic development. Increased tax collections; greater financial inclusion; increased economic development. The most outstanding cashless banking channels world over are Mobile banking; internet banking; telephone banking; electronic card; PoS terminals and ATMs. The challenge for architects in Lagos and Africa is to integrate these new channels into core aspects of our banking environment, and redesigning the banking halls to be more user friendly. Most banks in Lagos were designed with more consideration given to the traditional 94
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Artwork by Peter Odoh
Bank Design Rethinking
to promote a cashless Lagos An Architecture Student Design Studio By: Peter E. Odoh Project Supervised by: Dr. Okey Nduka. Senior Lecturer University of Nigeria, Enugu
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
95
98
way of cash intensive banking. The typical layout of a banking hall is an‘over-thecounter’ layout. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced a new policy on cash-based transactions which stipulates a ‘cash handling charge’ on daily cash withdrawals or cash deposits that exceed N500,000 for individuals and N3,000,000 for corporate bodies. The new policy on cash-based transactions (withdrawals & deposits) in banks, aims at reducing, not eliminating, the amount of physical cash circulating in the economy. Nigerian and other nationals in Lagos currently transact various types of business through the ‘over-the-counter’ model, and this inadvertently mounts pressure on the banking buildings. The following are the major limitations of the ‘over-the-counter’ bank layout design: 1. Poor personal banking experience due to the counter barrier 2. Customers unable to easily access information during transaction 3. Electronic features provided on the counter are not easily monitored during usage by customers. Suggestions to accommodate new banking policy: 1. Create a more friendly personal environment 2. Eliminate standing queues 3. Provide more options for e-banking 4. Allow for a more customer controlled banking experience Design goals of proposed solution: 1. To better incorporate electronic banking elements within the banking environments. 2. To enhance security through design. 3. To improve corporate identity. 4. Aesthetics. 96
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
approach
Artworks by Peter Odoh
rear
right
left ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
97
SUSTAINABLE LOW COST HOUSING Changing Mindsets in the Approach to Government Low Cost Housing Projects By Mary Anne Constable
98
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
The City of Cape Town municipality has initiated a new innovative subsidised low cost housing project in a town called Ocean View, situated a short drive away from Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa. This project demonstrates how government can play a role in leading the way forward in the areas of housing and job creation in order to promote sustainable livelihoods in impoverished communities. The distinctive stone houses are constructed from materials found naturally on site and the architects have designed a plan which breaks from the conventional box shaped plans of previous government housing projects. Despite providing jobs to a large portion of the unemployed population of Ocean View, the project is restoring a sense of dignity to a community which has long been without a voice. Ocean View, originally called Slangkop, was established as a township in 1968 as a result of forced removals initiated by the Apartheid government and the implementation of the Group Areas Act. People of “colour� were relocated from the estimated unemployment levels of 85%. High levels of alcohol and drug abuse have led to crime and domestic violence. Lack of skills and education mean that work opportunities are few.
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
99
A further lack of proper infrastructure and adequate housing exacerbates the problem; some community residents have lived for decades without proper sanitation and basic services. In 1951, as a result of a study conducted by the National Building Research Institute in the Soweto Township, Johannesburg, a design for a low cost house was developed to meet minimum living standards that were considered adequate for “non-Europeans” by the Apartheid government. These typically block shaped houses (nicknamed the 51/6) consisted of 2 bedrooms, a lounge and kitchen beneath a double pitched gable end roof. 100
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Basic toilet facilities were provided as a separate outhouse at the back of the plot. The 150mm wide concrete block walls were roofed with cement fibre corrugated sheeting. There were no ceilings (or insulation) and no internal walls. 19 years after Apartheid ended, the low cost houses provided under the new government’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), still emulate this earlier “design.” Time has shown that these typical RDP block houses are far below par for comfortable and healthy living standards. The thin external walls provide negligible protection against rain, wind and fire. The
government earmarked the site on the edge of Ocean View in the 1980’s, however the land was never suitable for a subsidy housing project due to the high cost of excavating the rock material. In October 2006 a contractor was appointed to remove the rock and the crushed material was sold over a four year period.
department who initiated the project from its beginning phases, explains that “the City wants to change the perception of low cost housing. When we think of low cost housing our minds always go to the box RDP house typology. We are trying to change mindsets.”
At the same time the density of the subdivision was increased to make a subsidy housing project financially viable. The design and planning of the housing units only began in 2012 and construction commenced in 2013. Pauline Houniet, Head Project Coordinator at City of Cape Town’s Human Settlements ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
101
102
102
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
‘The Mountain View Ocean View housing project aims to break the conventional mould by designing an “unconventional” type of RDP house that fits within the 40 square metre minimum requirements. The major innovative concept that underpins the design of the houses is the use of existing stone found on site. This material is labour intensive therefore many jobs have been created for residents.’
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
103
The unskilled labourers are trained on site by a stone mason expert. Essential to promoting a sustainable livelihood is the transfer of knowledge to the community so that they will able to apply their learning in the future. The City approved additional funding from the Mayor’s Special Job Creation Programme Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The building contractor for the project, the Mellon Housing Initiative, facilitates the EPWP programme as well as engaging with the local community in order to respond to their specific needs, which is a key element. Another significant design concept is the conception of an “out of the box” plan. Of the 543 houses, there will be 5 different “types”, explains Architect, Andre Spies from Twothink Architects (appointed in association with Etienne Bruwer). Type A houses are currently under construction in Phase 1 of the project. The house is roofed with concrete roof tiles which have better insulation properties than a conventional tin roof. A dropped ceiling below conceals a truss and extra insulation above. Structurally, the stone is packed against a steel formwork. Concrete blocks are used at window and door openings to create smooth edges to the stone walls making it easier to install window and door fittings. Although there are no gutters on the roofs, a splash apron runs all the way around the footprint of the house to draw water away from the foundations. The house has a T-shape plan and each share a boundary wall with the one next door which saves space (the walls are 390mm thick). The shape of “T” plan helps to articulate the different spaces inside the house as well as creating open spaces outside that allow for future additions. In so doing, the houses actually seem to be bigger than the 40 square metre area, explains Spies. 104
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
The flexibility of the plan means that each resident can add a unique identity to their house. Stone that is procured locally provides far superior environmental benefits to concrete block construction, providing comfortable and healthy living conditions. This unique project is a positive step towards initiating change in the way low cost housing projects are conceptualised and delivered. It is expected that it will generate a model for similar projects both locally in the Western Cape and nationally (and perhaps internationally). Collaboration and buy-in from different interest groups has been essential.
‘The process has involved a great extent of learning and it is important that these lessons are used to create better and more efficient models for government subsidy housing projects in future.’ Mary Ann Constable Two Think Architecture
105
Photo credit: Mary Ann Constable
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
105
Architecture and Art at work Mobilization For Inclusive Urban Development
106
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Art at Work, the itinerant experimental urban project launched by BOZAR and the European Commission, rallied local cultural partners and UNHabitat in its path, and became a lobbying and rallying instrument. The Road to Kampala In September 2012, the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels (BOZAR) organized the regional conference How art and architecture can make city development inclusive and sustainable in Kampala, Uganda. This event was part of larger traveling urban platform project Art at Work, an experiment designed to generate a reflection on the place, role of and access to culture in civil society. The project’s simple format called for an open-air wooden exhibit pavilion designed by architect David Adjaye, placed in public spaces and sheltering temporary African contemporary photography exhibits conceived by Simon Njami and local curators, as well as parallel workshops for artists. Launched at the 3rd EU-Africa summit n Tripoli, it was produced in six African capitals from 2011 to 2012 (Addis Ababa, Cairo, Harare, Kampala, Bujumbura, and Nairobi), with the support of the European Commission. Throughout the duration of this project, public, press and institutional reception of this initiative confirmed three essential values: the commitment of a new generation of African artists, arts professionals creativity.
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
107
108
of Uganda, Kampala City Authority Council, Bayimba Cultural Foundation, and Makarere University, and the valuable collaboration of the Aga Khan Development Network representative office in Uganda, and ArchiAfrika and UN Habitat. The Declaration of Kampala was adopted at this forum, as an example of commitment that can rally regional, national and local stakeholders in the field of art and architecture around the common goal of inclusive and sustainable urban development in African cities. credit:Kampala Kathleen Louw ofPhoto Uganda, City Authority Council, 108
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Furthermore, and more importantly, this project and particularly the Kampala conference, through the people it mobilized, became the embryo of a small but powerful multidisciplinary and multi-institutional lobby for the cause of peoplefocused and culture-based urban development. The Conference The idea of adding a regional component to the Kampala edition of the Art at Work project came from existing local momentum for regional connectedness, from the attempted traveling East-African Art Biennial (EASTAFAB), to the Bayimba festival, the new Kampala contemporary art biennial (KLAART12), and the country’s Jubilee celebrations of independence, all happening within the same period, Fall 2012. A regional conference How art and architecture can make city development inclusive and sustainable was thought to be a worthy initiative to stimulate intra-African exchange on the issue of urban development, and to complement well the artists workshops of the Art at Work project. Around a keynote presentation by David Adjaye, the conference succeeded in gathering over 70 professionals from the East African Region - mayors, planners, architects, and arts professionals - all engaged in the challenge of (re)defining their cities. The conference benefited from partnerships with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
109
Bayimba Cultural Foundation, and Makarere University, and the valuable collaboration of the Aga Khan Development Network representative office in Uganda, and ArchiAfrika and UN Habitat. The Declaration of Kampala was adopted at this forum, as an example of commitment that can rally regional, national and local stakeholders in the field of art and architecture around the common goal of inclusive and sustainable urban development in African cities.
The Impact A chain reaction of interventions in various high-level fora has been at work since Kampala, thanks to the engagement of many dedicated institutions and individuals. In October 2012, the Ugandan Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, took the floor in the 3rd meeting of the culture ministers of ACP (Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific) in Brussels to evoke the conference held in Kampala, and ask that the assembly adopt a resolution in this field. This was unanimously approved and Resolution No. 21, under the chapter ‘capacity building’, read as follows: ‘[The Ministers of culture of ACP countries] propose measures to value the role of arts and architecture to the service of inclusive and sustainable urban development in ACP cities.’ In April 2013, BOZAR, the European commission, and ArchiAfrika were invited to organize a side event at the 24th Governing Council meting of UN Habitat. The event, labeled Art and Architecture at Work included two presentations, one by South African architect Heinrich Wolff, on his socially-engaged architectural work in South Africa, and the other by Joy Mboya, director of the GoDown Arts center in Nairobi, on its upcoming new city-wide festival Nai Ni Who. Our speakers made these recommendations to UN Habitat: reinforce its mandate by watching, learning from, and documenting successful, inclusive, 110
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
bottom-up, urban culture-based, asset-focused initiatives that foster re-imagining of the city, cultural diversity, and cultural confidence and harmony among citizens; bridge the gap between civil society and national urban policies by showcasing these types of models; and develop context-based narratives for sustainability. The collaboration continued in November 2013 with the panel The Value of culture and creativity in urban development at European Development Days, the European Commission’s annual event focusing this year on the new development goals of its ‘A decent life for all’ vision. For this event, BOZAR, the European Commission and UN Habitat gathered five panelists from local government, cultural, planning, business, and architecture in various parts of the world (including Joy Mboya of the GoDown Arts Centre of Nairobi; M.A. Masunda, former mayor of Harare; Indian planner Shipra Narang Suri, and Carlos Jamarillo; the former head of planning in Medellin, named the most innovative city of the year by the Wall street Journal in 2012). This panel was in fact the only discussion in this forum planned around the topic of culture, and its objective is to argue for the need to integrate fully art, architecture, public spaces, culture and creativity into the post-2015 development agenda.
What Next? UNESCO stated that no society can flourish without culture, and no development can be sustainable without it. In tandem with the priority issue of urban development - ‘the most defining phenomena of the 21st century’ according to the World Bank - we need to affirm the role of culture as a key binding element for social cohesion and the exercise of democracy in the fast-growing and young cities of the developing world. Indeed, in today’s globalized world and information
111
Photo credit: Kathleen Louw ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
111
economy, the attractiveness and well-being of cities represent influential social contexts for economic growth, and the creativity embedded in each city and emanating from its diverse stakeholders, is a driver of development. Local, bottom-up initiatives, visionary experiments, are needed to support this argument. Art at Work, the itinerant experimental urban project launched by BOZAR and the European Commission, rallied local cultural partners and UNHabitat in its path, and became a lobbying and rallying instrument. The synergy of the partners’ respective missions (culture, development, habitat) came together on the terrain of urban development, and combined, strengthen the message conveyed at high-level fora. There are many important initiatives and discussions on culture-based urban development generated by a multidisciplinary group of professionals in the Continent, such as Doual’art’ Salon Urbain de Douala’, Picha’s biennial in Lubumbashi, and ArchiAfrika’s African Perspectives conference series and its ‘Lagos Dialogues.’ These initiatives need to be documented and publicized. Actual urban projects, such as Nairobi’s Nai Ni Who festival, need to be written up and analyzed in terms of costs, benefits and impacts. Official fora in 2014 such as the 4th EU –Africa Summit in Brussels and the World Urban Forum in Medellin, are ideal militancy platforms where the message for inclusive, culture-based urban development can be heard again, and arguments made.
‘A chain reaction of interventions in various high-level fora has been at work since Kampala, thanks to the engagement of many dedicated institutions and individuals.’ 112
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credits: Kathleen Louw ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
113
Oguaa Football For Hope Centre
Photo credit: ArchiAfrika 114
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Mfantsipim School is an all boys secondary school located in the town of Cape Coast, 100 miles sfrom Ghana’s capital Accra. Mfantsipim was first established in 1878 and 1905 and is the nations first secondary school. Ghana’s Football for Hope Centre was built on a site donated by the school for the FIFA’s ‘20 centres for 2010’ campaign.
Sustainable Features Sustainability was one of the principle directives of the project brief from initial conception through to detailed design. The project followed passive design principles and adopted a mixed building material palette of indigenous, renewable and reclaimed components. The use of passive design systems allowed us to negate the need for expensive cooling systems and minimize the running costs of electricity and water as well reducing the effects of the frequent blackouts and interrupted water supply in the area. The concern over the continuously fluctuating price of imported materials such as concrete, steel and the high cost and quality of treated timber lead the designer to consider reclaimed scaffolding and donated shipping containers for the structural elements. The use of local materials and technology such as bamboo and mud block enabled siting of the building within its natural and cultural context and also ensured that construction and future maintenance could be undertaken by the local workforce. It’s such a pleasure to be here at your centre a year after its opening, and seeing that it’s become a living place. It’s not just an edifice, but a living place. What makes this place unique?
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
115
121
Photo credit: ArchiAfrika 116
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
The FIFA Oguaa Football for Hope Centre was built by FIFA but owned by the community and so its very important that the community has ownership of the whole facility. So when you see the community here this morning playing, smiling and having fun, that is the ideal. You know most times, organizations build such nice premises but it becomes a white elephant. You don’t get people patronizing it. But at our centre, we’re so lucky that is not the case, and I’m a very happy person because everyday I come here I see the children play and have fun. That is what makes me happy. It’s so great to see children who otherwise would have been on the streets coming to have fun here.
‘I call this place a social clinic because everyday we get not only the children, but their parents coming here to talk to us about the changes that they have observed in their children as a result of their children coming here to play, That makes me happy. At least it tells me that the centre is here to provide hope to the underprivileged and that is exactly what it can do.’ Can you give us a little bit of history of the project, and how it was actualised? The FIFA Oguaa Football for Hope Centre is part of legacy of projects for the first World Cup held on African soil. FIFA built 20 of these centers around Africa, as a legacy for the World Cup being hosted in South Africa.
Luckily for us, FIFA decided to build facility in Ghana. We were lucky to be one of the selected countries. The purpose is to use football to promote health, education as well as the overall well-being of young people. One important thing about the facility is that FIFA, as I’ve mentioned, wanted community ownership of the whole place. And that comes with the design of the place, as well as implementation of the project. As a result, we used local raw materials to build the place and were fortunate to have a Ghanaian architect- Joe Addo to design the place. The community ownership of was quite important to FIFA and that is what we’ve been able to achieve. Firstly by using the local raw materials and secondly by using a Ghanaian architect to design the center. What are some of the specific programs within this incredible environment of yours? I use the word environment very loosely, but that’s what it is. You’ve created place… a sense a place and also created very detailed programming which will benefit the users of this area. Over here we run programs for children in different age groups. First of all, we have a program for children ages 4 to 15. We call the program “Play for Fun, Learn for Life.” It has been designed and structured into a 48-week curriculum and every week there is a different topic to teach the children.
‘One unique way by which we are implementing this program is through the use of football as a teaching aid. We’ve moved away from the traditional classroom setup. We use football to teach children health skills, ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
117
life skills as well as social skills. That makes us unique because, for example, we use the football turf as our classroom and the coaches as our teachers.’ With this facility, we have also created a program for young adults from age 15 to 25. In this program, we pick young adults who are out of school, who are out of training, or who are doing nothing at all… who are just on the streets. We bring them to the centre, we invite external resource persons after we have done an individual needs assessment to find out what really is the problem with these individuals and what are some of the interventions we can make. At the end of the day, we able to get some of them back to school and we are able to find employment for some of them. We’re also able to train some of them to work in the centre. What has been the general response, or do you think the architecture has had a direct impact on the way the project has gone? Do you think the architecture matters?
‘That is where the issue of architecture comes in. I believe strongly that the architecture matters. We have many visitors coming around to look at the building. The design creates a very safe environment for the children. When you look around at the environment, the surroundings,
118
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
Photo credit: ArchiAfrika ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
119
Photo credits: ArchiAfrika 120
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
it’s so natural. Look at the trees, the bamboo, the whole structure, it’s so airy.’ So yes, I believe one of the positive things that has come out of this whole project is the architectural aspect of it. It is very important. In closing, I would like you to talk about the future plans. You had mentioned opening up another facility in the north. I would like to say that we are very happy to support you, with a design from Francis Kere, who by the way is very keen. Why it is important to duplicate this? First of all, I would like to say a big thank you to Constructs LLC for the wonderful work they did for us. Especially to Joe Addo. We are trying to expand and build a lot more centers. We are trying do so many other things that involve architecture. We wish to partner with like minded institutions like ArchiAfrika to develop more projects.
“That is where the issue of architecture comes in. I believe strongly that the architecture counts. We have many visitors coming around to look at the building. It creates a very safe environment for the children. When you look around at the environment, the surroundings, it’s so natural.” ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014
121
Contributors Joseph Osae-Addo Cyril Akika Marianella Jimenez Calderon Little Sun Godson Egbo Thomas Acquilina Ben van Berkel Peter Odoh Mary Ann Constable Kathleen Louw Wahab Musah Editor Tuuli Saarela Keziah Illidge Art Direction & Design Joseph Osae-Addo Kodzo Nyanyuie Doamekpor Translation Cecile Johanet 122
ArchiAfrica Magazine September 2014