Sensitivity in Africa

There are a number of international architects working in rural developing Africa, in areas such as the DRC. The challenges with this are that the problems that need to be identified are far different from the problems in developed countries with design.

Sensitivity to context, culture and the vernacular are extremely significant when designing in developing Africa.

Archdaily recently published an article about energy efficiency and how LEED will not work in Africa http://www.archdaily.com/375906/why-leed-doesnt-work-in-rural-africa-and-what-will/

The most important aspect to respond to is that the African culture is at an architectural climate which is of much difference to the developed cultures.

The argument of Green Design and environmentally friendly aspects in design can also be put forward in Africa. The execution however, needs to be very different, as the availability of technology is far less in Africa.

Architecture in Africa needs to have its own responses to the problems, which in many regards can be socio economic. The product of African architecture needs to of its place, Genius Loci needs to be identified at a Glenn Murcutt standard of Australian architecture. An architect, who can identify the socio economic issues and psychological aspects of the context and respond to them appropriately, will create a step in the right direction in the discourse of developing African architecture.