1. The Built Environment: West African Architecture:
Mande, Nabdam, Ganvie, Bamileke; Igbo; and Afro-Brazilian
To explore how the built environment shapes, expresses or reflects
the ecology, culture, and history of the various West African peoples
-To demonstrate the variety and types of architecture that exists in the sub-region
-To identify the diversity of materials used in the creation of
African architecture in general

2. Mande Architecture Characteristics:
Mud architecture with buttresses and parapets called toron
Found throughout the Mande world—Mali, Ivory coast and Burkina Faso
Structures include tombs of religious leaders, and Mosques
Structures have minarets that towers above their roofs

3. Djenne Mosque, Djenne, Mali, adobe bricks,
Completed in 1907 after the original 14th century model

4. Village Mosque at Kawara, Ivory Coast, Mande Architecture

5. Tomb of Askia Mohammed, (1493-1529) Mali

6. Sankore Mosque at Timbuktu,
Mali,
Originally built in 1300 AD
Periodically revamped
Since the 14th century

7. Mosque at Dougouba, Mali

8. Walata, Nabdam and Hausa
Found in Mauritania; Ghana and Northern Nigeria
Architecture made from stone and covered with mud
Houses have two stories, flat roofs and interior courtyards
Exterior walls painted with red ocher,
doors and windows decorated with curvilinear patterns
Interior of rooms painted with white and red motifs
Motifs inspired by Arabic scripts and referred to as Arabesque
Mostly painted by Women

9. Courtyard, Mauritania

10. Interior of the home of the Mayor of Walata with
Arabesque decorations, Mauritania

11. Arabesque decorations, Mauritania

12. Façade of a Hausa compound decorated in low relief and paints,
Zaria, Nigeria

13. Relief decorations on mud walls,
Hausa Architecture,
Zaria, Nigeria

14. Frafra Compound, Painted Mud walls, Northern Ghana

15. Frafra painted house, pigments on mud walls, Ghana

16. Granary with prefabricated roof
Being raised into position

17. Ground plan of Frafra compound

18. Toguna—Men’s Meeting House--Mali

19. Dogon Toguna with carved pillars, Mali

20. Dogon Toguna, Carved wood, millet, stone and mud, Mali

21. Bamileke—Cameroon
Made by the Bamileke peoples in the Cameroon Grassland
Houses are constructed from palm reeds, bamboo, leaves and wood
Wood used in creating wooden structures that adorn the exterior of the building
Mat woven from vegetable fibers used to create movable partitions inside the house
Thatched roofs, no windows, low doors and raised thresholds

22. Interior courtyard of the palace showing carved pillars
Foumba,
Bamum, Cameroon

23. Framework of a square house ready for thatching, Cameroon

24. Ganvie, Republic of Benin
“The African Venice”

25. Ganvie Village, D.R. Benin

26. Stilt House,
Ganvie Village, D.R. Benin

27. Ganvie Villiage, D.R. Benin

28. Afro-Portuguese Impulses:
Baroque inspired architecture created by returnees
Who settled in Lagos Nigeria, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Characterized by elaborate façade with intricate decorative patterns
Later evolved into animated/figurative images
To communicate status

29. Central Mosque, Afro-Portuguese Baroque Architecture,
Joao Baptist Da Costa, , Lagos, Nigeria

30. Adjavon House, Afro-Portuguese Baroque Architecture, Wydah, D.R. Benin

31. Americo-Liberian Architecture
Created by returnees; missionaries and administrators
Characteristics:
Two-story structures
Constructed of wood, tin/zinc
Mostly on stilts with veranda surrounding the first two floors

32. Macon Hall House, Fortsville, Liberia, Late 19th century. Wood and Tin

33. Igbo Mbari Houses
Architecture created in response to urgent environmental
and social issues/concerns
A communal endeavor erected as shrines
in veneration of Ala, the Earth Goddess
Created with mud with representational images
to depict scenes of everyday lives
that might parody, critique, mirror, and or chronicle social events
Sculptures are panted with uli decorative patterns

34. Igbo Mbari House,
Ala flanked by her children,
Igboland, Nigeria
Painted mud, 20th century

35. Igbo Mbari House to Ala, the Earth Goddess, Adobe and wood, 20th century

36. Doors, Windows and House Posts

37. Door,
Igbo,
Wood,
Early 20th century

38. Door,
Olowe,
Wood,
Yoruba

39. Verandah Posts,
Olowe,
Wood,
Yoruba,