Vernacular Architecture of West Africa: A World in Dwelling

The living environments of hundreds of African ethnic groups offer a variety of ideas and construction practices which contradict the over-played image of primitive huts that have come to represent rural Africa. Each house or group of houses is conceived not only to shelter the family but also to facilitate communication with ancestors and the divinities and to be in tune with nature.This cultural dimension and its application using different architectural practices are fantastically illustrated in this work, with examples taken from the habitats of different ethnic groups of south and west Africa.Designs, plans, axonometrics, and photography make the beauty and complexity of this architecture abundantly clear, showing that it is as much a real life work of art as it is a place to live.