HOME AND FAMILY:PRESERVING THE RESIDENTIAL FABRIC OF THE NIGERIAN IGBO VILLAGE

© 2012. Margaret Okonkwo. All Rights Reserved

Grant of Reproduction and DistributionThe author hereby grants to the Massachusetts College of Art and De-sign, royalty free, nonexclusive and irrevocable permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis docu-ment, including any accompanying unbound supplementary material, in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created.

_______________________________________________________Author’s Signature/ Date

Institution and Department – Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Department of Architectural Design

Thesis Title – Home and Family: Preserving The Residential Fabric Of The Nigerian Igbo Village

Author – Margaret Okonkwo

Degree Program – Submitted in partial fulfillment for the require-ments of Masters of Architecture

Degree Date – May 18th 2012

Thesis TitleHome and Family: Preserving The Residential Fabric Of The Nigerian Igbo Village

Institution and DepartmentMassachusetts College of Art and Design, Department of Architec-tural Design

Patricia Seitz, AIA Thesis Coordinator Signature/ Date

Paul Paturzo, _______Thesis Advisor Signature/ Date

Margaret Okonkwo Student Name Signature/ Date

I spent 14 years of my life growing up in my native land of Nigeria, and be-cause it was from ages four to seventeen, I experienced it through child-ish and un-trained eyes. In my mind then, it was just a country where my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents hailed from: the way of life, the culture, the people were cool, but there was nothing particularly significant about the country. At least that is what I thought with my child mind. I al-ways thought of America as my real country and home because I was born in Aurora, Illinois. When my mother returned back to the Motherland with her daughters in 1982, I thought our stay was temporary. Besides, our Father was still in Aurora. It would be a couple of years later (after my father came back to Nigeria) that he and my mother would reveal their plans for us; “we will most likely not return to the U.S. until you are old enough for college”.

My sisters and I were introduced to the Nigerian village setting before we had a chance to understand that there was more to the country; it was pretty because it had lots of plants and flowers and trees and the house sizes were just the right size for a kid not feel intimidated. In particular, my maternal grandparents’ compound was great because there were so many places for one to run around and play. Also, watching chickens, turkeys, goats in their respective coops and pens was always fun. What we did not like was de-parting from American culture where cartoons were always accessible on TV, electricity was available 24-7 and at full power, and being driven by automo-bile everywhere was commonplace. It was a definite culture shock for a child my age, but I do recall feeling safe, loved and cared for by all around me (my family within the compound as well as surrounding neighbors) it surely “takes a village....”.

I first experienced City-Life two years after the move to Nigeria and was in-trigued by the differences between it and Village-Life. Lagos, paralleled to some extent the American cities I was familiar with: high-rise apartments, strangers for neighbors, the busy-ness of motorists and cyclists, reliance on public transportation, and a general rowdiness typically associated with city-life. The City and the Village each had its own quirks; one just needed to decide which setting best suited them.

Fast forward to the year 2006. My childish mind was gone and I had matured in my views of the world. I had long since returned to America and was work-ing as a Job Captain for an architectural firm in Boston. Having wanted to be an architect since I was eight (thanks to my uncle Alfred) I now looked at buildings, places and people in a whole new light. I truly appreciate the land of my ancestors and now refer to Nigeria as my home.

Signature and Copy Right Pages

Table Of Contents and Preface........................................... Page 1

Abstract.............................................................................. Page 3

Chapter 1 - Briefly About Nigeria....................................... Page 4

Nigerian City vs. Village....................................... Page 7

The Nigerian Architecture..................................... Page 11

Chapter 2 - Studies And Analysis........................................ Page 12

Thesis Statement and Research Questions.......... Page 13

The Nigerian Village Today.................................... Page 15

Igboland................................................................ Page 16

Seven Problems with Monumental Houses in this Setting............................................................ Page 17

The Typical Nigerian Family and Family Trees....... Page 19

The Typical Igbo Compound.................................. Page 20

Questionnaires...................................................... Page 25

Analysis Conclusions............................................. Page 32

Chapter 3 - Proposed Design Solution................................ Page 33

Design Principles................................................... Page 34

Design Proposal.................................................... Page 41

Chapter 4 - Conclusions..................................................... Page 64

Appendices......................................................................... Page 70 Definitions Photographic /Imagery Credits Bibliography and Directory Source Permissions/Approvals

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PREFACETABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

Home and Family: Preserving the Residential Fabric of the Nigerian Igbo Village

Masters of Architecture, 2012

Abstract: Nigeria has gained notoriety as a result of the internet scams perpetrated by a few people looking to get rich quick. This negative im-age overshadows the countries’ otherwise rich heritage and history. Be-ing tropical, most of the country maintains natural landscapes of foliage, flowers and red sands which add to the beauty of the Nigerian scene. The country has survived colonization, civil war, military government and sev-eral economic crises. The long lasting heritage of good music, good food, arts, crafts, films, and multitudes of languages keeps Nigeria thriving and relevant within West Africa. The architecture, on the other hand, is some-thing less whole and not very style specific. By this I mean the styles are diverse from region to region. As a Nigerian-American in the architecture field, I want to examine and understand this aspect of the country.

During a visit to Nigeria in 2006, my family and I travelled from the city to see my grandmother who resided in our village in the East, (the Eastern regions are known to be home to the Igbo people of Nigeria). Throughout the drive from the city, I noticed that most of the beautiful open and veg-etated landscapes were being replaced with huge mansion-style houses with tall black metal gates and stone pavers. Front yards did not seem as welcoming as they once did, and the transition from public road to in-dividual compounds was abrupt with this line of tall gate. Understanding that this gate existed to protect the compound and its inhabitants from armed robbers and vandalism, the barrier felt uninviting for those whose company would in fact be welcomed. I was nostalgic for the orange, man-go, lime and coconut trees that often lined the front yards of compounds, the human-scale houses and the greenscape or red-sandy street edges that let one know, they had finally escaped the busy life of the city. I started to think about the Place and Setting of my people for the first time, inwardly analyzing what prompted this new residential direction.

My thesis focuses on the architectural vernacular of the residential set-ting within a typical Igbo village of today. Here, I make a case for the Igbo residence and its relevance to the overall village fabric. With the research and analysis of its past and present, I am proposing a design so-lution that combines elements from both eras for the future.

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Institution and Department: Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Department of Architectural Design

Author: Margaret Okonkwo

CHAPTER 1BRIEFLY ABOUT NIGERIA

Nigeria is located in the West of the African continent, just above the equa-tor. It is bound on the north by Niger Republic, the east by Cameroon, the west by Benin Republic, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean.

Although many linguistic groups exist in Nigeria, there are three major tribes from which others can trace their origin - Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa. Each of these tribes have their own distinct language and are culturally different.

The Nigerian climate is warm and humid, and consists of two major sea-sons year round – rainy and dry. The rainy season lasts approximately from February to October (typically in the Southeastern and coastal parts of the country). The dry season runs approximately from November to January, and is the predominate season in the Northern regions.

Nigeria is mostly flat-plained, however there are some low mountains found in the Eastern regions as well as around the country’s center.

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In general, the Architecture of Nigeria is diverse, and within the last fifty years, has found some of its influences in the Western culture. By the nineteenth century, this trend of imported architecture caught on and began with the building of civic and religious buildings for Europeans.

Prior to modernity, houses were often designed to accommodate the environ-ment and its inhabitants’ lifestyles e.g. fishermen required a different type of housing than a city-dweller. Previously and also today, it seems house design and construction in Nigeria are influenced by a person’s income, the climate in general and the availability of construction materials. As noted on page 5, the Nigerian ethnic groups are many. Consisting of over two hundred tribes and languages, the house types and styles are indicative of these cultural and ethnic differences; reflecting the respective styles, food and cultures within their varying environments.

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NIGERIAN CITY vs. VILLAGE - Typically, Nigeria is made up of some cities and numerous villages

CITY: By the twentieth century, Nigeria advanced with the times along with the rest of the world but perhaps at a slower pace. Cities originated over time, developing from village layouts as the modern age set in. The cities are centers of commerce, with skyscraper buildings, highways, cell towers, movie theaters, apartment complexes, night clubs, restaurants, and tourism. The city is the place where cultures mixed and the younger generation migrated from their parents’ homes in villages to live and forge professional careers. Here, City-Life means busy-life.

The Nigerian city fabric is not unlike that of western culture, especially with copied lifestyles and architecture. Spatial layouts and designs are sim-ilar, while house size reflects the home owners wealth and societal status. Most cities contain neighborhoods developed with the rich in mind. Today, some of the most popular Nigerian cities are overly crowded with people and buildings; in some cases polluted and rowdy. Everyone is con-stantly on the go with the hustle and bustle of making a living.

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AERIAL VIEW OF LAGOS, A CITY IN NIGERIA

VILLAGE: Prior to modernity and colonization, Nigeria, like most other African countries was ruled by a monarchy. Each tribe had its own king and queen(s) based on the lands traditions and culture; kings and their subsid-iaries ruled over the people and were generally respected and their laws abided. The villages were slow-paced, and consisted mostly of people in the middle-age and retirement-age groups. They were places where own-ing land for farming and animal husbandry was the main event, and one could come and take things slow even if only for a short while. Village-Life was rural, indoor plumbing was a foreign concept and people would walk to streams to fetch water with pails or jugs for drinking, cooking, bath-ing and other daily activities. Houses were built with materials from the land and the homeowners and their neighbors were the construction crew. Overall, people were generally content with things and managed to live without certain technological advancements such as telephones and elec-tricity.

In today’s Nigeria there are still areas where kingships exist, but it is not as revered in the lands as it once was. However the lower ranking Chief title, which is familial based or can be purchased still exists. There is vast greenery and scenery, but it is rapidly being chipped away, and individu-als are building houses that are unnecessarily large and do not altogether represent the traditional ideals of village architecture.

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AERIAL VIEW OF OGWASHI UKU, A VILLAGE IN NIGERIA

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The Architectural style of Nigerian houses and buildings in general vary from culture to culture, north to south, social-class to social-class, as well as city to village. In both villages and cities a plethora of different types of buildings and designs can be found. Throughout Nigeria typical houses are built to fulfill the needs of large families and their occupations. These structures reflect the local building materials in existence and the skills of those constructing them, as well as privacy and security requirements. Homes in the cities are generally two or more stories high; freestanding ones are typically larger than those found in village compounds.

Typical building materials were mud, wood/timber, palm fronds and mattings made from palm fronds. Overall, the general practice was to build with materials that were climate responsive (a positive practice that no longer seems predominant in today’s buildings of Nigeria). In the North where extreme heat conditions exist, the walls and mud roofs acted as insulators. In the Igbo regions, soils rich in iron oxide and aluminum worked for building due to its solid nature. Traditionally, construction labor tended to be community based.

In Nigeria, the construction of new buildings, the building materials and styles, depended on the economic situation of the country. “In areas with developed cash-crop economies and new, income-generating occupations, corrugated iron sheets and cement have become standard materials in residential buildings since the 1940s. In the 1960s, many offices and homes were built with concrete and steel. The prosperity brought by oil money since the 1970s has led not only to a massive expansion in building but to a limitless number of designs....” (Falola, 2001, p. 94).

Within the village domain, houses are owner built and occupied and seldom changed ownership. They traditionally remain within the family and are passed down from generation to generation. Overall, the house was basic in its form and function: it existed to give shelter, enable families to function in their day-to-day lives, maintain their privacy, as well as offer protection against the climate and unwanted outdoor critters.

THE NIGERIAN ARCHITECTURE - In general, varies across the land

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CHAPTER 2STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

How and why is the residential aspect of the village an important piece of its Fabric?

The houses we live in may vary in shape, size, location and climate, but the one thing that remains similar and true is the primany functions of a home. Homes provide shelter, are places of privacy and sanctuary and al-low people take care of their various personal needs. Therefore, the resi-dence in this specific setting of the Igbo village has dual functions: it show-cases the individualities as well as the commonalities of its inhabitants.

Today, the progression of technological advacements has brought about the general notion that everyone and everything must proceed with these advancements, because they mean things will change for the better. We have sleeker cars, phones, radio sets, gadgets and touch-screen devices. In a show of advancing with the technology era, some people are under the impression that bigger means better, therefore, a massive house with all these varying design elements means your moving-with-the-times and can compete with western culture.

My thesis is asking for a reconsideration of this notion, and I state that the village residential architecture (specifically that of Igboland) should retain an individualized identity showcased in its size and style, environment and social structure.

In reviewing the qualities of the village noted in chapter 1, additional research questions arose:

1. How can the qualities of the Village setting remain in today’s world? What is its relationship to the people, language and culture? What are the main driving forces for the move toward larger scale houses in this setting?

2. What is the architectural vernacular in each region/setting? How are they culturally different (given the diverse cultures of the land) and translated into the architecture? What are the histories and legacies?

3. Status reflected in the house size; has this concept always been part of the culture; if so, Why? What is its importance? Should it continue? Does it add to or take away from the culture and/or house style?

4. The extended family is a big part of the Igbo culture. Is it an important factor in the spatial layout of houses in this setting?

5. What are the physical elements that make for a well designed house? Can we maintain a house model that is a culmination of historical design elements and appropriate contemporary ones?

THESIS STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

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In order to address and find answers to the preceding questions, I have employed a series of methodologies.

Qualitative Research – The end product of my thesis is one resulting from a combination of historical facts (from books and internet resources), my personal experiences, beliefs and upbringing, as well as knowledge received from specific Nigerians (professionals in design and construction, and people who live/lived in the country). This method allowed me to gather immense information, which I have studied and analyzed. In this chapter, the general history section regarding the Village is divided into three main topics for further evalutaion:

• The Nigerian Village Today

• Igboland

• The Typical Igbo Compound (Layout and Architecture)

Primary Data Gathering Techniques – This includes selection of interviewees (Maxwell, 2005, p. 96). I created a set of questionnaires designed to elicit responses from varying categories of Nigerian people hailing from the Igbo culture. These categories are outlined below:

• TYPE A - Professional (Architect, Engineer or builder)

• TYPE B - Person of Igbo descent who has built a home within the last 5-10 years

• TYPE C - Person of Igbo descent

• TYPE D - The American Igbo (Persons of Igbo descent, but born and raised either partly or fully in America)

The results of these questionnaires are presented here on pages 25 through 31.

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Pilot Studies – (Maxwell, 2005, p. 56) I conducted a phone interview with the Architect professional type person noted in the categories listed here. I found it extremely helpful to gain the perspective of a Nigerian architect; where my knowledge was lacking, his filled in the gap.

Site Visit – In November 2011, I visited Nigeria. I moved between city and village environments, re-experiencing the areas for the first time in five years. Noting, comparing, contrasting and identifying elements that would help develop my thesis.

My maternal grandmother passed away and my family and I travelled to Nigeria for her funeral. During this visit, I was able to see first hand the Igbo compound in action. I realized another way in which the residential aspect of the village fabric was important - The compound (which is a private zone) has the ability to transform into a public domain during events such as funerals and traditional weddings.

Within the Nigerian culture, specifically in Igboland, funerals are ceremonies lasting three days in a row. The first night is the Wake-keeping services, the next day is the burial and the third, commonly known as The outing service involves a church service. Through the course of these events, the family of the decedent is constantly entertaining guests, and so the frontage of the compound and the public zones within the house are important stage areas and have to accommodate any number of people. The greater your status in society, (as well as one’s popularity) the bigger the crowd.

Marriages, like funerals in the Igbo culture are highly celebrated. Customarily, they are of two parts: The traditional wedding and the Church wedding. The traditional wedding is the first part of this process where only the cultural customs matter. During this ceremony, the groom and his family are invited to the compound of the bride’s parents, bringing gifts and a dowry. The second part, as the name implies, takes place in a church and is the same as western culture’s traditional wedding ceremonies. Similar to funerals, the type and size of the crowd at weddings depends on the familial stand in society.

I believe that there are two fundamental elements that describe the village fabric:

1. The Architectural Vernacular,

2. The lush Vegetation.

Typically, these two were the general markers indicating one’s arrival to village territory. The once clear architectural vernacular that character-ized the village is fading. As some ideas of moving forward with the times involve expression of wealth (mostly newly found) and bigger is better, the single-family house and compound with its once simple but beauti-ful house style is becoming monumental in size and style. In this village setting, these monumental houses have paved front, side and back yards, and are enclosed within high metal gates. They are not just huge, and en-croaching on the natural beauty of the land, but also lack the specific style that references the culture and setting.

It used to be that the house or built content complemented and compli-mented the surrounding natural landscape and Setting (see images 61 and 62); so that the end result was CONTENT + CONTEXT. Lately, this idea is vanishing, becoming more a case were the built content is competing with the surrounding context i.e. CONTENT vs. CONTEXT.

For example, as seen in images 59 and 60, some people are building hous-es with huge Romanesque columns at the front facades with half-storey high front porches that do nothing other than announce the front entry of the house. The house elements in image 60 are nicely porportioned, but the style is atypical within a village setting. In my opinion, it feels foreign and speaks nothing of its specific culture, surrounding setting and fabric.

Another trend of the monumental house is that some of the previous ideas for building according to the climate is lost; for instance the former reliance on natural ventilation is being replaced with a need for air-conditioning within the house (in most cases individual AC units are carelessly mounted, thereby disrupting the harmony between the building elements as seen on the house in the image 59).

THE NIGERIAN VILLAGE TODAY - The village is losing some of its identity in its physical form

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IGBOLAND - Located in the Southeast region, Igboland has the most villages to dateSaid to be one of the largest ethnic groups, Igbo people are industrious, friendly, welcoming, educated and religious (most Igbo people are Chris-tians). They are culturally rich, which is seen in their fashion, cooking, arts and crafts.

Historically, the major occupation of the Igbo people is farming, with the yam tuber and palm fruit being their most celebrated crops, they have an-nual festivals to celebrate these crops grown in the land and during said festivals there is singing and dance performances, typically through major roads and in the village square. Masquerade performances are often a major part of the celebration.

The Igbos were also known for their Mbari architecture (architecture of the gods, see images 65 and 66) and is the only group that faced open persecu-tion; in 1950s, 60s it was dangerous to be Igbo in Nigeria and Igbos had to breakaway and form their own country Biafra, under the leadership of the late Ojukwu. Today, Igboland is the only culture with the largest number of village settings within Nigeria. Because it is located in the southeast re-gion, Igboland is beautiful and luscious with healthy vegetation.

The typical Igbo village consists of people living a slow-paced life; things are laid back; the most common occupations include farming, animal hus-bandry, fishing, palmwine tapping, wood carving, and tailoring. One of the general philosophies of the Igbos is that it takes a village to raise a child. This is also true of the other two Nigerian ethnic groups, but it is heavily practiced and more prominent with the Igbos.

Overall, today’s Igbo Village is becoming more identical to the city. Villages used to be a place where things were mellow; houses and compounds were spread out so that the natural landscape within the village encompassed the built environment. Building forms were simple and had the idea of Content + Context. Now it feels more like Content vs. Context. Village-Life no longer seems peaceful and now, there are cell towers, huge man-sions and noise from motorists and cyclists. Markets are more crowded and vendors are more competitive, while trying to improve their personal economic status.

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• Building Styles: During my most recent visits, I noticed there was no distinction between residential style buildings and commercial buildings, e.g. Newly constructed gas station buildings are designed in the same style as residences, as is evident in images 73 and 74. Image 73 is of a gas station in the village of Nnewi, while the other is of a house within the same village.

• Construction: It seems that structural and aesthetic implications of using non-traditional/irregular forms such as curves are not completely considered in the construction of these new style of houses. Maintaining typical rectilinear building forms are more successful in terms of shape, style and overall design. It allows for ease in the alignment of building elements such as windows, doors and decorative trims.

• Incomplete Interior design: The focus of the new style of houses in the village is on the exterior and its size. The built houses are large in scale and as a result, the layout of the interior spaces appear as an afterthought, formed from the shape and size of the exterior (See images 75 and 76). Formal areas such as living/family rooms, and foyers are unnecessarily large and make it difficult to furnish. In general conversations with members of my family who recently built homes in the village, I discovered that this results from clients and contractors obsessed with grandeur, much to the objection of the project architect/designer. My uncle and his wife commissioned a mid-sized house, but the contractor decided my uncle deserved a house worthy of his high profiled occupation and built a massive structure instead.

• Interior Cooling: The bigger the interior space, the more cool air is required to maintain a comfortable temperature. There is more reliance on air conditioning systems (which in themselves represent levels of complication for installation and maintenance) than there used to be thirty, forty years ago. Cool interiors were maintained through climate responsive practices such as building with mud walls and thatched roofs. This reliance on articificial air is an issue as the supply of electricity in Nigeria is inconsistent and generally insufficient, with blackouts and brownouts. It is a utility controlled by one company for the whole country.

SEVEN PROBLEMS WITH MONUMENTAL HOUSES IN THIS SETTING

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• Poor Acoustics: Another result of wide and tall spaces is poor acoustics and unwanted transfer of sound and noise to multiple levels within the house. Smaller interior volumes will help attenuate this problem.

• Overall Context and Identity: A prominent feature of the village identity is contained in its residential style. Aside from the roads and vegetation, one knows they have arrived to the village by the house style (modest building sizes made from mud or concrete with a low mud or concrete wall enclosure). Today, houses are built in the same style as houses found within the cities. They are huge, and in order to prevent break-ins and robberies, tall metal enclosures topped with barbwire surround the compound. My impression is that this house style feels foreign within the village context and does not truly belong here. Also, compounds no longer have welcoming frontages and create an abrupt transition from the public street edge. Images 80 and 81 are of houses located in Abuja, the nation’s capital as well as a major Nigerian city, while image 79 is of a compound in the village of Nnewi. Compared together, one can easily mistake all three images as photos of houses taken from a city setting.

• Overall Quality of the Village: In general, the village used to be perceived as a place of tranquility, a haven of calmness, a quiet place to escape the hustle-and-bustle of city life. These qualities stemmed from the low-key life style, the fact that you could trust almost everyone, and the modest house style; all surrounded by the beautiful vegetation and natural landscape. Today these qualities are disappearing and the state of the Nigerian economy is a contributing factor. If one has any kind of wealth, they have to be wary and cautious because of the nations chaotic economy (wealth is not spread out evenly and most people are trying to get rich quick). The bigger your house the wealthier you must be, and as a result, a potential target for the now epidemic of kidnappings-for-ransom. As this is the thinking of would be armed robbers and kidnappers, it is my opinion that the ratio of these crimes would decrease if houses returned to modest styles and sizes that the typical village was once known for.

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As seen in the responses to the questionnaires contained in this chapter, family size and membership are very important within the Igbo culture. We learn to love, tolerate and accept all no matter what. Children are con-sidered another form of wealth and richness: a philosophy of prosperity through posterity.

The more offspring you have, the greater your assets and one will never feel lonely with the many family members to rely on, as well as trust. That is why it is very common to find families with eight or more children. How-ever, it is worth noting that this philosophy is not specific to the Igbo cul-ture and village; other cultures within the East, North and West of Nigeria have large family units.

Another determining factor of the family size is that of monogamy versus polygamy. Within the last fifteen years or so, a greater percentage of Ni-gerian marriages are monogamous, mostly due to the coming of Christian-ity. Compared to the past (pre-colonization till 1990s) when polygamy was widely practiced, a man could have multiple wives ranging from two to six. Sometimes this arrangement resulted in family feuds in which the wives competed for the husbands’ attention and respect by bearing as many chil-dren as possible. Great importance is placed on a male heir, and as such, the more male children a wife has, the greater the respect and assets she receives.

Based on Nigerian families I have encountered, the adjacent family tree diagrams are generated for further illustration of the monogamous and polygamous family types within the culture.

SAMPLE FAMILY TREE (MONOGAMOUS MARRIAGE)

SAMPLE FAMILY TREE (POLYGAMOUS MARRIAGE)

1ST GENERATION (HUSBAND)

1ST GENERATION (WIFE)

2ND GENERATION (MALE OFFSPRING)

2ND GENERATION (SPOUSE)

2ND GENERATION (FEMALE OFFSPRING)

3RD GENERATION (OFFSPRING)

FAMILY TREE LEGEND

THE TYPICAL NIGERIAN FAMILY AND FAMILY TREES

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Diagram A

THE TYPICAL IGBO COMPOUND“Many traditional houses have four important design components and utilitarian functions. First a compound includes multifamily housing units within it to accommodate many households of people, sometimes over a hundred people, belonging to the same lineage. Thus, a compound should not be confused with a modern, freestanding housing unit for one nuclear family.” (Falola, 2001, p. 93).

First of all, what is the compound in the village setting? The compoundrefers to the house and property owned by one family and is typically de-marcated by a wall or fence. It is commonplace for a typical Igbo compound to be vast because it contains the living quarters as well as the means of sustenance (crops and animals for consumption and sale) for the family. As we Igbos are big on family, the space we live in has to be large enough to accommodate both nuclear and extended family members.

Compound ownership is generally passed down from generation to gen-eration, typically given to the first born male of the family. By the 1970s - 80s, the younger generation started to migrate to cities for work and edu-cation; coming back to the villages only for familial visits (sometimes regu-larly, sometimes sporadically).

The typical compound layout today ranges from a single house with liv-ing and utlilitarian spaces, to multiple buildings where living, services and utilitarian spaces are separated and placed within various buildings in the compound. The buildings are generally different in size, depending on the particular use.

Prior to this era, the Igbo compound consisted of multiple huts in which liv-ing, services and utilitarian spaces were separated. The living and sleeping quarters were in one hut, cooking and storage spaces in another, shower and toilet (a pit in the ground) were in another. The living and sleeping huts ranged from single to multiple depending on the type of family unit - monogamy or polygamy. If a man had multiple wives, each wife would have her own hut which she shared with her children from the marriage. The husband had a hut to himself.

SAMPLE COMPOUND (PRE-MODERNITY) LAYOUT #2: Located in a typical Igbo village, this compound belonged to a man and his adult son.

SAMPLE COMPOUND (PRE-MODERNITY) LAYOUT #1: Located in a typical Igbo village, this compound belonged to a chief and his two wives.

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Drawing A

Drawing B

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Typically, village houses were made of wood and bamboo framed and held together with vines and mud and covered with banana leaves. As shown in the adjacent images, the roofs were made with thatched palm fronds. Igbo houses were well-ventilated: the walls had openings, and were open just below the ridge at the roofs and eave ends. This allowed heat and smoke from cooking fires to escape with ease, as well as natural ventilation to cool the house.

The following drawings represents different layouts of typical compounds. For simplicity and clarification purposes I refer to the typical compound layouts of the post modernity era as “Types” and assign them numerical values.

Layout Type 1: This type of layout is the simplest, the compound con-tains one main house for living, separate quarters for bath/toilet use, cook-ing and a storage shed. The compound consists of trees and plants that not only enhance its beauty, but provides the inhabitants with produce with which to make meals. The layout is basic, continued from the days of the huts (described in page 20) and still exists in some areas due to reasons ranging from family economics and dynamics to overall village in-frastructure. Layout type 1 is advantageous in that it kept the nuclear and extended family members closely knit, as they shared the same house.

Usually by this juncture, the compound is owned and occupied by parents with adult children who have moved out and have families of their own. The compound is subject to visits from said children and their families as well as other relatives at any given time, for any duration of stay.

MAIN HOUSE

KITCHEN

BATH/TOILET

SHED

FARM

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SAMPLE COMPOUND LAYOUT #1: Drawing of my Paternal Granparents’ compound

in Ogwashi Uku village, delta State.

Drawing C

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SAMPLE COMPOUND LAYOUT #2:Drawing of My Maternal Grandparents’ compound in the

village of Nnewi in Anambra State, built in the 1980s.

Layout Type 2: In this compound type, residential functions merge with the family occupation. For this purpose the compound is segmented with masonry walls, separating families and activities. As farming is the major occupation in the Igbo village, it was convenient to have the farm adjacent to the living quarters. As in the case of my maternal grandpar-ents, there were three houses for living in – the main house for the nuclear family, the secondary one for the extended family (my grandfather’s sib-lings) and the third for members of the house-keeping staff. The staff were generally young adults in need of food and shelter, in exchange for which they helped maintain the compound. My grandparents made sure they re-ceived an education.

In addition to the living quarters, my grandparents’ compound contained a meeting house where members of the village met to discuss various mat-ters, ranging from village affairs to disputes. The meeting house called Ozo Obi existed there as a result of their stance in the society; only chiefs within the village could have Ozo Obis and because there were individuals who liked to have one built in their compound for its prominence, authentic Ozo Obis were built to be rectangular in shape, the others could be shaped in any form but this.

There where trees and plants around the compound planted for suste-nance and beauty, but the main farm land was in its own enclosure within the compound. The farm consisted of trees of bananas, plantains, co-conuts, palm, oranges and mangoes; plants of yam tubers and leaves of green vegetables like Ugu and Okra; there were also goat pens and hen houses. In our case, the farm was used as food supply for inhabitants of the compound only, but in other scenarios, the farm owners also sold their produces for profit in the village market (Nkwo).

The final tier to my grandparents’ compound was my grandmother’s ma-ternity clinic. As a trained mid-wife, she established the first one in the vil-lage of Nnewi in 1970. With the aid of her staff, she was responsible for the births of thousands of babies. When my grandmother passed last year, her children encountered many individuals who mentioned they were born in Uzoma Maternity; it was a clinic dedicated to the service of women and children. Wealthy or poor, my grandmother not only catered to the preg-nant, but also healed people with minor ailments and trained those inter-ested in becoming mid-wives and general-care nurses.

LEGEND

LIVING QUARTERS

STAFF QUARTERS

UTILITIES

ANIMALS

OZO OBI

FAMILY BUSINESS

BROTHER

SISTER

SHOP

BIRTHING CENTER

(UZOMA MATERNITY)

GOATS

POULTRY

MAIN HOUSE

SHED

KIT.

H2O

FARM

MAIN ENTRY/FRONT OF

COMPOUND

Drawing D

Page 23May 2012

SAMPLE COMPOUND LAYOUT #3: My Maternal Grandparents’ compound redesigned in 2010.

Layout Type 3: This final type is one which exists as a result of high economic status and contains the new monumental house. It is becoming the norm in today’s village. In this layout, the compound consists of only living quarters: the main family house, houses owned by each adult off-spring of the preceding generation, and the house maintenance staff. The compound feels compressed due to the addition of the offspring houses. Each one is substantially sized. The staff house tends to be much smaller and less elaborate. Vegetation exists, but only for aesthetics rather than for sustenance and the natural ground cover of grass and sand has been replaced with masonry pavers. See adjacent Compound layout #3 image, see also layout #2 for corresponding legend.

The general theme within all three layouts is that of multiple living quarters within the same compound. Financial and societal status play a big role in the type of houses that are built in Nigeria, and as such the more you have, the bigger your residence. The size of the land to be built on does not al-ways follow this logic. Often people living in the village are able to afford vast tracts of land, even if the houses built are modest.

Privacy within one’s house and compound is an important factor in Nige-ria. There is always a clear demarcation between the public/formal zones and the private zones. Sometimes hallways with locking doors are placed between these two zones. In other instances, the separation is achieved by simply placing rooms such as a living room or attached garage towards the front of the house, while kitchen, dining and bedrooms are located in the rear or on upper floors.

The floor plans on page 24 represent the two types of floor plan layouts described above. Sample Floor Plan #1 shows the hallways with locking doors scenario, illustrated with green dotted rectangles. Sample Floor Plan #2 indicates the scenario where the family room and garage are placed in the front of the house. The Sample Floor Plan #1 is part of a proposed design for a house in Ogwashi-Uku village in Delta State (Eastern Nigerian region). Sample Floor Plan #2 is the first floor plan of the Main house noted in Sample Compound Layout #3.

Lastly, it is typical for the original compound owners to be buried upon death within their property.

MAIN ENTRY/FRONT OF

COMPOUND

MAIN HOUSE (now owned by oldest son)

KIT.

SHED

GRAVES OF 1ST GENERATION COMPOUND

OWNERS

HOUSE #2 (owned by 3rd born son)

Drawing E

SAMPLE FLOOR PLAN #1:Proposed one-story house within a compound in Ogwashi Uku village.

Page 24May 2012

SAMPLE FLOOR PLAN #2:Floor plan of Main House from Sample Compound Layout #3.

Front of House

Front of House

Drawing F Drawing G

QUESTIONNAIRESThe following questions and responses offer opinions on how people regard the village and represent responses from Nigerian people belonging in categories outlined below:

• TYPE A - Professional (Architect, Engineer or builder).

• TYPE B - Person of Igbo descent and built a home within the last 5-10 years.

• TYPE C - Person of Igbo descent.

• TYPE D - The American Igbo (Persons of Igbo descent, but born and raised either partly or fully in America).

This Categorizing strategy (Maxwell, 2005, p. 96) offered me an avenue to compare and contrast indivdual information stemming from different or related backgrounds and experiences.

These questions were designed to gain individual and collective perspectives regarding how the Igbo village is used in terms of living, cultural and professional experiences, as well as an understanding of general views of the Igbo village.

The responses provided by participants in TYPE D found in this section are categorized together and color coded for clarity.

In responding to my questionnaires, the participants acknowledge they are granting consent, and their responses are documented in my Thesis.

Page 25May 12th 2012

Mr. Alfred Uzokwe studied and practices architecture in Nigeria and in the United States.

How do you feel about Igbo architecture, Nigerian architecture as a whole?

A distinction has to be made between what Igbo architecture is. This brand of architecture which existed up until extensive civilization started creeping in about 50 years ago was predominantly made of large mud walls with thatch roofs atop them. A few windows here and there to ensure some ventilation. The compound walls or what we now call perimeter walls were also made of thick-sized mud walls and thatch on top to protect it from rain. Advantage of that type of archi-tecture was that the thick mud walls and thatch roofs acted as a form of heat insulation. The interior of the buildings were always cool even in the tropical heat environment. This type of architecture with some variation basically dominated Nigeria in those days. With colonial influence, the architecture started changing into the use of mason-ry block walls and corrugated metal sheeting as roof. This brand of architecture needed less maintenance since the corrugated roofing sheets lasted longer than the thatch but the materials were less insulating against heat. Infact, the metal sheeting is a heat conductor so the interior of rooms were often very warm during the days. My feeling is that both the old architecture of mud and thatch had its good points with respect to heat insulation, simplicity and affordability but could only be used for single story buildings because of structural concerns. The newer type of block walls has the advantage of lasting longer, less maintenance and could be used to build multiple stories.

Physically & metaphorically, what does “village” mean to you?

A rural setting with vast swaths of open farm lands and less congested with re-spect to buildings. It is devoid of erosion menace because storm water has enough permeable land to infiltrate into unlike in urban areas where every area is built up and storm water has nowhere to infiltrate into.

In your experience, what was the village like in the past (10, 20, 30 years ago)?

In the last 30 years, in Nigeria, the typical village was less congested with build-ings, had more open spaces with a lot of farmlands. It was less populated and it was unheard of for factories to be sited in the villages as against now. The air in the villages was pristine because of less pollution and presence of trees that fil-tered away carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

TYPE A: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WITH RESPONSES PROVIDED BY MR. ALFRED UZOKWE, P.E.

Today, how do you think of the village?

Using my own village Nnewi, which I visited just a few months ago as an example, the village has lost its ruralness. Many have factories all over residential neighbor-hoods, spewing toxic chemicals into the air. Farmlands are quickly disappearing and being replaced with commercial and residential buildings causing congestion. There is erosion menace because most open lands have been built up and there are no good drainage structures to channel storm water away to steam tributar-ies. The villages are overcrowded with people and buildings and poorly built road networks are all over the place. Every compound has a store attached to it and there is buying and selling everywhere.

When designing in this setting, do you find that much has changed over the years (do you think minimally or drastically)?

A lot has changed. The issue of unavailability of land for effective design now plagues village settings. With high cost of land, and the need to design family buildings to accommodate family members, the need to design multiple stories has become important. Because of the proliferation of crime caused by congestions and the presence of commercial and industrial buildings in the villages, you have to design compound perimeter fences very high with barbed wires to deter criminals. Even residential buildings are now designed with crime deterrents in mind like providing small security buildings to monitor the environment, placing iron bars in windows and doors, designing security doors that are bullet-proof. Some clients even ask for the incorporation of penthouses atop the buildings, with access to it hidden so they can use them as sanctuaries in the event of crime.

What qualities do you like about the village setting?

If you mean the old village settings, I loved the vast expanse of open farmlands, trees, unmolested landscape, crime free environment, single storied buildings that made night sky gazing possible. The simple buildings with cool interiors even at midday when the sun rained its ferocious heat on the landscape. It was less congested.

What qualities don’t you like about the village setting?

I am talking about the village setting of 40 years ago. There were no basic amenities like pipe borne water so you had to go to streams to fetch water. Absence of electricity.

Page 26May 2012

As a practicing professional, do you see an issue with this new movement of building big mansions in Nigeria, specifically in the village? If so what problems have you identified?

I see it both ways. Some build big mansions out of necessity to accommodate extended family. Some build it because it gives them an air of importance and because they can afford it. I have no problems with such people except that they are using up valuable pieces of land that could be used for agriculture as in the olden days. Also, because the foot print of their buildings are large, they make more landmass impervious to storm water and help cause gully erosion that is be-deviling the Nigerian landscape today. Furthermore, because of poor regulation of building codes, some of these mansions are so radical in elevation that just along-side a street, you would see zillions of competing architectural types that make the landscape look like the buildings are at war against one another. On a single street, you could see a two story mansion, then three story, etc and the colors and architectural types vary so much too. However, the problem I have is with those that know that they cannot afford the big mansions but because it has become a status symbol, they get into crime to look for money to build big mansions.

As a US resident, & practicing professional here, what parts of the American home culture (if any) have you found to be useful in designing houses back home?

Definitely interior functionality of the homes. As a student of architecture in Nigeria, we spent more time perfecting exterior aesthetics so that owners of the buildings will look important but we spent less time on the functionality of the interior. These days, I expend more effort working out the interior functionality to meet the specific needs of the client, ensure cross ventilation and adequate natural lighting. Only after these are satisfied do I start looking into “killer” exterior elevation aesthetics.

Have you always factored the climate when designing in Nigeria?

There are two major areas of consideration. Nigeria is in the tropics and so very hot all year round. I consider cross ventilation in the interior design. Also, because of absence or epileptic supply of electricity, I always designed to allow maximum day lighting so windows are incorporated maximally.

TYPE A: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WITH RESPONSES PROVIDED BY MR. ALFRED UZOKWE, P.E. (cont’d)

What are your fondest memories growing up in Nnewi?

Pristine environment. Fresh air. Everyone knew everyone because population was minimal. Simple life of farming and practically no crime. You could go from one house to another in the dead of night without worrying about muggings.

Personally, do you embrace the idea of the extended family? Making space for them in your household (be it permanent stay or temporary visits) If so, would you like to plan ahead to provide permanent lodgings for them within your own house, or temporary?

I personally love the idea of family members crashing together during family events so I still embrace making some accommodation but not allowing that to cause the design and construction of an unduly large and expensive house.

When you thought of building you own home, what type of house/house style did you envision?

As a typical Nigerian, I wanted a building that will accommodate not just my immediate family, but would be able to periodically house my extended family when we have family gatherings. I also wanted a house that would be highly aesthetically pleasing.

Where you satisfied with your completed house? Would you change anything?

No. I would change some parts of my design and make certain components simpler than I designed them. I would reduce the number of rooms I had and save some money. I would reduce the footprint and have more landscape and trees. I would use a contractor that would be quality conscious. For example, the round pillars in front of my building, after construction had different diameters and one is leaning, all shoddy construction. I am however satisfied with cross ventilation in most of the rooms, I am satisfied with natural lighting, I have quite a nice landscaped compound.

Page 27May 2012

TYPE B: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WITH RESPONSES PROVIDED BY MR. EMMANUEL UZOKWE

When you thought of building your own home, did you have a house style in mind, if so what did you envision?

A Victorian house with a modernized twist.

What particular elements did you want for/in the house?

A beautiful medium-sized duplex with surrounding space to accommodate a small garden, small swimming pool, playground and parking space for four (4) cars. I needed a medium-sized living room, guest room and kitchen downstairs, while upstairs should have a family lounge, a small-sized library and three (3) en-suite bedrooms.

Were you satisfied with the completed house? Would you change anything?

Yes. Not really but would have liked to include a gym room as my treadmill is in the living room.

Personally, do you embrace the idea of the extended family? Making space for them in your household (be it permanent stay or temporary visits) was this a deciding factor during the design of your house?

Extended family is essential in life as it shows you have relationship with people that care for you. I included a guest room to accommodate extended family temporary visits.

Growing up, what was the village setting like? What are your fondest memories growing up in your village?

Growing up, the village setting was more of a close-knit communal living. My fondest memories of growing up in my village are eating naturally grown crops/vegetables cultivated at the back of the house and watching masquerades dance in the village square.

What are your overall thoughts and feelings regarding Nigerian buildings &/or houses? Do you think that city buildings &/or houses should be differentiated from village ones? In what sense?

In Nigeria, most people believe big houses show how comfortable or wealthy you are. Most people tend to build big houses and most of the rooms are either underutilized or the owners are unable to keep up with maintenance of such structures which depreciate after a long period of no maintenance. City buildings/houses may not necessarily differ from the village ones in terms of size. It depends on family sizes and the number of relatives they are willing to accommodate in their houses.

“City-life” vs. “Village-life”, how do you feel about either? What are your thoughts regarding their distinction?

City-life is good though there is high risk of armed robbery, exposure to unwanted people, etc. Village-life on the other hand is comfortable and welcoming because you are not exposed to the risks associated with the cities and you live amongst people that you share a common belief.

As time is changing, people and things are evolving, what do you think of the village setting, today? Have you noticed any changes in the village setting? If so, good or bad?

The village setting has changed drastically. People are exposed to city-life and imitate the city way of doing things. They build city mansions, and bring foodstuff from the city as against cultivating. Also, instead of speaking Igbo as in the past, most of them speak English. This is bad for the young generation because in no time, it may eradicate the Igbo language and the idea of cultivating crops may not be seen in the village in a few years time, which means for people to eat, they may have to depend on buying and selling. For the unemployed, they may not be able to survive.

Overall, what qualities do you like about the village setting? What qualities don’t you like about the village setting?

The village setting is peaceful, homely, and free from bustling activities. I really don’t like the fact that the village is losing its communal style of living and the young people are leaving the village for the city.

Page 28May 2012

TYPE C: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WITH RESPONSES PROVIDED BY MR & MRS. F. I. OKONKWO

Overall, what qualities do you like about the village setting? What qualities don’t you like about the village setting?

I would like the village not to be overcrowded with bogus buildings.

Overall, the village setting gives room for family unit, extended family life, being each others keepers, peaceful and crime-free environment. However, poor educational infrastructures, low quality education(in some areas) and poor medical requirements are some of the qualities that need improvement.

Do you feel a sense of influence of the Nigerian culture (way of life, physical environment) by that of the West? If so please describe?

I have always been a culturally oriented person and have tremendous respect for the Nigerian and African culture. It saddens me to see some of the great values of our culture being replaced by some of Americas. The negatives of the “borrowed” culture outweighs that of the positives; these can be seen today in the dress codes, mannerisms food, bad language (cursing) and housing layouts.

As time is changing, people and things are evolving, what do you think of the village setting, today? Have you noticed any changes in the village setting? If so, good or bad?

With the arrival or evolution of technology, cultures have either changed for the best or the worst; to some large extent, the village setting has changed. Trees providing shade are being cut down to make room for big buildings, oil burning lamps are now dead to noisy generator sets for electricity, village huts have largely disappeared in some areas. “Village things” are being replaced with “City things” - Skyscrapers are flushing out village houses, we have street lights that are never turned on in some areas, there are pipe-borne water systems that are always locked or dry, there is constant interruption of power supply, an influx of business ventures. The new developments are good, but the disappearance of lands for cultivating crops for cash and personal consumption is taking its toll.

“City-life” vs. “Village-life”, how do you feel about either? What are your thoughts regarding their distinction?

“Village-life” is more peaceful than “City-life” because people are always on the run in the city. They take their time in the village.

Before “Village-life” was infested with “City-life”, the village has always been “be my brother’s keeper” but now it is “everyone for himself, God for us all”. Village-life is no longer what it used to be (peaceful, quiet environment, where night-life was gathering at the village square, engaging in cultural dance competitions. These have been replaced with noise pollution from loud music, crimes such as rape, burglary. Everyone’s in a hurry, hurrying to nowhere.

In your own words, could you describe the typical Igbo compound?

A typical Igbo compound is built with mud in round, round shaped, with a common living room where all the family members gather in the night after the day’s chores. They eat, parents interact with the children and give them wisdom.

A typical Igbo compound is filled with serenity, respect, love, peace and understanding of who is who in the compound. Everybody comes together to foster the needs of the family unit.

Personally, do you embrace the idea of the extended family? Making space for them in your household (be it permanent stay or temporary visits) was this a deciding factor during the design of your house?

Because of my culture, I have always loved the extended family, and will provide a permanent accommodation for them.

I have always been an advocate of the extended family (a trait I cherished my father for) I would be willing to provide both permanent and temporary lodgings in my own house; thus the need for many rooms.

Page 29May 2012

During your visits to Nigeria, what qualities overall do/did you like about the village setting? What qualities don’t you like about the village setting?

I love the fact that all produce are grown naturally because most people take pride in their farm. I don’t like the enormous houses because it takes away from what I perceive a village house should look like. I also like the fact that you do not see houses made out of straw or mud anymore because in extreme weather conditions, I don’t believe they hold well

The one quality I love most about the village setting is the fact that there is plenty of nature around you and not many of that is ruined by modern facilities. The one thing I don’t like is the boredom. The peacefulness is okay to an extent but I definitely cannot stay there for a long period of time.

The qualities I like about the village setting are the spacious grounds where kids can run free and play as much as they like, the freedom of having your neighbors all looking after one another. The qualities I don’t like are the distance it takes to go fetch some water from the streams, the lack of constant electricity, and the way the restrooms or toilets are setup.

Village setting is appealing to me because I can wake up and go fresh water fishing. I can also go farming and harvest fresh organic home grown food.

What are your overall thoughts and feelings regarding Nigerian buildings? Do you think that city buildings should be differentiated from village ones? In what sense?

I feel buildings in Nigeria are very congested especially in the village. Just because there is a small piece of land or space available, doesn’t mean something must be built. I have seen houses built in close proximity to each other and it’s not very attractive. The size of houses built in the village these days is quite enormous. I feel that should be left in the city because when I think of the village life, I think “simple and quiet”

Hmmm, I don’t really think that there should that many distinctions when it come to the building in the village vs city. I think building houses like the ones we have in the cities in the village will definitely make village life a little better and it will bring better modern conveniences to the villages.

TYPE D: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WITH RESPONSES PROVIDED BY MULTIPLE PARTICIPANTS

“City-life” vs. “Village-life”, how do you feel about either? What are your thoughts regarding their distinction?

In the village, I feel that time seems to pass slowly and I am free from stress and anxiety. Meanwhile, with ‘city-life’ I feel like I don’t have enough time in the day to complete my daily activities. ‘city-life’ is rowdy and stressful.

City-life is great but village life is also very peaceful. When it comes to village life, time slows really down and one can take the time to smell the roses very well. I prefer city-life but once in a while you do want to just get away from everything.

Growing up in Nigeria, I got use to the city-life on a daily basis, but I was blessed to travel to my parent’s village frequently and the difference between both was interesting. With the village life, there was a sense of calmness and unity, less stress and less energy used. The city life was always busy, filled with some excitement, some tragedies and so on.

In your own words, could you describe the typical Igbo compound?

A typical Igbo compound is made up of a cluster of huts, with walls of mud and roofs of thatch or palm fronds. This cluster comprises a hut for the man, several huts for his wives (a hut for each wife) and children with their kitchens and storerooms, a yam barn, sheds for goats and hens and a shrine.

Oh Wow! I think the Igbo compound consists of the main family home, and then other little homes surrounding it and these contain extended family members. Families tend to stay together in one family compound.

The typical Igbo compound comprises of a lot of sand on the grounds, fruit trees and flowers, different styles and shapes of other homes in the compound and all sharing one kitchen. It’s always spacious.

Most Igbo compounds are sandy, may or may not have a gate in the front entrance. Most house styles are usually bungalows which consist of extended family members and a farm(s) in the backyard that contains plantains, yams, corn, oranges and all sorts of vegetables.

Page 30May 2012

Personally, do you embrace the idea of the extended family? Making space for them in your household (be it permanent stay or temporary visits) was this a deciding factor during the design of your house?

I love the idea of an extended family to an extent. Extended families are there for you when you need them but not all extended families are like that. Depending on the relative, I will make provisions in my house permanently but other will be temporary. There are also the dangers of running into serious family dramas that can destroy a relationship when inviting an extended family member to your home either permanently or temporary so in other words, I am not really sure what I would . It will definitely depend on the situation and/or the family member.

I do embrace the idea of the extended family; my family consists of a large number of people, both immediate and extended family. The idea of having a spacious home for them is something that I have always wanted and I hope to be able to get that for them. During holidays and events, I plan ahead for accommodations for them whether it’s temporary like a hotel or in my own home.

What are your overall thoughts and feelings regarding Nigerian buildings? Do you think that city buildings should be differentiated from village ones? In what sense?

I feel buildings in Nigeria are very congested especially in the village. Just because there is a small piece of land or space available, doesn’t mean something must be built. I have seen houses built in close proximity to each other and it’s not very attractive. The size of houses built in the village these days is quite enormous. I feel that should be left in the city because when I think of the village life, I think “simple and quiet”

Hmmm, I don’t really think that there should that many distinctions when it come to the building in the village vs city. I think building houses like the ones we have in the cities in the village will definitely make village life a little better and it will bring better modern conveniences to the villages.

Do you think that Nigerian architecture should mimic (either partially or wholly) that of Western culture? Why or why not?

I believe when it comes to Nigerian architecture, Nigerians build big and out but I think that to some extent Nigeria should only partially mimic the western culture. Nigeria builds to last but when they start to add fixtures, or necessities like plumbing, I think thinking with a little western flare will definitely be a plus.

TYPE D: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WITH RESPONSES PROVIDED BY MULTIPLE PARTICIPANTS (cont’d)

Would you consider building a house in your village? Why or why not?

I would consider building a very simple house in my village because I would love to come back once in a while to a place that keeps me sane after all the hustle and bustle of the city-life

I would like to own a house in the village. A place that I can escape from the busy and noisy city life; in order to find ones self and become one with nature.

Do you have particular thoughts regarding what house style you would like to build in Nigeria?

Victorian style with a modern touch

Single level American Colonial

What descriptive words come to mind when you think of your ideal home? How should the house feel?

Cozy, entertaining, relaxing, welcoming and peaceful

Serenity, entertaining, and inviting to guests

Page 31May 2012

Page 32May 2012

The research material noted here has yielded the below summations.

1. Although the layout of the Igbo compound varies, the design fundamentals are the same:

• There is always some form of vegetative plantings incorporated.

• The separation of public and private zones is important and maintained throughout, both at the exterior and interior spaces. The traditions and customs of the land are reflected in the compound use (from the accommodation of nuclear and extended family members, to the use of the compound for community entertainment and celebrations).

• Family and accommodation for its members plays a key role in the design.

2. Based on the responses from my questionnaires, there is a consensus regarding the overall characteristics and fabric of the village and village- life, as opposed to city living, that individuals agree is fading and wish would remain. These include:

• Preserving the natural landscape and vegetation.

• Preserving the modest scale houses and naturally landscaped compounds.

• Maintaining the peaceful essence generally associated with village life.

3. As long as there is available land, people will continue to build. The village belongs to the community, and the compound (although individual) is its private extension. As a result it should always be in harmony with the overall fabric of the village. What is built in the compound, its appearance and its elevation to the street should reflect the elements, qualities and traditions associated with the setting. My research and personal knowledge implies that this was typical twenty years ago but not so today.

• The type of building materials used in residential construction within the village is important in maintaining this fabric.

ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS• The houses built prior to modernity with mud, wood and palm fronds

reflected qualities of modesty, tranquility, openness and a harmony between it and the surrounding natural environment.

• Although more modern, the houses built twenty to forty years ago maintained most of these above qualities, even though the roofs were tin and mud walls became concrete or CMU blocks. The house scale was modest and still harmonious.

1. Today, village houses are built with these same materials (concrete walls and metal roofs). The issue with the large house size and imported house designs is the neglect of climate responsive design elements that reduce a reliance on artificial energy. For instance, metal roofs of tin and aluminum (thanks to technological advancements of the industrial age) are inappropriate for the Nigerian hot/humid climate; these materials generate heat, which results in hot interiors.

2. In order to resolve the issues regarding this notion of the monumental house within the Igbo compound, I conclude that the house design would benefit from a set of guidelines to assist a future home owner in the design and construction of a house that belongs in the village context. As building codes do not exist in this setting, individuals build whatever house size and style suits them. If the people remain conscious of the overall village fabric (traditions, customs, landscape and general characteristics) we can mostly agree that it is worth preserving. It is important to be cautious of what and how it is added to.

The following chapter describes a set of Design principles intended to address these five concepts.

CHAPTER 3PROPOSED DESIGN SOLUTION

Successful architecture is one that highlights harmony between the Con-tent (the building) and the Context (the natural landscape). Here in Igbo-land, its natural landscape is beautiful and begs that any additions should enhance and not detract from this. While understanding that big houses accommodate more people and possessions, building big is not with-out negative consequences. In addition to the seven problems of build-ing styles, construction, incomplete interior design, interior cooling, poor acoustics, overall context and identity, and overall quality of the village discussed in Chapter 2, the newer house style results in the increase of construction costs, time, labor, level of difficulty and building operation and maintenance costs.

The monumental houses springing up in today’s Igbo village often ignore these consequences. In order to build large houses, huge portions of the natural vegetation are razed and the yard areas paved. Some compounds have plantings but they are dwarfed by the scale of the house. Visually and aesthetically, a conflict is created between Content and the Context. The adjacent drawing illustrates an appropriate blend of Content and Context in which the compound contains a house surrounded by trees, shrubs and grass.

The end goal of my Thesis research and study is to derive design guidelines for a modern residential architectural vernacular within the Igbo village that:1. Speaks to this idea of CONTENT + CONTEXT

and 2. Maintains a sense of place unchanged even when the time does.To this end, a set of DESIGN PRINCIPLES intended to guide the future vil-lage home designer and builder is proposed. The following nine points further expand on and explain the above mentioned goals:• Style and Form• Scale and Siting• Space Composition• Space and Function• Building Materials• Material Composition• Vegetation• Energy Conservation• Climate

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Page 34May 2012

PRELIMINARY FLOOR/SITEPLAN:Illustrating concept of Context + Content

FAMILY ROOM

COVERED VERANDAH

KITCHEN

REAR PATIO

CAR PORT

LIVING ROOM

ENTRY/FOYER

CLOTHES WASHING

MASTER SUITE

PANTRY1/2

BATHSTAIRS TO ABOVE

Drawing H

Multi-storied houses do not necessarily have to be massive. Although large families are commonplace and need to be accounted for in the house design, the scale of the Igbo house should be proportional to the size of the site. Because it is residential, the house should also be sized relative to hu-man scale. The house and other built structures should not suffocate the compound and its surrounding nature, i.e. the built form should not take over the land. Seen in image 100, the house is nestled among the trees and does not encroach upon the land it sits on. This site exists in the village of Ogwasi Uku, Delta State.

The architectural style of the house should be respectful and representa-tive of its surrounding. For instance, 20 ft high Romanesque columns do not belong on a Nigerian house, especially within the village setting. Imag-es 94, 95 and 96 shown below represent building sizes and styles that are not indicative of the typical village vernacular. The houses are oversized and fron entries are highly embellished. Images 97 and 98 are drawings of one-storey houses located in the village of Nnewi. The style and sizes are modest, and both buildings are in the traditional rectilinear shape.

STYLE AND FORM SCALE AND SITING

Page 35May 2012

96

95

94

97

98100

MAIN ROAD

7’

8’

99

2ND FLOOR

1ST FLOOR

The exterior shape/form of the house generally affects its interior layout. Therefore, the exterior should balance out the interior in terms of space size. Most of these monumental houses often have leftover space at the interior (especially at the first floor) with no intentional programing. The most common example of this is houses that end up with oversized living rooms due to a huge footprint; it makes the space difficult to furnish and unnecessarily large in width and height. The below drawings are of a one-story house where the sizes of the interior spaces align with the exterior form of the house. Green dotted lines are used to illustrate this idea.

SPACE COMPOSITION SPACE AND FUNCTIONSome spaces within the house are most useful when they are flexible and made adaptable to multiple functions . An open plan arrangement at the first floor allows for this, and areas designated as public domain will benefit from it. Two spaces can be separate or shared through the use of movable partitions. Also, at the exterior strategically placed plantings (especially at the frontyard) help create outdoor shaded rooms to be used for entertain-ing large groups of guests within the compound. See the below.

Page 36May 2012

LIVING ROOM

MOVABLE PARTITION

AREA OF PUBLIC ZONE

FRONT YARD

ENTRY

FAMILY ROOM

Drawing KDrawing J

BED ROOM MASTER

SUITE

LIVING ROOM BED

ROOM

ENTRY PORCH

ANTE ROOM

Drawing I

Maintain historic design and building practices by using elements that en-hance the uniqueness of the village. A healthy balance between old and new design elements and principles can be created and high-lighted in the houses being built in today’s village. Combinations such as loam walls (wattle and daub construction, image 109), thatched roofs (image 110), clay tile roof and walls (images 111 and 112), wood carved doors (image 113), exterior walls with decorative etchings (image 114), and the use of low mud wall surrounds to divide compounds (image 115) will produce a house that showcases an essence of the village. This culmination of build-ing materials and design elements will result in a house design that is rep-resentative and respectful of traditional Igbo architecture.

Materials for building in these parts of Nigeria are readily available. Use building materials that: 1. Embody the culture and, 2. Represent appro-priate technological advancements of the Time and Place. Mud bricks (if one-storey high), clay tiles, concrete, CMU, bamboo, timber and palm fronds. Use some metals; floor mats; and fabric (see image 105) that are representative of the tribe. It is important to preserve the essence of the village architecture, regardless of technological advancements. The his-torical elements of the village architecture and lifestyle can remain intact in today’s world.

BUILDING MATERIALS MATERIAL COMPOSITION

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+ +

+ +

103101 102

105104

108106 107

111109 110

114

112 113 115

The natural vegetation existing throughout the Southern regions not only offers building resources, but beauty and sustenance; their use should be maintained in the overall compound layout. Plants and trees are simple but great elements that can enhance one’s house and compound design. Vegetation (seen in the below images) such as Coconut trees, Orange trees, Hibiscus plants, Palm trees, Mahogany and Mango trees, are some of the most common indigenous vegetation found in this tropical region.

Use building materials and energy conserving practices to create a cool and healthy living environment. This is not a foreign concept in Nigerian archi-tecture, it was the typical practice. Natural ventilation should be imple-mented in order to eliminate the dependency on air conditioning. These include plantings close to the house (the plants give humans Oxygen in ex-change for our Carbon Dioxide); the use of building materials such as ma-sonry and concrete at the walls and roofs (this insulates the house interior against heat); and the use of casement windows to allow direct airflow/exchange (this promotes cross ventilation inside the house).

In lieu of air conditioning units, ceiling fans are great for air circulation and cooling (especially when the space it is cooling is of a small volume, e.g. any areas of 250 square feet and below). As the Nigerian climate is tropi-cal, energy from the sun can be easily harnessed through photovoltaic technology.

Although the culture celebrates the extended family and their required ac-commodations, one option is to build a single main house for living in lieu of the former big house + multiple smaller ones within one compound. This will keep costs and material usage to a minimum.

VEGETATION ENERGY CONSERVATION

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117116

118 119 120

121 122 123

126

124

125

127

128

In the Nigerian village, sustainable and green practices were traditionally implemented. Houses were constructed with overhanging thatched roofs made from palm fronds, mud bricks, high windows and open sections of walls. These building materials and strategies supported natural ventila-tion and air flow, provided insulation from the heat, and kept spaces within the house cool for its inhabitants. Covered porches and verandahs were built for outdoor seating and gathering, while acting as a buffer between the house and the weather. Also the use of large roof overhangs protected the walls from damage from UV rays from the sun and rainfall.

The Nigerian climate is hot and humid with average temperatures ranging from 73 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, year round. The prevailing winds are the rain-bearing winds of the Southwest and the dust-laden, hot-dry winds from the Northeast. Sunrays are typically experienced in all open areas, for this reason people outdoors find refuge in shaded areas whenever possi-ble. Providing shaded areas through trees, porches and pergola structures will help maintain cooler outdoor temperatures.

The below images illustrate outdoor protection from the sun and rain with the use of overhanging eaves, shaded verandahs and vegetation.

CLIMATE

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129

131

130

132

DESIGN PROPOSAL When planning and designing buildings (houses or otherwise) any good designer understands that it is important to take into consideration the Culture and Setting for which the said buildings are intended. This prelimi-nary house and compound design implements the Design Principles.

In the creation of today’s homes in Igbo villages, a healthy balance be-tween old and new design elements and principles can exist. In the past, design and construction practices employed within this setting were gen-erally in response to climate and overall availability of building materials. The historic ideas and design elements can be combined with appropriate elements of the present style of houses to create a new vernacular for fu-ture Igbo architecture.

The elevation drawing below illustrates a streetscape where this new ver-nacular is proposed. In order to create uniformity (in the house design and scale) at the street fronts, the proportions of the houses are modest and modular, as shown by the green dotted lines. These lines indicate the front of the house segmented into four major blocks. The modular dimensions here are 8’ and 12’ widths that can be repeated from house to house. This idea of modularity offers a framework for which this proposed new vernac-ular can unify a street edge. Even when one-storey, neighboring houses and surrounding compounds remain similar, but differentiated through the rearrangment of design elements.

May 2012

8’ 8’12’ 12’ 12’ EQUALS WIDTH OF HOUSE 8’12’ 12’ 12’ 12’

In determining the modular dimensions, I started with 2’ as the smallest usable width (the smallest usable space in the house is a storage closet). As a rule-of-thumb, 2’ increments were then applied to the proposed spac-es, until the appropriate sizes that would serve specific spatial functions were achieved. The overall dimensions of the different interior spaces are measured in units of 2’, allowing the modular block to gradually increase or decrease as needed. For instance, the 8’ width at the entry is 4 units of 2’, while the 12’ segment of the building is 6 units of 2’.

12’ = 6 units of 2’

2’ 2’ 2’ 2’ 2’ 2’

8’ = 4 units of 2’

2’ 2’ 2’ 2’2’

NOT TO SCALE

NOT TO SCALE

Borrow the design/building elements of thatched roof, mud or stone walls.

+

Page 41

Include the modest style of the concrete building with enclosed verandah, open blockwork space for protected sitting outdoors.

Include positive design elements of today’s monumental house. These include placing shaded balconies on upper floors and the idea of creating recesses on the building to provide shaded areas at the building perimeter (protected outdoor rooms).

Combine the elements from the past and present house styles noted above to create a new vernacular that respects and reflects the fabric of its current and future setting.

12’ 12’8’

+

The following pages contain drawings for the design of a house and com-pound sited in Ogwashi-Uku village in Delta State, an Igbo-speaking region in the East of Nigeria. The design was derived from the Design Principles previously prescribed in this chapter and stands as a preliminary illustra-tion of how these guidelines can be incorporated in the residential design of an Igbo village. These principles could be applied in the design of any Nigerian village.

In addition to the Design Principles, the overall design also showcases the idea of public and private zone separation within a house. The semi-open plan concept in my design creates areas for public/formal use that can be expanded or reduced. The more private ones such as kitchens and bed-rooms are arranged towards the rear and second storey of the house, re-spectively. The design also incorporates utilizing daylight with a light well from the second floor down to the first, through the use of a roof skylight. Large casement windows are placed at the less private spaces.

Here the roof of choice is the gable, because it will allow rainwater to shed and be collected if desired. With large overhangs at the roof ends, the building enclosure is protected from heat and damage due to the sun’s UV rays. Building materials include CMU block walls, clay tiles at the main roofs and verandah to help keep the building cool and airy. Thatched roofs from palm fronds at all one-storey structures is used as an option to keep such spaces cool. Using thatched roofing introduces an historic building material element to the new design, maintaining an aspect of the tradi-tional architecture. Instead of high surrounding metal fence with barbwire atop, the compound is enclosed with a six foot-high mud wall. This is bet-ter suited for the village context. CMU blocks are the exterior material of choice because they are readily available, easy to control and form, sizes are modular and they can be painted to suit individual tastes.

During my last visit to Nigeria, I was reminded of the importance and ben-efits of outdoor shaded areas wherever and whenever possible, albeit it through shade from trees, verandahs or built canopy structures. Shaded areas within the compound allow people remain outside while protected from the harsh heat, and people can remain cool despite high tempera-tures.

The set of drawings for my design includes a Site Plan, First and Second floor plans, Interior Perspectives and Elevations, a Building Section, Exte-rior Elevation and Perspective drawings. Further descriptions of the design and how design principles are incorporated are outlined within pages to the left of each drawing. Also included are images of an 1/8” scale model of the proposed house and compound.

CONCEPT SKETCH - 1ST FLOOR PLANThis abstract sketch illustrates spatial relationship of planned rooms of proposed house design. The green colors indicate landscape, oranges and yellows indicate public zones, while the blues represent private ones. The

browns are reserved for utilitarian uses.

SCALE MODELSConcept/preliminary

building models used to determine house form.

Page 42May 2012

Page 43May 2012

TREES FOR SUSTENANCE, BEAUTY AND SHADE

FRONT ELEVATION

CAR PORT

2’ ROOF OVERHANG

THATCHED ROOF AT SINGLE STOREY STRUCTURE

SHADED VERANDAH ADJACENT TO PUBLIC LIVING SPACES

CHICKEN COUP AND GOAT PEN

BACK YARD: GROUND COVERING IS GRASS

AND RED SAND

DIRECTION OF MAIN ROAD

FRONT YARD: GROUND IS A MIX OF CONCRETE

PAVERS AND GRASSSKYLIGHT TREES FOR

SUSTENANCE, BEAUTY AND SHADE

DRIVEWAY

N

2ND FLOOR INTERIOR BALCONY WITH BAMBOO GUARDRAILS

WALL SCONCE IN THE SHAPE OF AN AFRICAN HORN

CARVED WOODEN FRONT DOOR

8’ WIDE CORRIDOR

CLOTHES WASHING AND DRYING

ORANGE TREES

MUD WALL COMPOUND ENCLOSURE

BACK YARD

PALM TREES

MANGO TREES

DRIVEWAYENTRY GATE

Page 44May 2012

BAMBOO WAINSCOT AND FLOOR

FAMILY ROOM GOAT PEN AND CHICKEN COUP

MAHOGANY TREESINTERIOR BALCONY

AND HALLWAY

DINING ROOM

COCONUT TREE

ORANGE TREE

KITCHEN

CORRIDOR TO BACKYARD

May 2012 Page 45

MOVABLE PARTITIONS MADE FROM WOVEN RAFFIA

6’ 14’ (FAMILY ROOM) 14’ (FAMILY ROOM)8’(ENTRY HALL)

9’

8’

+21’

The Site - NTS

The site for this proposed design is located in the village of Ogwashi Uku, Delta State; selected because there is mini-mal new development and the monumental house style trend has yet to overtake this part of Igboland. The major

roadway along the front of the property (Ogwashi-Ibusa road) runs directly into the neighboring village of Ibusa.

Page 46May 2012

N

Page 47May 2012

Ogwashi - Ibusa Road

Site Plan - NTS

The proposed plot consisting of a main house, carport, a hen house and a goat pen, is approximately 15,000 square feet. The building on all floors comprises approximately 3,000 square feet. The entire site is surrounded by native

vegetation: palm, coconut, mango and mahogany trees, hibiscus flowering plants and shrubs for aesthetics and suste-nance. The compound is enclosed within a six foot high mud wall.

Page 48May 2012

N

Page 49May 2012

HIBISCUS FLOWERS

MAIN HOUSE

GOAT

PEN

ORANGE TREES

MANGO TREES

MAHOGANY TREES

PALM TREES

COCONUT TREES

ORANGE TREES

SHRUBS

CHIC

KENS

STO.

CAR PORT

BACK YARD

FRONT YARD

First Floor Plan - NTS

Consisting of approximately 1,300 square feet, this semi-open plan layout shows a spatial arrangement typical in Ni-gerian house design – the separation of private zones from public. The public spaces used for general entertainment

of guests are the front verandah, living room and 1/2 bathroom. All other spaces are considered semi-private or fully private. The public spaces are placed in front toward the street, while the private ones are located at the rear of the

house. See the floor plan for detailed room descriptions and functions

Page 50 May 2012

N

Page 51May 2012

AA

Second Floor Plan - NTS

The second floor of 1,200 square feet continues with the shape and flow of the first floor below and houses the pri-vate spaces of the house: the bedrooms. This floor contains two bathrooms and six bedrooms, two of which are large

enough to sleep multiple people, while the others are single use. The hallway in the middle of this floor is open to above via skylight, and open to below via interior balcony. Only overnight/permanent guests (in addition to the house

owners) have access to this part of the domain.Page 52May 2012

N

Page 53May 2012

AA

A A

Interior Perspective - NTS

Showing a portion of the house through the first floor Corridor, this drawing gives an idea of openness at the first floor, and ventilation upwards through a long openning. It also illustrates the spatial relationship between open and closed

off areas such as the Master Bedroom and Kitchen as well as cross ventilating opennings to this corridor.

Page 54May 2012

Page 55May 2012

Interior Elevations - NTS

The lower left drawing shown here is of the main entry door to the house. It is a wood door with the carving of an image of a woman with a basin of farm produce balanced on her head. This art showcases an aspect of the farming

culture of the Igbo village. The idea here is to begin to suggest elements incorporating local art and culture. The top right image is an elevation/partial section highlighting the spatial adjacencies of the public zones: (starting left) the

Verandah the Family Room, Entry Hall and Living Room. Page 56May 2012

Page 57May 2012

Longitudinal Building Section (A-A) - NTS

The interior of the house is intended to feel light, airy and bright. Daylight can penetrate the spaces. Building materi-als at the interior include finished wood and bamboo, woven raffia, cloth and at the exterior, CMU walls. As this house

is in a tropical zone, the need for thick floor assemblies for HVAC ducts is eliminated, but the house is raised off the land to provide ventilation below the first floor. Floor-to-floor heights are kept between eight and nine feet. Here,

central air conditioning is eliminated and the use of cross and stack ventilation ceiling fans is heavily promoted.Page 58May 2012

Page 59May 2012

Front Elevation (Southwest) - Scale:1/8” = 1’-0”

The overall building is a rectilinear form with gable roofs. The typical house style constructed through the years in the villages has been simple forms with gable or flat roofs. As the front façade of any house is the most important, this

drawing illustrates a proposed range of building materials and spatial design elements, to create a pleasing aesthetic.

Page 60May 2012

Page 61May 2012

CMU Concrete Masonry Blocks

Hollow Clay Tiles

Palm Frond Roofing (@ one-storey roof only)

Coconut Trees

Mahogany Trees

Mango Trees

Exterior Perspective (Northeast) - Scale:1/8” = 1’-0” Standing at twenty-one feet tall, the size of this proposed house relates to the human scale and the overall site is

heavily vegetated. Made of CMU blocks walls, hollow clay tiled and palm frond roofed verandah, timber trims, wood-en windows, the house interacts well with the surrounding landscape and is meant to compliment the context in

which it sits. Shaded areas are provided through trees and roof canopies.Page 62May 2012

Page 63May 2012

CONCLUSION

Although preliminary, my proposed design illustrates this idea of a new residential vernacular within the old Igbo village. It gives one of a few pos-sible scenarios in which the essence of the village fabric can be preserved. As was mentioned in Chapter 3, a typical format of Igboland is to build mul-tiple buildings within a compound’s constraints. If these buildings are con-structed to be extremely large, they are disadvantageous because more building materials are required, more land is used and in some cases, the massiveness of these buildings do not allow the land to breath.

The Igbo compound can comprise of multiple houses or one main house. Maintaining house scales of small to moderate sizes with traditional aes-thetics is a factor that will keep the residential fabric consistent and repre-sentative of the village setting. A lesson regarding the ratio of house size to compound space is one to be learnt from the days of huts in Igboland: the sizes of the huts complimented the space in which they were built.

My proposed layout follows the model of my paternal grandparents’ com-pound, where one main living house is designed to accodomdate members of a nuclear and extended family. The interior space layout contains seven individual bedrooms that can accommodate permanent residents as well as temporary guests. These bedrooms are sized so that half of them hold single occupants, while the others sleep multiple people. Sizing the bed-rooms as such minimizes the overall building footprint and offers flexibility in the accommodation of number of guests as this varies from time to time.

The spaces within the house are designed to be modular, the overall layout is flexible and modifiable. The adjacent diagrams illustrate this modularity, demonstrating how the interior spaces on the first floor might be inter-changed. Another noteworthy factor of my proposed design is the sizes of the interior spaces. Here, the smallest dimensions of habitable spaces (not counting bathrooms) is eight feet by ten feet and increases by two feet, depending on the function of the space. For example, the Living Room and Family Rooms are approximately 12’ x 16’ and 12’ x 14’, while the Kitchen and Master Bedroom measure at 12’x 14’ each. This system of dimension maintains a modularity that supports flexibility.

The Family and Living Rooms in my proposed design are each sized to ac-commodate an intimate gathering of eight to ten people. By using mov-able partitions in lieu of permanent walls, these areas can be open, and due to their close proximity to one another, have the ability to transform into one large room for much bigger gatherings. Flexibility is important be-cause as mentioned in previous chapters, the compound is frequently used for social gatherings and events such as marriages and funerals.

Page 65May 2012

ILLUSTRATES THE OUTLINE OF 1ST FLOOR PLAN OF MY PROPOSED

DESIGN

COLOR BLOCKS ILLUSTRATE THE INTERIOR SPACES OF 1ST FLOOR

PLAN DESIGN

SCHEME A: COLOR BLOCKS ARE INTERCHANGED WITHIN THE

FLOOR PLAN

SCHEME B: COLOR BLOCKS ARE INTERCHANGED WITHIN THE

FLOOR PLAN

LEGEND• Red blocks indicate public zones such as Living and Family rooms• Orange blocks indicate semi-public zones such as Kitchen and Dining

room• Yellow blocks indicate public utility zones such as Bathroom and

Hallway• Blue blocks indicate private zones such as Bedrooms

Page 66May 2012

Compared to the sample compound layouts #2 and #3, this proposed lay-out suggests that the compound and environment in general, could benefit from the minimization of house square footage, without compromising the traditions and culture of Igbo land.

Within my proposed design, the interior spaces are portioned so that overall spaces conform with the exterior shape of the building. Interior furnishing can be planned accordingly and living spaces are not over or under-sized. The green dotted lines on the below drawings illustrate this exterior/interior relationship.

Lastly, as an alternative the design can be revised with the second story removed to create a one-storey house if desired.

SAMPLE COMPOUND LAYOUT #2

PROPOSED DESIGN

SAMPLE COMPOUND LAYOUT #3

Page 67May 2012

SCALE AND SITING: The idea of Content + Context is successful and the natural landscape compliments the compound.

VEGETATION: Plantings for beauty, sustenance and shade. The natural landscape also promotes healthy living through the exchange of Oxygen and CO2 between plants and human beings.

SPACE COMPOSITION:Despite the multiple families

planned for this house, spaces are not over-sized.

ENERGY CONSERVATION:The use of ceiling fans, casement windows, and an open corridor promotes cross ventilation at the house interior. Adding photovoltaic panels at the roof to harness the power of the sun for energy reduces the reliance on electricity.

SPACE AND FUNCTION:The typical practice of separation between public and private zones is implemented.

With regards to the house style, I strongly believe that each village can maintain its own vernacular that distinguishes it from the city. The Nige-rian architecture is already diverse and as a result, an indigenous vernacu-lar is somewhat difficult to pinpoint. Place gains its identity through its physical aspects; this includes its buildings and the types of activities they support. Therefore, the Igbo village fabric is a reflection of the people, the culture and their customs. In today’s village, this fabric is worth preserving and needs to be a factor for consideration in the future construction and remodeling of the Igbo house and compound.

In utilizing these proposed Design Principles, a house model that is both appropriate for this setting and aesthetically pleasing can be achieved wthin the Igbo village.

GABLE ROOF: Typical roof style that allows rain water run off. Large over-hangs protect building enclosure.

LIGHT WELL: Made of wood and glazing, the operable skylight

allows natural light penetrate , and ventilation from roof down to

1st floor.

SHADE TREES: Provides a healthy living environment, and offers protection from the sun.

GUTTERS: Sloped gutters, located on either side of the light well to collect and drain rainwater from this slightly

sloped portion of the roof.

EXTERIOR STORAGE: Designated storage for exterior use items and tools for planting and exterior maintenance can be kept here.

BUILDING MATERIAL/MATERIAL COMPOSITION:

The selected building materials are local

and representative of traditional village

architecture in a modern world. Together, these materials work well to

create a pleasing aesthetic.

• Building Styles: A lack of distinction between residential style buildings and commercial buildings.

• Construction: Structural and aesthetic implications of using non-traditional/irregular forms is not completely considered in the construction of these new style of houses.

• Incomplete Interior design: The newly built houses are large in scale and as a result, the layout of the interior spaces appear as an afterthought, formed from the shape and size of the exterior.

• Interior Cooling: There is more reliance on air conditioning systems (which in themselves represent levels of complication for installation and maintenance) than there used to be thirty, forty years ago. Cool interiors were maintained through climate responsive practices such as building with mud walls and thatched roofs.

• Poor Acoustics: Another result of wide and tall spaces is poor acoustics and unwanted transfer of sound and noise to multiple levels within the house. Smaller interior volumes will help attenuate this problem.

• Overall Context and Identity: A prominent feature of the village identity is contained in its residential style. Aside from the roads and vegetation, one knows they have arrived to the village by the house style (modest building sizes made from mud or concrete with a low mud or concrete wall enclosure. Today, houses are built in the same style as houses found within the cities.

• Overall Quality of the Village: In general, the village used to be perceived as a place of tranquility, a haven of calmness, a quiet place to escape the hustle-and-bustle of city life. These qualities stemmed from the low-key life style, the fact that you could trust almost everyone, and the modest house style; all surrounded by the beautiful vegetation and natural landscape. Today these qualities are disappearing and the state of the Nigerian economy is a contributing factor.

A set of DESIGN PRINCIPLES intended to guide the future village home designer and builder. • Style and Form: The architectural style of the house should be respect-

ful and representative of its surrounding.

• Scale and Siting: The scale of the Igbo house should be proportional to the size of the site. Because it is residential, the house should also be sized relative to human scale. The house and other built structures should not suffocate the compound and its surrounding nature.

• Space Composition: The exterior shape of the house generally affects its interior layout. Therefore, the exterior should balance out the inte-rior in terms of space size.

• Space and Function: Some spaces within the house are most useful when they are flexible and made adaptable to multiple functions . An open plan arrangement at the first floor allows for this, and areas des-ignated as public domain will benefit from this.

• Building Materials: Materials for building in these parts of Nigeria are readily available. Building materials that embody the culture and rep-resent appropriate technological advancements of the country should be implemented.

• Material Composition: Maintain historic design and building practic-es by using elements that enhances the uniqueness of the village. A healthy balance between old and new design elements and principles can be created and high-lighted in the houses being built in today’s village.

• Vegetation: The natural vegetation existing throughout the Southern regions not only offers building resources, but beauty and sustenance; their use should be maintained in the overall compound layout.

• Energy Conservation and Climate: Use building materials and energy conserving practices to create a cool and healthy living environment. Natural ventilation practices should be implemented in order to elimi-nate the dependency on air conditioning. Energy from the sun can be easily harnessed through photovoltaic technology. Provide large roof overhangs to protect the house walls from rain and sun damage. Also providing covered verandahs creates shaded outdoor areas for seating and gathering.

THE PROBLEMS THE SOLUTION

Page 68May 2012

THE END RESULT

Page 69May 2012

A modern residential architectural vernacular within the Igbo village that:

• Expresses the concept of CONTENT + CONTEXT. The overall mass of the house(s) should not exceed 65% of the lot size within a compound. The natural landscape will constantly grow and continue to beautify the environment.

• Is modest in style and size, with building heights and widths prescribed in the adjacent drawings. Massive building structures are typical of city settings and historically atypical in the village.

• Maintains an overall uniformity in the houses along the same street edge in terms of design and style. Design elements can be repeated along a streetscape and the houses appear to be similar but different if the style and dimensions are modular. This creates a sense of individu-ality (the house and compound) within the communal setting(overall village).

• Maintains a sense of place unchanged even when the time does. Technological advancements may occur, but the historical essence and physical fabric of the village such as traditional building practices, food and material resources, and the natural landscape can remain intact.

8’ 8’12’ 12’ 12’ EQUALS WIDTH OF HOUSE 8’12’ 12’ 12’ 12’

9’

8’2ND FLOOR

1ST FLOOR

NOT TO SCALE

NOT TO SCALE

APPENDICES

DEFINITIONSCity-Life: Describes the setting, trends, life style and activities associated with living in the city, in Nigeria.

Compound: Refers to the enclosure surrounding the house or cluster of houses of a family (nuclear or extended) in the Igbo village setting. This enclosure could be a wall, a fence or shrubs.

Design Principles: A set of guidelines for the development of successful house design within the village setting, responding to the climate and traditional house form and structure.

Extended Family: Within the Nigerian culture, refers to relatives that exist outside of the nuclear family (uncles, aunts, cousins) but may live within the same compound.

Igbo: Refers to a tribe of people (and their spoken language) mainly lo-cated in Southeast Nigeria.

Village Fabric: Describes the ideals, essence, elements and infrastructure that make up the Nigerian village.

Motherland: Commonly used by Africans and African-Americans to de-scribe Africa.

Place: Refers to a location, e.g. in the Village, in the city, in Lagos state, in Delta State.

Vernacular: Indicates a formal aspect or type of building or building mate-rial used to describe the common building style of a period or place.

Village-Life: Describes the setting, trends, life style and activities associ-ated with living in the village, in Nigeria.

PHOTOGRAPHIC/IMAGERY CREDITS

• <www.Panoramio.com>

• www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/igbo_tribe.html

• www.cometonigeria.com/nigeria

• www.tribal-explorer.com/african_tribes/igbo.html

• www.wikipedia.org

• “Culture of Nigeria – Traditional, History, People, Clothing, Tradi-tions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs.” Countries and Their Cultures. 22 February 2011. <http://Culture of Nigeria – traditional, history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs .html)>.

• “Mud Architecture – Construction Details And Techniques”. Archin-omy. 28 July 2011. http://www.archinomy.com/case-studies/712/mud-architecture-construction-details-and-techniques.html.

Page 3: Images 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 by Author. Images 3 and 5 by Others.

Page 5: Maps 8 and 9 by Others.

Page 6: All images by Others.

Page 7: Images 30, 32, 34, 35 and 36 by Author. Image 31 from www. Panoramio.com. Image 33 from “We Come from Nigeria” by Alison Brownlie. Aerial map 29 from Google Earth.

Page 8: Aerial map 37 from Google Earth.

Page 9: Aerial map 38 from Google Earth. Images 42, 44, 45, 46 and 47 by author. Image 43 from “We Come from Nigeria” by Alison Brownlie. Images 39, 40 and 41 by Others.

Page 10: Aerial map 48 from Google Earth.

Page 11: Images 49, 51, 52, 53, 54 by Author. Image 55 by Others.

Page 15: Images 56, 58, 61 and 62 by Author. Images 59 and 60 from www.Panoramio.com. Image 57 by Others.

Pages 16: Image 67 from “We Come from Nigeria” by Alison Brownlie.Remaining images by Others.

Page 17: Images 73 and 79 by Author. Image 77 from “Ikenna Goes to Nigeria” by Ifeoma Onyefulu. Images 74, 75, 76 and 78 by Alfred Uzokwe.

Page 18: Images 80 and 81 by Author. Images 82 and 84 from “We Come from Nigeria” by Alison Brownlie. Images 83, 85 and 86 by Others. Image 87 from “An Introduction to Nigerian Traditional Architecture, South-East-ern Nigeria, The Igbo Speaking Areas” by Z.R. Dmochowski.

Page 19: Diagram A by Author.

Page 20: Drawings A and B by Author as seen in “An Introduction to Ni-gerian Traditional Architecture, South-Eastern Nigeria, The Igbo Speaking Areas” by Z.R. Dmochowski.

Page 21: Images 88 to 93 from “An Introduction to Nigerian Traditional Architecture, South-Eastern Nigeria, The Igbo Speaking Areas” by Z.R. Dmochowski. Drawing C by Author.

Pages 22 and 23: Drawings D and E by Author.

Pages 24: Drawings F curtesy of Castro Architecture Works. Drawing G curtesy Mr. Jotham Uzokwe.

Pages 34: Drawings H by Author.

Pages 35: Images 94 and 95 by Alfred Uzokwe. Image 96 from www.Pan-oramio.com. Images 97, 98, 99, 100 by Author.

Pages 36: Drawings I, J and K by Author.

Page 37: Images 101, 102, 103, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113 and 114 by Others. Images 104 and 115 from “We Come from Nigeria” by Alison Brownlie. Images 105 and 112 by Author.

Pages 38: Image 126 by Author. Remaining images by Others.

Page 39: Image 129 by Author. Image 130 from www.archinomy.com. Image 131 from “Tropical Architecture, Sustainable and Humane Building in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia” by Wolfgang Lauber. Image 132 by Others.

Author Margaret Okonkwo, Candidate for Masters in Architecture. Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA.

Thesis Advisor Paul PaturzoMassachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA. Department of Architectural Design.

Thesis Coordinator Patricia Seitz, AIAMassachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA. Department of Architectural Design.

Consultant Alfred Uzokwe, P.E.Chief, Division of Design, Facility Design and Construction, Harrisburg, PA. Architectural Designer in Nigeria.

DIRECTORYBIBLIOGRAPHY• Brownlie, Alison. We Come From Nigeria. Italy: Library of Congress,

Steck-Vaughn Company, 2000.

• Lauber, Wolfgang. Tropical Architecture, Sustainable and Humane Building in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia. New York: Pres-tel, 2005.

• Onyefulu, Ifeoma. Ikenna Goes to Nigeria. Great Britain: Francis Lincoln Limited, 2007.

• Jacobson, Max; Silverstein, Murray; Winslow, Barbara. Patterns of Homes, The Ten Essentials of Enduring Design. Connecticut: The Taunton Press, 2002.

• Dmochowski, Z.R. An Introduction to Nigerian Traditional Architec-ture, South-Eastern Nigeria, The Igbo Speaking Areas. Great Britain: Ethnographica Ltd, 1990.

• Falola, Toyin. The History of Nigeria. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999.

• Falola, Toyin. Culture and Customs of Nigeria. Connecticut: Green-wood Press, 2001.

• Kwok, Alison; Grondzik, Walter. The Green Studio Handbook: Environ-mental Strategies for Schematic Design. Elsevier Inc., 2007.

• Brown, G.Z.; DeKay, Mark. Sun, Wind and Light: Architectural Design Strategies. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2001.

• “Nigeria – Climate.” Climate. 25 April 2011. <http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/33.html)>.

• “Nigeria: Past, Present and Future.” About Nigeria. 22 February 2011. <http://past, present and future/About Nigeria.html)>.

PERMISSION REQUESTS AND APPROVALS OF RESEARCH MATERIALSRE: ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Web Permission RequestSuzanne Paris [SParis@ABC-CLIO.com]You replied on 7/18/2011 2:10 PM.Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 3:14 PMTo: Margaret I OkonkwoDear Ms. Okonkwo, Thank you for getting back to me with the book title. We have two titles by this author on Nigeria. Please accept this email as one time only complimentary permis-sion granted for use of the material as described in your request below. The material must be cited. This does not include tables, figures, photos, or any graphic ma-terials within that text. This also only includes text, which is the copyright of ABC-CLIO, or it's imprints. It does not include any material for which we are not the copyright holder. Please check the notations of the material you are using carefully to determine if ABC-CLIO alone is the copyright holder. Separate permission will be needed for materials, which are not our copyright. Please print a copy of this email for your records. With best regards,Suzanne Paris

Re: Permission RequestJessica Halliwell [jessicah@frances-lincoln.com]You forwarded this message on 7/6/2011 3:44 PM.Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 5:44 AMTo: Margaret I OkonkwoDear Margaret,

Thank you for your email. This is all fine with us. As long as you're not receiving any financial income from this piece of work then you can use the images for free. Please do ensure that they're fully credited as you've outlined.

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Jessica HalliwellPermissions Assistant

MARGARET OKONKWOMASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN, MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE THESIS