AFRO-FUTURISM: Recovering and Building on an Interrupted History

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AFRO-FUTURISM: Recovering and Building on an Interrupted History

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title: AFRO-FUTURISM: Recovering and Building on an Interrupted History

creator: Benedict Ezem

subject: Architecture, Nigeria, Designs and plans; Community development, Africa; Vernacular architecture, Nigeria

description: Building on a reincarnated style of architecture in Africa to carve out an architectural style that directly responds to the issues of the region.Almost six decades after the end of formal colonial rule, architecture in West Africa still fails to perform the cultural roles essential to the advancement of the societies who continue to struggle to take their proper place in the world. Instead, it replicates the architecture of the West which was adapted during colonization. This work revisits architectures preceding the centuries of European dominationand explores the generation of designs that respond specifically to the needs of the rural majority of communities. Over the years, Nigeria has tolerated several corrupt leaders; who still maintain the segregation of the former colonial masters. These leaders deem it fit to use funds meant to solve the problems of the rural for their personal gain. Thus leaving Amibo (my site) to be a no man's land. This neglect has caused an increase in the low income class and a decrease in the youth population, as they rather move away to bigger cities like; Lagos and Abuja, or even outside the country, to seek a better life. Afrofuturism challenges present building strategies by using traditional building methods to elevate the living environment in rural villages, using Amibo village as a first site of exploration.The strategies explored here create shared social spaces, which allow for community learning and general accessibility of natural resources for trade. The materials used in this work are locally sourced, biodegradable and 100% recyclable giving the residents of Amibo a self sufficient building system and economy.

publisher: The Douglas D. Schumann Library and Learning Commons, Wentworth Institute of Technology

contributor:

date: 2020

type: Thesis

format: .pdf

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language: eng

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rights: https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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