African architects that use vernacular architecture

1) Kunlé Adeyemi – NLÉ

The son of the founder of one of the first indigenous architecture firms
in Nigeria, Adeyemi focuses his efforts on rapidly expanding cities, especially Lagos. Amid plans
to transform Lagos into a west-facing city with luxury development and high rise office
construction, Adeyemi instead is articulating an alternative vision of African development,
allowing the unique personality of the preexisting - if poor - areas to inform his buildings.

Adeyemi’s claim to fame is his widely covered floating school in the Makoko district of Lagos.
Makoko, built over the lagoon that gave the city it’s Portuguese name, effectively became a self
governing settlement due to the lack of government presence in the area. As Nigeria booms -
recently overtaking South Africa as Africa’s largest economy - Makoko has come under pressure
from the government as a well known and distinctive informal settlement in the heart of
Nigeria’s largest city. Although neither sought nor approved by the government (but built with
the aid of NGOs and the UN),the school utilizes traditional Nigerian forms in a modern way and
is uniquely suited to the situation in Makoko. Although only one building, the project proved
easy to build and low cost, and indicates a different and desirable trajectory for Lagos rather
than the current pressure to level Makoko - including the school, which is technically illegally
built.
 2) Mphethi Morojele – MMA Architects

Morojele’s MMA architects was one of the first black-owned architectural practices in
South Africa following the end of apartheid and has been a leading voice of the new, non-
establishment practices ever since. Working on high-profile institutional projects such as
embassies and university buildings, Morojele is heavily involved in efforts to remake the face of
the African city to serve the public and reflect social commentary. A strong cultural interest is
also indicated in his designs, which are intended to reflect the way South Africa views itself in
the post-apartheid era.

Morojele’s cultural interest can be seen in his designs for the South African embassy buildings
in Ethiopia and Germany. As a typology, embassies are complicated buildings, required to
exhibit a sense of national self while still fitting into the foreign context in which they are
placed. The Berlin embassy was the first South African embassy constructed after the end of
apartheid, and shows the new vision of South Africa most obviously in the use of traditional
African detailing - but in fact the whole building is informed by traditional African forms, using a
central courtyard which recalls both Berlin’s courtyards and the central kraal (corral) of
South Africa. This theme continues into the work on Freedom Park, completed in collaboration
with GAPP architects and MRA architects, a project of huge significance in South Africa which is
dedicated to the victims of both World Wars and the apartheid era, as well the h otel complex
at the Maropeng Cradle of Humanity, which is a World Heritage Site.
In addition to his cultural work, Morojele is also active in the reconstruction of residential areas,
receiving attention for his participation in the 10 x 10 Housing Project. His low-cost, low-complexity
design borrows elements from the wattle-and-daub construction traditionally found in southern
African settlements, and requires little skill to construct, no electricity on site and as few as 6
laborers. This means that, in theory, these designs could be used by residents of informal
settlements and isolated areas to put up high quality housing with no outside help. His Ellis Park
Sports Precinct, in the rundown inner city suburb of Ellis Park, also played a large role in the wider
reconstruction program of the area. Alongside his school projects in the township of Khayelitsha,
these works focus on including youth in South African society - important in a country known for
extremely high rates of protest (young South Africans are more likely to have protested against the
government than voted for it) and one still struggling to create a new self image that incorporates
all sections of society.