Faculty of the Built Environment

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Browsing Faculty of the Built Environment by Author "Olweny, Mark R. O."

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    Capacity building in adaptive reuse through collaborative workshops for students: on-site and remote experiences in Rwanda and Zanzibar
    (European Union, 2021) Ahimbisibwe, Achilles; Louw, Michael; Michieletto, Manlio; Olweny, Mark R. O.; Papanicolaou, Stella; Lans, Berend van der
    The idea of ‘adaptive reuse’ is relatively new in the African built environment. The value of working with existing under-utilised buildings as a resource for the future lies in the inherent potential for addressing sensitive issues that often originate from their colonial past or previous regimes during which they were built or occupied. As part of the International Forum Cultural Spaces for Kigali, a workshop for students was hosted at the University of Rwanda’s School of Architecture and Built Environment from 10 - 14 March 2019. The participants included the University of Rwanda (UR), Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) and the University of Cape Town (UCT). The objective of the workshop and the Forum was to test the adaptive potential of unused buildings near Kigali’s city centre, and to evaluate whether disused buildings – such as the Kigali Central Prison (also known as Nyarugenge Prison, Gikondo Prison, or simply “1930”) and the Ecole Belge (the former Belgian School) – could be adapted for use as precincts for the production and performance of art and culture. The project was launched and run by the Rwanda Arts Initiative (RAI), with African Architecture Matters and the Centre for Fine Arts Brussels (BOZAR), and funded by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. The workshop targeted students, who, navigating their cultural differences, presented a variety of options or possibilities using visualisation methods. This was done in cooperative workshops, with presentations by students and professionals from across Africa, developing an independent, continent-specific approach. The success of the Rwandan workshop, and its reiteration in Zanzibar, are presented here.
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    Heritage Significance of Late 19th and Early 20th Century Buildings in the Buganda Kingdom, Uganda
    (WIT Press, 2019) Kafuuma, Gilbert; Muhwezi, Esther; Olweny, Mark R. O.
    The paper sets out to investigate the heritage significance of four late 19th and early 20th century buildings in Buganda capital of Mengo. The buildings, Keweerimidde House (1890s), Basiima House (1902), Chwa Building (1904), and Muteesa I Dormitory (1904), were built during an extraordinarily tumultuous period in the history of the Kingdom which no doubt had an impact on the buildings that were constructed, and their subsequent use over the years. The exploration is undertaken through an approach that combines two exploratory techniques: values and narratives. These are used to investigate the many tales that surround these buildings, while reflecting on the socio-political developments of the period, which also influenced their commissioning and construction. This led to a better understanding of the embedded relationship between the specific buildings and the stories that are often neglected in discourse of heritage in the context of Uganda. A key part of the study was the documentation of the four buildings, which revealed a further dimension of heritage studies, such as cultural changes in Buganda during the period under question. Through this evaluation, the paper seeks to contribute to the understanding and appreciation of architecture of this period, while at the same time building a documented inventory of these buildings.
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    Historical study of Jinja, Uganda: a city influenced by industrial developments during the early 20th Century
    (WIT Press, 2019) Wako, K. Anthony; Olweny, Mark R. O.
    This paper evaluates how industrial developments during the first three decades of the 20th century contributed to the founding and growth of Jinja. During this period Jinja grew to become an important inland port on Lake Victoria, a consequence of geography, as well as a multitude of conditions and circumstances linked to colonial developmental policies. The paper presents the socio-economic and socio-political context of colonial patronage which influenced the spatial developments of Jinja. It, however, makes a case that some industrial aspects were in place before Jinja was designated as the pre-eminent industrial hub of Uganda. The paper frames historical narratives through developmental paradigms. By selecting different lenses to cross-examine the growth of Jinja, the paper highlights themes of trade, transport and planning that influenced and shaped the growth of the city. Research for this paper draws primarily on historical information, through critical analysis with reference to embryonic urban centres in other British controlled territories across sub-Saharan Africa, as a means to better situate the conditions that shaped Jinja. The study of Jinja’s history also forms a basis for conservation policies and could be an instrument for promoting ideas of development which are compatible with Jinja’s genius loci.