Browsing by Author "Olweny Mark R. O."

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498: Integrating Sustainability and Environmental Design in an African Architecture Curriculum:
(Passive and Low Energy Architecture, 2008-10-28) Olweny Mark R. O.
While the majority of Ugandans live in energy poverty, contemporary architecture in the country is for the most part energy inefficient. Progress and development is shown through the inclusion of air-conditioners, while choices made in the construction of buildings ignore concerns about the wider environmental context in which architecture is situated. Although architects in Uganda are aware of sustainability and environmental issues and the need for strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, the ability to translate information into built form is limited by the fact that many have not been given the appropriate tools to apply this information in the local context. The introduction to environmental and sustainable issues for many architects in Uganda has been through the traditional mode, in which environmental issues were presented as ‘addon’ courses, delivered by ‘specialists’, in independent lecture sessions, with little if any attempt made to integrate this knowledge into design projects. The design studio viewed as a place for aesthetic exploration, with technical and environmental issues regarded as an impediment to this. Introducing Sustainability and Environmental design into the curriculum as an integrated component in the design studio is an important strategy to enabling graduating architects to make decisions concerning sustainability and environmental design as part of the design process, rather than as an add on extra. Over the past three years, the School of the Built Environment at the Uganda Martyrs University has transformed its curriculum in an effort to make the architecture curriculum more responsive to environmental concerns. The new integrated curriculum sought to make sustainability and environmental design integral to the design studio in an effort to address growing environmental concerns in Uganda. This paper presents outcomes of these studios as well as reporting on feedback from students who have been through the programme.
Architectural education in sub-Saharan Africa: an investigation into pedagogical positions and knowledge frameworks
(Routlegde, Taylor and Francis group, 2020-09-08) Olweny Mark R. O.
Formal architectural education in sub-Saharan Africa was established in the 1920s, initially in South Africa, and later in Kenya and Nigeria during the 1950s. The first postcolonial schools in Ghana and Sudan were also inaugurated in the 1950s, triggering debates on the form architectural education should take for a postcolonial Africa. The origins of architectural education as a practice that was imposed across the region have had an unwavering impact on the current state of education in Africa. As the state of architectural education is increasingly discussed in global terms, the need to tell the story of sub-Saharan Africa has never been more urgent. Although this is often obscured by discourse from other parts of the world, it remains especially significant in relation to growing debates on decolonising and transforming education. This article engages with discourses of architectural education in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing from a wider study of architectural education across the region, it offers crucial insights into the pedagogical positions and knowledge frameworks that have defined (and to an extent continue to define) how architectural education is perceived and practised. The article investigates historic and contemporary discourses of architectural education that are informed by the recognition that architecture is a sociocultural phenomenon. The cases presented may further destabilise the status quo and the embedded hierarchies in architectural education. In the final instance, they are testament to a growing penchant for change, as they acknowledge alternative forms of knowledge and break from the hegemony of ahistoric educational approaches.
Architecture and Urbanism in the Global South
(2012) Olweny Mark R. O.
As we enter the second decade of the current millennium, we find ourselves in a world where the majority of humanity resides in urban areas. As urbanisation continues, we can pose questions about the future of these urban areas and the decisions that need to be taken to ensure that these centres are sustainable into the future. There is increased interest in urban areas of the Global South. They could, arguably, be viewed as efficient and sustainable, not entirely by design, but by default, brought about by circumstances unique to them. This state of affairs is fast changing as many urban areas take on the architecture and urban infrastructure that changes the way people live and work, and consequently may impact on their future viability as well as their sustainability. The state of architecture and urbanism in the Global South presents us with a unique opportunity to evaluate global challenges related to urban sustainability from a new perspective. Are there lessons for architects, landscape architects and urban designers alike, based not on the ensuing debate revolving around the here and now, but rather, the needs of the next generation, and future of architecture and urbanism? Can there be a productive transfer of best practice principles between different cities across the globe? The ever-increasing number of inter-country exchange programmes, studio projects, and design-build projects set in the Global South, from India, to South America and across Africa, suggest that there are lessons that can be taught and learnt. These projects, set to help urban and rural societies with infrastructure and technological transfer, also aid the transfer of knowledge back to the participants, related to sustainable futures at different scales - from individual buildings to the district and urban-scales. As we think of the nature of urban areas across the globe, how can we ensure they are sustainable into the future? How can the rapid growth of urban areas in the Global South, often erratic and based on unsustainable practices and principles, seek to avoid the inevitable negative consequences of such growth? Further still, what lessons from the Global South would be useful to cities in the Global North?
Best Practice in Environmental and Sustainable Architecture
(2006) Olweny Mark R. O. ; Sebbowa Shem
Sustainability as a concept has been around for centuries. Writing by Vitruvius over two millennia ago emphasised the need to harmonise architecture with nature. (Vitruvius 1914) Throughout the ancient world – in Africa the Americas, Asia and Europe – it was possible to find evidence of human adaptations to the influence of the sun. In New Mexico we find cave dwellings - hillside shelters utilising the constant ground temperatures to maintain a satisfactory level of thermal comfort, while in the humid tropics of Indonesia, breeze houses are the norm. In Africa we see variations, from the thick walled huts of Southern Africa – a response to the cool temperate climates of the higher latitudes - to the more breezy huts of central Uganda, while the Bedouin of the Arabian Desert use the simplest of elements – a sheet of cloth - to keep cool or warm in the dessert. These responses enabled our ancestors to survive in climates that were in some cases anything but hospitable. The use of the term ‘Sustainability’ in connection with the built environment is more recent; first arising in a publication entitled “World Conservation Strategy”, published in 1980 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (Steele, 2005). It was however not till the publication of a publication “Our Common Future” by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987 that the concept of sustainable development truly came to the forefront. Central to the findings of the Commission was the concept of Sustainability, defined as being development “…that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (World Commission on Environment & Development, 1987, p8). Since the publication of “Our Common Future” report, there had been a concerted effort to engage built environment professionals, policy makers and the public in debate to get sustainability and environmentally responsible principles on the table as a worthy discourse. While for the most part the basis for legislation has been put in place - in Uganda the existence of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is testament to this effort - there are still fundamental problems that prevent the implementation of environmental sustainable principles on the ground. Most important is a general lack of awareness of the pertinent issues, and even more significant is the lack of readily available contextual information. Further, with all the institutional instruments in place – at least on paper, the degree of implementation is and will continue to be extremely low. This is partly because of the fact that it is easy to set down rules governing professional activity, but it is an entirely different matter, making people aware of the issues, and in establishing standards of excellence, put simply codes do not motivate people to act. (Collier, 2005). The purpose of this paper is twofold:- Firstly to shed light on the basic concepts of passive solar architecture, environmental design and sustainability in the context of Uganda. This will be taken from the point of view of ethical, sociocultural, professional and technological issues which highlight the complexities of sustainable architecture, but more importantly putting it in the context of the Ugandan situation; Secondly to showcase examples from Uganda where these practices have or are being implemented with existing technology and resources; - Thirdly, it will highlight some pertinent issues that need to be addressed in order to increase the awareness of passive solar architecture and sustainable design in Uganda.
Beyond Rule of Thumb: Kindling Environmental Design Education in East Africa
(The Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA), Australia, 2013) Olweny Mark R. O.
Acknowledging the importance and relevance of Environ-mental Sustainable Design (ESD) has kindled a shift in contemporary architecture education, with schools of architecture incorporate ESD as components of programmes: in specific course units; as electives; or in some cases transforming entire programmes, placing ESD at the core of architecture curricula. While this would seem to be a positive development, it is evident that this is not always matched with a change in teaching. This paper looks at the use of Rules-of-Thumb in teaching ESD in architecture education, as a possible problem or hindrance to the application of ESD principles in architectural design. The reliance on Rules-of-Thumb as the basis for teaching (and learn-ing) ESD principles fails to recognise developments in the field and associated complexities associated with this. Going beyond the Rules-of-Thumb approach, may be key to engaging students (and fac-ulty) in discourse on ESD as part of architecture education. It could be a basis for exploring context and engaging students in contextual de-sign as a generator of both ideas and information. Through some examples, some of these opportunities will be explored as a way to go beyond Rules-of-Thumb, to stimulate ESD education in East Africa.
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.
Determining the Unit Cost of Higher Education:
(2011) Olweny Mark R. O.
While the growth in private universities in Africa has met a pent-up demand for university education and are meeting and fulfilling a social function, the economic realities of operating a university cannot be ignored. It is therefore no surprise that within two decades of their founding, private universities are now faced with the reality of the interstices of global economic forces, national societal functions and, for many, ideological mandates that now compel them to rethink the models that the institutions were founded upon. Increasingly, private universities are discovering the dependency complications related to a reliance on a single income source, which is on the whole unsustainable, as they are operating in an environment characterized by much uncertainty. There is a need for private universities to know how to generate additional income to fund not only their operations, but also to ensure an annualised profit as a buffer against any inevitable fluctuations. This paper provides an overview of the cost of associated with teaching in the Faculty of the Built Environment at the Uganda Martyrs University. While the faculty offers a twenty-first century curriculum with an innovative teaching pedagogy, the faculty faces a challenge in using a higher education program financing model that does not acknowledge varying educational pedagogies, as is necessary in a professional program. Under the current model, the faculty is unable to achieve parity in its budget. The proposed model is based on an appreciation of the different inputs in architecture education, and while they are debatable, it does provide a starting point for dialogue of teaching inputs. The paper concludes by giving some proposals that may be useful to help manage expenditure in individual faculties.
Educating built environment professionals:
(Faculty of Building Technology and Architecture, 2006) Olweny Mark R. O.; Nshemereirwe Connie V.
In 2000, the Uganda Martyrs University introduced a new built environment program, a Bachelor of Science in Building Design and Technology (BSc BDT), marking the first time a private institution had entered the field of built environment education in Uganda. It was also the first new built environment program to be introduced in Uganda since the introduction - in 1989 - of the Bachelor of Architecture program at Makerere University. The BSc BDT program is directed at graduating young men and women who can fill a gap that exists between Architects and Engineers on the one hand, and Construction Workers/Artisans on the other. In addition it is intended that, the BSc BDT fulfils the prerequisite requirements for entry into a two-year graduate entry Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) professional degree. This represents the first time a two-tier architecture program has been offered in the East and Central African region. A central objective of the BSc BDT and the BArch programs is to train budding professionals in contemporary methods and practices in order to solve problems in the built environment. This paper outlines some of the issues that were faced during the development of the BSc BDT curricula, and in the implementation of a new integrated teaching and learning approach that emphasised Problem-Based-Learning (PBL). In addition, using examples derived from the experience of the authors, the paper will discuss some of the challenges and limitations faced by staff and students during the implementation of the initial program and during the change to PBL.
Embodied energy of low income rural housing in Uganda
(PLEA, 2016) Niwamara T; Olweny Mark R. O.; Ndibwami Alex
Embodied energy is an important consideration in discussions related to the sustainability of the construction sector. As part of this dialogue, this paper presents a developing country context of how these can values of energy for construction. The study investigated different housing sizes and typologies. Data collected from various embodied energy databases was the basis of an initial investigation, followed by serve to enable a transition in energy related discourse. In East Africa, the energy related discourse is largely concerned with the reduction in the use of wood fuel, which is the predominant energy source for cooking, with little attention to the an in depth exploration of values for specific building materials used in a typical rural building, with two materials, fired clay bricks, and cement standing out. The investigation of the fired clay bricks current and future impact of the buildings themselves, that is, lifetime energy consumption. The primary goal of this study was to determine the embodied energy (EE) of low-income tropical housing to better appreciate the relative suggested slightly lower embodied energy values that found in the literature, although it is evident that the sources of energy used for the processing of the bricks is of concern for embodied carbon.
Embodied energy of the common wood fired brick.
(The Architectural Science Association, 2017) Olweny Mark R. O. ; Ndibwami Alex ; Ahimbisibwe Achilles
With calls for environmentally conscious building design and construction on the increase across East Africa, the need to better appreciate the environmental credentials of commonly used materials has become a priority.Lack of in‐depth studies of Embodied Energy (EE) and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions related to the construction industry can be attributed to a variety of factors, most notably, the ad hoc nature of the industry in the region. Of interest for this study is the EE of the most commonly used material for domestic construction, the wood fired brick.Manufactured close to sources of heavy clays or laterite soils, these bricks are fired on site in traditional scove kilns, making use of wood fuel to bake the bricks.Regarded as a cheap material and used in virtually all construction, little is known of their structural integrity, embodied energy values or the emissions stemming from the manufacturing process.Through an investigation of a selection of kilns in the central region of Uganda, the manufacturing process of the bricks was tracked and documented, making use of the inputs‐outputs method to determine the EE of the final brick product. The findings of this study suggest relatively high Embodied Energy value for these bricks with a value of 4.26MJ/kg.While burning wood in this case could be considered carbon neutral, the broader impact from Green House Gas emissions as a result of this method of brick manufacture still needs to be explored.This also raises concerns for the potential growth in materials to support the growing demand for housing over the next few decades.
Environmental Sustainable Design and Energy Efficiency in Architecture Education in East Africa
(2013) Olweny Mark R. O.
The inclusion of Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD) in architectural education is an important paradigmatic shift for contemporary architecture education, in view of growing concerns for Energy Efficiency (EE) and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions attributed to the building industry. Schools of architecture across the world have undertaken to incorporate ESD as components of programmes: in specific course units; as electives; or in some cases transformed entire programmes to place ESD at the core of the curriculum. For architecture schools seeking recognition and validation through the CAA for instance, it is now essential that they demonstrate inclusion, or at the very least show a move towards incorporating ESD into the curriculum. This paper reports on a study carried out on architectural education in East Africa. It took in all schools of architecture in the region: Kenya (Nairobi University & Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology); Rwanda (Kigali Institute of Science and Technology); Tanzania (Ardhi University), and; Uganda (Makerere University & Uganda Martyrs University). The study sought to review the state of architectural education in the region in order to appreciate how architecture education is responding to the contemporary challenges and opportunities related to ESD and EE in the education of architects. With architectural education viewed as a primary conduit for the transmission of architectural culture, how is architecture education in East Africa responding to these challenges and opportunities?
Ethical Positions in Built Environment Education
(2010) Olweny Mark R. O. ; Olweny Charles L.M.
Architecture has among its goals, to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of society. It is therefore inevitable that ethical decisions are made in the process making architecture. The perceived value of the product, ‘shelter’ is often, taken for granted – until something goes wrong. It is only then that questions arise about quality of the product, the values of practitioners, and as a matter of course, to discussions about ethical positions forged as part of the education process. Contrary to common belief, ethical positions are not intrinsically inherent in society, but are learned as pat of the formal and/or informal education process. As part of the five or six year architecture programme, students are exposed to a multitude of ethical positions, from basic value judgements related to beauty and aesthetics - good and bad; to investigations of historical attempts to portray truth and purity; to the more pragmatic and contemporary issues dealing with context, sustainability and social equality. This paper looks at educational context within which architecture education is situated in Uganda, and how this may have an impact on the eventual ethical positions taken by professionals.
Ethics of a Brick: Ethical Positions in Built Environment Education in Uganda
(School of the Built Environment, University of Nottingham, UK, 2009-09-09) Olweny Mark R. O.
Architecture has among its goals, to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of society. It is therefore inevitable that ethical decisions are made in the process making architecture. The perceived value of the product, ‘shelter’ is often, taken for granted – until something goes wrong. It is only then that questions arise about quality of the product, the values of practitioners, and as a matter of course, to discussions about ethical positions forged as part of the education process. Contrary to common belief, ethical positions are not intrinsically inherent in society, but are learned as part of the formal and/or informal education process. As part of the five or six year architecture programme, students are exposed to a multitude of ethical positions, from basic value judgements related to beauty and aesthetics - good and bad; to investigations of historical attempts to portray truth and purity; to the more pragmatic and contemporary issues dealing with context, sustainability and social equality. While we debate the global issues of sustainability, the very essence of the design and construction of buildings comes into question – the brick, the essence of most construction in Uganda, thus becomes a symbol of this discourse. The Brick encapsulates a number of ethical positions, not only ecological and economic aspects of sustainability, but just as important, the social issues completing the triple bottom line. Not only in its physical form, but also as a metaphor, the brick can be viewed as a encapsulating various ethical positions in the educational system. This paper looks at educational context within which architecture education is situated in Uganda, and how this may have an impact on the eventual ethical positions taken by professionals.
Evaluating assumptions of scales for subjective assessment of thermal environments – Do laypersons perceive them the way, we researchers believe?
(Elsevier, 2020-01-10) Schweiker Marcel; Maíra Andréu; Al-Atrash Farah; Al-Khatri Hanan; Alprianti Rea Risky; Alsaad Hayder; Amin Rucha; Ampatzi Eleni; Arsano Alpha Yacob; Azar Elie; Bannazadeh Bahareh; Batagarawa Amina; Becker Sussanne; Buonocore Carolina; Cao Bin; Choi Joon-Ho; Chun Chungyoon; Daanen Hein; Damiati Siti Aisyah; Daniel Lyrian; Vecchi Renata De; Dhaka Shivraj; Domínguez-Amarillo Samuel; Dudkiewicz Edyta; Edappilly Lakshmi Prabha; Fernández-Agüera Jesica; Folkerts Mireille; Frijns Arjan; Gaona Gabriel; Garg Vishal; Gauthier Stephanie; Jabbari Shahla Ghaffari; Harimi Djamila; Hellwig Runa T.; Huebner Gesche M.; Jin Quan; Jowkar Mina; Kim Jungsoo; King Nelson; Kingma Boris; Koerniawan M. Donny; Kolarik Jakub; Kumar Shailendra; Kwok Alison; Lamberts Roberto; Laska Marta; Lee M.C. Jeffrey; Lee Yoonhee; Lindermayr Vanessa; Mahaki Mohammadbagher; Udochukwu Marcel-Okafor; Marín-Restrepo Laura; Marquardsen Anna; Francesco Franscesco; Mathur Jyotirmay; Mino-Rodriguez Isabel; Montazami Azadeh; Mou Di; Moujalled Bassam; Nakajima Mia; Ng Edward; Okafor Marcellinus; Olweny Mark R. O.; Ouyang Wanlu; Abreu Ana Lígia Papst de; Pérez-Fargallo Alexis; Rajapaksha Indrika; Ramos Greici; Rashid Saif; Reinhart Christoph F.; Rivera Ma. Isabel; Salmanzadeh Mazyar; Schakib-Ekbatan Karin; Schiavon Stefano; Shooshtarian Salman; Shukuya Masanori; Soebarto Veronica; Suhendri Suhendri; Tahsildoost Mohammad; Tartarini Federico; Teli Despoina; Tewari Priyam; Thapa Samar; Trebilcock Maureen; Trojan Jörg; Tukur Ruqayyatu B.; Voelker Conrad; Yam Yeung; Yang Liu; Zapata-Lancaster Gabriela; Zhai Yongchao; Zhu Yingxin; Zomorodian ZahraSadat
People’s subjective response to any thermal environment is commonly investigated by using rating scales describing the degree of thermal sensation, comfort, and acceptability. Subsequent analyses of results col- lected in this way rely on the assumption that specific distances between verbal anchors placed on the scale exist and that relationships between verbal anchors from different dimensions that are assessed (e.g. thermal sensation and comfort) do not change. Another inherent assumption is that such scales are inde- pendent of the context in which they are used (climate zone, season, etc.). Despite their use worldwide, there is indication that contextual differences influence the way the scales are perceived and therefore question the reliability of the scales’ interpretation. To address this issue, a large international collabo- rative questionnaire study was conducted in 26 countries, using 21 different languages, which led to a dataset of 8225 questionnaires. Results, analysed by means of robust statistical techniques, revealed that only a subset of the responses are in accordance with the mentioned assumptions. Significant differences appeared between groups of participants in their perception of the scales, both in relation to distances of the anchors and relationships between scales. It was also found that respondents’ interpretations of scales changed with contextual factors, such as climate, season, and language. These findings highlight the need to carefully consider context-dependent factors in interpreting and reporting results from ther- mal comfort studies or post-occupancy evaluations, as well as to revisit the use of rating scales and the analysis methods used in thermal comfort studies to improve their reliability.
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.
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.
Household energy use in Uganda:
(The Architectural Science Association and The University of Melbourne, 2015) Drazu Candia; Olweny Mark R. O.; Kazoora Goodman
This paper details patterns of energy consumption for domestic buildings in urban areas of Uganda. The paper shows the range of energy sources employed by households, the level of consumption of energy, as well as common appliances and equipment in use. The findings suggest strong demand for energy, but largely from solid fuel sources, with most households making use of firewood or charcoal for cooking. While currently low by world standards, electrical energy use was largely for lighting and entertainment. Efforts at increasing access to electricity to reduce pressures on dwindling forest resources, although a noble goal, has significant challenges, linked to limited and erratic availability of electricity, approaches to building design, as well as lifestyle transformations that contribute to a growth in energy demand. The study itself contributes to discourse on energy use and energy efficiency in buildings, filling the gap in the availability of information and geared to informing future policy and interventions.
Introduction - Radical Discipline.
(Folio, 2020-08-15) Olweny Mark R. O.
It has been a privilege to work on the Radical Discipline section of FOLIO Vol. 2, dedicated to endeavours that inform and (re)define architecture as a discipline in the context of sub Saharan Africa. ‘Radical’, in this context, concerns explorations that challenge the status quo, and seek to define ‘paths of change’. The lens of enquiry is through architectural education, appreciating that ‘if you wish to understand why professions develop as they do, study their nurseries, in this case, their forms of professional preparation.’¹ It is through these explorations that we address the types of education necessary to ensure architects are prepared for the myriad challenges across the region. Radical explorations are Olweny, M.R.O. (2020). “Introduction - Radical Discipline.” Folio: Journal of on temporary African Architecture, Vol. 2 Noir Radical, pp145-147. not alien to architectural education in sub-Saharan Africa, and were a core element of the establishment of the architecture programme at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (then the Kumasi University of Science and Technology), the first postcolonial school of architecture in subSaharan Africa. Responding to the aspirations of newly independent Africa, John Lloyd, inaugural Dean of the School, suggested that, for architecture to ‘. . . truly contribute to the future of the [African] continent, [it] must drastically redefine a new the task of an “architect”’.² Similarly, at the University of Nairobi, South African-educated Selby Mvusi, was an advocate for the decolonisation of the programme there. According to Magaziner, ‘Mvusi theorized what would happen if Africans’ contemporary “thoughtprocesses” were taken seriously instead of being dismissed as either inauthentic or archaic. Contrary to those who saw only binaries such as developed/underdeveloped, rural/urban, African/Western, or traditional/modern, Mvusi insisted, “Underdevelopment is not monolithic. Neither is it exclusive nor static. It is itself active and dynamic, and is forever pacing development.” To be poor and rural and African was not to be behind, but rather to be.
Investigating the architecture of architecture education in Uganda:
(The Architectural Science Association, ANZAScA, 2010) Olweny Mark R. O.
For all the discourse on the state of architecture education today, little is written about the student experience in architecture schools. With increasing emphasis on Service Quality, Learning Outcomes, and Completion Rates, understanding student motives, and perspectives of professional education is particularly significant. This paper reports on the findings of a research study that gathered views of key stakeholders in architecture education, and is part of a broader study examining architecture education in the context of East Africa and Uganda in particular. The paper presents the findings of Focus Group Discussions held with students at Part I and Part II levels of the architecture programme in Uganda. Of interest, were the perceptions of students in relation to their chosen careers, as well as their experience in the programmes, stemming from anecdotal evidence indicating that a hidden curriculum in programmes presented a significant challenge for students, at times having a negative impact on their learning. While not conclusive at this stage, the initial findings suggest that a lot can be learned from what students reveal about how they relate to their programme of study, and may be valuable in defining a revised approach to architecture education in East Africa.
Investigating the processes of socialisation in architectural education through experiences in East Africa
(2015) Olweny Mark R. O.
This thesis investigates socialisation in architectural education in East Africa. Socialisation forms an integral part of professional education, through which students acquire these undocumented, but important aspects of the profession, building a cultural ethos undocumented in the formal curriculum. Socialisation was thus open to different readings, serving to perpetuate myths, and ‘established norms’, taking on added significance in view of the many idiosyncrasies embedded within architectural education. Undertaken as an ethnographic study, this research investigated elements of socialisation within established architecture schools across East Africa. Framed in the context of a learnscape of architectural education, activities that influence, and are influenced by occurrences within the educational programmes are reviewed. The study made use of a mixed method approach, incorporating: focus group discussions; published material and other related documentation from the schools; validation reports; and participant observations. This addressed the contextual diversity presented by the setting of East Africa, with the study revealing socialisation as an important aspect of the educational process, encompassing experiences from the pre-architecture expectations, student and faculty interactions, and more significant, influences on attitudes and behaviour within architectural education affecting teaching and learning. A convergent model of socialisation, provides a visualisation of socialisation closer to its the non-linear process it is: as a convergence of ideas and ideals. This serves as the basis to appreciate the elements of socialisation across the learnscape of architectural education, strongly influenced by its socio-cultural context, with evident ramifications to the educational process, as well as on the society and community served by the profession. The findings in the context of East Africa do present an opportunity to re-look at a contextual model, incorporated in a revised 3P model, presenting a conceptualisation of socialisation, contributed through an appreciation of the informal curriculum in the context of architectural education in East Africa.