Faculty of the Built Environment

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Monumental through Design, Identity by Definition: The Architecture of Uganda prior to Independence
(The University of Adelaide, 1998) Olweny, Mark R. O.
“Throughout history monumental architecture has been employed to embody the values of dominant ideologies and groups, and as an instrument of state propaganda.”1 To an extent however, the presentation or representation of national identity through architecture has been an invention of sorts, particularly in the former European colonies of Africa, where unified national identities has never existed. The function of this representation was twofold; firstly to provide a visible symbol of economic and political development, and secondly to provide a recognisable symbol to which people could eventually identify. This paper will explore the issues of ‘identity’ and ‘monumentality’ in relation to state architecture in Uganda particularly during the decade prior to its independence from Britain in 1962. The issue of identity arising from the notion that architecture can be used to communicate values, aspirations and ideologies, thus expressing a particular identity, with monumentality and monumental architecture defining architecture of high significance, and in most cases manifested through state buildings. These issues will explore in relation to three questions in particular; i) Why were these buildings constructed? ii) For whom were they built? iii) Who do they represent?
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.
Urban Open Spaces in Kampala, Uganda
(Faculty of the Built Environment, Uganda Martyrs’ University, Uganda, 2008) Olweny, Mark R. O.; Adule, C.
Kampala is one of the few cities in Africa arguably of African origin, having been the location of the capital of the Kingdom of Buganda - one of the largest and oldest kingdoms in the region - for close to a century before European influence. The duality is still evident in the modern City of Kampala, and part of the resulting challenges faced in the city today. Indigenous, open space in pre-colonial Uganda, were generally utilitarian in nature. These spaces served a variety of purposes: herding of livestock, plantations gathering spaces or as performance space, but rarely just for show or for leisure (Adule, 2001). In Buganda, the layout of settlements was governed by guidelines that dictated the arrangement of various activity spaces. The layout of the Lubiri (royal enclosure) for instance was always laid out with the Kabaka’s (King) palace facing west – towards the rival Bunyoro Kingdom, considered a threat to Buganda. This guideline followed to this day, in the layout of the palace of the current Kabaka, although the threat from Bunyoro is non-existent today. Homesteads also incorporated within them large forecourts intended for gatherings and receptions, and in all cases, included a large banana plantation – the pride of every household in Buganda. A particular characteristic of the forecourts was the fact that they were neither paved or grasses, but bare earth. Being hilly, Kampala had numerous swampy valleys that were infested by malaria carrying mosquitoes and consequently avoided, essentially defining these as permanent open spaces.
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.
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.
Research and the future of architecture educaton in East Africa
(2013) Olweny, Mark R. O.
Research in architecture education in East Africa has for the most part been presented in what can best be described as a “silo” approach, presented in a stand alone “Research Methodology” courses that are separate from perceived core of architecture, the design studio. Research was (and is) not regarded as part of architecture, thus having a separate life outside the ‘design process’. Architecture education in this context became the in the all too familiar situation in much of Africa, “the presentation, the transmission of packaged, or pre-digested, information – education as instruction administered to the ‘ignorant’ by experts” (Mills and Lipman, 1994: 214), and largely unchallenged by the receivers of the knowledge, and taken to be apolitical, thus universally relevant (Owolabi, 2007). For faculty in the [Named School] at [Named University], this approach was not judged to be the most appropriate for architecture education for future professionals.
People's perception of 'New' architecture: a diaogue between the architect, the architecture and the consumer
(Faculty of the Built Environment, Uganda Martyrs University, Kampala, Uganda, 2013) Ndibwami, Alex
While the design process is meant to be participatory, the limits to how many (potential) users are involved and how the design team interprets their needs is perhaps often substituted by empirical evidence, architectural theory and/ or logic. It is by no surprise that buildings the world over generate debate, some more than others; suggesting what else people think or would have preferred. Indeed, the issues raised may point to the overall aesthetic, how relevant, functional, sustainable or context specific projects are. These same issues at times get mixed up with tendencies to associate and view architects as having an elitist approach to their profession. Nonetheless, it is evident that the root cause of such concerns may be specific to a given culture. This paper focuses on four buildings located in East Africa on the Uganda Martyrs University campus. These buildings were conceived, designed and built between 2003 and 2010, the second decade of the University’s existence. They include: the terraced Houses (2005), by the main entry to the University, the Thomas Moore Office block (2007), the Onyango Registry Building (2008) and the Anna Montana Building for Health Sciences (2010). These buildings were identified because they stand out in terms of location and uniqueness in their context. The choice of buildings was prompted by the debate they have since generated. The paper set out to obtain pertinent feedback from the community and how the original intentions of the design team successfully or not, manifest themselves. Ultimately, the study sought answers to three key questions: (i) What is considered ‘architecture’ in this context? (ii) How are local architecture trends informed (or not) by contemporary global practice and architectural history and/ or theory? (iii) What are some of those things architects probably miss or take for granted during the design and/ or construction process?
Estimating the difficulty of A'level examination subjects in Uganda
(University of Twente, The Netherlands, 2014) Nshemereirwe, Connie V.
In order to gain access to institutions of higher learning in Uganda, including universities, all students sit a national examination at the end of A’Level, the scores of which determine their selection into various institutions of higher learning, including university. For most university degree programmes, entry is determined based on the A’Level scores irrespective of subject, essentially implying that the same scores in the different subjects are comparable. In order to investigate this comparability, a generalised partial credit item response model was fit to the A’Level examination results data for the years 2009 and 2010. Science and non-science subjects were hypothesised to load on two separate dimensions of the latent ability scale, and subject difficulty and discrimination parameters were estimated. It was found that science subjects were relatively more difficult than humanities and language subjects, and that they also provided the largest amount of information, although this was for the higher end of the ability scale. Some other subjects like Art and Kiswahili were not only relatively easier, they also provided very little information on the ability scale underlying the other subjects. These findings bring into question the comparability of scores in the different subjects at A’Level, and if student ability based on examination performance can be better represented by integrating information on difficulty levels.
Investigating the variation in student performance in the A'level examinations in Uganda:
(University of Twente, The Netherlands, 2014) Nshemereirwe, Connie V.
Student performance in the A’Level national examinations in Uganda is the main criterion for selection for higher education, particularly university. About 2000 merit-based scholarships are available annually for the best performing applicants to public universities, but in recent years the majority of the recipients of these scholarships have come from only a handful of the best performing secondary schools in the country university. This reflects a wider issue of the widely differing quality of secondary schools in Uganda, and motivated the current study. In order to investigate the nature of the school effect within the A’Level performance, a multilevel modelling procedure was employed. Covering a period of five years (2005-2010), it was found that up to 30% of the variation in student performance at the end of A’Level could be attributed to the student’s A’Level school. Almost one quarter of this school effect was explained by four school characteristics: ownership, boarding status, gender ratio and whether it run the free universal secondary education (USE) programme. Of these, single-sex boarding schools that did not run the USE programme had the highest performance advantage. The performance advantages attributable to the type of school which students attend at A’Level can partly explain why the majority of students enrolled at universities in Uganda come from such a small proportion of secondary schools.
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.
Investigating the Comparability of A' level Subjects as a Basis for University Selection in Uganda
(West African Journal of Education, 2015-01-01) Nshemereirwe, Connie
In order to gain access to universities in Uganda, all students sit a national examination at the end of A ‘Level, the scores of which determine their selection. For most university degree programmes, entry is determined based on the A ‘Level scores irrespective of subject, essentially implying that the same scores in the different subjects are comparable. In order to investigate this comparability, a generalised partial credit item response model was fit to the A ‘Level examination results data for the years 2009 and 2010. As was expected, it was found that science subjects were relatively more difficult than non-science subjects; however, it was also found that science and non-science subjects load on two separate dimensions of the latent ability scale, and that further, science subjects generally provided more information on student ability, especially for the higher end of the ability scale. Conversely, some humanities subjects like Art and Kiswahili were not only relatively easier, they also provided very little information on the ability scale underlying all the A ‘Level subjects. These findings present a challenge to the justifiability of using A ‘Level scores indiscriminately in the university selection process, and advocates for the integration of information on subject difficulty in an enhanced weighting system.
Demystifying fired clay brick: Comparative analysis of different materials for walls, with fired clay brick:
(PLEA, 2016) Ahimbisibwe, Alex; Ndibwami, Alex
Low-income tropical housing in Uganda today is a complex issue that extends beyond the physical dwelling and encapsulates psychological notions, i.e. human ideals, needs, wants, aspirations, and economic ability. Rural construction continues to expend significant quantities of energy and environmental resources in production of fired clay brick, the locally favoured choice. Regrettably, the notion that this material is cheap escalates negligent handling during production, transportation and construction, which then generate large quantities of waste. This paper presents a study that seeks to evaluate people’s perceptions of the production and usage of fired Clay Bricks, then to propose viable alternatives. People are a crucial entity in the struggle to: improve fuel efficiency at local Kilns, increase reuse/ repurposing of construction waste, then raise awareness about material embodied energy and subsequent energy demand on communities. Despite evidence of associated negative impacts of brick production like deforestation, excessive soil extraction, energy intensive production, and high waste, there is still rampant unregulated production. Cost, being a primary consideration for many construction stakeholders, is interrogated as part of this search for a viable alternative. The alternative shall endeavour to minimize production energy and construction waste, and possibly save up to 20% on the building cost. This study culminates in a student lead design-build project. The Display Space at Uganda Martyrs University is a built attempt to investigate alternative wall materials as well as building cost. The Space was designed and shall be built by students of the Faculty of the Built Environment. The building structure is a combination of rammed earth walls and site produced stabilized soil blocks to replace the commonly used brick. Since precedent success stories reveal that a creative force emerges when all the residents, stakeholders and consultants come together as a collaborative community. It is envisaged that a creative force shall emerge from community involvement in this project with the hope of disseminating concerns that shall propel the community residents towards shaping more regenerative environments.
That is too radical for us:
(PLEA, 2016) Olweny, Mark R. O.
Incorporating Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD) into the curriculum is regarded as an important element in contemporary architectural education. However, making this transition has, and still is, somewhat of an uphill battle, achieved largely based on personal commitment and endeavours of individuals. In the context of East Africa, this begs the question as to why, regardless of a strong ethical basis for this transition, is there still a strong resistance to incorporating EDS into architecture curricula in East Africa? While the answer may lie in the ubiquitous assumption that is it related to the background and prior education of instructors, the answer itself may be far more complex, and require a deeper understanding and appreciation of the socio-cultural setting within which architectural education takes place. This, along with a myriad of conflicting and contradicting trajectories have not only had an impact on the nature of architecture, but more significantly on the factors that have determined and defined education in East Africa over the past half century. Breaking from this status quo approach becomes an uphill task, challenging ingrained ideas and beliefs of architecture and architectural education, requiring us to revisit the purpose of professional education itself. This paper is part of on-going discourse in the process of integrating ESD into architecture education in East Africa initiated more than a decade ago. This was recently boosted through a project, Energy Efficiency in Buildings in East Africa (EEBEA), which sought to move discussions of ESD and Energy Efficiency (EE) to the forefront of architecture and architectural education discourse, this project has also served to highlight the inherent challenges brought about by decades of compliance and protectionism that served to entrench the status quo as the epitome of architectural education. However, with architectural education as the primary conduit for the transmission of architectural culture, breaking through these stereotypes is increasingly a key element in defining the future of architecture and architectural education.
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.
Adoption of appropriate technology in construction: A pilot study of compressed earth blocks uptake in Kamuli District – Uganda
(2016) Niwamara, Thomas; Ndibwami, Alex
The use of compressed soil blocks (CSB) in the construction of housing in Uganda can be traced back to the slum upgrading projects of the early 1990’s (DCDM, 2003a; 2003b). 25 years on, the propagation of a technology that has seen improved supply of housing in India, South America and Southern Africa has had little impact on the supply of housing in Uganda. Basing itself in the diffusion theory, this study provides insights into how failure of adoption can be managed or reduced. In an effort to better understand how current and future innovations may be better conceived and rolled out, the level to which the perception of critical adoption dimensions affect diffusion are queried in the propagation of compressed earth block as a building material. The study was undertaken based on the innovation decision model, querying identified opinion leaders in communities where CEB technology has been utilised about their opinion on the technology. The study found that perceived economic advantage of a technology is a decisive factor for its adoption in spite of awareness of promising alternatives. The study identified that while interpersonal communication channels are important in the formulation of opinions, these present a limited opportunity for awareness of a critical number for adoption to gain momentum. The study having tested methods of identifying opinion leaders, forwards the notion that awareness drives focused on these individuals, emphasising the lifecycle cost benefits of CEB has the potential to lead to an increase in demand and adoption. Furthermore increase in demand can lead to a reduction in price of CEB through a greater sharing of fixed overhead costs.
Investigating the drivers of energy transitions between communities, local governments and non-governmental organisations.
(UNESCO, 2016) Ndibwami, Alex; Candia, H
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.
Socioeconomic Status and Access to Higher Education in Uganda
(2016-01-01) Nshemereirwe, Connie
In Africa, transition to a more sustainable life cannot occur without the otherwise marginalised. Governments, including Uganda’s, have taken steps to better the lot of the disadvantaged by widening access to basic education through programmes like Universal Primary Education; however, access to higher education is still low, in part as a result of selection procedures that favour students of higher socioeconomic status (SES). Measures such as quota system have been introduced for admission to public universities, but there are concerns that not enough has been done. This study was carried out at four universities in Uganda, and aimed at investigating how equitable access to higher education is given existing admission procedures. On one hand, it is well known that national examinations in Uganda disadvantage students of lower SES, and yet performance in these examinations is still the main criterion for selection to university. On the other hand, it is not clear that performance in these national examinations is a significant predictor of success at university, which raises a question about the justifiability of this entry mechanism. Disadvantaging low SES students further, the study found a larger than average school effect operating at entry, where the number of students selected tended to come from a disproportionately small number of high performing secondary schools.
Socialisation in architectural education: a view from East Africa
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2016-09-24) Olweny, M. R. O.
Concern for the state of architectural education in East Africa was a catalyst for this exploration of socialisation, which sought to understand socialisation and its influence on educational outcomes in the region. Socialisation within architectural education has long been known to influence how students acquire important aspects of the profession, building both values and a cultural ethos in the process. An appreciation of these processes in the context of East Africa adds to the wider understanding of the implicit curriculum in architectural education. The paper aims to discuss these issues. An ethnographic study was undertaken in five architecture schools across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, making use of a mixed method approach incorporating document analysis, a questionnaire study, participant observations and focus group discussions as the data gathering instruments. Focus group discussions, as the primary data gathering method, acknowledged the social context of the study, with data gathered from multiple sites across the region. As an integral component of architectural education, socialisation was evident at all stages of the educational process. Within the educational realm, contrasting expectations of students and instructors were evident, leading to conflicts that influenced the values acquired by students. This was seen in attitudes towards contemporary architectural issues within architectural education, and suggests that socialisation can at times have pronounced negative consequences. The wider study represents the first comprehensive review of architectural education in the context of East Africa, and contributes to the global appreciation of the influence of socialisation on educational outcomes.
Students' motivation for architecture education in Uganda
(Higher Education Press, 2017-03-23) Olweny, Mark R. O.
Understanding the persistence and success of students has gained increasing attention to unravel the “architectural education black-box.” However, the motivation and pre-socialization of incoming students were largely ignored as these factors fell outside the direct control of architecture schools. Motivational factors can affect the educational process given that the values, expectations, and career-related goals of incoming students influence their attitudes to education. This study seeks to uncover the motivational factors of applicants to an architecture program in East Africa and appreciate those factors that lead students into architecture as a career choice. Through qualitative content analysis, the study revealed the motivational factors of applicants, which were classified into four groups: educational, external, personal, and prestige. These factors were comparable with those found in previous studies conducted in Europe and North America, but nevertheless highlight contextual variances unique to the region. The findings raise questions of the role architecture education in engaging incoming students in discourse that aids their understanding of architecture and architectural education.
Sustainable Energy Transitions: Changing the ‘Business as Usual’ Trajectory in Sub-Saharan African Urban Areas
(The Center for African Development Policy Research, 2018) Ndibwami, Alex; Borchers, Mark; Euston-Brown, Megan; Bawakyillenuo, Simon; Batchelor, Simon
This paper describes a novel approach to helping municipal authorities address the sustainable energy challenges associated with rapidly growing urban populations in Sub-Saharan Africa. Population in Africa is expected to double between 2010 and 2040, and substantial urban growth is expected in small and medium-sized cities where local government capacity constraints are most serious. A long-term partnership between municipal authorities, NGOs, and academics can build capacity, and a prescribed strategy can lead to progress on the ground. In order to contribute to future action, the paper argues for a greater role of local government in sustainable energy transitions and presents some of the lessons learned from work in municipality-based energy work undertaken in South Africa over a 17-year period. It provides evidence of change, but more importantly, considers the process by which that change occurred and the intentional strategy of policy influence. Several South African cities engaged in this process with the assistance of the non-profit organization Sustainable Energy Africa have been able to move to greater renewable energy and energy efficiency implementation and have strengthened their energy capacity and governance frameworks. The paper reviews the changing energy characteristics of South African cities and describes the key processes that create a policy environment conducive to moving away from business as usual and responding to sustainable energy imperatives around clean energy and energy poverty. The use of energy modeling to support municipal energy strategy development is also described as an important informant for decision-makers regarding the consequences of decisions taken, or not taken, today. As such, it provides the groundwork for transferring the methodological process to other countries, while the latter part of the paper draws on recent experiences in Uganda and Ghana in replicating the work.

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