Journal Articles (Built Environment)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12280/243

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Online architectural education: reflections on COVID-19 emergency remote learning in East Africa
(Sage, 2022-08-18) Olweny, Mark RO; Ndibwami, Alex; Ahimbisibwe, Achilles
This paper investigates how students in two schools of architecture in East Africa, engaged with educational activities during the early phase of the COVID-19 lockdown. The COVID-19 lockdown and shift to emergency remote teaching and learning raised a number of questions for architectural education. These relate to access, equity and pedagogical approaches, which emerged through this study. The paper presents the findings of the study carried out in the University of Rwanda, and Uganda Martyrs University, along with the implications of the findings for architectural education. Making use of an online questionnaire distributed via QualtricsXM, the study attracted 70 student participants. The paper concludes with some suggestions for architectural educators as they rethink the embedded pedagogical traditions of architectural education, and how these must adapt for the future in order to cope with future shocks and disruptions.
Towards an ecosystem-of-learning for Architectural Education: reflecting on a network of six pedagogical clusters
(Association of Architectural Educators (AAE), 2021) Morkel, Jolanda; Delport, Hermie; Burton, Lindy Osborne; Olweny, Mark; Feast, Steven
This research is situated in the context of our collective exploration of a new ecosystem-oflearning for architectural education, as a catalyst for change following the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. To move online architectural education beyond emergency remote teaching, requires a total reset of current thinking and practices. In this essay, we propose a complex network of six new pedagogical clusters, namely Anthropy Pedagogy, Catalytic Pedagogy, Synergic Pedagogy, Cogenerative Pedagogy, Spatio-temporal Pedagogy, and Meta-morphic Pedagogy. We approached our research using an iterative and reflective narrative inquiry method. Examining the development of these complex pedagogical clusters, we highlight the most promising potential contributions towards a responsive, resilient, and replicable ecosystem-of learning approach for architectural education.
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.
Students’ Views of the Architectural Design Review: The Design Crit in East Africa
(Sage, 2019-06-19) Olweny, Mark R. O.
The design studio and the associated design review can be regarded as the signature pedagogy of architectural education, where students garner the essence of what it means to be an architect. Here, novices are transformed into architects through the acquisition of architectural cultural capital. This paper investigates the design review in East African schools of architecture from a student’s perspective, garnered from focus group discussions carried out in five schools of architecture, and corroborated through observations. Findings indicate challenges in the design review, vis-a`-vis the broader goals and objectives of architectural education. However, it did uncover attempts at change, via a ‘back seat instructor approach’, for example, breaking down the stereotype of the design review as a hostile environment for students. The paper concludes with a few recommendations to help recast this signature pedagogical approach as atruly discursive environment.
Leadership is critical in mainstreaming sustainability in professional education
(Building and Cities, 2021-01-28) Olweny, Mark R. O.
Mark Olweny (University of Lincoln) comments on the B&C special issue EDUCATION & TRAINING: MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON. Leadership in Global South demonstrates the positive transformation of architectural education. The Uganda Martyrs University implemented a new curriculum to integrate sustainability into the architectural curricula. Change occurred due to staff dedication, commitment and stamina - although overcoming resistance at several levels was not easy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Scales Project, a cross-national dataset on the interpretation of thermal perception scales
(Springer Nature, 2019) Schweiker, Marcel; Abdul-Zahra, Amar; André, Maíra; Al-Atrash, Farah; AlKhatri, Hanan; Alprianti, Rea Risky; Alsaad, Hayder; Amin, Rucha; Ampatzi, Eleni; Arsano, AlphaYacob; Azadeh, Montazami; Azar, Elie; Bahareh, Bannazadeh; Batagarawa, Amina; Becker, Susanne; Buonocore, Carolina; Cao, Bin; Choi, Joon-Ho; Chun, Chungyoon; Daanen, Hein; Damiati, Siti Aisyah; Daniel, Lyrian; DeVecchi, Renata; 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 Ghafari; Harimi, Djamila; Hellwig, Runa T.; Huebner, Gesche M.; Jin, Quan; Jowkar, Mina; Kania, Renate; Kim, Jungsoo; King, Nelson; Kingma, Boris; Koerniawan, M. Donny; Kolarik, Jakub; Kumar, Shailendra; Kwok, Alison; Lamberts, Roberto; Laska, Marta; Lee, M. C. Jefrey; Lee, Yoonhee; Lindermayr, Vanessa; Mahaki, Mohammadbagher; Marcel-Okafor, Udochukwu; Marín-Restrepo, Laura; Marquardsen, Anna; Martellotta, Francesco; Mathur, Jyotirmay; McGill, Gráinne; Mino-Rodriguez, Isabel; Moujalled, Bassam; Mou, Di; Nakajima, Mia; Ng, Edward; Okafor, Marcellinus; Ouyang, Wanlu; Papst de Abreu, Ana Ligia; Pérez-Fargallo, Alexis; Rajapaksha, Indrika; Ramos, Greici; Rashid, Saif; Reinhart, Christoph F.; Rivera, Ma. Isabel; Salmanzadeh, Mazyar; SchakibEkbatan, Karin; Schiavon, Stefano; Shooshtarian, Salman; Shukuya, Masanori; Soebarto, Veronica; Suhendri; Tahsildoost, Mohammad; Tartarini, Federico; Teli, Despoina; Tewari, Priyam; Thapa, Samar; Trebilcock, Maureen; Trojan, Jörg; Tukur, Ruqayyatu B.; Voelker, Conrad; Yam, Yeung; Yang, Liu; Zomorodian, Zahra Sadat; Zapata-Lancaster, Gabriela; Zhai, Yongchao; Zhu, Yingxin; Olweny, Mark R. O.
Thermal discomfort is one of the main triggers for occupants’ interactions with components of the built environment such as adjustments of thermostats and/or opening windows and strongly related to the energy use in buildings. Understanding causes for thermal (dis-) comfort is crucial for design and operation of any type of building. The assessment of human thermal perception through rating scales, for example in post-occupancy studies, has been applied for several decades; however, long-existing assumptions related to these rating scales had been questioned by several researchers. The aim of this study was to gain deeper knowledge on contextual infuences on the interpretation of thermal perception scales and their verbal anchors by survey participants. A questionnaire was designed and consequently applied in 21 language versions. These surveys were conducted in 57 cities in 30 countries resulting in a dataset containing responses from 8225 participants. The database ofers potential for further analysis in the areas of building design and operation, psycho-physical relationships between human perception and the built environment, and linguistic analyses.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Introducing sustainability into an architectural curriculum in East Africa
(International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2018) Olweny, M. R. O.
This paper reflects on the transition of a school of architecture to incorporate sustainability as a core of its programme. The paper offers a brief overview of the processes undertaken and outcomes of the transition to an integrated problem based learning approach, with sustainability at its core. While successful making the transition to an integrated programme with sustainability as a core part of the curriculum, this did not come without challenges. The myriad of conflicting and contradicting opinions derived from views of formal education concretised over the past century, led to resistance to anything breaking from the status quo. Resistance from students and professionals - linked to preconceived ideas of what constituted architectural education, serving to raise questions of the value of the transitional process. Nevertheless the programme serves as testament to what can be achieved with strong will power, and determination. The paper contributes to discourse on sustainability in architectural education, examining the transition taken by an architectural programme in East Africa to incorporate sustainability as a core part of its curriculum. As the first architecture programme in East Africa to seek to incorporate sustainability into its programme, this student provides some guidance on the challenges of this transition, and could serve as a benchmark for other schools seeking to make this transition.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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