Architects in Kenya have become copycats

A week ago, architects in Kenya marked their 50th anniversary since the inception of their umbrella body, the Architectural Association of Kenya.  The anniversary, was a moment of soul searching, coming at a time when the built environment has been beset by a myriad of problems and a crisis of identity.

“Apart from Nanyuki, which looks like it has some well-designed architecture in an attempt to creating its own architectural identity, 50 years on, we have no city or town which can be identified from its own unique architecture, more importantly, identifying with our own Kenyan culture,” says Emma Miloyo, the president the Architectural Association of Kenya. Much has been said about building designs locally, with many decrying a ‘copy and paste’ culture where local structures ape from other regions without reflecting the reality on the ground.

Sustainable building advocates have, for instance, pointed to the use of glass facades as a style uniquely unsuitable to a tropical climate as they create a ‘greenhouse effect’ in these buildings. It also leads to a cascading effect with residents requiring mechanical interventions to make 

Ironically, such new trends perform dismally when placed against traditional African building practices like those that went into the design and construction of the mud hut that is, unfortunately, being phased out fast even in rural areas. But is it a question of perceptions and misguided understanding of progress?