ArchiAfrika

History

ArchiAfrika is a non for profit organisation about African Architecture. It was founded in 2001 by a a group of Dutch architects that spent many years on the African continent. When they returned to the Netherlands, they discovered that African architecture was relatively unknown in the (Western) world and wanted to do something in order to change this situation. Their experience in Africa showed them that African architecture and African architectural history are rich in depth and variety and that the rest of the world has much to gain from a stronger position of African architects within the international architectural debate and more knowledge of African Architecture in general.

Mission

ArchiAfrika's aim is to put African architecture on the map, to ensure that African Architecture is represented within the international architectural debate, to contribute to the understanding and development of African architecture by offering a platform for the exchange of knowledge and information on activities, people and projects dealing with architecture in Africa, and to stimulate the dialogue between Africa and the rest of the world on African architecture.

For whom?

ArchiAfrika's target group consists of:

1. architects
2. urban planners
3. teachers
4. students and academics involved in Architecture
5. cultural, governemental and housing institutions.

Results

ArchiAfrika's activities have a two-way result. On the one hand they increase the appreciation of African architecture which contributes to the international theoretical architectural debate and in turn to the development of Western architecture. On the other hand they increase the knowledge of and respect for African Architecture, which encourages Africans themselves to be more proud of their own culture and more conscious of the value of their cultural heritage, which becomes one of the tools for their independent future.

Strategy

ArchiAfrika aims to reach the above mentioned goals by:

1. collecting data on African architecture and making this data accessible to the target group through
   1. a website
   2. a searching engine on African architecture
   3. a newsletter on African architecture
2. organizing conferencesaround different subjects linked to African architecture
3. stimulating research on African architecture
4. working on projects that introduce African contemporary architecture into the discussion and practice of Western Architecture.

References

• ArchiAfrika Policy Plan 2009-2012
• ArchiAfrika Annual Report 2007

External links

• ArchiAfrika Website
• Searching African Architecture: Online portal to documents on African Architecture
• African Perspectives: A series of conferences on Urbanism and Architecture in Africa
• Film Many Words for Modern: Survey of Modern Architecture in Tanzania
• Trailer of The African House: Exploring Spatial Exchanges Through the African Diaspora

See also

• Architecture of Africa
• List of World Heritage Sites in Africa
• Moorish architecture
• Nubian vault
• Tomb of Askia