Being in Africa now for 2 months I have observed many different things. Completely changing context has proved difficult for me to adjust.
But here is what I have observed about the architecture:
The main type of construction is brick load bearing with corrugated metal roofs.
If there is enough money that is.
The ground is filled with clay and so villages can be located almost anywhere and there will be a supply of clay for bricks.
What I cannot understand is why villages are created in areas where there is no water. Some generous people have come and drilled wells here. Quite a few so there is a water supply that way. But without water, we do not survive.
Not only is it necessary to have water for the body but also for the construction of the bricks. So I am still working on that one.
Village morphology has been quite different. I have not been here long enough to determine relationships of buildings to buildings. What I have observed is the relation of village to road. Some I have seen, bifurcate the village but the focus of all the buildings is along the road.
For the most part there is a concentration of buildings along the road (one single dirt road). The problem with the part of Africa I am in is that there is no documented history of anything. So it becomes difficult to understand village development. What is required is to immerse in the village life and learn from the people themselves.
Synthesis takes more time here. Nothing is easy to get to and fuel is expensive. So everything must be planned accordingly.
What I am eventually breaking down to is to the network of the family. So I have taken the top-down approach for this and hope it is the correct way to go. If not.......there is always the other way.