Research On Traditional Zambian Architecture

African architecture has been more or less seen and designated internationally as being primitive. This constitutes a social problem! This ‘primitivism’ stems in part, from the building materials and their relatively low technological uses compared to modern western(architectural) construction techniques that culminate in skyscrapers. Africans themselves resist their existence and zone them out of the cities to the rural areas.In Africa a majority of the population still lives in rural areas and often in simple and poor shelters. The raising of the standard of rural housing has to be based on existing building tradition. A first step in such a direction is a documentation of traditional housing. A modern house is a solid symbol of modernization, while the indigenous building culture has been devalued. This has contributed to a process of deterioration of building and maintenance skills and thereby the quality of traditional housing. Documentation is central in a process of recognizing the rich and building culture. An understanding of the heritage is also a prerequisite for a development of a new and modern but indigenous building culture applicable also to urban areas.The people of Central and Southern Africa have not received their due attention when it comes to traditional Architecture. In spite of the comprehensive coverage of such issues as tribal customs and rituals, and other ethnographic features, little has been recorded of the material culture of rural settlements.This thesis aims at mainly documenting traditional house types and settlement patterns in Zambia. However, it does not cover all aspects of vernacular architecture in Zambia. With illustrations and detailed descriptions, an attempt is made to present the type of vernacular architecture still in use in some rural parts of Zambia. The building materials used and some of the relevant construction details are highlighted with the help of architectural drawings. A number of pictures are included to give an impression of the environment in which the buildings are located.This paper also focuses on the African architectural attributes that have not been exhaustively researched into for sustainable development. The paper goes deep into literature review, extensive fieldwork experience capped with examples of some African architectural expressions before arriving at the following conclusions/recommendations. First, African architecture with its enormous and inherent prospects must be appreciated by Africans and thereafter marketed internationally. Second, this appreciation must of necessity be seen in its complex cultural context. Third, further intensive research into the use of African local building materials in the context of current(21st century) technological advancement.This thesis includes six chapters. The First chapter is an introduction of the Republic of Zambia, its history and background as well as the research process. Chapter two is about the Eastern part of Zambia and the Vernacular Architecture associated with this area. Chapter Three is about the Western and North Western region of Zambia and its unique Architecture. Chapter four and Chapter five elaborate on the Traditional Buildings of the Northern and Southern region of Zambia. Chapter six elaborates on the sustainability in Vernacular African Architecture and highlights its problems and prospects. The Last section of this thesis is the Conclusion that attempts to summarize the building types and building techniques found and used all over Zambia.