As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Now that globalization is here with us, Africans will need to improve their construction methodology to meet current demand. Issues such as population explosion, urbanization, limited supply of materials, cost of labor, etc. must be addressed.

During the early days, labor was not a major obstacle as people could use slaves to build structures like Fort Jesus. Currently, in the process of designing structures, the cost of labor must be incorporated for the project to be viable.

STANDARDIZATION

Africans should adopt new construction methods used in other parts of the world. The Building Code in Kenya should be open to allow for other standards such as US standards which are highly developed when it comes to the use of pre-engineered steel buildings. It’s also about time someone came up with the African standard, no matter how far-fetched it may sound. Once research is done on African construction methods such as Adobe, timber structures, a standard can originate that will help the rest of the world make their decisions.

ADOBE WALLS

Homemade building solutions that have been used here in Kenya for centuries may be revived to alleviate the housing shortage.

Adobe has been used in Kenya for centuries. It should be investigated to commercialize the use of Adobe in construction. India and China are currently exporting fiber cement board for use as wall panels. If Adobe’s technology is investigated further, I’m sure someone who tries hard enough will soon find a similar version to fiber cement boards and reduce the cost of construction.

Leading international multinationals in the world of cement like La Farge have also started from the very first step, so it is never too late.

CERAMICS

China and India are doing good business exporting ceramic tiles to Kenya. Ceramic tiles are basically built with clay soil which we have in abundance here in Kenya.

Our ancestors have been making clay pots for several centuries using clay. Ceramic tile production is similar to the traditional method of firing clay pots. Therefore, if an enterprising Kenyan can devise a method of commercial pottery production, we will not need to import this “Asian soil” into Kenya.

THATCHED ROOF

The most expensive roofing product on the market is stone clad steel tile roof profile. This is sold in Kenya by companies such as South African Harvey Roofing Products, Australian Decra Space and Style and Dura Roofing Tiles.

These tiles mimic the thatched roof we have been using for centuries here in Kenya. This is because the thatched roof has the best aesthetic appearance and insulation. This is also another avenue in which Africans can work to improve the supply of construction materials.

TEXTURED PAINT

The most expensive paint on the market right now is rough textured paint like ‘Crown Ruff n Tuff’. Again, this paint is expensive because it tries to capture the good looks of the adobe wall and also the superior insulating qualities of the adobe walls.

Adobe walls have been used in Africa for centuries. If we can work to improve this and make it for the global market, then we will save a lot of foreign exchange and create jobs.

Some factories in South Africa make plastic imitations of straw that are exported to the rest of the world. If we can do a little research, we can surely find a solution that is better than the existing imitations.

HARDWOOD DOORS AND FURNITURE

The most expensive doors on the market right now are the hand-curved hardwood doors. In Kenya we have the magnificent Swahili doors. Once again, these are manufactured for export to the global market, which will result in the creation of jobs and income here in Africa.

In Kenya, we have very creative stick and wood furniture that is traditional. This can be commercially manufactured for export. A good example is the bamboo furniture sold at Ramboo, Mombasa Road, made in South Africa and exported to Kenya.

FLOOR TILES

Imported slate stone countertops and tiles are very expensive. In Kenya we have Mazeras stone floor finishes which, if well cut and polished, can be a great export to the country. Therefore, it is important to note that Africa has the potential to supply the world with unique building materials. All we have to do is think outside the box and supply the world with unique building products at low cost.

This is a sleeping giant waiting to be awakened in this sector. Let’s hope that the new constitution will wake up this giant.

Architect Frank Gichuhi

A4ARCHITECT