Architecture is classified based on the character and symbolic features on buildings and structures. Their style and design are used to express the climatic, socio-economic, geo-political, historical and functional characteristics of the structure and that of its inhabitants. Good Architecture cannot exist without acknowledging precedents and containing some form of elements and components of the society which it is intended to be situated. This quality of architecture has become very important in a society that is conscious and proud of its culture, traditions and heritage. One of the basic roles architecture owes the society is the protection of its heritages so as to provide and understanding of the ways and norms of the society.
Porphyros (2006), defined Vernacular Architecture as the ‘idea and technology’ of a particular group’s manner of constructing shelter under the conditions of scarcity of materials and operative constructional techniques. It is a true reflection of how generality of people want to build, it is a representation of a lifestyle they are comfortable with.
Vernacular Architecture evolved from centuries of experience of a people living under different climatic conditions worldwide. It involves design and construction techniques using locally available resources based on the environmental, cultural and historical background of people (Oliver, 1993).
According to the New Oxford American Dictionary (2005), vernacular architecture is concerned with domestic and functional rather than monumental buildings. Historically, this category of buildings falls between the traditional and modern architecture.
From the above definitions, Vernacular “is a building structure or a constructed shelter of a group of people according to their ethnicity, culture, traditions, religion/beliefs and environment which is constrained by their climate and locally available materials”
Vernacular buildings derive their form and design from a commonly shared, sometimes imitated tradition of construction. Buildings that fit into this category are not architect-planned where appearance is dictated by contemporary trends. Rather, they reflect the ethnic or regional heritage and cultural traditions of their builders. Vernacular architecture is broad, covering a variety of building forms based on common cultural past designs. Floor plans and site orientation can be important elements in identifying vernacular design, since simple vernacular design forms were later enhanced by high style architectural details.
THE YORUBAS OF WESTERN NIGERIA
There is no set standard available for the socio cultural structure and ideological orientation of Nigeria, Along the religious lines, it is structured into a predominantly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, with over 400 ethnic groups which speak over 300 dialects, there is an endless pool of cultural orientations, concepts and practices. However, the main ethnic groups are the Hausas, Yoruba and Igbo. Given the great multiplicity of ethnic groups, a comprehensive study of the vernacular built form in Nigeria is obviously outside the scope of this paper, however, an attempt would be made to give an overview of materials, techniques, forms which generated and led to the vernacular architecture of the Yoruba ethnic group
The Yoruba ethnic group/tribe is a collection of diverse people of the Oduduwa descendants, bound together by common language, history and culture; their 401 dialects, somewhat large population and geographical spread notwithstanding. They are mostly located in the western part of Nigeria and stretches from the Savanah (grassland) region in the north to a region of tropical rainforest in the south. Yorubas are generally known to be religious, religion forms and governs their life. Attachment to traditional religion is manifested in the fact that nearly all the affairs are governed by one deity or the other. Every aspect of their life — puberty, betrothal, marriage, taking up a career, building a house etc, is ascribed to one deity or the other.
ARCHITECTURE OF THE YORUBAS
The architecture of the ancient Yoruba of Southwest Nigeria was a communal endeavor; mostly done by home owners and specialists within the community, and the house was a statement of ideological, economic and social position in the larger urban context, even though factors such as climate, materials and methods directly influence building practices, they submit to the common denominator of culture. The agarian Yoruba have traditionally lived in large urban social groupings since before they were colonized by the british, they are famous for their art; bronze casting, terracotta and wood sculpting. After they were colonized, they profited western imports such as formal education and trade in cash crops such as cocoa, rubber and palm produce.
Yoruba settlements were vast cities (as evidenced in Oyo, Ife.) whose land-use patterns were confined to residences, markets, palaces, shrines and farmlands. The traditional Yoruba city is a model of social hierarchy. The king’s palace is at the center, his chiefs are around him, and then come the people, in order of importance. The town radiates from the king’s palace to the outskirts, after which there are farmlands. The defining characteristics of palaces include multiple courtyards and ornamentation — usually columns of abstract sculpture. The principal market, which is the city’s equivalent of the courtyard, shares the city center with the palace.
The ancient Yoruba man was a polygamist, counting his wives and children when numbering his properties, this lifestyle influenced their building and confined the residential architecture to a family panegyric; it shouts the glory or misfortune of a family in clear structural language. The early architecture of the Yorubas followed a process of trial and error, the windows and doors were of various sizes because they were designed based off instinct rather than knowledge. The traditional Yoruba compound called “agbo‘le” comprises individual units of detached houses called “oju’le” brought together in a cohesive whole, guaranteeing appropriate spatial relations which have implications for social interaction. Each of these traditional basic units of the homestead was derived by pacing a standard 10 feet (ese bata mewa), lengthwise and breadth-wise. A major feature of this aggregation of spaces is the courtyard — an essential component for environmental control and socio-cultural exchanges. A typical compound is angular in its disposition, generally approximating a rectangle, but could be very irregular in outline. there is a clearly-defined entrance into the homestead but they always make provisions for another entrance which leads to ancillary facilities (kitchens, sheds and conveniences). Generally, these dwellings are constructed monolithically as cob structures; more northerly Yoruba, however, also have recourse to the wattle-and daub construction technique. In both instances, properly cured earth is used as wall fabric, while gbodogi (sarcophrynium) leaves in the south, and elephant grass fibre to the north, are used for roofing, over hardy, termite-resistant timber (such as various palms). Roofs are invariably high-pitched hipped, or hip-and-gable.
COLONIAL INFLUENCES ON THE YORUBA TRADITION
WESTERNIZATION
The Yoruba region is known to be the cradle of western education and Christianity in Nigeria being once a part of the protectorate of the Great Britain in 1893. In that region resides over 60% of the Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Secondary and Primary schools, which assisted them to be well-educated and informed. Westernization acting as social force has played no small role in de-emphasizing the significance of the traditional Yoruba religion. Many converts to these foreign religion, particularly Christianity, have been indoctrinated against the traditional beliefs, often painted in derogatory terms as being paganistic, idolatory, an exhibition of heathenism and/or fetishism. The effect of the various stigmatization and threats was largely to make many faithful adherents of the traditional religion to abandon the religion with very few people willing to take their place. People are no longer willing to come forward to be trained as priests, diviners, traditional carvers, blacksmiths, etc., contrary to the pride that the people have in the past.
Thus the traditional practice is threatened by western ideas and ways of life have therefore eroded many of the old knowledge and native intelligence, especially technical know-how on how to develop and use local materials to meet in the modern time. This problem is compounded as a scholar, Munoz (2003) also observes by the fact that the tradition of the people has been seriously neglected. Tradition is often seen and treated as exact opposite of modernism or modernization, which western ideas depict of symbolize. Justice is seldom done to the centrality of tradition as a concept, especially in areas of architecture and in reflecting the dynamics, shaping people’s lives in the modern concept of designing buildings and structures for them. Yet, it is important to move beyond considering this important idea as representation of residual concept or as simply a tangential starting point in the development process of a people. Events have over the years revealed that urban regeneration, urban renewal, demolition, modification and replacement exercises has brought about a great degree of threat to the preservation of inherent Yoruba building architecture in Nigeria
DESIGN
The country was under British colonial rule, essentially between 1861 and 1960, when it gained independence. Traditionally, the local people are farmers, specializing in food-crops. the colonial masters needed various institutions and physical infrastructures (warehouses, banks, schools, hospitals, residences, etc.). they created this structures and serviced them with roads, water electricity and loads of other amenities. Their architectural forms were also imported and it was totally different than what was known to the local people.
Based on the misconception about the cause of malaria, they raised their buildings well above the ground and residential building had porches and verandas for leisure and social exchanges. Two storey construction was also an innovation promoted by the colonial building culture, producing the first of the archetype in Badagry, Lagos, in 1852. When necessary, building materials were imported from Britain (cement, slate roofing tiles, corrugated metal roofing sheets, processed timber and synthetic paints, among others). local unskilled labor was harnessed to expatriate expertise, to effect these building forms. The resultant acquisition of building skills, coupled with readily-available prototypes to copy from, gradually produced a crop of
local interpretations of the colonial archetypes — particularly with respect to residences. In effect, traditional building practices became refined by more durable building materials and techniques, and more “sophisticated” formal expressions.
BUILDING SPECIALISTS
Apart from the direct intervention of the British on the Nigerian builtscape in
terms of imposing their own archetypes, they were also responsible for creating the enabling environment for other influences to come into play. Of particular note are the building activities of the Agudas and the Saros of Lagos; two distinct socio-cultural groups of returnee slaves to Nigeria. Facilitated by the British, after the abolition of the Slave Trade, both of these groups had distinct community where they all resided in Lagos.
The agudas who were mostly repatriates from South America (notably Brazil), were master craftsmen who used their creative abilities to proliferate the ornate Afro-Brazilian style. The so-called Afro-Brazilian architectural style is characterized by multiple storeys (could be as many as three main), an attic, a double-loaded, exaggerated corridor, porches/ loggias and copious sculpted. The architectural embellishment affects stucco-work (expressed as moldings around window-openings and portals, quoins, plinths, column capitals, shafts and bases, and relief murals), as well as woodwork; generating carved balusters and door panels. They were mostly Catholics; aguda being colloquial Yoruba for Catholic, and a lot of their creative energy was directed at the construction of churches, in the Gothic revival style, as well as stately mansions for well to-do merchants in Lagos.
The Saros on the other hand were former slaves who had been repatriated to Freetown in Sierra Leone, and whose emigration to Lagos had been facilitated by the British. They were renowned merchants, specializing in two-storey structures with living quarters on the first floor, and retail/ wholesale outlets and administrative spaces on the ground floor. They were particularly adept at framed timber construction, with
carved fascias and fretwork linking the tops of columns framing verandas.
Both these classes of externally-conditioned African builders, in their own turn, influenced the local building practices of the Nigerian populace. Colonial architecture, as well as the building practices of the Saros and Agudas (especially), greatly influenced the architecture of Nigeria, particularly in the south. The colonial presence was of course, more widespread, as their administrative machinery, supported by physical structures, was established nation-wide. Over time, even the activities of the classy Aguda builders penetrated the hinterland to such other Yoruba towns as Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ile-Ife and Ilesha, to mention some. Because of the high-level craftsmanship required to effect certain aspects of the construction (particularly the ornamental ones), only the wealthy could afford to engage the services of these building specialists; hence, their clientele was necessarily exclusive, and though commissions were well-paid for, they came few and far between
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF YORUBAS
LAYOUT AND OUTDOOR AREAS
The buildings were constructed without proper plans but rather following the owners’ instructions and they depend on the skills of the craftsmen who managed to achieve a lot. The overall shape of the building plan is usually rectangular and symmetrical. Some have an angular (tapered) approach introduced in the front part of the building in the form of two semi hexagonals symmetrically positioned in respect of the central axis. Some of the newer buildings have asymmetrically positioned balcony. In all cases the plan maintains a symmetrical balance except for the stains positioned on one side of the corridor.
The layout of the buildings with the room arrangements has undoubtedly a poor response to climate. No adequate cross ventilation is provided. The long corridor is usually dark. The rooms are positioned in the popular “face me I face you” layout. As a result, only the rooms in the corners of the building are cross ventilated by positioning the windows on adjacent walls. Good shading is achieved at the entrance areas and by the verandas. The entrance is deeply recessed and well shielded from the rain, wind and solar radiation. It is usually covered by the veranda’s slab. As a result deeply shadowed areas are crated as a response to the local people’s habit of using the frontage of the house for social purposes and for daily recreation. People enjoy sitting in front of their houses.
FORM, STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS
The buildings have a pleasant appearance. They maintain good proportions and are well related to human scale. They are also richly adorned. The form is in a way a consequence of layout. In some cases the tapered corners which form semi-hexagons on the plan appear as two symmetrical towers on the elevations. They flank the recessed entrance and the veranda. More of the newer buildings have asymmetrical balconies on the elevation. The base of the veranda in the older house was initially constructed from timber with molded balustrades. In the process of renovation this may be changed to a concrete slab with modern balustrade.
The local craftsmen emerged to handle most aspects of the building process. Strip foundations are used with a depth of 30 to 50cm. The buildings are plastered with cement which protects the abode walls from erosion. On the ground floor there is a solid rammed floor finished with concrete and on the first floor there is a timber floor slab. It is made of hard, well-seasoned timber. The beams support the timber planks. There is a timber staircase leading to the first floor with a single flight usually with high risers. The timber floor is very noisy for the ground floor users especially when there are many activities taking place on it. The timber balustrades provided for the stairs are often decorated. Timber beams are also used as window and door lintels.
ROOF SHAPES
The buildings have high pitched hipped roofs (also referred to Dutch type) with a slope of 200 to 350 to withstand the heavy rainfall. The top ridge of some roofs is parallel to the front elevation while in other cases it is perpendicular. The eaves of the roof are projected beyond the wall around 40cm to 1m. The roof is covered by the corrugated iron roofing sheets which have poor thermal properties. With time the iron also reacts with water and corrodes turning to dark red in colour. Many houses were renovated recently and now they also have a ceiling that is made from asbestos tiles. This improves acoustic and thermal condition.
DOORS, WINDOWS AND BALCONIES
The entrance to the building is well protected from the sun and the rain. It has ornamental architrave produced by moulding mud and cement to form the design pattern. It is plastered with concrete for durability and projected form the wall. The patterns consist of curves and liens forming a beautiful motif on top with two columns that seem to be fixed to the door.
The doors are mostly made of timber while the windows are often a combination of louvers and casement windows. Some of the doors and high level windows were provided with timber shutters, which with time were replaced with glass windows.
The windows and occasionally doors are shielded form weather conditions by the hoods. They are made of timber or mass concrete of a very small thickness. They have distinct decoration as if curved out with a motif that is similar in most cases.
The entrance of more bogus buildings is adorned by columns with decorative capitals repeated on the first floor. Often the verandas and balconies are designed with precast decorative concrete perforated blocks and balustrades. In some other instances the balcony consists of a simple pattern.
CONCLUSION
There is no completely modern society as there is no completely traditional society. This assertion is supported by Rose (1965) that a classical example is
found in the first industrialized nation, England which is known to keep its tradition and blend of with the modern, thus giving stability to its development. Bennet (1968) also gave example of Alsam, Japan as one of the continent where modernity is well blended
with tradition. Every modern or industrial society retains traditional structure, attitudes and institutions, even after the conditions that originated them have disappeared. It is practicable to infuse the knowledge of traditions with the modern scientifically and technological developments in terms of choice and application of materials and technology, in order to reminiscence the old in the new era in a complimentary and
appealing manner. Site configuration expresses the traditional Yoruba cultural setting, value for outdoor activities, which are functionally put together to include place of worship, living and socio-interactive spaces within an enclosure, with the view to creating impressive and aesthetically appealing architectural and symbolic piece(s). it has been revealed that shelter speaks volume about the Cultural heritage of the people and that the traditional Yoruba Architectural character is being eroded by the influence of foreign character through materials choice and technology, and it is a threat to conservation of cultural values and heritage.
Ancient Yoruba houses still stand in the hinterlands. Some of these visibly falling structures have become relics, representing a family’s age-old history. Others have received a more modern makeover (mortar roughly applied over wattle-and-daub walls and thatched roofs replaced by corrugated iron sheets). It is the morn of the 21st century and history is crumbling under the weight of the future. The root architecture of the Yoruba people is fast disappearing. Ancient houses are being torn down and modern buildings grow in their place. Marketplaces are giving way to malls and palaces have been supplanted by ultra-modern government houses. The wealthy make their way to architects with images of Caribbean mansions taken off the Internet. The world is a global village now and local culture is losing its influence on Nigerian architecture, the ancient courtyard buildings that spoke for the wealth of families in the not-so-distant past are now markers of poverty.
