Hausa architecture is a distinctive style of traditional architecture in Nigeria that is predominantly found in the northern region of the country. Their art presents some unique features and elements of Hausa architecture, such as the use of mud and clay, and discuss how it reflects the blending of Islamic and African architectural traditions.
Where Hausa architecture differs from other architectural programs across the globe is its limited use of spaces for specialized activities. Hausa architecture is 100% sustainable and 100% non-toxic. The materials used are produced in a 100% sustainable manner. The technology and skills needed to build them is transferrable to the next generation. The traditional Hausa architecture can be categorised into three: calligraphy, surface design and ornamental. Some of such designs are still common and mostly found in the Emir palaces in various northern cities.
For millennia, the main materials used in traditional African construction have been earth, stone, and straw, which have been skilfully utilised respectively and in combination. Though few original earth structures remain, aside from a number of carefully preserved monuments, temples, and mosques, this method of building continues to be an enduring cultural practice among rural communities throughout the continent. Traditionally, Hausa builders have considered the roof as the most challenging part of the construction, both owing to the technology required to support the structure and the decoration that is applied to it. The conventional method of building saw walls being made thicker to meet the structural requirements of the roof; this was done partly to be safe and partly because the thick walls kept the inside rooms cooler. Foundation in the traditional Hausa Architecture are excavated at 300-400mm depth,300-600mm using 150mm, cement block rather than, Tubali of 300mm depth 400-600mm width, wall construction 785 of the samples use 150mm cements blocks for both the internal and external wall, whereas neither the builder nor the owner knows the terms or differences between load bearing walls and non-load bearing walls.
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The Ancient structures of the Hausa-Fulani in Northern Nigeria have a special aura around them and they are of various shapes and sizes. Over the centuries a tradition of fine architecture has flourished in the area. The variety and quality of buildings in Northern Nigeria are bound to generate much delight and enthusiasm in anyone who is interested in buildings and structures. Indeed, the manner after which a building is constructed, and the sheer artistry that is deployed in the effort, combines to reveal aspects of a people’s development, their history and culture, and assists in projecting the precise conditions of a people’s soul. The architecture of the Hausa is perhaps one of the least known but most beautiful of the medieval age.
Hausa architecture participated in a broader cultural agenda of Hausa society, serving as a mechanism and symbol for communicating concepts of power, religion and visual arts, with royals and the wealthiest urban residents constructing extensive compounds with imposing edifices and intricately decorated façades. They utilized a wide range of architectural features and designs in Hausa construction including vaulting, double-story buildings, large domes and spacious interiors and entrances, their compounds contained multiple buildings housing dozens of their extended families as well as servants and craftsmen; and the ostentatiousness of each compound served as an easily recognizable gauge for its owners’ social status. Hausa masons and architects used locally occurring building materials especially palm-wood and rammed earth to create some of the grandest architectural feats attested in the medium, constructing buildings that served both a functional and monumental purpose, and that were best suited for the alternating humid and dry climate of the region. As a cosmopolitan society, the Hausa masons also tapped into the broader range of architectural styles and techniques of construction across west Africa while retaining a distinctively original style.
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