African Traditional Architecture and Geometry

Abstract
The detrimental experience (s)of the colonial period and 20th century modernity practices have resulted in the loss of precious artisanal skills handed down from generations, the breakdown of communal values , climate change, deforestation,  disastrous extractive mineral activities, population explosions, slum settlement proliferation and so on. Historical records show that there have been links / connections between traditional African architectural technology, fractals and’ generative justice’.  These three in turn are strongly related to the African traditional technology concepts of adaptability, flexibility and self organization. The aim of this paper is to highlight and bring to light these links and connections and to present an alternative position (s). Why does this matter? Does it matter? Why are the three concepts good? Are they good? The research methodology employed is the review of published works primarily sourced online.  The objective(s) of the exercise are / will be  to stimulate a discussion on the need to address the problems at governmental levels , to encourage academia  and  policy makers to adopt a grassroots- bottom-up  approach in education and practice to further the cause of this alternative approach.
Keywords:’ adaptability, flexibility, fractals, generative justice’, self organization

Tom R. Chambers used an African Traditional mask from the Dan Tribe in Eastern Liberia (a piece from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe Permanent Collection: PC-6400-0147) as the object for the photogram, then manipulated the non-exposed area generated from this original mask form to v ary the look. There's a transference from a traditional form to a contemporary one, or in other w ords, this contemporary treatment remains w ithin the confines of the traditional form (through direct contact), and borders on Abstract Art that reduces natural appearances to simplified forms.

First of all, I will make a very brief historical and demographic introduction of my country, then the following pages will entirely cover the heritage from my country, after all heritage is all about the our backgrounds in historic life. Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest. It is separated from Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. The capital and largest city is Maputo. Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, Bantu-speaking peoples migrated from farther north and west. Swahili, and later also Arab, commercial ports existed along the coasts until the arrival of Europeans. The area was explored by Vasco da Gama in 1498 and colonized by Portugal from 1505. After over four centuries of Portuguese rule, Mozambique gained independence in 1975, becoming the People's Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter. After only two years of independence, the country descended into an intense and protracted civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992. In 1994, Mozambique held its first multiparty elections and Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources. The country's economy is based largely on agriculture, but industry, mainly food and beverages, chemical manufacturing, aluminum and petroleum production, is growing. The country's tourism sector is also growing. South Africa is Mozambique's main trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. Portugal, Brazil, Spain and Belgium are also among the country's most important economic partners. Since 2001, Mozambique's annual average GDP growth has been among the world's highest. However, the country ranks among the lowest in GDP per capita, human development, measures of inequality, and average life expectancy. The only official language of Mozambique is Portuguese, which is spoken mostly as a second language by about half of the population. Common native languages include Swahili, Makhuwa, and Sena. The country's population of around 24 million is composed overwhelmingly of Bantu people. The largest religion in Mozambique is Christianity, with significant minorities following Islam and African traditional religions. Mozambique is a member of the African Union, Commonwealth of Nations, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, the Latin Union, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Southern African Development Community and an observer at La Francophonie.as remained a relatively stable presidential republic since. As we can see Mozambique historical and physical heritage resides in Islamic and and European influence, many or the built architecture is Cristian European due to the long term settlement of the latter from colonialism. As it is located on at a costline paradisiac beauty beachs resides now at one of the main tourist attractions, apart from historical colonial buildings that are transformed into museums or used as public services.

This interview was hold in Forjaz Office at Maputo's Polana district in November 2013.

Architect and Professor José Pereira Forjaz was born in Coimbra, Portugal, in 1936. He came as a child with his parents and brothers to Lourenço Marques (renamed Maputo in 1976), where he still lives. He started working as an apprentice to Pancho Guedes architect and studied architecture at the Fine Arts School of Porto, Portugal. He received a master's degree from Columbia University in New York in 1968 and then returned to Africa, where he opened an office in Swaziland and later in Botswana.
In 1974 Forjaz returned to Mozambique, just before independence. He assumed leading positions in the government, with responsibility for the physical planning of the new nation, which was then ruled by a Marxist regime. In 1985, after teaching several times abroad, in Europe and the United States, he was put in charge of organizing and directing the Faculdade de Arquitetura e Planeamento Físico (Faculty of Architecture and Physical Planning), the very first of the country, at Eduardo Mondlane University. He retired from university teaching in 2009.
Today he leads the office of Jose Forjaz Arquitectos, founded in 2000, and located in Maputo, Mozambique, where they develop an intense building and cultural practice.

The interview has been published in the Journal of Architectural Education. Volume 68, Issue 2, 2014. “Africa”

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