Vernacular or not? Preliminary thoughts in developing a methodology to understand the imijondolo
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Date
2016
Authors
Whelan, Debbie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
The informal dwelling could be considered a cultural
universal in its global replication as immediate shelter
prompted by modernism and modernisation. Simultaneously,
one could argue that such buildings are
of vernacular construction, most being assembled of
found materials in a manner which satisfies the various
definitions of vernacular architecture. Interrogating the
interface between the informal dwelling and traditional or
vernacular accommodation could assist in disentangling
the position of the informal dwelling. Furthermore, this
understanding could provide insight into appropriate
methods of addressing the informal housing issue.
This article presents preliminary thoughts in which
the archetypal Zulu dwelling or iQhugwane is used
as a control against informal dwellings or imijondolo
constructed on urban peripheries in KwaZulu-
Natal, South Africa. Using spatial anthropology and
architectural analysis, comparative linkages between
the traditional and the contemporary could aid in
positioning the informal dwelling as an architectural
vernacular, and suggest a prognosis as to its
architectural and cultural sustainability.
Description
Keywords
Imijondolo, Informal dwellings, Vernacular architecture, Informal housing
Citation
Whelon, D. (2016). Vernacular or not? Preliminary thoughts in developing a methodology to understand the imijondolo. Acta Academica, 48(1), 111-133.