The traditional architectural practice of the people of Gbabshe

Abstract

This presentation examines the traditional architectural practice of the people of Gbabshe, a rural community in the Tamale Metropolitan Area. Eurocentric thinking of vernacular or traditional architecture as a ‘low’ end architecture with no involvement of a professional architect and hence, without much ‘scientific’ design process is questioned in this ethnographic study of the building process. From the field, it came to light that a lot of thought processes and planning go into the construction of the traditional houses and they follow the principle of architectural design theory. In addition, constructing a house is not regarded as an individual project but a community project, thus displaying communitarianism and the transfer of knowledge. What was observed on the field however, was the impact of social change on the building construction and output as a result of urbanisation, migration, environmental change and status.