Malawi Vernacular Architecture
Documentation for Preservation
Structures in Malawi have vivid colors... colors of the earth. Most of these colors are from the make up of the soil of the area, but pigments are added to provide a different and unique color.
Additives
Battery Cells
Tree Pods
Charcoal
Used battery cells are cut open and added to the mud. This gives the plaster a deep black color.
Woman plastering a kichen floor. The plaster is local mud mixed with the battery cells.
Chaima, Dowa
This tree has pods which when burned nad then crushed creates a black pigment.
Charcoal is another additive to mud which produces a black color.
Wood is completely burnt which creates a white color.
Ashes
Paint
Paint was used in a few rare examples.
