Malawi Vernacular Architecture
Documentation for Preservation
Kasungu
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Uliwa village:
This compound has homes built from rammed earth construction. The owner constructed the walls in just a week. Bamboo poles for the roof are ready to be placed as well as a layer of reeds. An older house is rammed earth that is almost 20 years old.
Uliwa village:
Rammed earth construction with a small verandah having a pole for support. The kitchen is a two room which doors are made of reeds and closed with the help of supports. The white color of the plaster is from ash added to the near by soil.
Nyemba village:
Rammed earth construction. A door was being constructed with reeds being tied together with bark.
Nsulila village:
These two compounds have many structures constructed with rammed earth. It is interesting to note that one homestead has a circular enclosed kitchen while the other has a two room layout. Also shown is bundles of thatch that will be used to construct a grainery.
The gumpoles are marked for the spacing of the bamboo poles.
Reeds being stored to be applied when the bamboo poles are up.
Structures to dry tabacco. Constructed of burnt bricks, tall structures and have a location to light and maintain a fire which dries the tabacco.
A verandah off of a home. One small pole on the corner supports the wood pole which supports the roof.
Door made out of reeds which is tied to a wood pole and connected with bark.
A bag that contains ashes. These ashes are mixed in with mud to create a white plaster for the walls.
A door being constructed using reeds verticaly placed, tied to bamboo placed horizontally with bark.
Covered corner verandah that wraps around one side.
Wood roof poles attached to main gum pole ridge. The roof poles are nailed to the gum pole.
Three piece of wood which is the "form" for rammed earth construction.
Bundles of thatch which will be used to construct a grainery. The bundles will be stacked on top of each other and tied together.
Enclosed circular kitchen. The kitchen in the adjoining homestead is not circular.
Nasanga village:
These two compounds have many structures constructed with rammed earth. It is interesting to note that one homestead has a circular enclosed kitchen while the other has a two room layout. Also shown is bundles of thatch that will be used to construct a grainery.
This is the pit where the mud for the formwork was taken from. The pit was 5 meteres away from the newly built structure.
View into a newly built home using rammed earth construction.
Interior view of a rammed earth home The spaces in the thatch roof will be fixed when the home is re-thatched.
The beginning of a circular kitchen with a mud wall being constructed around the wood door frame.
Nqhondowe village:
This is an outdoor social gathering area, the craftsmanship is beautiful. Malawians call it a "summer room" and just a few of these were documented. Bundles of reeds hold together the vertical reeds.
Detail of a "summer room" showing bundles of reeds connected to larger vertical reeds that is the wall.
This is the builder of the "summer room".
Nkhombe village:
This homestaed has an outdoor kitchen, rectangular in shape and with walls only rising 1 meter high. A home is being constructed which is built with burnt bricks. A woman is plastering an existing structure.
Njobwa village:
This man is constructing a new home using rammed earth construction. Wooden pegs are used to hold the wooden frame in place. One man brings a bucket of mud and hands it to the man on top who uses a wooden pole to pound and compress the mud..
Newly constructed home with a bamboo roof frame.
An outdoor kitchen that is rectangular and has walls rising 1 meter high.
A woman plastering an existing structure. Plastering is done once a year.
Rammed earth construction. Man is pounding the mud mixture into a wooden form.
Rammed earth construction. One man brings a bucket of the mud (water mixed with the soil) and hands it to the man on the wall.
Rammed earth construction detail. The wooden is form is supported by small wooden pegs while the mud mixture is rammed into the form.
Mikute village:
Home constructed with burnt bricks and plastered over. A narrow verandah wraps around the home and has no support poles. The roof just overhangs a small amount. A grainery is constructed by adding new reeds to old ones and this is seen by the difference in color.
Malata village:
A home that has a lot of decorations on the side. The colors for the decorations are all found from near by soil.
Detail of garinery base. The basket is laid on a reed base supported by bamboo poles. These poles are elevated off of the ground on rocks.
Grainery constructed with woven reeds. Old reeds were used with freshly cut reeds and the difference in color shows this.
M'buka village:
A good example of how a grainery is constructed. Horizontal reeds are weaved in and around vertical reeds. This basket will go on top of the existing base. Also shown is a pigeon coop.
Close up of decorated home.
Woman sitting in front of her decorated home.
A new weaved basket will go on top of this existing base to form a grainery.
The basket for a grainery is being weaved with reeds.
Close up of a grainery being constructed using reeds weaved to form a basket.
Download all the pictures from Kasungu district on my Flickr gallery.
