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Nkhata Bay

Station village:

 

This is a temporary home built on the beach in a fishing village. Due to a lackof wood, the entire structure is made from reeds. The chicken coop does use small wood poles but is mainly created with reeds.

Chicken coop constructed with reeds and having small wood poles as support Station village Malawi, malawi architecture
Detail of reed wall construction Station village Malawi. Vertical reeds are tied to two horizontal reeds using tire straps, malawi architecture

Phimbi village:

 

This home is made from burnt bricks and has a deep and well defined front porch. There is no verandah around the building or even on the back. The kichen is rectangular with burnt brick walls with large openings.

Pasani village:

 

Both of these homes were constructed with burnt bricks and have a substantial front porch with brick columns. Both homesteads also use nature to define it's boundaries.

Mariata village:

 

Burnt brick home with a porch on the side which is more square shaped then rectangular. A large brick column supports the roof structure.

Chicken coop constructed with reeds and having small wood poles as support.

Detail of reed wall construction. Vertical reeds are tied to two horizontal reeds using tire straps.

Roof construction close up. The structure rests on a wall beam supported by the burnt brick wall.

Burnt brick construction with a significant front porch.

Interior view of home. Reeds are tied down to blue gum poles with bark. Thatch layer is on top of reeds.

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Kitchen with burnt brick walls with large openings.

Pasani village Malawi. Structures constructed with burnt brick would have a band of plaster on the top and at the base. The reason was to display to the public that it was constructed with burnt brick  considered a superior material, malawi architecture
Small triangular window formed with burnt bricks in Pasani village Malawi, malawi architecture
A bamboo pole is notched to allow chickens to walk up to the chicken coop Pasani village Malawi, malawi architecture
Hedges and grass are used to define a homestead Pasani village Malawi, malawi architecture

Small triangular window formed with burnt bricks.

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A trend was noticed, Structures constructed with burnt brick would have a band of plaster on the top and at the base. The reason was to display to the public that it was constructed with burnt brick which is considered a superior material.

A bamboo pole is notched to allow chickens to walk up to the chicken coop.

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Hedges and grass are used to define a homestead.

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malawi architecture, Roof structure over verandah Mariata village Malawi. Thatch on top of bamboo which is connected to wood poles.
malawi architecture, Rectangular kitchen constructed of burnt bricks Mariata village Malawi

Rectangular kitchen constructed of burnt bricks.

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Roof structure over verandah. Thatch on top of bamboo which is connected to wood poles.

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These vines are collected and used to tie together the roof poles.

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The front of this structure is plastered white and has a window which is bricked in.

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Maganga village:

 

This home is made from burnt bricks and has a very plain front facade. The two front windows are bricked in for security concern. The back of the house has a very interesting kitchen.

malawi architecture, Close up of a pigeon coop. The base where the basket rests on is connected to the vertical poles. Khombedza village malawi

Khombedza village:

 

This home is made from burnt bricks. A front porch has an end wall with openings that support the roof structure.

malawi architecture,The front of this structure is plastered white and has a window which is bricked in Maganga village Malawi
malawi architecture, The front of the building is plastered over but the sides are not to show that the home is constructed with burnt brick. Maganga village Malawi
malawi architecture, These vines are collected and used to tie together the roof poles. Maganga village Malawi
malawi architecture, Outdoor kitchen made of burnt bricks Maganga village Malawi

Outdoor kitchen made of burnt bricks.

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The front of the building is plastered over but the sides are not to show that the home is constructed with burnt brick.

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Kakholowa village:

 

Burnt brick home that has a very small front porch. A layer of nature right in front of the home provides privacy.

Kachopatsonga village:

 

This home is made from burnt bricks with a porch that has a common column detail, having the middle brick recessed. The roof structure is small reed poles (in groups of 3 or 4) tied to gum poles.

Wood formwork in which mud is packed in and then overturned to dry,

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Close up of a pigeon coop. The base where the basket rests on is connected to the vertical poles.

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Front of the home has a nature "screen" covering the small verandah.

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Underside of roof structure where the reeds are tied to the wood poles.

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Kitchen that has vertical wood poles supporting the roof structure. Brick walls are built between the poles..

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malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture

Gum poles are supported by extended brick walls.

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Roof structure is 3 or 4 reeds tied together and tied to gum poles with tire straps.

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Chicken coop constructed of wood planks and accessed by a ramp.

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Gwete village:

 

Burnt brick home with a corner porch having a brick column. The long side of the porch has a gum pole support where the small side has a wood lintel. A decorative brick pattern is beneath the windows.

malawi architecture
malawi architecture

Gwete village:

 

This home was heavily decorated, on all sides, at the corners and even inside.The roof structure is groups of reeds tied to gum poles.

Decorative pattern made with bricks, there are no structural benifits.

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Brick column supports roof structure, on the front woth a gum pole and on the side a wood plank as a lintel.

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malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture

Choveka village:

 

Burnt brick structure with a verandah only on the front and extends past the roof. A small rectangular window is in the front. The front wall is plastered but the sides are not in order to "show off" the burnt bricks.

Chizogwe village:

 

Rectangular home constructed from burnt bricks, There is a front verandah that does not wrap around the home. There is no support for the roof over the verandah, just an overhang.

malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture

Chikasima village:

 

Rectangular home with a porch on the side and extended verandah on the front. The green color is just paint which is rare in vernacular structures to use paint due to the cost.

Chapusa village:

 

Home that is constructed with burnt bricks and has a corner porch with an interesting column that seems to grow up from the base. Bricks fill the windows for security reasons.

Bisani village:

 

A home that has reed windows and a very thin thatched roof.

malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture

Chitungulu village:

 

Very colorful home constructed with burnt bricks. A square porch with a brick column and a small sitting verandah around the home.

malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture
malawi architecture

This pattern was repeated constantly throughout the house. There was no meaning, the owner said "she just liked it."

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Exterior view of the corner of the house. The decoration turns the corner.

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The roof structure was thatch on a layer of plastic laying on reeds which is then tied to the poles.

Decorative motif even found on the interior of the home.

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This branch is used to engage the roof pole and transfer the roof load to the ground.

Side of building exposed to "show off" the burnt bricks.

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Another example of the front being plastered and decorated and the side being left alone.

Overhang of roof, thatch is on top of reeds which are tied to bamboo poles which then are supported by the wall.

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View from front looking at thatch being stored which will be placed on the roof.

Entry to the home is off os the verandah, which is a corner square type.

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Window to the kitchen.

Kitchen block has recently been plastered.

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Wall is plastered on the bottom and above but leaves the middle displaying the burnt brick, very common detail in this area.

The green color is from paint and not a soil type.

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Decorative band at the base of the wall that wraps around to the front door.

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Interesting detail of column joining the verandah floor. The base of the column is plastered like the floor.

Window pattern on the kitchen wall.

This picture shows how thin the thatch layer on a roof is.

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Download all the pictures from Nkhata Bay district on my Flickr gallery.

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