anthropology assignment

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE AND
ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES.
BAR 108: ANTHROPOLOGY.
ODHIAMBO DAVID NDIAWA.
B02/1064/2019
Anthropology is the study of human behavior through time and space and can be applied in the study
of architecture either directly or through some of its branches. Well architecture being the art and
study of designing and construction of buildings and structures, it uses the archeological aspect of
Anthropology in the dating of old historic buildings. This in turn helps architects through out the
world in preservation of these precious parts of our past as a civilization and for the benefit for
generations to come.
In the study of human behavior, one comes across culture which is one of the aspects that are key in
architecture and being able to deliver a project that is culture conscious. Architecture takes
advantage of this by being able to understand what each community views in relation to the type of
structures they would like. It is also vital to understand the cultural regulations in terms of building
locations especially among communities that adopt communal living. A good example is among the
Luos where each wife’s house had to be on either sides of the husband’s house since they practiced
polygamy. It is also noticeable that this polygamous aspect of some societies brought out the relation
of individual wife’s kitchen space and consideration since sharing a kitchen was not allowed.
Understanding the cultural core of a community comes in handy especially their type of design in
their buildings. Communities such as the Maasai in Kenya prefer staying in low dome like structures
commonly known as Manyattas while the Luo preferred round huts. These two communities would
not prefer to stay in something that is contrary to what they preferred. Another aspect is being able to
recognize the meaning of specific styles and symbols in various communities. This is quiet evident
when one looks at the Maasai Mara University which has inculcated the Maasai culture by using
their well know ‘rungu’ in the construction of the university gate.
Understanding group identity and age makes an architect acknowledge the transition that individuals
go through in their lives before adulthood. In communities such as the Luo, the males underwent an
initiation period where they were declared men after. After this ritual, they were required to move
out of their parent’s house and to build their own house which was locally referred to as a ‘Simba’.
A communities look at children and significance would influence the number and size of families
greatly. Communities such as the Luo that viewed children as a source of wealth and a sign of
prosperity would prefer having large families with numerous children. This in turn would require
bigger homes to accommodate this always increasing number.
Different communities have different style and taste especially in their building designs.
Understanding this will make one be aware of the fact that these designs tells you where we were,
where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. Structure like the Tomb of the
Christian Woman in western Algeria gives an example of their typical style in construction as this
structure consists of columns, a dome, and spiral pathways.
Economic structure of communities is another key aspect as being able to understand these activities
makes one wise enough to know what type of supportive buildings that would be necessary. For
example a community that practices faming will require granaries and stores to keep their produce.
Another community that keeps cattle would require a place for them and to keep them safe.
Class and status in some communities was highly considered as the rich members of the society had
houses that were very distinct from the houses of the poor. This was to display their status in life and
these two groups of houses were constructed in different parts of the town. Furthermore, the ruling
class or royal family had to have a distinct life and class different from the rest. In most cases, they
resided in huge palaces built to accommodate the whole family. A good example is in ancient India
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur. Also known as the palace of winds, built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap
Singh.
Religion was highly considered and practiced among communities and individuals alike. Knowing
how they conducted their prayers and the regulations governing the construction of the building is
vital. A good example is in the construction of a Mosque which required the qibla or mihrab to be a
niche on the qibla wall which had to be facing Mecca which is believed to be the holy city among
Islam believers. Religious artifacts were considered spiritual and this made them to be stored in a
safe place preferably in these places of worship. This made it an important aspect to consider during
building of these structures.
Understanding social relations among individuals such as family relations will make an architect
consider building a bigger house for Indians because of their family practices of staying together.
The house should be able to accommodate everyone in the family without bias and unequal
treatment. In addition, a monogamous community will require smaller houses as compared to a
polygamous community will opt for larger houses due to their large family numbers.
Culture change is slowly creeping in and this will require architects to take into consideration what
the modern man would prefer rather than what they believed before. It is good to note whether a
community has changed in their economic activities into taking up jobs in big cities which increases
the demand for houses that are for regular white collar job persons. Changes in marital nature would
mean either movement from monogamy to polygamy or vice versa resulting to increase in large
families or decrease. This would mean that many communities would witness a flux in large homes
or sudden fall.
Changes in societies view of children and adoption of modernity would mean less and less number
of couples would prefer having large families. This has an effect on the demand for larger homes and
hence smaller homes would be the option.

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BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE AND

BAR 108: ANTHROPOLOGY.

ODHIAMBO DAVID NDIAWA.

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