Kenya’s sustainable architecture journey, 53 years later

A skater holds on a motorcyclist at the decorated main roundabout where U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to drive past, during his three-day state visit in Kenya's capital Nairobi July 24, 2015. Obama departed for Kenya on Thursday, his first trip to his father's homeland as U.S. president, kicking off a swing through Africa that will also include a stop in Ethiopia. {PHOTO: REUTERS/Noor Khamis}

Kenya turned 53 on Monday. As a country, a lot has been accomplished. Much more needs to be done. Like a man during mid-life crisis, the country stares at missed opportunities in almost every field.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the area of sustainable or green architecture.

Let us go back in time and retrace our “green journey”. Before the coming of Europeans to East Africa, Arabs from Oman had colonised much of the East African coast. From Mozambique to Lamu, their influence is still visible in their open plan architecture.

High roofs allowed for air to cool and circulate naturally. The high roofs allowed for hot, foul air to rise and exit the buildings.

The Swahili house from the Arab world is still a common feature in the East African coast.

In the mainland, natives lived in African huts, mainly built using mud for the walls and straw for the roof. Like the Swahili house, these huts remained cool even in the hottest periods of the day.

As Europeans settled in the region, their permanent buildings were of the classical architecture, built using thick bricks that acted as thermal walls that did not needlessly allow for massive heat transfer into the interior.

Take a good look at Kipande House, Old PCs House near Nyayo House, Railways headquarters, City Hall and several classical buildings on Nairobi’s Kenyatta Avenue.

In 1963, self-rule meant that Africans had a great say in future designs. For awhile, the new nation tried to keep up with the tradition set previously as shown by Parliament Building extensions, several buildings at the University on Nairobi among others.

Unfortunately, the tide died down and by the 1990s, Kenya was competing to be recognised as a global city through the sky-hugging, glass-clad skyscrapers.

While space is one of the key determining factors in construction today, experts need to ensure that the new structures adhere as closely as possible to sustainable designs as the battle to save the environment rages on.