Weaving is not only a technical craft but also a way to design material experiences. Engaging in the process of weaving allows us to structure, communicate, reflect on, and connect with our designs. By experimenting with different fabric structures, we gain insight into how materials behave under tension and compression. This understanding helps us push the boundaries of textiles and their limitations, resulting in designs that stretch and test the properties of the materials.
In architecture, the construction mechanism of weaving centers the shelter to the building process. In this sense, shelter becomes a direct manifestation of material production. Additionally, weaving offers numerous environmental and social benefits by creating shelters that actively engage with materials, tools, technologies, and creative potentials, thereby supporting placemaking.
The round hut is a significant feature in many African cultures, known by various names among different tribes. In Angola, it is called Mbukushu, in Botswana, it is Dumela, in Ethiopia it is Dorze, and so on. As a simple architectural form, it reflects the natural circular rhythm of indigenous cultures, where social gatherings and councils were held in circles around a focal point. Various construction techniques utilizing stone, brick, or mud are used around the region, but weaving stands out as it creates a continuous surface for the hut, blurring the distinction between walls and roofs. The intricate use of weaving also serves as a social infrastructure, bringing together communal techniques in the construction process and adapting the hut to the local climate. In-depth studies of selected woven African huts, such as Zulu huts, Dorze huts, and Nama huts, reveal their nature as socio-climatic architecture.
Zulu huts
Zulu huts are dome-shaped structures that served as the primary vernacular dwellings of the Zulu people. These traditional beehive huts are known as iQukwane. To construct them, a frame is first created around a circular profile, with wooden poles bent inward toward the center. The frame is then covered by weaving a thatch of dried grasses, resulting in a dome-shaped structure. A grid of ropes is added from the apex point to the hut's surface, supporting the woven thatch and contributing to the unique architectural character that defines the identity of these vernacular homes.
The construction of huts in Zulu communities followed a structured process that encouraged social interaction. Men were responsible for collecting the outer sticks and arranging them in a circular pattern on the ground. They would then weave a structural pattern towards the apex, taking into consideration the size of the hut. On the other hand, women played a role in binding and thatching the structure using braided split reeds and grass. Additionally, a central tree trunk provided support for the hut. The door was intentionally made low to regulate the interior climate and control the entry of individuals into the space.
By weaving wood and reeds intricately, vernacular responses to climate were created. These huts are highly stable and provide warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Additionally, the patterns of the huts allow users to engage in indoor heating, as smoke from the fire escapes through the door or the thatch, which has the effect of constantly fumigating the hut.
Dorze Huts
In the Rift Valley Mountains of Southern Ethiopia, the Dorze people are renowned for their skill in splitting and weaving bamboo. They utilize this technique in various aspects of their lives, such as constructing fences, baskets, and storage pots coated with clay. However, their most notable application of bamboo weaving is in the creation of entire houses, as seen in the traditional Dorze hut.
Building a Dorze hut requires extensive preparation. The bamboo is not used in its original round form; instead, it is split, flattened, and its pith is removed. This process renders the bamboo pieces flexible enough to be woven between uprights, which are then set into the ground. As the height of the hut increases, additional pieces are gradually added. Eventually, the builder starts to pull the pieces inward and weaves rings of decreasing size until they are finally closed with a separate crown woven on the ground. Cheaper houses are typically thatched with wheat or barley straw, while the best houses are covered with bamboo sheaths which can last for about 10-20 years.
The weaving of these huts is explored to create high apex forms within the desired circular profile size. The houses are built to be over seven meters high, allowing for gradual shrinkage as rot and termites eat away at the base. Typically, the house will lose around 2 to 5 centimeters in a year. The main doorway between the porch and the house is also very tall for the same reason, as the structure gradually interacts with nature and time. Because of this, the door and porch of the huts are rewoven every few years, constantly bringing builders and craftsmen to interact with the techniques and intricacies of the material.
Nama Huts
In the valleys of the Richtersveld desert in Namibia, you can still find traditional Nama settlements where their vernacular houses can be seen. These houses are round-shaped huts with a dome, constructed using branches and covered with woven reed mats. Originally designed for the nomadic lifestyle of the Nama people, these homes are lightweight and easy to dismantle and rebuild in a new location when resources in an area become scarce. The assembly aspect is evident in the woven reeds, which are made in panels of various sizes for convenient transportation and coupling.
To construct these huts, structural branches are inserted into holes drilled into the ground to create a circular base. Then, the branches are assembled in a honeycomb shape. Carefully, they are positioned and bound using between 20 and 40 mats per hut. These huts are perfect for the warm weather and the typical dry land inhabited by the Nama people. The woven mats allow light and ventilation to pass through, and in case of rare rainy days, the stems of the porous mats absorb water and swell, keeping the inside of the cabin dry. During winter, the interior walls are covered with animal skins for additional insulation.
As a form of social architecture, both women and men participate in the construction of these huts. The process of building the mats and assembling the cabins is a careful and meticulous one, recognized as a true art of the Nama. Women prepare the mats using river reeds, collecting and drying them in the sun. They then cut them to the desired length and weave them into mats using handmade rope. Men gather the branches, remove the thorns, and then pass them through fire to fold and bend them into the desired shape. Afterward, the branches are returned to the ground for a couple of days to achieve the proper structure and curvature.
In conclusion, these huts reveal the intricate nature of weaving as a social and climatic infrastructure. Other case studies, such as Tukul and Mursi huts, Hadzabe huts, and Maasai huts, demonstrate the cultural importance of weaving techniques in creating unique architectural forms that engage with materials, climate, and community. Weaving not only contributes to the structural stability and environmental adaptability of these huts but also reflects the rich cultural heritage and traditions of African societies. Through the art of weaving, these vernacular dwellings embody a harmonious blend of craftsmanship, functionality, and aesthetic beauty.
