Tra di ti on a l Afar Architec ture

By - Dem eke Kebede

- Ekram Edri s
- Ge l i l a S hi m el es
- Kh al i d Muhudi n
- Tensae Lumumba

Addis Ababa scien ce an d techn ology university Dec 2021

 AFAR
Location
The Afar Region, formerly known as
Region 2, is a regional state in north-
eastern Ethiopia and the homeland
of the Afar people. Its capital is the
planned city of Semera, which lies
on the paved Awash–Assab high-
way.
environment
The Afar region is known as one of the hottest and
driest area of the Earth and stretches from the
North-East of Ethiopia to the East of Eritrea, and
parts of Djibouti and Somalia. Geologically the
Danakil Depression forms the Afar region, which
resulted from the activities of three tectonic plates.
The lowest point is 155 meters below sea level and
with an average temperature of +48ºC in summer
the hottest place on the planet. The Ertale volca-
noes are the highest elevation in the area with
almost 1000 meters.
The Afar region in Ethiopia consists of sand and
stone deserts and a third of the land is covered
with desert shrublands. The Awash river is one of
the most important rivers in the area. It springs
from the Ethiopian highlands. Despite extreme
conditions the biodiversity of plants and animals is
surprisingly high and it is home to gazelles, ante-
lopes, hyenas, and baboons.
This nature paradise should be preserved. But also,
the ecosystem is which are the basis of the subsis-
tence of the nomads who live in close interaction
with the environment. The consequences of
unsustainable environmental management are
explore fɐȲɈǘƵȲǞȁɈǘƵȺƵƧɈǞȌȁٙƮǞǏ˛ƧɐǶɈɯٚ‫خ‬
architecture
Traditional buildings of the Afar nomads are dome-shaped, porta-
ble constructions. There are two buildings attached to each other.
The mobile building (deboita) which is covered by mats is con-
structed in a way that it can be loaded on a camel and transported
to another place. The second building, the so called guest house
which is covered with grass, stays at the spot. The Afar live in
fenced farmsteads.
The traditional constructions of the Afar are designed for a nomad-
ic lifestyle. The new needs for buildings in the urban environments
have caused dimishment of the traditional mode of construction.
Paid workers from the highlands have taken on construction
works in the town Logya. Their way of construction using wooden
people poles is adapted to the rain intensive highlands and uses a lot of
Afar are semi-nomadic pastoralists. Their subsis- wood and is therefore not suitable for this area. The buildings are
often short-living and not stable.
tence is based on lifestock with which they travel in
search of pastures and according to the seasons. If
ɈǘƵɯ ˛ȁƮ ȺɐǞɈƊƦǶƵ ƧȌȁƮǞɈǞȌȁȺ ɈǘƵɯ ȲƵǿƊǞȁ Ǟȁ ȌȁƵ
place for a period of time. Their lifestock includes
camels, goats, sheep and cattle and they are pri-
marily kept for milk production.
The nomads live in close relation with nature. Their
knowledge regarding ressources, water, weather,
vegetation and forestation, as well as future devel-
opments, are passed from generation to genera-
tion. Available pastures are exactly predicted and
only farmed as long as this is possible without
causing environmental damage. Their religion is a
form of Islam with animistic elements. According
to their tradition they do not fell trees because
they believe that the ‘spirit of the land’ is lost if
trees are cleared.
 AFAR VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
WHAT IS VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE?
The term ‘vernacular’ means "domestic, native,
indigenous. It refers to spontaneous architecture
characterized by the use of local materials and
traditional knowledge that makes it adaptable to
climatic needs by taking advantage of the environ-
mental resources available.
Some nomadic shelters have been included in the
UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites due to the vast
heritage their architecture preserves, while others
have inspired contemporary artists to create new
works.
Afar peoples are nomadic people. Nomadic
people use traditional, locally sourced materials
to construct temporary or permanent dwellings,
shelters adapted to suit both the climate and spe-
ƧǞ˛Ƨ ȁƵƵƮȺ ȌǏ ɈǘƵ ɈȲǞƦƵ‫ خ‬ÀǘƵǞȲ ǘȌɐȺƵȺ ƊȲƵ ƦɐǞǶɈ
using materials available in the area and are con-
sidered extraordinary modern-day examples of
ancient vernacular architecture.
MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTRUCTING THE
HOUSES?
THE TENTS
Women are responsible for setting up the burra (or
One of the most notable examples of architecture
camp). The burra includes two or more tents. When
designed for the extreme climate it must defend its
on the move, the hut is loaded on camels by women,
inhabitants against: easily disassemble and movable at
who will erect it in a new location later.
short notice.
A traditional Afar tent might be relocated daily, so is both Women manage the dayto-day running of the fami-
light and quick to dismantle and re-erect. Tents are made ly's life, and when it is time to move, women repack
ǏȲȌǿǶȌƧƊǶǿƊɈƵȲǞƊǶȺ‫ب‬ǐȌƊɈȌȲƧƊǿƵǶǘƊǞȲ‫ة‬ƊȁƮȯǶƊȁɈ˛ƦƵȲȺ‫خ‬ the household goods on camel's backs for transpor-
The tent’s loosely woven material allows the air to enter
and circulate.
FUNCTION OF THE HOUSE
There are a variety of different kinds of tents and
structures used by nomads, all very different, but
- As a sleeping place for children and women and
most of them share very similar traits, especially
most of the
among the African nomads.
time the men sleep outside.
A key feature is the dual usage of the building com- - As a dining space.
ponents that serve not only as house but also as the - As a cooking place in a rainy seasons but in dry sea-
interface of transportation. sons they
will cook outside.
The mats, screens, structural poles, and armature
ribs that constitute the tent are reassembled and
transformed into the palanquins that the women
and children ride in.
The way this is done differs according to geography
and means of transport, but the principle stays the
same; a streamlined economical system in which few
elements have only one purpose.
AFAR VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
AFAR HUTS
TYPES OF HOUSES IN AFAR
1.Ari
2.Dabou
Occasionally one will see a more permanent
type of Afar dwelling, called a dabou, in areas of
sandstone or pumice. Two-and-a-half meters
(eight feet) high with thick walls and thorn and
rubble roofs, these houses are inhabited by clan
elders and others not involved in herding.
Ari houses are built for a shorter period of time
compared to the dabou houses. It is mainly built
for the herders. They usually relocate their
houses in dry and sunny weathers.
LOCATION OF CONSTRUCTION
- The 'burra', or camp, consists of two or more ari.
- Most move to higher ground with the arrival of the
yȌɨƵǿƦƵȲȲƊǞȁɯȺƵƊȺȌȁɈȌƊɨȌǞƮ˜ȌȌƮǞȁǐƊȁƮ
mosquitoes.
- The huts are placed in groups, usually surrounded
by a
hedge or wall to protect their animals from rival
clan
sand other ethnic groups.
- During dry seasons they will locate there house on
high
lands and grass areas.
MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION
An afar tent house is made of sticks and covered
with mats ,beds of mats raised on sticks are used.
The nomadic hut in which they live is made of an
ƊȲǿƊɈɐȲƵ ȌǏ ƦȌɐǐǘȺ ƦȌɐȁƮ ɩǞɈǘ ȯƊǶǿ ˛ƦƵȲ ƊȁƮ
covered with mats.
They use a grid frame with mats throughout their
houses, the size of the frame and materials used
vary greatly depending on the time of migration
and the availability of local materials.
PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION
1 3
5 6
4
MATS OF THE HUTS
The dome-shaped tents are made from palm ribs cov-
ered with mats ade of palm leaves. The tents provide
shelter at night and a respite from the blistering sun
during the day.
The palm leaves are hand made by the women and they
have different purposes. One of the purposes of the
palm mats is for covering their houses.
ÀǘƵȺƵǿƊɈȺǘƊɨƵƊȁƊɈɐȲƵȌǏ˛ƦƵȲȺƊȁƮƊǶǶȌɩƊǞȲǿȌɨƵ-
ment through them. These mats are also easy for trans-
portation so they are considered as the suitable material
for construction in the Afar region.
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE HOUSE
According to the sustainability, the Afar houses
have different positive and negative impacts.
The positive impacts include easy movability, avail-
ƊƦǞǶǞɈɯ ȌǏ ǶȌƧƊǶ ǿƊɈƵȲǞƊǶȺ ȌǏ ƧȌȁȺɈȲɐƧɈǞȌȁ ƊȁƮ ƵǏ˛-
cient use of those materials. The houses are easily
constructed and suitable for their life style.
The negative impacts include problems of lighting,
ǶȌɩȺɈȲƵȁǐɈǘ‫ة‬ɨɐǶȁƵȲƊƦǶƵǏȌȲ˜ȌȌƮǞȁǐ‫ة‬ɈǘƵȲƵƊȲƵǶǞǿ-
ited facilities available for the houses.
AFAR VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
Spatially

The curved zoning of afar vernacular house lacks

basic spatial definitions. Even though the openness

of the room is good there has to be a separated cook-

ing and sleeping spaces. For this diging the soil and

creating depressed space by using the advantage of

sandy zones they reside we can solve this space

adjusting the corner
problems.

The depressed space a cooling during daytime when

people sit over there and there will be a hotter floor

during night time

The other problem is the semi circle nature of the

living and cooking
house created spaces that are not enough for the space

person to use. By elevating the semi circled dome by

one meter with right angled wood the elevation

from the ground will increase at the same time there

will be enough space at the edges of the house

Palm ribs for interior
Double coating aesthetical purpose

By double coating the house we can have 2 separat-

ed spaces and also we can minimize the heat effect

entering the living space during day time

adjusting the corner

AFAR VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE