Title: Drawn from African dwellings
First published: 1996
Description: This exquisitely illustrated study takes us into the traditionally built dwellings of African society. This "life-in-architecture" material culture reveals the socioeconomic and cosmological organization and the world views of these societies. Bourdier and Trinh connect structural patterns - setting, design, decoration, orientation - to factors such as kinship, gender, history, religion, poetry, and oral traditions.

The authors focus on a variety of African peoples, including the Fulbe, Tokolor, Sereer, Joola, Soninke, Mandingo, Jaxanke, and Bassari. Through photographs, beautifully detailed drawings, and theoretical reflections, Bourdier and Trinh challenge the common perception that traditional dwellings are static artifacts.
Subjects: Housing, Rural, Symbolism in architecture, Rural Housing, Vernacular architecture, Signs and symbols, Architecture, africa
Places: West Africa
LC classification: NA1598 .B68 1996