Malawi Vernacular Architecture
Documentation for Preservation
Videos
The videos are short clips I took to give a glance of what the homestead feels like. Much more powerful than just a picture. I tried to capture as much construction videos as possible.
Man making bricks in Chaima village, Machinji district. He is taking mud from on site, adding water and pounding into a wood form work. He then turns the form upside down to release the bricks. These bricks will either be sun dried or piled up to form a kiln which will be burnt with wood.
Chisi village, Nzimba district
Chaima village, Machinga district
Woman plastering her home. This task is done once a year which gives the structure protection from the elements. The plaster is usually just mud with water added.
My You-Tube channel.
Woman plastering kitchen floor. The plaster is black in color due to an additive, which is the inside of a battery cell. She is smoothing out the plaster with a stone.
Chima village, Dowa district
Man building a wall using burnt bricks.
Chaima village, Machinga district
Mwasambo village, Chiradzulu district
Men sawing off ends of gum pole rafters in Mwasambo village, Chiradzulu province, Malawi.
Rammed earth construction.. The form is 3 pieces of wood connected with a bicycle chain. On this house 2 layers are formed each day and construction will take a total of one week. Houses using this technique near by were said to have been 20 years old.
Njobwa village, Kasungu district
Woman painting decorative bottom band on kitchen using a brush made of thatch and the paint is local soil with crushed burnt bricks mixed in.
Chisi village, Nzimba district
Kamuzu Road, Salima district
Building a fence on Kamuzu Road, Salima district. The fence is made of vertical reeds tied with larger reeds going horizontal.
Chaima village, Machinga district
Preparing to thatch a roof.
Plaster
Decoration
Plaster
Sun Dried Bricks
Sun Dried Bricks
Thatch
Wood Poles
Rammed Earth
Reeds
