Throughout my investigation in Ethiopian diversity and design aspects, it seems clear to me that Urban and building design have to convey a message about the cultural value, ambitions and its future in a particular place. The identity in the building shall come from its environment otherwise it will look like an odd element without context and meaningless. One of the purposes of architectural elements is to preserve the cultural identity and to tell a story about culture and values for the people. This type of architectural quality is not presented well in Ethiopia.
It is easy to identify and appreciate vernacular examples of environments deeply rooted in local culture. To speak the local language in architecture design, first, we need to take some of the best examples we can find and bring it to the table. The next step is to examine what methods and techniques they have used to keep their culture and identities. For example, in the neighborhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires, Argentina can be a good example of what I’m trying to achieve in the future. The neighborhood has an independent identity from the rest of its metropolitan region. The place ethnic roots are predominantly Italian heritage deeply involved in sailing, shipping and boat building. The place has a unique strain of tango embodied in its cultural identity. They build their homes using the same materials (sheet metal) to build ships. This unique style set La Boca different from the others. The use of vibrant colors on their buildings adds layers of visual quality and characterizes the relation with the Latino culture.
Another helpful way of investigation is to find articles about different architects and see what they value in teams of identity and how do they connect the culture with modernity without losing its identity. Architects like Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvar Aalto, Luis Barragan, and Louis Kahn has set the boundaries by landscape, geography, climate, local materials, and close observation of vernacular construction. These architects have changed the perception of many architects there view about modernity in vernacular architecture. My goal is to find a modern architecture for Ethiopia that have local identity, which has not been explored deeply nor experimented with in new materials. I’m hoping this curiosity will help my country to keep its identity intact and leave a monumental inheritance for the next generation.
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