“That Is Still our Tradition but in a Modern Form, but it Still Tells our Story”: Transitions in Buildings in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT

Traditional building practices, which are typically regarded as repositories of heritage and material culture, are undergoing significant transitions in northern Ghana. This transition is evident in the use of building materials other than locally accessible traditional materials. These transitions are driving creativity and innovation as households strive for continuity of tradition, while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of their buildings. This article analyses the architectural traditions and building practices in northern Ghana using the building work and commentaries of the people of Gbabshe in peri-urban Tamale as a case study. The results show that building practices are transitioning because of environmental changes, migration, wealth accumulation and access to modern building materials and technology. As the peri-urban community becomes urbanised, the people encounter “modern” building styles which are appropriated into their traditional architecture, resulting in a hybridisation of architecture. The innovative tendencies and philosophical continuities of these builders, and the desire to achieve sustainable buildings and the hybridisation of architecture, has implications for the future of earth buildings’ relevance, resilience, sustainability, and sociocultural significance in people’s everyday lives.

Ya’ mεbodin doli kaya ni taada soli nyεla din wuhiri bilichiinsi mini kali, amaa dimbɔŋɔ zaa nyεla din nyari taɣibu pam tudu polo ŋᴐ. Lala taɣibu ŋᴐ nyεla din yi polo, nira yi lihi bε ni kpalim m-mali ya’ mεbo neen’ shεŋa din pa bε dina m-mεri yiya shεm, ka chεri bε maŋmaŋa ya’ mεbo nεma din be asama ŋɔ. Lala taɣibu ŋɔ nyεla din ӡi baŋsim mini yεl’ pala niŋbu soya na zaŋ chaŋ ya’ mεbo polo, dama yili kam kpaŋdi bε maŋa m-mεri bε yiya n-doli kali maa, ka zaŋdi taɣiri’ pala maa m-pahira, din kpaŋsiri bε yiya maa. Lahibali ŋᴐ nyεla din vihiri n-kahigiri ya’ mεbo soya mini di baŋsim tudu polo kaya ni taada soli zuɣu Ghana tiŋgbani puuni. Di nyεla din zaŋ yiya mεbu mini niriba ni yεli shεm zaŋ chaŋ yiya maa polo, tiŋa din yuli booni Gbabshe din be Tamale yaɣili ŋɔ n-niŋ vihigu maa. Vihigu maa wuhiya ni ya’ mεbo soya nyεla din taɣira, ka di daliri nyεla ӡileli biεhigu gba ni taɣiri la zuɣu. Saamba nyεla ban gɔri kpεra tinsi ni nti ӡiina, ka arizichi nyamma gba pahi, ka anashaara ya’ mεbo nεma gba nyabu niŋ bayana, nti pahi tabibitabibi gba ni ӡi taɣiri shεŋa na. Tiŋa yi kuli lεbigira n-leeri fɔŋ, niriba tooi nyari ӡaman’ pala ya’ mεbo balibubalibu, ka di nyεla bε zaŋdilimi n-gabiri kaya ni taada ya’ mεbo soya puuni, ka dimbɔŋɔ nyε din yihiri ya’ mεbo so’ pala na. Tammεriba ŋɔ ni nyari baŋsim shεŋa zaŋ chaŋ ya’ mεbo polo, bε ni na kuli vihira ni bε nya baŋsim shεŋa, ni bε suhiri ni yeya ni bε zaŋ anashaara baŋsim mini kali ya’ mεbo soya m-me yiya din ni ku sokam bukaata viεnyεla ŋɔ nyεla din mali bukaata zaŋ ti dunia ŋɔ sɔhabiεɣuni yiya mεbu, di yuubu, di kpaŋsibu, ni di daanfani zaŋ chaŋ ӡileli mini kali soya niri kam biεhigu puuni.

KEYWORDS:

• Traditional architecture
• transition
• continuity
• hybridity
• innovation
• Ghana

BACHIKPANA:

• Kaya ni taada ya’ mεbo
• taɣibu
• tuɣibu din viεla
• taɣiri pala zaŋ pahi n-niŋ binshεli
• yεl’ pala niŋbu soya
• Ghana

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Responses received from the elders we spoke to in a focus group discussion (FGD) held on 8 January 2019 in Gbabshe.

2 A response received from the elders we spoke to in an FGD on 8 January 2019 in Gbabshe.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.