Local Expertise Versus Local Extraction: African Vernacular Architecture and a More Holistic Sustainability

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Every year, in the hot, dry town of Djenné in Central Mali, something special takes place – La Fête de Crépissage. Roughly translated to the “Day of Plastering”, this day sees the entire community of Djenné collaborate to reinforce the mud walls of the Great Mosque of Djenné – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the African continent’s most distinctive architectural landmarks.

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Leaving aside its sustainable materiality -- the adobe walls keeping the mosque cool even on the hottest of days -- this annual gathering of Djenné’s residents to shape a key part of their town’s identity tells a deeper story. One that exemplifies the fact that, when we talk about the application of local materials and appropriate use of the vernacular in architecture, we also need to be talking about local communities. Local communities who should be active participants in shaping the environment around them, and not passive voices relegated to the background.