Selas House on Lamu Island, Kenya

Abstract

Through my experience as an architect on Lamu Island, Kenya, the building processes in the traditional architecture of Swahili culture are described. This type of architecture reflects the mix of influences making up that culture: Bantu, Arabic, Persian and Indian, all adapted in turn to the available materials and techniques and to the local climate. A personal account of the building of Selas House serves as a thread for a description of the various building elements and methods that have been used for centuries in the island’s architecture.