DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE

Abstract

People’s cultures determine and shape the domestic space in their domestic architecture. Subsequent revisions of the concept have concentrated on more precise revelations of how the spatial arrangements of material culture are culturally patterned. This study detects a transformation in the house-type aspired and developed by people over the last five centuries using a topological analysis of house plans and patterns collected from the City of Benin. A total of 1054 houses in four residential zones in Benin City, Nigeria, were studied using frequency distribution, Space Syntax categories, and factor analysis.
The study aims to discover how the use, organization, and meaning of space in Benin have changed over time and whether there are any continuities. Years have passed throughout the entire City. The Space Syntax method is used to assess the degree of change at each stage of evolution. The main idea here is the â€space-activityâ€ interaction, which allows us to see what lies beneath the process. The recombination of activities occurs as the old spaces take on new names and functions in the new design, and when this occurs repeatedly at each stage, it leaves behind â€topological pathsâ€ from which the evolution can be measured. Further investigation reveals that the space-activity interaction occurs both at each partitioned space and at the closely related collective space. The factor analysis of the residents’ attitudes and responses revealed that both socioeconomic and Change and continuity in the domestic space are caused by socio-cultural factors.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title —————.———————————————————————————.
Declaration
————————————————————————————————.i Certification
———————————————————————————————…
ii Commitment
————————————————————————————————.
iii Thanks to Everyone
————————————————————————————.
iv
Contents Page
————————————————————vi
Tables Catalogue ————————… ——————————————…xi
Figures Catalogue ——————–.————————————…..xiv
Plates Catalogue
————————…
—————————————-….xviii
Abstract
————————————————..
————————————————.xix

INTRODUCTION TO CHAPITRE 1
1.1 The Study’s Background
———————————————————————….
1 1.2 Problem Description ————————————————————————.. 6 1.3 Research Issues ——————————————————.. 7 1.4 Study Aims and Objectives ——————————————————————. 7 1.5 The Study’s Scope ———————————————————————————. 8 1.6 The Study’s Context ————————————————————————…. 9 \s1. 6.1 Benin City’s History and People———————————————————————————————————————————————————- ————————————————….. 1.6.3 Benin and Surrounding Villages —————————————.. Benin City has 18 1.6.4 residential zones. ——————————————.20

REVIEW OF LITERATURE IN CHAPTER 2
2.1 First Look
——————————————————————————————
24
2.2 Architecture and Culture in the Home
————————————————————..
24
2.3 Social and Cultural Transformation
———————————————————————..
32
2.4 Urbanization and Change in Cities —————————————————————.46
2.5 Conclusion
————————————————————….56

THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK IN CHAPTER 3 3.1 INTRODUCTION

————————————————————58
3.2 Cultural Concept
——————————————————————————…
58
3.3 House Design and Culture
—————————..
——————————————….60

3.4 Traditional vs. Modern Residences —.——————————————.————…. 63 3.5 House Type Classification ———————————————————….. 66
3.6 Space Organization, Use, and Meaning
—————————————————…
68
3.7 Families
———————————————————————————…
72 3.8 Conclusion
————————————————————…75

4.1 INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

——————————————————————————————77
4.2 The Research Plan
—————————————————————————….
78
4.3 Study Participants
————————————————————————————79
4.4 Sampling Procedure/Method
———————————————————..80
4.5 Sample Dimensions
80 4.6 Data Gathering
———————————————————————————…..
83 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.6.1 Questionnaire Design ———————————————————————…84
4.6.2 Interview Schedule Design —————————————————..85
4.6.3 Data Collection and Display
————————————————————..86

CHAPTER 5 SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BENINIAN RESIDENTS
5.1 The Beginning
—————————————————————————————..
88 5.2 Residents’ Socioeconomic Characteristics
——————————————…
89.2.1 Household Earnings
—————————————————————————….
90.2.2 Organizational Structure
—————————————————————————92
5.2.3 Age and Gender ———————————————————————————… 93.2.4 Marital Status and Family Size ———————————————————… 94 \s5. 2.5 Ethnic Diversity —————————————————————————… 95.2.6 Respondents’ Educational Background ————————————————….. 96 5.2.7 Respondents’ tenure status ———————————————. 97 5.3 Residents’ Socio-Cultural Characteristics —————————————————… 5.3.1 Religion 98 ——————————————————————————————… 99.3.2 The number of households ———————————————————————….. 99 \s5.4

5.4 Conclusion ————————————————————..100

CHAPTER 6: BENINIAN HOUSES: TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS
6.1 The Beginning
—————————————————————————————..
102
6.2 House Classification and Their Characteristics
————————————…..
103
6.3 Houses’ Classification —————————————————————— 103
6.3.1 Residential Core Zone
————————————————————————.
107 vii
6.3.2 Residential Intermediate Zone
————————————————————…..
120
6.3.3 Residential Zone in the Suburbs
—————————————————————….
133

6.3.4 Residential Estate Planned Zone

————————————————————.141
6.4 Houses’ Characteristics
—————————————————————…..
150 6.4.1 Composition of Tenure
————————————————————————….
150 6.4.2 The number of people living in the house
———————————————————152
6.4.3. Number of Years in the House
——————————————-…153 6.4.4. House Age
——————————————————————————.
154 6.4.5. Owner
——————————————————-..156 6.5 Synthesis
————..———————————————————————158

CHAPTER 7 SPACES IN BENIN HOUSES: ORGANIZATION, USE, AND MEANING
7.1 The Beginning
————————————————————————————..
160 7.2 Approaches to the Study of Domestic Space Organization, Use, and Meaning
——…
161 7.3 The Architectural Method
——————————————————————…
161 7.3.1 Domestic Space Organization and Use
—————————————————.
162 7.3.2 What Does Domestic Space Mean?
—————————————————————….
162 \s7.
3.3 Domestic Space Socio-Spatial Analysis

within Benin ———————————….. 164 7.3.4 A Socio-Spatial Analysis of House Types in Residential Zones —————.165 7.3.5 House Designs ———————————————————————————— 166
7.4 Analysis and Interpretation of Domestic Space Organization, Use, and Meaning in Benin
———————————————————————————.
166
7.4.1 Cooking and Dining Areas
7.4.2 Household Goods Storage Space
——————————————————180 viii 7.4.3 Sleeping Accommodation ———————————————————————. …. 188 7.4.4 Personal Hygiene Area —————————————————————…. 196 7.4.5 Outdoor Areas (Communal, Private, and Public), Receiving Visitors —————….. 209 7.4.6 Worship and Socializing Area, Ceremonies and Festival ————————.. 222 7.4.7 Conclusion and Interpretation —————————————————————…. 236 7.5 Data on Respondent Attitudes and Responses ——————————————.. 237 7.5.1 Conclusion —————————————————————————————… Synthesis (244) ————————————————————.. 245

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 8
8.1 First Look
————————————————————————————…
246 8.2 Findings Synopsis ———————————————————————….. 8.3 Synthesis 247 —————————————————————————————… 249 8.4 Continuity and Change Syntheses —————————————. 251 8.5 Implications of Results ———————————————————————… 251 8.6 Emerging Concerns —————————————————————————. 252 8.6.1 Public and Private Environments ——————————————————————… 252 \s8.6.2 Privacy ——————————————————————————————… 253 8.6.3 Local Training

Builders ——————————————————————… 253 8.6.4 Safety —————————————————————————————…. 253 \s8.6.5 Culture and Climate Development ————————————————————254
8.7 Final Thoughts
————————————————————————————….254

BIBLIOGRAPHY

——————————————————————————…..256
APPENDIX
———————————————————-….277 ix

Plates Catalogue

Plate 1.1: Engraving of Warriors with Spears and Shields, Drummers and Dancers at an Oba Palace Ceremony.

——————————….

Plate 1.2: A Pre-Colonial Drawing of Benin City Prior to the British Occupation

————….

15
Plate 6.1: Ikun Nâ€TModerie Private Courtyard (Harem for Women and Children)
————….
108
Plate 6.2: Ikun Nâ€TModerie Private Courtyard (Harem for Women and Children)
————109
Plate 6.3: (Ikun Nâ€TModore) – Public Courtyard (Entrance Courtyard)
——————————
109
Plate 6.4: Shrines and 1dols in the Outer Courtyard – (Ikun Nâ€TMarhuera)
—————————.
111
Plate 6.5: Shows how the mud walls are finished on the outside with a pattern of horizontal ribs.
—————————————————————.
House with 112 Double Floors
———————————————————————..
192

Figures Catalogue

Figure 1.1: Benin Kingdom Map During the nineteenth century———————————-. 10
Figure 1.2: The PresentNigeria, showing Benin City’s location ——————————. 11 Fig. 1.3: Kingdom Benin Flag, now housed in the British National Maritime Museum. ——————————————————————… 12 Fig1.4: Map of Benin and Its Surrounding Villages———————————————… 19
Figure 1.5: Benin-City Residential Zone Map
——————————————…
20 Figure 1.6: Benin-City Plan Showing the Core and Intermediate Areas
——————..
22
Figure 2.1: Culture Changes in Relation to the Built Environment
————————————37
Figure 2.2: Timeline of Change
————————————————————…
38 Figure 3.1: Space Hierarchy, Showing Private, Semi-Private, and Communal Spaces ——.. 69 Figure 3.2: Conceptual Framework on Built Form and Culture Summary ———————74
Figure 4.1: Benin-City Residential Zone Map
——————————————…81
Floor Plan of a Palace Compound Benin House (Fig. 6.1a)
—————————————
113
Floor Plan of a Palace Compound Benin House (Fig. 6.2b)
————————————…..
114
Floor Plan of a Palace Compound Benin House (Fig. 6.3c)
—————————————115 Figure 6.4a: Floor Plan of a Benin Family Compound House ————————————…. 117
Floor Plan of a Modified Family Compound Benin House (Fig. 6.5)
—————————
119
Floor Plan of a Modified Family Compound Benin House—————————-.
122
Floor Plan of a Modified Family Compound Benin House————————….
123
Figure 6.8: Floor Plan of a Family Compound Benin House Adapted
————————…..
125
Floor Plan of a Hybrid Family Compound Benin House, Figure 6.9a
—————————.
126 xiii Figure 6.10b: Floor Plan of a Hybrid Family Compound Benin House—————————-….. 127
Floor Plan of a Face Me I Face You “House in the Central Corridor
——————…..
129
Figure 6.12b: A Face Me I Face You Floor Plan “Type of Corridor House——————-…
130
Figure 6.13: Detached Bungalow House Floor Plan
—————————————————————-.132 Fig 6.14: Floor Plan of Semi-Detached Flats of a Double-Floor House
————————133 \sFig6.15: Modified Family-Compound Benin House Floor Plan ————————. 135 Fig 6.16c: Floor Plan of a “Face Me, I Face You” Corridor House———————…. 136
Figure 6.17: A Semi-Detached Flats Single Floor House Floor Plan
————————…..
137 Figure 6.18: Semi-Detached Flats Double Floor House Floor Plan
————————..
138
Figure 6.19a: Detached Bungalow House Floor Plan
——————————————
139
Figure 6.20b: Detached Bungalow House Floor Plan
——————————————
140
Floor Plan of a Detached Bungalow House————————————-
141 Fig 6.22b: Semi-Detached Flats Single Floor House Floor Plan
————————….
143
Figure 6.23d: Floor Plan of a Detached Bungalow House———————————————-.
144 Fig 6.24: Floor Plan of a Duplex House-Type—————————————————…
145
Figure 6.25: A Detached House’s Ground and Upper Floor Plans
———————————
147
Figure 6.26: Basement, Ground, and Upper Floor Plans of a Detached Villa House-Type—-.
149 \sFig 7.1a: a Palace Compound Courtyard House’s Floor Plan Socio-Spatial Analysis of a Palace Compound Courtyard House ———————————…. 190
Figure 7.1b: Justified Space Permeability Graph for a Palace Compound Courtyard House
— 191 xiv
Fig. 7.2a: Family Compound Courtyard House Floor Plan Socio-Spatial Analysis of a Family Compound Courtyard House
————————————..
169
Figure 7.2b: A Justified Graph of the Space Permeability of a Family Compound Courtyard House. ——————————————————————170
Fig. 7.3a: Adapted Family Compound Courtyard House Floor Plan Socio-Spatial Analysis of an Adapted Family Compound Courtyard House
——….181
Figure 7.3b: A Justified Graph for the Space Permeability of a Modified Family Compound Courtyard House ——————————————————————….. 182
Figure 7.4a: Hybrid Family Compound Courtyard House Floor Plan Socio-Spatial Analysis of a Hybrid Family Compound Courtyard House
Figure 7.4b: Justified Graph for Space Permeability A Hybrid Courtyard House for a Family Compound ——————————————————————….. 212
Figure 7.5a: Common Corridor House Floor Plan (Face Me I Face You)
A Socio-Spatial Examination of a Common Corridor House (Face Me I Face You)
—…..
224
Figure 7.5b: A Justified Graph of the Space Permeability of a Common Corridor House (Face Me I Face You)
————————————————————
225
Figure 7.6a: Detached Bungalow House Floor Plan A Socio-Spatial Investigation of a Detached Bungalow House ———————————————— 199
Figure 7.6b: A Justified Graph of the Permeability of Space in a Detached Bungalow House
———…..
199
Figure 7.7a: Semi-Detached Double Floor House Floor Plan Socio-Spatial Analysis of a Semi-Detached Double Floor House ——————————.192
Figure 7.7b: Justified Graph for Semi-Detached Space Permeability xv

A Modified Family Compound Courtyard House’s Space Permeability Graph ———————————————————..198
Figure 7.9a: Semi-Detached Single Floor House Floor Plan Socio-Spatial Analysis of a Semi-Detached Single Floor House
——————————
171
Figure 7.9b: A Justified Graph of the Space Permeability of a Semi-Detached Single Floor House.
——————————————————————————.171
Figure 7.10a: Ground and Upper Floor Plan of a Detached Double Floor Villa House
—————….
226
Figure 7.10c: Justified Space Permeability Graph for a Detached Double Floor Villa House
——————————————————————————228

Tables Catalogue

Table 4.1: Calculated Sample Size (Total Residential Houses Projected Across the Four Residential Zones From 1991 to 2009) (52, 850)

————————.83
Table 5.1: Respondent’s Annual Income
—————————————————91
Table 5.2: Respondent Occupation
————————————————————92
Table 5.3: Respondent’s Age
———————————————————————93
Gender of the Respondent (Table 5.4)
—————————————————————…
93 Table 5.5: The Respondent’s Marital Status ————————————————————..94
Table 5.6: Number of People in the Respondent’s Household (Household Size)——..95
Table 5.7: Respondent Educational Background
————————————————.96
Table 5.8: Respondent Tenure Status
————————————————————.97
Table 5.9: Respondent Religion
—————————————————————.
99
Table 5.10: Number of Households in the House———————————————-….
100
Table 6.1: Number of Selected Residential Houses in Benin’s Four Zones———-.
102
Table 6.2: House Types Discovered During the Field Survey———————-104
Tenure Composition (Table 6.3)
———————————————————————..151
Table 6.4 shows the number of households in the house.
—————————————————..
152
Table 6.5: Number of Years in the House
————————————————…
154
Table 6.6: The House’s Age
——————————————————————…..
155
Table 6.7: The Houseowner
——————————————————————
157
Table 7.1: Eating and Cooking (a Place for Meal Preparation)
———————————.
174
Table 7.2: Eating and Cooking (the Cooking Space Users)
————————————…
175
Table 7.3: Eating and Cooking (the Use of the Cooking Area) —————————…. 175x Table 7.4: Eating and cooking (Number of Households Sharing cooking space) ———… 177
Table 7.5: Eating and cooking (Space Allocated for Dish Washing)
————————….
178
Table 7.6: Eating and cooking (Space for Family Eating)
————————————…..
179
Table 7.7: Household Goods Storage (Space for Storing Cooking Utensils)
————..
184
Table 7.8: Household Goods Storage (Space for Storing Raw Food Item)
—————…
185
Table 7.9: Household Goods Storage (Space for Preservation of Water)
—————…..
186
Table 7.10: Household Goods Storage (Space for Keeping Clothes)
———————..
187 Table 7.11: Household Goods Storage (thoughts on the Arrangement of Space)
——…..
188 Table 7.12: Sleeping Configuration (Sleeping Space For Different Members of the Family)
– ————————————————-…
195
Table 7.13: Sleeping Configuration (Relaxation Space for the Respondent Any Time of the Day) ———————————————…196
Personal Hygiene (Area for) Table 7.14

Bath for the Whole Family) —————————————….. 202
Personal Hygiene Table 7.15 (Usage of Space for Family Bath)
—————————…..
203
Personal Hygiene Table 7.16 (Number of Households Using the Space for Family Bath) ——————————————….. 204
Personal Hygiene Table 7.17 (Space for Washing Clothes by Household)
——————205
Personal Hygiene Table 7.18 (Usage of Space for Washing Clothes)
————————206
Personal Hygiene Table 7.19 (Type of Toilet Being Used by Household)
——————…
207
Personal Hygiene Table 7.20 (Location of Toilet Facility)
————————————208
Personal Hygiene Table 7.21 (Usage of Space for Toilet)
————————————..209

Outdoor Space (Table 7.22) (Demarcation of Space Around the House)

———————.215

Outdoor Space (Table 7.23) (Use of External Space Around the House)

———————.216

Table7.24: Outside Area (Engaging in Small Business at Home)

—————————.217 xi
Table 7.25: Outdoor Living Space (Type of Small Business at Home)
——————————..218
Table 7.26: Guests (Space for Receiving Visitor)
——————————….219

Table 7.27:

Visitors (Space for Receiving Visitor that Will Stay Overnight) (Space for Receiving Visitor that Will Stay Overnight) —————.220
Table 7.28: Guests (Inconveniences of Visitor Staying Overnight) ————————… 221
Table 7.29: Visitors (Availability of Appropriate Space for Overnight Visitors) ————————————————222

Table 7.30: Praise and Worship (Performing of Religious Activities in the House) ——————…..230

7.31 Worship (Space for Performing Religious Activities in the House)

————.232

Table 7.32: Prayer (Space for Worship in the House) —————————————233

7.33 Worship (Existence of Such Space for Worship in the House)

—————….234

Table 7.34: Worship (Reason for the Absence of a Worship Space in the House)

—————————————————…

235
Table 7.35: Religion (Importance of Space for Worship in the House)
——————….
235
Table 7.36: Factors Influencing Change and Continuity in the Core Zone
—————….
238
Table 7.37: Factors Influencing Change and Continuity in the Intermediate Zone
——…..
239
Table 7.38: Factors Influencing Suburban Zone Change and Continuity ———241
Table7.39: Factors Influencing Change and Continuity in the Planned Estate Zone
——.243
Table 7.40: Factors influencing people’s responses and attitudes toward change in domestic spaces as well as continuity in domestic space across Benin’s four residential zones.
——————————244

BIBLIOGRAPHY

——————————————————————————…..256
APPENDIX
———————————————————-….277 ix

Plates Catalogue

Plate 1.1: Engraving of Warriors with Spears and Shields, Drummers and Dancers at an Oba Palace Ceremony.

——————————….

Plate 1.2: A Pre-Colonial Drawing of Benin City Prior to the British Occupation

————….

Figures Catalogue

Figure 1.1: Benin Kingdom Map During the nineteenth century———————————-. 10
Figure 1.2: The Present

DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE

DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE

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