Africa-Press – Malawi. Architects have been challenged to shift from inherited design models and embrace local and sustainable solutions if Malawi and the continent are to meet its infrastructure and housing needs.
Zambian Institute of Architects President Musunka Silungwe made the call on Wednesday when delivering his keynote speech at the 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Malawi Institute of Architects (MIA) in Mangochi.
Silungwe challenged architects to adopt a transformative mindset in order to design infrastructure that aligns with Africa’s cultural, economic and climatic realities.
“Africa must reclaim its dignity through design. We need to stop relying on outside advice that has not worked and start drawing on our own ideas, materials and ancestral knowledge,” Silungwe said
Silungwe criticised over-reliance on imported materials such as iron sheets and concrete blocks in rural areas, arguing that these are not only expensive but also damage the environment.
He warned that Africa’s projected population growth—particularly in sub-Saharan Africa—called for urgent, scalable and locally driven design solutions.
“If the majority of the world’s population will be African in the next 25 years, how can we still look to the minority for solutions? The responsibility is ours,” he said.
Transport and Public Works Minister Jacob Hara also challenged the architects to come up with homegrown innovative solutions, saying Malawi’s infrastructure must be agile and adaptable to withstand crises.
“Our infrastructure, especially public infrastructure, must be reusable and resilient. Covid exposed our failure to repurpose existing buildings. We must stop importing everything and instead use the resources that God has given us.”
Hara also called on architects to invest in research and incorporate locally available materials into their designs.
MIA immediate-past president Khumbo Chirwa said the institute was collaborating on projects to develop climate-resilient infrastructure tailored to different regions of the country.
“The idea of flexibility and adaptability has come in because we don’t want to just copy and paste the principles or concepts that have been generated by other countries or other intellectuals or professionals. Our goal is to see how we can apply the sustainable design principles across the country,” Chirwa said.
This year’s AGM is being held from May 28 to 30 under the theme ‘Sustainability in Construction: The Need For Flexibility and Adaptability’.
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