Forms, transformations, and identity of traditional architecture in Burkina Faso: state of the art and effects of the introduction of industrial materials and technologies

This paper presents the results of a research project carried out at the Department of Architecture of the University of Palermo, aimed at analyzing the state of the art of traditional architecture in the countries of North-Western Africa and the effects produced by the process of habitat modernization through the introduction of new construction materials and advanced technologies imported from industrialized countries. The case study examined is Burkina Faso, a Sub-Saharan African country characterized by severe economic poverty and a marked technological dependence, conditions that make it particularly exposed to the influence of external construction models. The research is based on the outcomes of a study trip during which surveys and site visits were conducted in both urban and rural contexts, to assess whether and to what extent industrialized technologies have affected local building traditions. The results show that, although large cities represent the main centers for the import and dissemination of technological innovation, new materials and construction systems are often reinterpreted to develop appropriate technologies and passive solutions aimed at improving thermal and hygrothermal comfort. At the same time, even in more isolated rural contexts, a growing diffusion of non-traditional materials, such as metals and plastics, can be observed, progressively replacing traditional ones in specific uses.