2. Houses in Bashgal valley, Nouristan, Afghanistan. Massive mountains enclose this remote region and the houses take a terraced form over them. These are packed together with flat roofs, which are used as social spaces. A Nouristan house will have ground floor where goats or cattle are kept and an upper floor, the ama or main living spaces with private rooms dug into the hillside at the rear. The base of the house is usually of stone, the super structure of squared horizontal timbers, crossed at the corners and with the diving walls of rooms projecting to the outside, the spaces between the timbers being packed with rock and earth.
3. Nouristani House, Afghanistan. The vertical posts are threaded with horizontal ones at corners. Entry to the house is by a notched ladder, which leads to the living area; the cattle byres below have access to mountain meadows. The smoky interior is ventilated by a hole made of crossed timbers in the roof.
4. The aristocratic cattlemen’s houses are decorated with carvings on supporting columns with carpet patterns. Nouristani House, Afghanistan.
5. Housa compound, Nigeria. Housa is one of the most extensively spoken African languages. Rural Housa live in gida or farm compounds, and dispersed settlements of earth wall huts either circular or square plan, the former with thatched conical roofs.
6. Housa houses are constructed out of tabala, pear shaped lumps of cured lateritic clay mixed with straw, which are laid in rows, base down, to produce thick walls, azara. Lengths of the fan palm, which is resistant to white termites, are used for reinforcement and to shape internal arches to support roof domes. Roofs are also built from lengths of palm to form a tight mesh over which raffia palm mats and earth can laid. Traditionally the huts were circular in plan, and a double cylinder of linked units was a unique feature of Housa architecture. Later on with the Islamic influence square plans are conceived. Generally Housa compound is surrounded by a wall and has an entrance unit, the Zaure , which leads to shagafa , the hut where guests may be received. Beyond this is the household head’s sleeping hut and the heart of the compound cink gida , where wives and children live. Housa Houses, Nigeria.
7. Housa Houses, Nigeria. Important buildings such as the Friday mosque were richly decorated within, walls, panels, and ribbed arched ceilings being both sculptured in relief and elaborately painted in abstract loops, whorls, chevrons and bosses. Every inch of the surface of the reception rooms being treated this way. Zanan gida is a type of decoration over the mud walls, plaster molded into desired shapes by hand and coated with water resistant layer of a local cement from mud, dung and laso (mixed animal hair) and dye pit residues. The extent of Decoration reveals ones prosperity.
8. Decoration of these Ndebele tribe houses resembles the patterns of blankets they weave. The Relevance of Decoration Decoration may be found in many ways in Indigenous dwellings. Wood used as structural members may be trimmed and carved with patterns. Edges of wood may be decorated with figures and faces. Stone may be carved out with patterns. Reed and grass may be stained with different colors and woven into mats and small panels, creating patterns and textures. Brick, tile and stone can be built in patterns. Clay can be molded and plaster worked in relief in walls, floors and ceilings.
9. Decoration in Islamic settlements is limited to Mosques in geometrical patterns. Decoration on structural member is common, by carving wood and painting.
10. Entrance is of particular importance to emphasize the threshold. Carved and paint decorated doors are common. Buildings are often decorated for the reasons of spirituality or religion, for status and prosperity. These are done sometimes as part of their daily routine work, using fabrics, weaving mats, paints etc. The aesthetic of these decorations follow a tradition and continuity and form a collective value and not usually represent individuality.
