Burkina Faso through Its Traditional Architecture: A Century of Research on Built Vernacular Heritage

Abstract

The study of traditional habitats aims to recognise their values and preserve them within the necessary transformations of societies. In the context of Burkina Faso, the great variety of issues related to habitat together with the cultural richness of the country, resulted in a complex nucleus of knowledge, the unity of which had not been fully considered. With the objective of providing an integrated overview and identifying thematic trends of current relevance, the literature review involved the collection, comparison, and synthesis of works of different origin, scale, discipline, theme, and intention. As well as offering an orderly compilation, the analysis traces the history of the existing literature, revealing how its evolution mirrored the progress in vernacular architecture studies in international terms and adopted an increasingly practical approach. Furthermore, the review demonstrates the widespread academic and institutional interest in linking the development of the country to its cultural heritage, and the valuable documentation work resulting from this interest. Finally, a reflection is raised on the evolution of knowledge, its aspirations, potential impact, and usefulness, which could be of use also in other contexts.