The Endangered Wooden Architecture Programme is now funding several projects across the globe for the documentation of endangered wooden architecture. Endangered architecture: In , The British colonial government in Nigeria started the construction of railway infrastructure to access raw materials and food production from the hinterlands of Nigeria. Ebute-Meta was going to be the central yard for the Lagos railway infrastructure which is the terminal city to the harbour.
The wooden buildings to be surveyed were part of the residential and station infrastructure built by the British government within the compound during the first phase of construction between - Different housing typologies were made for the different cadre of railway personnel, the British colonial-style houses typically have deep verandas around the house on lower and upper floors. The roof was made from shingles, but most have now been replaced with long-span cement composite roofs.
The joinery details of the building are such that very few nails were used in the joinery. There is divided opinions on where the wood came from, with some suggesting it was shipped prefabricated and assembled on-site while others believe wood importation only happened at the earlier stages of construction. Most of these wooden buildings have been lost in recent years due to dilapidation, development needs, and other safety and economic reasons. Aims: The aim of the project is to document each typology of the wooden buildings that exist in the compound and in the neighbouring Ibadan railway compound, spatial layout, construction methodology, and ethnography through photogrammetry, BIM modelling, photography, 3D point cloud and interviews of record keepers, former or current inhabitants, and people who were involved in restoration work carpenters, mason, architects etc.
Type of Grant: Small Grant. Endangered architecture: The First Nation dwellings in Baviaanskloof, South Africa, date back over years and represent a building tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation. The dwellings are self-built on common land owned by the indigenous community, using local materials such as bamboo, reeds and mud. The valley was relatively isolated allowing these traditions to continue.
An ageing population is also resulting in poor maintenance and abandonment of many dwellings. Aims: This project aims to survey a minimum of 15 dwellings in the Baviaanskloof valley. Being an oral tradition there is no record of the traditional ways of building and so this project will produce the first ever archival and documentary record of this cultural tradition. Endangered architecture: This project will document the structures, forms, construction, social life, and repair processes as well as the traditional knowledge system of Urhobo vernacular architecture.
