Classical Architecture’s African Roots

Today, the majority of our world is trained along traditional Western lines: the ancient Greeks are responsible for all that is good in the world, particularly its architecture. End of story. Or is it?

The author came across a previously unseen photo of an African temple dating a thousand years before the advent of Greek “classical” architecture. This stunning revelation inspired him to begin a passionate quest for truth.

The result is the opposite of an academic text. The author does not tell you what to believe. Instead, he takes you through a compelling visual narrative with many original photographs and asks you to look and decide for yourself.

On this eye-opening journey, you will compare the still-standing visual evidence to the status quo, and see for yourself the truth that has somehow lain hidden while in plain sight.

Shining the light on hidden architectural truths is just the start of restoring Africa’s legacy of creation.

The underlying principle of this book is the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which acts as a guide for developing empathic products and services. The book makes the

case that empathy is the key to any successful product and service design project because it enables designers to make wise design choices that align with users’ demands.

At the outset, it covers the design context and the philosophy of the Ubuntu approach, which places people and communities at the centre of the development agenda. The book covers new product development, design research, design cognition, digital and traditional prototyping, bringing products to the market, establishing a company’s brand name, intellectual property rights, traditional knowledge, and the business case for design in Africa. It concludes with a discussion about the future of design and the skills aspiring designers will need.