Ongoing and Emerging Discourses on African Architectural Practice

The Campus Innovation Lab at Wits University in collaboration with the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture hosted an international conference titled 'Ongoing and Emerging Discourses on African Architectural Practice’ from 3 to 9 July 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference was also supported by the African Architectural and Urban History Network (AFRAUHN), which promotes, supports, develops and disseminates high-quality research about the architectural and urban history of the African continent and its diaspora.

Recognising that the discourse about African architecture, urban planning and spatial design is more complex than the binary ‘traditional’/‘colonial’ or ‘African’/‘Western’ models, the conference organisers invited submissions that critically examined the status quo of architectural and urban planning research, writing and practice.

Papers presented at the conference included cross-disciplinary submissions written from the perspective of academics, architectural practitioners, urban development policymakers and officials from national or regulatory institutions.

Funding was provided for academics and architects based in Africa and outside South Africa through the UCL-Wits University Strategic Partner Funds to enable them to take part in the conference.