Architecture is not western

Part 2 : A conversation about the fusion of modern and traditional architecture

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 07:03:01 GMT

Following on from the previous episode on reconciling modern and traditional architecture, we now turn our attention to contemporary materials. We question the impact of concrete and its actual toxicity. Can we hybridize systems to create a more sustainable architecture?

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A conversation about the fusion of modern and traditional architecture

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:04:25 GMT

In this episode, I talk with my guest Justice, about how modern architecture can be combined with traditional building practices. Is it still possible in light of societal changes and especially the rapid growth of the global population? That’s what we’re going to explore.

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Blending passive design with traditional wisdom

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:01:34 GMT

This episode tackles the flaws of our modern constructions and explains why it’s time to change the way we look at traditional architecture in today’s ecological crisis.

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Buen Vivir: Latin America’s secret to living well

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 16:26:54 GMT

« Buen Vivir » is a concept that comes from Indigenous communities in Latin America. It involves community life and harmony with nature. Today, the concept is under threat, and to discuss it, I welcome a special guest named Maria Belen Zambrano from Ecuador.

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Is the future of architecture vernacular?

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:38:50 GMT

Can vernacular architecture be the future of modern cities? This is the question I asked myself and attempted to answer using the example of the city of Shibam. The Yemeni city nicknamed the Manhattan of the Desert, is famous for its mudbrick skyscrapers. An example to follow?

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What is an architect?

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:28:18 GMT

Today, millions of people build their homes without using an architect. There are several reasons for this. The profession of architect is struggling to reinvent itself in a difficult context that leaves little room for free creation and quality construction. This episode is an overview of the challenges involved in practising this profession.

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The peruvian islands

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 22:05:26 GMT

in the middle of Lake Titicaca in Peru live the Uros. They have invented an ingenious way of living in water without impacting their natural environment. Natural but revolutionary island dwellings.

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The Afro brazilian heritage

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 21:58:07 GMT

Between the XIXᵉ and early XXᵉ centuries, Afro-Brazilians arrived in West Africa (from Benin to Togo and Nigeria). These were the Aguda. They invented an architectural style that blended the styles and that would forever seal the history of the populations of the African continent and South America.

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Architecture without locals

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 22:04:42 GMT

The standardisation of architecture is an issue that is rarely discussed: the standardisation of global architecture. Today, what is built in London...looks like what is built in Dakar in Senegal.

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The living room

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:27:06 GMT

Like many areas of our homes, we often have a standard idea of what a living room is. However, this room has multiple configurations and meanings, depending on its cultural context.

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What if Architecture was a book

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 20:59:06 GMT

Central Africa is a region full of surprises. The traditionnal architecture often misknown.

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The chiefdoms of Cameroon

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 07:06:37 GMT

The Bamileke people are renowned in Central Africa for their structured organisation and their ability to produce bold architecture.

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The invisible architecture of Pygmies

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 04:33:29 GMT

Pygmy architecture teaches us a philosophy of the temporary. It invites us to rethink our relationship with space, time, sustainability and nature. Their home made of leaves and branches blends into the forest.

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Form follows…the society

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:16:01 GMT

The 19th century, the American architect postulated that architecture should reflect its intended uses. This immense idea was to accompany the architects of the modern movement. But this thinking raises questions about its detachment from the foundations of architecture: a social act, a moment of sharing. In the past, certain groupes of Central Africa were able to magnify this principle.

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Why do we build today?

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:24:03 GMT

In this episode I look at the way we build today. Developments in building techniques have enabled cities to grow rapidly. Villages are emptying and urban centres are becoming denser.

But quantity and speed are not always synonymous with quality inside homes. Today, architecture has become a consumer product. This is having an impact on the image of our towns and cities, which are becoming increasingly standardised. These changes in practice, which differ from pre-industrial construction, raise questions about the origins of these transformations.

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Are women new to Architecture ?

Wed, 28 May 2025 06:00:00 GMT

In this episode I talk about women in architecture. Often in the minority on construction sites, women suffer from an isolation that forces them to adopt fragile defensive postures. But the history of women in architecture began much earlier than we think, and beyond the continent of Europe. From the pygmies of Gabon to the women of the Kassena country in Burkina Faso, we will travel the world to discover that today's women architects are the heirs of enlightened builders.

Enjoy your listening!

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What is Architecture ?

Wed, 21 May 2025 06:08:47 GMT

Hello, I'm Alba, welcome to my podcast ‘Architecture is not Western’. In this first episode, I invite you to discover the project that drives me and what's in store for you in future episodes.

I talk about my disillusions since I started practising as an architect, but also about my intentions to change things, if only a little. I describe briefly the flaws in the education system, the practice of the profession and the inconsistencies in the way we think about cities. But also the differences in perception between the architecture of the Global South and that of the West.

Enjoy your listening!

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