The Influence of Users’ Popular Traditions in Residential Design The Case of Mlalakuwa Settlement in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania

It is mostly noted that the design for residential purpose is professionally considered universal, distinct and specific. The socio-economic, cultural and traditional aspects which affect the house users’ requirements and hence the residential designs seem to be considered by professionals’ standpoint as a mere user’s ignorance and lack of access to suitable designs. In this respect, the attributes of vernacular and traditional architecture are sought to unpack the intrinsic relevance to contemporary architecture of residential design within the local context. The case study has been conducted in Dar es Salaam city assessing the local residential house owners’ requirements aiming to understand the social, economic and cultural factors which impact the architecture of residential designs. The findings show that residential designs and use are dynamic and likely to transform based on the owners’ evolving socio-cultural, economic and spatial requirements which highlight the relevance of vernacular and traditional architecture. This trend raises the professional concern on the need for further interrogation of current residential architecture approach. Thus, it has been concluded that professionals perspective should opt for less control of residential requirements and emphasise the recognition of socio-economic and cultural aspects which aspire for flexibility of form, function and spatial organization and facilitate design control by the house owner. Such revelation indicate the validity of vernacular and traditional architectural approach which integrate the local knowledge, optimum utilization of resources, nature and built environment.


Conceptualizing Vernacular and Traditional Design in Contemporary Architecture
The growing professional ego coupled with technological development facilitating flexibility in design and production methods of residential architecture tend to make design professionals such as architects to feel in control of residential designs and its prospective favourable outcomes. The fact that residential architecture is expressed in the everyday lived experience, culture and socio-economic features of the community appear to be ignored by professionals and actors in design discourse. Solutions for residential design, form and construction which concentrate on conventional principles, modern scientific ideals and rationalised outcome of improved residential architecture appear to be out of touch and represent irrelevant residential requirements especially in the developing world. The growing involvement of house owners in design and production of residential spaces utilising both local and modern tools useful and accessible to achieve their socio-cultural requirements call for new approach of understanding of residential architecture in professional circles. It is through such view that deep understanding of contemporary architecture can be understood through the mirror of vernacular and traditional architecture.
architecture with using skills, knowledge and technology evolving within the people within their socio-cultural context. Rapoport (1990;1969) contemplates that vernacular architecture can be conceptualized as the foundation of built environment due to its intimate connection to human and his natural environment. He note that the folk tradition is the direct and unselfconscious translation into physical form of a culture, values, desires, dreams, and passions of people expressed in buildings and settlements without designer, artist, or architect. He insists that the user's meaning is the most important, and not architects' or critics', since it is the meaning of everyday environment which matter to user and not architect's famous building -historical or modern.
Vernacular and traditional design approach are related due to their affinity to locality, originality and nature although vernacular holds norms, values and experiences free from structured ideals while tradition picks from both structured and unstructured domains to strengthen its identity and enhance its relevance. Hărmănescu et al (2016) indicates that to know the tradition means to identify the potential of the vernacular knowledge, through proper application of its value criteria and taking into account the structural foundation elements of the local culture. She adds that vernacular knowledge describe structure of people whose design decisions are influenced by traditions in their culture where the past offer growth recourses for the future through the knowledge gained. In this case, the future should recognize the past value offering identity of those who use and transmit knowledge. To ignore the past, the vernacular knowledge of a place, means to waste resources and knowledge of a place (Glassie, 2000). Hosseini et al, (2012) highlights that the concept of traditional architecture holds the central position describing the metaphorical, symbolic and abstract way of approach to originality of architecture. He shows valuable attributes and knowledge of traditional architecture as a source of identification of societies' belief, morality, and ideology, which can be used to contribute relevant insight to contemporary architecture addressing sustainable components of traditional and regional architecture. Different places have different characters and identities referred by concept called genius loci (Note 1) (Hosseini, Mursib, Nafida, & Shahedi, 2012;Heath, 2009). The structure of a place is not a fixed and eternal condition but places usually change. The identity of a place is always defined and redefined due to the ongoing evolution throughout the history. This character becomes sometimes to determine the basic properties of the image of the environment -generating the feeling of belonging to that place. However, due to negligence of traditional architectural knowledge by contemporary architects, the design has mostly culminated to unsustainable architecture (Hărmănescu & Enache, 2016;Parsaee, Parva, & Karimi, 2015;Hosseini, Mursib, Nafida, & Shahedi, 2012;Bourdier & Minh-ha, 1997).
In professional view, architects are considered to be in control of the built environment. However, according to Rapoport (1990;1969), the work of the designer represents a small portion of the building activity at any given period since the built environment is not entirely controlled by the designer. The designer and user react differently to environmental meaning since their schemata vary as the former react to environment in perceptual terms and the latter in associational terms (Rapoport, 1990). Duque (2002) claims that the house form cannot be the result of any single causal factor such as genius giving form to space. Instead, the most important and defining concerns are socio-cultural issues which are associated with values influencing the decision to build either individually or communally, permanently or lightly. In this respect, cultural factors of built form refer to the cosmic image, ritual orientation and symbolic nature. Users, whom designers incorrectly think they know well, form part of the way life is really lived, the norms, values, culture and customs and the way they affect the built environment. This intimate association of the community, natural environment and cultural context are hardly appreciated by contemporary designers and thus seem insignificant in developing architecture in specific context. Njoh (2006) note that the lack of sufficient history on African housing history miss the fascinating subject on the way different people of Africa have developed house forms suited to their customs of living, the building material close at hand and to the local climate. He underscores the relationship of culture and development where the former is an instrument of the latter rather than element of it. While Eurocentric culture is rooted mostly on capital accumulation, entrepreneurial attitudes and material wealth, the African culture do not place these attributes on the top of priority ladder, although they are not completely absent. This attitude extends to influence built form and function in African culture contrary to forms based on western culture. Some examples revealed by Nguluma (2003) show the emerging residential house forms based on urbanites' endeavours to meet socio-economic requirements in the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This contradiction of cultural philosophies poses important questions on ubiquitous embrace of modern architecture among professional bodies in Africa which is highly oriented to Western culture. The strained quality of built environment and hence compromised life condition in most cities in Africa can be viewed as evidence of erroneously presumed models of western architecture as useful solution to African built form. Responding to this perceptual shortfall, Duque (2002) and Rapport (1990;1969) indicate the danger in applying Western concepts to developing countries, which represent only one choice among the many possible, to the problems of other areas, instead of looking at them in terms of local way of life, specific needs, and ways of doing things. Hărmănescu et al (2016) focusing on landscape architecture shows that technology does not issue warrant to abandon vernacular attributes. She notes that the technology -as 'result of society's evolution, aiming to satisfy its needs and to increase the comfort and the living conditions' -changes the landscape. The morphology and evolution of the landscape describe the relationship between society and place, the way the man dwells the space. The agrarian and industrial societies lead to specific landscapes associated with amalgamation of the socio-economic nature of its inhabitants and also of historical and cultural foundations. All forms of vernacular knowledge are built to meet specific needs, livelihoods and cultures they produce and are linked directly to the environment, available resources, using local technologies. In this way, current technology can be utilized to address our cultural and traditional needs with the view to develop relevant contemporary architecture. Oliver (2006) stresses that vernacular as indigenous architecture paint a historical myth of building techniques that can inform the future architecture on identity and tradition of the given community. The tendency to concentrate the value of vernacular architecture based on the form is false. According to Noble (2007), the concept of function and form are central to study of traditional building. However, the notion of 'form follow function' may reach a certain level of truth but on close examination the idea fall short with reference to traditional buildings which are mostly differentiated based on function rather than form. He further note that the function may remain inflexible while the form is quite variable influenced by the climate, available building materials, geographical location and the like. Apart from concentrating on vernacular forms, there are deep lessons on quality of spaces, innovative use of materials, structural principles, details, proportions, climatic solutions, symbolism and other expression of native sensibility which can be replicated in conception of contemporary architecture (Curtis, 1996). In addition, anthropogenic dialogue should become a technological adaptation of the traditional solutions, following a rational and non-invasive use of the natural resources, in the idea of integrating in landscape (Hărmănescu & Enache, 2016;Asquith & Vellinga, 2006;Wines, 2000). Wine (2000) note that the advocates of green architecture need to look at models of sustainable architecture of ancient times, citing ancient architecture of Italian towns, where buildings of about 600 years old are still in excellent physical condition and active use today. The reason of their longevity are, among others, the exclusive thermally efficient, walls built of regionally available materials, and their interior spaces -uninterrupted by today's inclination for sculptural excess -proven adaptable over hundreds of years of changing uses. Disputing the view that technology is superior to vernacular, Hărmănescu et al (2016) seem to approach technology as the result of socio-economic processes which influences the landscape and hence the local built environment. The people's adaptation to evolving built environment due to technological innovation can be built on vernacular values, innovations, experience and knowledge which involve local identity, optimum utilization of resources, respect to nature, recognition of local tradition, and the like. This is related with achieving an ecological balance which maintains the relationship between architecture, natural environment, the availability of resources and their consumption.

Method
The research employs the case study method where qualitative and quantitative examination and analysis are involved. Mlalakuwa informal settlement in Dar es Salaam city is selected as case study area since it has fairly consolidated and diversified residential informal development which is part of effort to achieve residential solutions based on socio-cultural norms, values and practices. The social diversity is also contributed by the resident's different tribal backgrounds from different parts of Tanzania of which the socio-cultural differences contributes to vernacular influence of built environment. The settlement is also adjoined with two higher learning institutions of Ardhi University and the University of Dar es Salaam, whose staff form part of diversified residential community. General observations are done through photographic registration, sketching and note taking to assess the built form, space relationship, residential activities and functional organization. In order to triangulate information gathered through observations, random selection of forty residential house owners for interviews is done to acquire information on facts regarding specific essence and meaning of residential design, development and transformation of dwellings. Simple numerical statistics and descriptive analysis are used to extract meaning and suitable explanations of emerging design approach influenced by communal values, norms, vernacular customs and popular traditions.    Rapoport's (1990;1969) view that architects design influence cannot control the popular architecture resulting from everyday life of the users' norms, values, culture and tradition. The architectural form, function and meaning of residential spaces seem to hold extensive control by the users. This involve the determination of residential house design and size as the factor of family size and culture, and the incremental construction of residential house commensurate to the income, family growth rate and change of function to cater for certain socio-economic and cultural demands which respond to key features of creation of vernacular and traditional architecture as noted by Hermanescu et al (2016) and Hosseini et al (2012). Transformation of residential houses is also made in most cases to acquire new requirements and exploit the emerging city opportunities for income generation. The form, organization and meaning of residential house is likely to change when the family size and structure change, for instance, when the grown up children move out to start the life on their own or, in specific culture, when matured male children have to be accommodated separately from the main house and others which represent cultural values which affect the decision to build as noted by Duque (2002). The residential compound is also seen as the hub for representation of socio-cultural and traditional values of house owner's place of origin in Tanzania countryside which may include space and functional organization, organization of family groups in the compound, farming and animal keeping.

Socio-
The outdoor spaces on residential compound have important role on accommodating variety of functions and complementing the indoor functions. Referring to socio-economic and cultural values, there is the need to reconceptualize the approach of conventional residential architecture which is oriented on rigid, linear and too defined values in terms of function, form, size, content and its role on site. The study outcome demand the residential architecture which respond to socio-economic and cultural aspects, flexibility which involve form, flexibility of space, incremental construction process, respect for outdoor spaces, interaction of indoor and outdoor spaces and allowance for the user to control the design which refer us to the principles of vernacular and traditional architecture.

Conclusion
The study disputes the notion that the residential design is universal and static represented by popular layout of basic domestic functions. Communal norms, values and traditional practices are still important ingredients in creating the knowledge to achieve relevant residential requirements which can improve the residential architecture. The concept of vernacular and traditional architecture which associate the local knowledge of tradition, culture, popular practices, local technology, natural environment and relevant resource utilization to architecture are used as tool to understand how such local communal factors can be replicated in redefining contemporary architecture. Further, social, economic and cultural processes observed in field study influencing the residential design in order to respond to flexibility of residential requirements within the social context is the evidence for the need to reconceptualise the approach of residential design to enhance the professional residential architecture. Thus, the relevant residential design has to respond to local socio-economic and cultural context reflected in form, function and spatial organization where the professional understanding is supplemented with relevant local knowledge.