Exhibition Opening Reception | Villages of West Africa
EXHIBITION ON VIEW FEBRUARY 27 – APRIL 20, 2020
Thursday, February 27 | 6 – 8 PM | OPENING RECEPTION: Villages of West Africa | Free (RSVP Requested)
Steven and Cathi House will be available to sign copies of their new “Villages of West Africa” book during the reception.
Tuesday, March 10 | 6 – 8 PM | AUTHORS PROGRAM: “Villages of West Africa” with Steven + Cathi House | $10, AIA Member; $15, General
Steven and Cathi House will discuss their recently published book, “Villages of West Africa: an intimate journey across time.” Book will be available for purchase.
About the Exhibition
Featuring images from “Villages of West Africa: an intimate journey across time”, award-winning architects Steven and Cathi House, explore a part of the world that has been at the crossroads of history for thousands of years. A selection of photographs derived from over 500 evocative photographs and insightful commentary will be on display in the gallery which reveal the remarkable beauty of the people, land, villages, textiles, and vernacular architecture across seven countries of West Africa, situated between the Sahara Desert and Atlantic Ocean. West Africa is an ancient land of stark contrasts, immeasurable beauty, vibrant colors and extraordinary people. It is home to legendary places at the edge of the world, camel caravans, endless sand dunes, searing heat, and colorful markets. This 304-page anthology of West African culture celebrates the artisanship of indigenous people who use building methods that are both practical and ingenious and that respond not just to local climate, materials, and topography, but also to the needs of the inhabitants with poetic insight, creating environments that are stimulating and sustainable. With their clarity, function, and beauty, these villages are living models of what community life can be.
Steven + Cathi House | House + House Architects
For over 35 years Steven and Cathi House of House + House Architects have crafted intimate, personal architecture, producing a diverse body of work reflecting their passion for site specific, well-choreographed buildings throughout California, Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Japan and the Caribbean. Having received more than 50 design awards, their work has been featured in numerous national and international publications including two monographs, “House + House Architects: Choreographing Space” and “Houses in the Sun: light movement embrace”. They have lectured throughout the United States, as well as Mexico and Italy, and have traveled extensively across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America documenting vernacular architecture. Their extensive studies and photographs of vernacular architecture have been published in two books. “Mediterranean Villages: An Architectural Journey”, celebrates their investigations throughout the Mediterranean — the hilltowns of central Italy, the Aegean Islands of Greece, the Dalmatian coast, and the Andalusian region of southern Spain. Their most recent book, “Villages of West Africa: an intimate journey across time”, documents the vernacular architecture, people, land, villages, artisans, textiles and cultures of seven countries in West Africa. They have both served on Virginia Tech’s Architecture Advisory Council and, based on their firm belief in travel as an important way to learn, they created CASA (Center for Architecture, Sustainability + Art), a study abroad program based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
CO-PRESENTER
