The envisaged documentation centre is one of the pillars of the ArchiAfrika Foundation’s broad aims: to present a platform for exchange of information, experiences and knowledge in the field of African Architecture.
The envisaged documentation centre is one of the pillars of the ArchiAfrika Foundation’s broad aims: to present a platform for exchange of information, experiences and knowledge in the field of African Architecture.
The objectives ArchiAfrika has set are:
To create a platform for exchange of information: users can acquire and add knowledge and discuss the information (expandable, with forum)
To build an documentation centre of interest for professionals as well as for amateurs (scientific and non-scientific)
To create a format which will be compatible with other databases and prepared to handle a more complex content in a later stage (using thesaurus)
To provide users with other search options if the documentation centre can’t foresee in all demanded information (network and portal services)
The Documentation Centre will be a starting point for anyone wanting to know more about African Architecture. It will offer a great variety of information, from self-made pictures to scientific publications. With a clear and accessible structure it should give anyone the opportunity to search for their own specific type of information, whether this is for scientific purposes or just for pleasure.
The Documentation Centre does not pretend to be complete from day one. It will, however, have the ability to expand. Hence, the amount of information will keep on increasing over the years.
Nevertheless, the Documentation Centre should already be partly filled, and therefore useful, when becoming accessible.
The target group consists of architects, urban planners, teachers and students on Architecture, cultural and governmental institutions in Africa as well as in the rest of the world. But at the same time, it consists of tourists, travellers, and anyone else interested in Africa. Therefore, scientific information will be disclosed, but there will also be room for low threshold items. The entire target group is invited to actively participate on the above platform and doing so to jointly achieve the aim.
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Project Team ArchiAfrika:
Anne-Katrien Denissen - Project coordinator
Antoni Folkers
Antie Kaan – project assistent
Partners:
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
University of Pretoria, South Africa
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
