The Adobe architecture of Togo and Benin; Perfect Harmony between man and Planet

Africa has many different adobe architecture styles. The forms change very radically from one country to the next. However, the choice of location as well as the shape and format of compounds show a constant search for harmony and balance. Compounds maintain an acceptable distance from each other to give each family both the space to feed themselves as well as to grow and blossom in their own way. The materials used to build the houses come from everyday materials, from cow poop to abundant soil. The shape of the houses compartment the spaces where grain has to be stored between harvest seasons from the living quarters, which themselves have to provide protection from the elements or undesirable elements.

The Takienta houses of Togo and Benin, which have UNESCO World Heritage status, typify the beauty of adobe architecture and the ingenuity with which people have learned to use the materials around them to build their homes.

Takienta compounds are found in the Koutammankou in the Kara region, which spans the Togo-Benin border in the far north of the country. The Koutammakou landscape is home to the Batammariba. In this landscape, nature is closely associated with the rituals and beliefs of society. The area receives fairly good rainfall. However, the soil is the red type typical of the savanna areas that border the Sahel. There are also many baobab trees, which people see as important connectors of the present world and the afterlife.

Takienta houses are really a group of interconnected units. The entire structure forms a two-storey fortification that serves as dwellings for people and sometimes livestock. Some buildings have flat roofs, while others have spherical shaped attics on top of a cylindrical base. Those with attics have an almost spherical shape above a cylindrical base. The Takienta may have a flat roof or a steeply pitched, conical thatched roof that projects above the surrounding walls. Each structure has a striking resemblance to European castles. In fact, they are built that way to offer protection to the family unit.

The houses are grouped into villages, that also include ceremonial spaces, springs, rocks and sites reserved for initiation ceremonies. The compounds, also called Tamberma “Tatas” (houses), have earned the people who live there their name. Tamberma means builder, architect.

The Takienta also reflect social hierarchies and spiritual beliefs. Their form and the techniques used in their construction reflect a long tradition: perhaps dating back at least to when the Batammariba people first arrived in northern Togo. In the villages of Koutammakou, the houses are relatively scattered.

It is said that the distance between houses is determined by the flight of an arrow. This gives each family access to enough land to farm and graze livestock. When a village starts to be too congested, some people move away and start another village with similar structures and hierarchies. There is a belief that the first village was known as “Kuye” and maintaining the structure of this initial village unit is a kind of umbilical cord that gives the entire Koutammakou its identity.

To ensure that the new village is in harmony with its environment, a sanctuary is created for the “Dibo”, the natural forces of the landscape, with whom the villagers must work. Finally, a large central ritual and ceremonial building is constructed, complete with altar and burial ground.

The huts that have a more traditional structure have very tiny doors. This keeps out both unwanted people and animals. The granaries are conveniently located in the attics where it is difficult to reach. Some Takientas with flat roofs offer sleeping space when it gets too hot in the dry season. At other times, the flat roofs are also used to dry grain and other foods that is stored and eaten for many months.