By Diaspora Times Academic Review

Arch Dr. D.K. Gitau| Diaspora Times New Design Review Column.

In the closing decades of the 20th century, particularly between 1970 and 1979, architecture in Kenya was widely regarded as one of the most rigorous and elite academic disciplines. Admission into the program required passing the A-Level examination with at least two principal passes and a subsidiary. Most candidates pursued what was then known as the “manpower combination”: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry—though it remains debatable whether Chemistry was fundamentally essential for studying architecture.

At the University of Nairobi during those ADD (Golan Heights) years, architecture students endured long nights filled with sketching and model-making. They crafted elaborate structures using clay, balsa wood, or cardboard, and hand-drafted intricate designs that honed not only their technical skills but also their artistic and conceptual depth. It was a tactile, human-centric discipline—deeply rooted in philosophical thought, cultural identity, and spatial imagination. Today, that proud legacy is increasingly at risk, challenged by the rapid advance of digital technology.

The rise of software such as AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit, and, more recently, AI-based generative design platforms has revolutionized the practice of architecture. However, this progress has also threatened the depth and integrity of architectural education. Modern students now design more with keystrokes than with concepts. Maybe in the future, they will no longer mold clay, fold cardboard, or sketch freely by hand. The process will be streamlined and won’t take many years, like it’s the case today—(or you can say castrated or sterilized).

Loss of Tactility, Erosion of Depth

Architecture has never been merely about constructing buildings—it is the thoughtful resolution of human needs through spatial imagination. In the 1970s, it was common to find Kenyan architecture students sculpting topographies and models out of clay, manually drafting site plans, and defending hand-built models before critical juries. These were formative rituals that cultivated a reflective and iterative design ethos.

“We shaped buildings with our fingers—literally,” recalls Mzee Joseph Mungai, a retired architect and one of the earliest graduates of the University of Nairobi’s School of Architecture. “There was pride in touching your idea—it felt alive.”

By contrast, many students today in some parts of the world can complete their degrees without ever making a physical model. The reliance on preconfigured digital templates risks detaching designers from material realities—an alarming trend in a country where local context, climate, and culture should deeply inform design outcomes.

Technological Fluency vs. Design Literacy

Maureen Wanjiku, a Nairobi-based architect, notes:

“You can’t always tell who understands design theory and who just knows shortcuts in software.”

This is the paradox. While digital tools offer precision and speed, they can also conceal conceptual shallowness. When the tool becomes more prominent than the idea, students risk being reduced to operators rather than original thinkers. The introduction of AI in design studios—where platforms now generate entire schemes from brief prompts—blurs the line between author and algorithm.

Professor Wambua Ndeti, who has trained architects for more than three decades, cautions:

“We are raising a generation of technicians, not thinkers. Architecture is not just structure—it’s philosophy, psychology, and sociology. You can’t automate culture.”

The Way Forward: Synthesizing Tradition and Technology

There is an emerging consensus that Kenya’s architectural education must reclaim its soul without rejecting progress. Leading institutions must teach software fluency while also reintroducing analog methods—hand sketching, clay modeling, and community-based design. Studios that marry digital innovation with sensory engagement can close the growing gap between concept and craft.

Equally crucial is a return to local responsiveness. A house designed in Nairobi should not resemble one in Dubai simply because both were drawn using the same program. Regional identity and cultural intelligence must reassert their place in the design process.

“It’s tempting to rely too much on the computer,” admits Peter Otieno, a third-year architecture student. “But sometimes, I feel like the machine is designing—not me.”

The late architectural educators who shaped the profession with their hands and hearts would be dismayed by what architecture risks becoming today. Were they to rise from their graves, they might not recognize a discipline now dominated by digital shortcuts and aesthetic mimicry. Even builders, once guided by architects, are now becoming designers—replicating plans found online or in foreign magazines with little contextual awareness.

Conclusion: The Future Must Remember the Past

Architecture in Kenya stands at a crossroads. The digital revolution has brought us tools of immense power—but without grounding in theory, culture, and context, these tools may yield sterile, soulless work. A balanced pedagogy that honors both the clay of yesterday and the code of tomorrow is not just ideal—it is essential.

As Mama Joyce Njoki, mother to two architects, wisely puts it:
“Let the machine draw—but let our children still dream.”

*”Just a thought, and I stand corrected—perhaps today’s architects find amusement in how those before them were trained.”

Disclaimer
This article reflects the views and intellectual opinions of contributors affiliated with the Diaspora Times Academic Review. It is intended to provoke thought and inspire dialogue within Kenya’s academic and professional architectural community. While interviews and anecdotal statements quoted herein are based on personal recollections and professional experiences, readers are encouraged to verify technical claims through academic and institutional sources. The Diaspora Times welcomes informed rebuttals, additional insights, and scholarly contributions related to the evolving state of architectural education in Kenya. Submissions or comments can be directed to diasporatimeskenya@gmail.com.