New issue of ArchiAfrika

ArchiAfrika Magazine #2 – this second issue covers a wide range of topics, from the cover story on musician Hugh Masakela to African architects at Milan Design Week (shown here) to recycling practices in 6 African cities to community-built compressed-earth block schools in the Dogon to informal housing in Accra and Lagos, 20th c buildings in Kenya, and an interview with Nikos Salingaros on coal and living cities; he cautions against developing economies committing to any one energy source:

What should not be done is to take a unilateral decision on energy sources straight away, and invest vast amounts into one single source.  Or to commit a country to a single technology, in case something much better comes along in a few years.  The energy sector must maintain adaptability, variability, and flexibility on the shortest possible turnaround cycle.  This is of course the opposite of efficiency.  Efficiency in energy production requires streamlining, hence introduces an inherent instability and lack of resilience to unexpected change.  All of us expect major changes in the energy equation, soon or later, so it’s essential to build in resilience into the system and sacrifice short-term efficiency.