Indigeneity, architectural niches and design: A qualitative study on local housing of sub-Saharan African indigenous territories

Indigenous architecture embodies sophisticated ecological, material, and cultural knowledge. However, previous research has not sufficiently analysed how housing design, materials, and construction strategies interact from an evolutionary perspective, whether indigenous houses are adaptations to ecology, and if there is knowledge within them for architectural sustainability. This study aims to examine how design principles, settlement forms, and material practices, as the local “architectural niches”, shape indigenous housing in sub-Saharan Africa. It intends to explain how indigeneity and design practices collaborate to create architectural niches that meet environmental and social needs. A qualitative methodology was employed, integrating three analytical components. Literature analysis of indigenous housing scholarship, typological assessment of prevalent housing forms and settlement patterns, and theoretical interpretation through the lens of niche construction theory. The findings revealed that round-plan housing forms predominate in traditional settlements. Construction relies heavily on portable, low-labour materials well adapted to local climatic and geographical conditions. The discussion addressed how indigeneity and design mutually shaped adaptive architectural niches. The study contributes to theory by integrating indigenous architecture analysis with niche construction perspectives, and to practice by identifying design principles that can inform new housing models, architectural guidelines, and sustainable construction strategies rooted in local traditions.