Expression of Culture through Architecture: Insights from the Mbari Houses of Imo State, Nigeria

Often culture and identity are expressed through architecture. In fact, architecture as tangible material culture, represents and communicates the cultural themes of a community. Mbari houses that have existed in Nigeria before the twentieth century comprises sculptures and architectural components relevant to understand certain aspects of cultural identity. In this context, this study examines the historic Mbari houses in the Imo state of Nigeria and how their architecture expresses culture. The research employed a mixed method approach. The qualitative and quantitative techniques of data collection involved archival research and case studies. Archival data such as literature, photographs and records were obtained from the Enugu and Ibadan National Archives in Nigeria. Case study involved observations, and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, along with storytelling through unstructured interviews with elders within the research community. An in-depth case study of an existing Mbari house at Umunakara - Imerienwe, Ngor-Okpala local government area in Imo State, Nigeria, was carried out through a visual and measured survey involving sketches. Since Mbari houses are largely extinct, typical and critical sampling criteria were adopted, based on availability of a possibly unimpaired archetypal model within any community in the ‘Mbari-building’ region. A chain-referral technique for snowball sampling was used in locating the community. The only existing and suitable model found in the Umunakara community was chosen as the Case Study. Logical argumentation was applied as an analytical strategy by identifying and examining the architectural components, while utilizing mathematical-cultural techniques to explain relationships between culture and the Mbari house. The results revealed that the central chamber of a Mbari house, is an architectural depiction of cultural relevance in the community. The basic geometric forms used as components and motifs of the central chamber express cultural meanings unique to the ‘mbari-building’ communities. The study further illustrates how elements of culture and identity, are structurally represented in a Mbari house.