Computational Analytical Mapping of Spatial Organization in Kano Metropolis: A Shape Grammar Approach to Traditional Hausa Houses

This research, using the analytic shape grammar method, studies the specific spatial organization of the typical plan layouts of the Hausa traditional architecture found in Northern Nigeria with a view to provide a way of exploring feasible designs. Existing data (plan layouts) were collected from the corpus of surveyed works from 2005 to 2008 in Kano municipal of Northern Nigeria. Thirty–eight of the plan layouts were analyzed with an attempt to produce the Hausa architectural design grammar. The findings classified the spatial organization plan layout types into two major groups, according to the form of their courtyard: Hypo-courted type and Interconnect courted type of Hausa Traditional Architecture; sub-divided into five groups in terms of spatial organization and area: 3 - 6 Rooms Single type (100 sqm); 5-8 Rooms Single type (225 sqm); 2-3 Rooms of 3 Apartments type (486 sqm); 2-3 Rooms of 3 Row Houses type (900 sqm); Storey Building type. From the findings are recommendations such as studying a more stylistic range of Northern Nigerian (Hausa) Architecture, a formal description of the urban design space in terms of the Hausa traditional city shape, and the necessary development of a formal generative mechanism to be used for the computational component of this unique architectural style.