JASON NGIBUINI
UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND
‘Sherehe ya chai’: Transmutation of Kikuyu vernacular as an immersive tea tasting retreat
Jason says, “In Kenya, tea plays a crucial role in
country’s economy, accounting for 22% of its total
exports. Being the third largest producer of black tea
in the world, Kenya’s tea industry is struggling due to
the shortfall of exports lagging behind high levels of
production. This thesis aims to expand on Kenya’s tea
directorate’s plans to increase local consumption from
6.6% to 15% within the next five years by proposing
a tea tasting retreat in Limuru, Kenya. The tea tasting
retreat would allow visitors to gain an understanding
of tea cultivation and tea production as well as the
health benefits.
This thesis has helped me rediscover my cultural
roots in Kenya and expand on my mother’s childhood
stories around Kikuyu traditions, customs and way
of life. Having been brought up in South Africa,
research into Kikuyu traditional architecture was
completely new. With discussions around post-
colonial architecture in Kenya, a focus is put on the
transmutation of Kikuyu vernacular architecture to
ensure the cultural continuity of skills and expertise
that are bound within traditional knowledge.
Student Awards
The reinterpretation of these skills or expertise will
enhance the visitor’s experience and challenge the
role of post-colonial theory in the search for Kenyan
identity in contemporary architecture.
77