People spend up to 90% of their lives in buildings. How these are designed and built has a profound influence on our economies and how we live and work.
Traditionally, buildings were constructed by local craftspeople, from readily available materials. The result was buildings which were highly suited to local contexts, cultures and climates.
Modern building materials and regulations changed that. Today, most buildings are made of materials such as cement and steel. In African countries that don’t make these products themselves, this means that many building materials and components are imported.
