The Ikumba

The Ikumba: Interior of Dwelling / Inner Sanctum

The word “ikumba” was introduced to me in 2003 by Alex Smith of Lexgraphics Graphic Design. I told Alex that I wanted a logo that represented a company (that I did not yet have a name for) that would be centered on the individual user, producing culturally relevant designs for buildings and spaces and engendering a sense of ownership of space and by extension physical and emotional comfort. Alex quickly responded by showing me this beautiful book of photographs of artwork by women from the Ndebele tribe of Southern Africa: Ndebele : The Art of an African Tribe by Margaret Courtney Clarke.

The book displayed the artistry that was so much a part of their everyday lives: the body decoration and the paintings these women did on the exterior of their mud brick homes. Their strength and creativity is phenomenal and is evidenced in their ability to hold on to their culture and a sense of self despite the ravages of apartheid, disrupted family lives and poverty. And when we consider the individual awareness of space and place, the most mind shattering concept for me, was the ikumba. The ikumba was the interior of the home and considered fully the woman’s domain, her space of refuge. So strong was the association with her that no one could enter without establishing trust and being invited in; and for the symbolism of the ultimate in ownership: when she leaves the home or dies, her ikumba was allowed to disintegrate, no one else would inhabit it.

Don’t imagine that the ikumba is a quiet reserved space, rather the woman is queen of her domain, the space is the center of family life, used for preparing food and gathering. The ikumba is multifunctional, changing function by the rearrangement of furniture or placement of mats on the floor.

I have translated the word ikumba to mean interior of dwelling, interior of self or inner sanctum. Every year, this concept becomes more nuanced. There are so many subtleties of the ikumba that speak to me as an architect and my concerns for the impact of buildings:

— Multipurpose / multifunctional space.

— Sustainable design using local materials to build the house, with scarce resources using every opportunity to contribute to energy conservation, recycling of use and reduction of waste.

— Organic – Both in design form and materials used.

— Focused on promoting individuality of expression.

Paula Griffith, RA