Vernacular architecture was a term used for a long time to designate old and popular buildings. However, recently, it has been used as a synonym for sustainable architecture. It is associated with the term eco-friendly because it uses materials with low environmental impact and bioclimatic techniques that do not harm the environment. Arquitetura tradicional Benin (Reprodução)
Vernacular means "typical of a country", therefore, vernacular architecture is all that was built using techniques and materials from a specific region, or from knowledge that was passed down from generation to generation. The practice was very popular in the pre-colonial era, but has not developed much since then. A Grande Mesquita de Djenné, Mali. (Wikimedia user Ruud Zwart)
Limited to traditional huts, with mud walls and straw roofs, it began to be associated with scarcity and poverty, being discredited by the local population. Kassena Village, tiébélé, burkina fasoimage (Rita Willaert)
There is no standard vernacular architectural style, as many different styles exist across the continent. Each tribe has a different construction method and architecture, inspired by history and conflict. Escola Primária Tanouan Ibi (Image Cortesia de LEVS Architecten)
Nigeria Norte Muçulmano da Nigéria: Cidade de Kano, Maiduguri. (Reprodução)
Cameroon The Musgum community occupies the northern border of the region. The houses, called Tolek, began to be noticed by the West in the mid-1850s by German explorers. The communities can be made up of up to 15 compacted earth domes, each with a function assigned to the family group. These houses are good examples of sustainable architecture: they make the most of the materials available in the region and meet the demands of the residents. The size of each house varies according to its function: they can be used for livestock, children's play areas or family meetings. The facades resemble a large shell and have different geometric patterns. The thickest parts of the building are at the base and the thinnest at the top. The textures, in addition to allowing the identification of each dome's function, serve as water drainage and allow residents to easily climb it for maintenance. The top is open to facilitate air circulation. Casas Musgum, nos Camarões (Patrick Lapierre)
Malawi Mud walls inside houses can be built in three different ways: by building a wooden or bamboo frame and applying mud to it; the rammed earth technique, which has mud pressed into a wooden frame; and finally the manufacture of mud bricks, which are dried in sunlight, or are taken to a kiln that has openings in the bottom of the wood, which generates the fire. A estrutura do telhado da aldeia está sendo construída em paredes de terra batida. (Landirani Trus)
In 2014, architect Jon Sojkowski created a database to document vernacular architecture in all African countries. You can see the results here . 
