Purple Corner

#urbanplanning #construction #architecture I would like to share with you information/texts regarding the act of building and urban planning in Madagascar. And I prefer to start from the beginning: when you consider a construction or urban planning project, the first step is to check if your project is feasible. Our cities are subject to Urban…

it’s no big deal just the usual non-lethal warfare thrown all over town now that my kids are exposed weekly to this new lifestyle, I’d rather learn more about what might come to us in case things escalate and spread to our corners of town (which is more likely to happen since they tend to…

From my youth, I immersed myself in the realm of Magical Realism, captivated by the cinematic rendition of Isabel Allende’s novel, “The House of the Spirits.” This experience propelled me into the enchanting pages of Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” which served as the source of inspiration. Currently, I’m on page 30…

I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life. I’m still working through it personally, but the best thing about me is that if an alcoholic or drug addict comes up to me and says, ‘Will you help me?’ I will always say, ‘Yes, I know how to do that. I will do…

La poésie de l’eau, ancrée dans les croyances malgaches, se mêle harmonieusement à l’urbanisme des premières communautés qui se sont rassemblées en foko pour entretenir les canaux, planter du riz, partager la nourriture et s’épanouir ensemble. Bien souvent, voire tout le temps, nous oublions que toute cette diversité demeure en ville pour contribuer à son…

This poignant image shared today by one of my former students, Sevanis Rasolofoniony, captures the aspirations and dreams for a “modern” urban landscape in Madagascar, . It depicts a planned neighborhood in Antananarivo, spanning 67 hectares, which transformed the cityscape from a vernacular hilled capital to a hub of new business, housing, and commercial centers between…

#throwback#notetoself It took me six months to finally plan our last June three-day trip, and I can’t help but worry about when I’ll be able to afford the next one. My kids are incredibly understanding, but I realize I can’t stretch their patience too far. We only travel abroad about once every four years, and…

Since immersing myself into History and stories, I’ve come across the word “polity” quite often. I later discovered that it translates to “politie**” in French. A lady pointed out that I frequently referred to current and past forms of governance as “régimes” in our conversations and asked why. I simply explained that it has been…

C’est un euphémisme que de dire que cette semaine a été l’une des plus difficiles depuis que je suis rentrée au pays. Si j’avais déjà envisagé que les difficultés liées à la pandémie de Covid-19 s’atténueraient d’ici la fin de 2023, car je suis une pragmatique convaincue, la dernière ligne droite est vraiment difficile à…

#urbanplanning#socialhousing#antananarivo Backyarding, a term I found myself repeating as we wandered through the passageways. I’ve always found the word “corridor” a bit confining – it seems to encase you within its walls. Surprisingly, you adapt to the concept quicker than you’d expect. our pace steady between walls. No fancy “tamboho gasy” out here, yet you…

#workshop #sustainability #architecture #Madagascar Episode #2 starts at the same time as Episode #1. We were knee-deep and mentally sinked inside the Covid-19 lockdowns crisis and at the same time we had to keep working. In Mahamasina, of course, we were already going remote since 2017. a concept some of our new collaborators haven’t really…

“Nous avons peut-être des gènes en commun mais nous ne partageons certainement pas la même culture.” m’a dit Teresa Vega l’autre soir lors de notre Zoom mensuel. et c’était avec un énorme sourire, et un Tweet, qu’elle m’avait accueillie dans son monde merveilleux. Celui où cette passionnée de généalogie a su partager ses découvertes sur…

“Oh! You noticed the greenery too? It’s amazing how many neighborhoods are now embracing gardening and taking care of their trees! We’ve been working in this area for nearly 5 years, and I genuinely believe that it’s changing for the better, slowly but surely,” exclaimed the engineer from our team, responsible for supervising the heavy…

Life in Madagascar can be unforgiving. Yet, you have to experience it firsthand to truly understand the significance of being here—among hardworking, good-hearted people, our people, dedicated to working on our land. The rich red of the lateritic soil, the hopeful blue of the ocean merging with the sky, and the remaining green patches of…

“Nous avons peut-être des gènes en commun mais nous ne partageons certainement pas la même culture.” on m’a dit hier soir et c’était avec un énorme sourire, et un Tweet, qu’elle m’a accueillie dans son monde merveilleux. Celui où cette passionnée de généalogie a su partager ses découvertes sur ses racines américaines, européennes, africaines et,…

“I want a big life, I want to experience everything, I want to break every single rule that there is. They say ambition is an unattractive trait in a woman—maybe. But you know what’s really unattractive? Waiting around for something to happen. Staring out a window, thinking the life you should be living is out…

FT : Everything I, an Italian, thought I knew about Italian food is wrong https://www.ft.com/content/6ac009d5-dbfd-4a86-839e-28bb44b2b64c photo The ingredients of cacio e pepe, gricia, carbonara and amatriciana. The idea is that the addition or subtraction of specific ingredients transforms one classic pasta dish into another © Joao Fazenda Disrupting well established doctrines and ideologies while using…

NPR : Nigerians are rattled by prices that just keep going up. How are they coping? https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/07/13/1187451945/nigerians-are-rattled-by-prices-that-just-keep-going-up-how-are-they-coping?fbclid=IwAR29CIaNFY1TqvJUR-8MaY-IO3EcBluQDO7nNZlZxtUP8s0yuxP7bVt07l0 photo Beautician Murphy Oyewole tends to a customer at his salon at Balogun Market, where the rapidly rising cost of fuel has been stressful for vendors and customers alike.Manny Jefferson for NPR One year ago, on July 11th,…

I took Latin for 3 years at school and visited Rome 3 times (this is a picture from my 2016 trip) but I have yet to be able to put together a full well-written paragraph in Malagasy or visit Mahilaka (You should really attend next Saturday seminar). It’s been a thrill on a personal level…

Srivijaya, Sriwijaya, Shri Bhoja, Sri Boja or Shri Vijaya a été déterré par le Français George Coedès a été mis en lumière par le chercheur français George Coedès il y a 105 ans (1). Malheureusement, la littérature scientifique sur son héritage millénaire est peu abondante, et encore plus rare dans notre région. En effet, après…

NPR : The Dutch are returning looted artifacts to Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Does it matter? https://www.npr.org/2023/07/11/1186912682/the-dutch-are-returning-looted-artifacts-to-indonesia-and-sri-lanka-does-it-matt?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR29CIaNFY1TqvJUR-8MaY-IO3EcBluQDO7nNZlZxtUP8s0yuxP7bVt07l0 photo : Cultural artifacts are handed back to Indonesia during a ceremony in Leiden, Netherlands, Monday, July 10, 2023. The Netherlands and Indonesia on Monday have hailed the return of hundreds of cultural artifacts taken, sometimes by force,…

Le terme “syncrétisme” vient du grec ancien “συνκρητισμός” (sunkrêtismós) qui signifie “union des Crétois” (1). Malgré les échanges de population, de marchandises et de religions qui ont perduré pendant plus de deux millénaires, le Malgache moyen (dont moi-même) ne pourrait pas identifier l’emplacement ni le nom des villes le long de la côte du Canal…

#syncretism#mareindicum#diaspora Les Malgaches demeurent largement méconnaissants de l’existence des Austronésiens (1), une civilisation à laquelle nous sommes partiellement liés. Cette civilisation exceptionnelle a réussi à étendre son influence sur deux océans, de l’est de l’Afrique jusqu’à la côte ouest de l’Amérique du Sud. Malheureusement, les livres d’histoire ne consacrent que quelques courts paragraphes aux îles…

Lors de notre (trop court) séjour dans la Forêt d’Andasibe fin Juin, nous avons passé notre dernière soirée à prendre l’apéro (plutôt digestif) avec de nouvelles connaissances. Nous avons eu une discussion très animée et enrichissante sur plusieurs sujets toujours autour de Madagascar et sa société. Je me suis rendue compte depuis déjà quelques années…

Il y a quelques mois cette photo datant de 1969 prise à Ejeda des archives de l’ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church in America intitulée “Oxcart moving house” par Stan and Kathie Quanbeck http://www.elca.org/archives avait attiré mon attention sans que je puisse vraiment en savoir plus sur sa fonctionnalité et le matériau de construction. et puis j’ai…

Atsinanana Rainforest or The Madagascar lowland forests or Madagascar humid forests is found on the eastern coast of the island home to a plant and animal mix that is 80 to 90% endemic. Only 10.79% of the ecoregion is in protected areas even though the Rainforests of the Atsinanana are inscribed on thhe List of…

Dans la très longue grande série “Diaspora”, je tente avec les moyens du bord (Internet et ChatGPT) de retrouver les communautés des “Lost People” à travers le monde depuis le 10è siècle à nos jours. Au fil des découvertes, je me rends compte que j’ai encore tant à apprendre de notre Histoire mais que je…

This story is widely known …abroad and very few in Madagascar are aware of what had happen to the “lost people”. Kidnapped or sold Malagasy that were taken abroad as for as Americas. Tromelin’s forgotten people were stranded for years on a sand bank in the Indian Ocean when the French sailors and merchants who…

Retracer les exils forcées malgaches depuis le 10è siècle m’a permise d’en lire plus sur l’Histoire à travers les histoires. Il y a encore tant à découvrir vue l’absence de supports vulgarisés, faciles d’accès, disponibles à tous. Un élément qui a marqué dans ces écrits étant la grande difficulté lors des voyages. Il y a,…

Si maintenant nous avons retrouvé la trace par ADN des ancêtres austronésiens des malgaches, les Banjar du  Kalimantan arrivés vers le 8è siècle durant l’ère proto-islamique bien influencés par l’Hindouisme et le Sanskrit après avoir colonisé les Comores, l’Histoire a démontré aussi que des africains ont été déplacés vers l’archipel indonésien durant la domination islamique…

entre 1500 and 1930, plus d’un demi million de malgaches ont été exilés dans des contrées lointaines par la traite d’esclaves. plusieurs rares écrits démontrent que la trait est bien plus ancienne menée par les arabes à destination du Moyen-Orient. Mais les informations sont plus étoffées sous la domination européenne de l’Océan Indien. Si on…

Henri Ratova, 1926 On parle souvent de l’Avara–patana, près du foyer au centre, où se content le fiaraha-mitatana, les discussions et les histoires de la journée. Cette scène se déroulerait avant le Loha-tory afin de bercer les oreilles avec des angano. Selon plusieurs paramètres, quelqu’un qui naît en Alamahady, placé au zozo-fiarazana au Nord-Est, ne…

Notre dernière séance hier pour le cours “Éléments de Projets” des étudiants en 3è année de génie civil du cursus Construction et Infrastructures a démontré l’intérêt des jeunes pour un sujet tellement d’actualité qu’est la reconstruction pour le relèvement des communautés vulnérables touchées (très fréquemment) par les aléas climatiques tels les cyclones. La moitié des…

Version complète de l’article parue dans la version digitale des Nouvelles de Madagascar par Tiana Ramanoelina “Privilégier les dessins d’apparats à la garantie structurelle d’un bâti est un risque (…) l’architecture est d’utilité publique*, et le professionnel privilégiera toujours la sécurité de l’usager sur le choix de la couleur du carrelage.” Après l’obtention de mon…

as usual this thread is undergoing and will be continously updated as I discover more and more Stories within the History Since I enjoyed so much discovering and sharing the stories of the Princesses, I went on exploring the paths of our Princes who became also somewhat Pirates in their own ways and rights. The…

#throwback#architecture2016 This article, a draft written on June 14th 2016, just popped from “Notes”. I never got to share it. I wrote it on the train back from the 2016 La Biennale di Venezia of Architecture. On my way to Roma heading to Toulouse before going home to Madagascar. As I am reflecting on my…

en faisant quelques recherches sur les origines du Code des 305 de Ranavalona II en 1881, j’ai croisé des publications sur le sujet dans les Omaly sy Anio, heureusement mis en ligne, mais je n’ai pas encore vraiment une idée claire de l’esprit du temps, profils et ambitions des rédacteurs de ces textes, transmis durant…

The first colour I thought of for Madagascar was a pinkish tone. The pink hue of a collection of houses in a particular village I remember seeing. But I hesitated… something about that pink felt too artificial to truly represent what Madagascar is to me. I began my hunt for the true colour of my…

septembre 2019, durant le lohataona bien sûr, nous passions beaucoup de temps à sensibiliser sur des thématiques #architalks comme la transition énergétique, la construction durable, la préservation du Betsimitatatra et des amis venaient s’arrêter à Mahamasina le temps d’un bref échange et des nems et des THB. C’est là dans cette ambiance que débute le…

#thread#manjakamadiana#architecture#madagascar 27 years ago an unsolved arson swept away 4 centuries of architecture and culture heritage on the highest point of Analamanga at the Rova of Antananarivo royal complex. It is interesting to learn (and wikipedia helps a lot as a start point) what was left to be burnt were only 11 from the 20…

I’m excited to announce that my artwork “The Twist, Turns and Tones of Madagascar’s Seasonal Awakening” features in “Colours of Africa“, curated by Google Arts & Culture and Design Indaba. A celebration of the vibrant arts scene featuring 60 contemporary artists from across the continent.See it here: goo.gle/coloursofafrica many many many thanks toDesign Indaba@Google Arts…

There have been many questions about multiple “disruptions” suffered by the source cosmogony of the architecture of Madagascar. Architecture Gasy awaits its theories and as demonstrated by my fellow architect-researcher Louisette Rasoloniaina (free transcription of her intervention): “Let’s go back together to the source, retrace our route and try to decipher the syncretisms that made…

I am experimenting innovative design, and when given the opportunity, integrate all aspects of the architectural process: master planning, formal architecture, interior design, landscaping, furniture design and branding. Sustainability is also a major aspect of my practice while taking into consideration tropical environment, affordable and reliable building materials as well as effective ventilation principles.I have…

I am Malagasy. Architect Member of the Order of Malagasy Architects and Graduate Member of the Royal Institute of Architecture of Canada. I am very proud to have joined these 2 institutions and I always make it a priority to encourage good practices, sharing and ethics. https://linktr.ee/jogany I have 4 children and I have been…

Young H. is preparing for a diploma and wants to find out about my profession. I didn’t have time to meet him (because big week of “Affordable Housing” sessions ongoing). as I’m more interested in the architectural practice of anonymous natives from 1896 to 1960, I don’t have nothing very original to share on the…

There is no school of architecture accredited by the International Union of Architects in Madagascar (pop. 27,690,000). There has not been enough lobbying with teachers, institutions and authorities to rigorously resolve this deficiency in a definitive way. Education recognized by the UNESCO-UIA Charter is a body of trainings (including lectures and workshops) that will have…

“Normal Science, the activity in which most scientists inevitably spend almost all of their time, is predicated on the assumption that the scientific community knows what the world is like. Much of the success of the enterprise derives from the community’s willingness to defend that assumption, if necessary at considerable cost. Normal Science, for example,…

#architecture#Madagascar I am heading towards my 4th year as a Teacher for 3rd-year Civil Technician at the Institut Supérieur de Technologie in Antananarivo. Full disclosure : I am not teaching Architecture but “Techniques de Construction appliquées à l’Architecture” following our code of ethics but more specifically MALAGASY WOOD ARCHITECTURE. Here a few examples of their…

TRANO Architecture was founded in 2014. TRANO’s projects comprise a series of private/public commissions and collaborations with Madagascar-based architects, who are well-recognized for their achievements in the field of Architecture and Design throughout the Indian Ocean region. Project types range from luxury resorts to social housing, shops, religious institutions and public buildings. visit our website for more http://www.trano.mg/