The Macuti House, Traditional Building Techniques and Sustainable Development in Ilha de Moçambique

This paper is part of the initial phase of PhD research focusing on conservation of the macuti architecture in the World Heritage City of Ilha de Moçambique. It questions how initiatives to preserve traditional ways of building in this area, of which parts could be described as an urban slum, may reflect a sustainable return to the art of building. Implied is that preservation of this way of building may have a value in the form of strengthening cultural identity and possible environmental and socio-economic advantages. However, in order to overcome negative associations with colonial subordination, poverty and low social status, such initiatives need to be part of a wider programme of strengthening cultural and social capital among the population, avoiding division into tangible and intangible heritage management, and include broad ecological and socio-economic considerations.