Peter Rich: Learnt in Translation

Description

"A house is not a home unless it's a village." Peter Rich's internationally distinctive body of work is testament to a lifetime of commitment towards the creation of a uniquely African architecture. Rich is a pioneer in the documentation of the spatial and aesthetic elements of African tribal settlements, developing an architectural vocabulary that fuses Modernist principles with local tribal convention and sensitivities to material and environment. Peter Rich's practice is distinguished by a deep understanding of context, achieved through research into local conditions and close collaboration with communities. He does not see a building simply as a commodity with a limited life, but rather as a vital and integral part of an often long process of social and cultural engagement.

Peter Rich began his career in the early 1970s in Johannesburg. He received the South African Institute of Architects Gold Medal for his lifetime contribution to African architecture. Rosa Maria Falvo is a writer and curator.