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Prior to 1920, considerable weight was given to architectural effect in library construction and minor attention
to functional requirements. Monumental buildings were constructed which were architecturally impressive, but were
not well suited to their purpose as libraries. Today the emphasis has changed; there is a growing realisation that, to
agree with Le Corbusier, form follows function (Nwamefor, 1975).
Nevertheless, G. Kumar maintains that in India most libraries continue to be constructed following monumental
designs, with high ceilings and vast foyers (Kumar, 1981). This is based on the 19th century European idea of the
museum being ‘the place of the muses’ and therefore the building has to have a specific design (Myles, 1976).
Few archivists have the luxury of being able to specify the structure of their building. If they do, several points
have to be taken into account: location (awa y from obvious hazards), as high a thermal mass as possible (less
environmental control inside), pitched or sloping roof (better rainwater drainage and reduction of leaks) (MacK enzie,
1996).
Another main problem in developing countries is the absence of national standards for archive buildings or the
insufficient observance of such standards (Ifidon, 1990; Nwafor, 1980). G. Kumar wonders why so little of national
cultures can be recognised in the new buildings. For example the Indian love of courtyards could be carried over
into libraries, and the preference for sitting cross-legged or in a reclining position should be considered in choosing
the furniture (Kumar, 1981). In Africa students have hardly any study spaces at home, so African libraries will
require a larger number of such spaces than is needed in western countries (Amosu, 1974).
Building dwellings above the ground, on piles, is a widespread custom in many tropical countries. This practice
has many advantages: it protects the ground floor from the wet or humid soil, it is a first protection against floods
and offers, in the case of concrete piles with anti-termite shields, a good defence against termites and other crawling
insects (Duchein, 1980; Karim, 1988). To prevent, or at least reduce termite attack floors should be made of
concrete, metal strips should be inserted in the joints, and the pipes and concrete piles should have metal caps. The
best means of ensuring the pro tection of library materials against termite infestation is to prevent the insects gaining
access to them (Plumbe, 1987c).
The building’s drainage system should be designed to remove water run-off quickly. Given the huge volumes
of water involved this can be a major feat. Circular drainage pits, placed at regular intervals along the longitudinal
sides, can be a solution. These are filled with rocks, which reduce the velocity of the water’s impact, and collect runoff
water away from the property as quickly as possible (Ling, 1998).
Tropical storms frequently cause lightning strikes. To avoid damage the new building must have a lightning rod
installed on the roof. This common method involves an earthing system designed to dissipate any potential damage
that lightning may cause. The lightning can strike several hundred m eters away from the building and the effects
can still be felt. If it hits a power line, the surge will travel along the line and into the electrical system of the
building and may cause considerable damage. The electrical system needs protection in the form of a surge diverter
but regrettably the system is not foolproof. At best, the risks can be reduced or the damage minimised (Ling, 1998).
Galleries, balconies and verandas are a common sight in hot and humid countries. They are very practical in
keeping the sun away from the windows or outer walls (Duchein, 1980). T he construction of porches will also shield
arriving goods as well as visitors from the rain and the sun (Plumbe, 1987b).
The surface area of the building should be kept as low as possible to minimise heat gain or loss; this precludes
the use of tower blocks that have a relatively high surface area in comparison to their volume (Thomas, 1987). In
the last decade or two there has been a growing tendency in the west to construct highrise archive buildings. Because
of fast-moving lifts and elevators vertical movements are no lonher curtailed. But there is no point in building
archive towers as a matter of course; it is a question of balancing several factors (Duchein, 1988).
In India hollow walls, double walls or false inner walls were still recommended in 1975 as it was recognized
that they often act as effective barriers against the penetration of humidity and dampness from the outside
(Swarnakamal, 1975). In Canada a new approach was developed: the construction of a building in a building. The
idea is that areas involving people are located as close to the outer shell of the building as possible and the storage
area near the central heart of the building. By this method, the storage areas are further protected from external
climatic variations. Consequently the facility will be bigger and more expensive (Ling, 1998).
For building repositories in the tropics see Badioze Zaman, 1989; Bisbrouck, 2001; Faye, 1982c; M ahmud et al.,
1985 and for older concepts see Drew, 1968; Feilden, 1979; Rousset de Pina, 1961; Toishi, 1974 and 1979. For
general literature on building in the tropics see Blight, 1988; Dequeker et al., 1992; Kukreja, 1978; Lippsmeier,
1980; Salmon, 1999; Schroeder, 1989; Waal, 1993 and for older concepts see Danby, 1963; Foyle, 1954;
Koenigsberger et al., 1974; Royal Tropical Institute, 1962.
4.4 Sustainable Building
Over the past decade, sustainable development has emerged as the favoured way of responding to the continuing
degradation of the global environment. The approach was launched into the international political arena by the
World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), chaired by Norwegian premier Gro Harlem
Brundtland in 1987, which defined it as ‘Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own n eeds’ (Brundtland, 1987). For the W CED, sustainable
development includes two key concepts. First, the conce pt of needs, in p articular the essential needs of the world’s
poor, ‘to which overriding priority should be given’ and second, the idea of ‘limits’ to the environm ent’s ability to
meet present and future needs, imposed by the state of technology and social organisation.
To translate Brundtland’s report into action the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED) organised an Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. One result was the Agenda 21 action plan, which
provided for the first time an international agreement on the practical implications of sustainable development for