Lamu is a living town off the Kenya coast. It was recently nominated to the World Heritage List. The town has been relatively undisturbed by colonization and modernization. This study reports on the early Swahili dwelling, which is still a functioning type in Lamu. It commences with a brief historical perspective of Lamu in its Swahili and East African coastal setting. It compares descriptions of the Lamu house, as found in literature, with personal observations and field surveys, including a short description of construction methods. The study offers observations on conservation and the current state of the Lamu house. It is concluded with a comparison between Lamu and Stone Town, Zanzibar, in terms of house types and settlement patterns. We found that the Lamu house is the stage for Swahili ritual and that the ancient and climatically uncomfortable plan form has been retained for nearly a millennium because of its symbolic value.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Geography.

This thesis will investigate the spatial location of stone houses and the areal differentiation of several characteristics of stone houses in selected communities. Some differences in cultural and historical factors and in types of building stone, quarries and quarrying techniques will be studied. The thesis will also investigate why stone houses are still in existence and things that owners, residents, and others like and dislike about them.