Women and Traditional African Architecture: Exploration of the Ingenuity of Toposa Architecture Part 2 Dissertation 2024 Lopem Louis Lojore University of Portsmouth | UK As global carbon emission rises, and building preservation daunts the architectural world, my research aims to investigate possible solutions through the study of traditional African architecture preserved over time particularly the Toposa. The architecture of the Toposa community is a concealed wonder that has remained in its primitive state for hundreds of years. The Toposa, located in the remote areas of South Sudan have encountered minimal external and modern interference resulting in the originality of its architecture. Having lived, used and slept in these structures, analysing the ingenuity of the traditional architecture reveals building techniques and environmental strategies valuable to the modern architectural world. With the gender imbalance prevalent in the architectural space, the indigenous architecture provides an insight into women’s understanding of human and environmental actions. Despite being perceived as a patriarchal society with men being the ultimate decision makers, this research affirms women’s importance and indispensability, particularly with architectural decisions and making of the homes in the Toposa community. The study explores the life of a woman from birth to motherhood, highlighting the key roles and momentousness of women to the architectural landscape of the Toposa. Tutor(s) Catherine Teeling