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Mahoati Arthur Lehloenya, University of Johannesburg, South AfricaAbstract
Eurocentric paradigms, worldviews, and values are dominant epistemologies that drive architectural activities, shaping the fabric of society from the perspectives of both the Global North and, more significantly, the Global South. Focusing on the Southern African context, these values seem to create mono-narratives that not only influence the legitimisation of these ontologies but also affect contemporary adaptations of life. It is recognised that in the Global South, Indigenous peoples carry narratives that enrich the distinct cultures and communities from which they originate. However, the Eurocentric values conflict with indigenous practices. At the same time, contemporary Indigenous people remain invisible in public narratives and have minimal influence on architectural discourse and debates. Incorporating marginalised identities and their material cultures into the architectural canon would benefit not only their self-determination and affirmation of their invaluable contributions but also the advancement of knowledge. Bungoma practices, a Southern African divinity healing practice rooted in spiritual, ancestral, and sensorial knowledge, offer an alternative epistemological and methodological framework. This paper proposes sensory and spiritually charged methodological strategies and tools that emerge from Bungoma’s philosophical practices and ancestralities. Two contextual sites are discussed in distinct settings across the urban and rural landscapes of South Africa through a sonic reading that examines how these diverse spaces are influenced by soundscapes. The paper makes the claim that such an inquiry reveals alternative ways of practicing architecture centred on relationality, community (Ubuntu) ethics, place, and embodied practices.
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Conference: ACCS2026Stream: Architecture and Urban Studies/Design
This paper is part of the ACCS2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Lehloenya M. (2026) Listening to Ancestors: Southern African Sonic and Spiritual Approaches to Relational Architecture ISSN: 2187-4751 – The Asian Conference on Cultural Studies 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 133-146) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4751.2026.12
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4751.2026.12
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