Harnessing digital architecture for development: The potential benefits of information technology for contemporary architectural practice in recovering countries of Africa (Nigeria, Zambia)

The potential of information technology in developing activities that improve the quality of life, efficiency of social and economic organization and its cohesion is evident. Development can be seen as an increase of knowledge and skills and creative potentials that can be applied to improve the quality of life. Research shows that low levels of knowledge and inadequate innovative skills at organizational levels have contributed to the continuous failures in African countries in political and economic spheres.; Harnessing the potential of the digital era for development in response to the technological divides that exist between developed and developing (or recovering) nations will be main theme of discussion in the thesis. Architecture defined as form and space experienced through movement in time proposes principles of structuring information.; The thesis will focus on new communication technologies that drive the changes discussed herein in terms of globalization in developing (or recovering) nations. What could these new technologies contribute to Nigerian and Zambian culture and, in particular, to their architecture? (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...