ABSTRACT
African influence on Puerto Rican architecture is a nonsubject in part because the following questions have not been addressed: Can an enslaved group contribute to a culture's architectural development? There exists a well known, deep and complex interaction between building and culture. This is the case with all cultures, even "prehistoric" ones. More than a third of the world's population lives in structures made of mud, and a sizable number still lives in tents. Africanisms found their way into the native architectural experience partly because slaves were in charge of constructing their abodes. At a later stage, other Africanisms were introduced, such as the emphasis on the long axis and special decorations on the main facade. When these traditions fused with other ideas, the unique Puerto Rican house came to be. Buildings are a necessity of the metaphysics of presence. Hence their historical significance: they are physically identifiable.
