MUSIC and architecture do have certain things in common including the fact that both products are artistic and products of the intellect.

Music and architecture also share the use of certain terminologies and are both protected through copyright, however, something has gone wrong in Zambia in as far as these two products are concerned, especially during the post-independence era.

The quality of the products seem to indicate that either there has been a significant reduction in the intellectual input required in the production of architecture or society now comprises mainly of citizens who are content with the banal.

Songs like "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, "I stand accused" by Isaac Hayes and "Coward of the county" by Kenny Rodgers are all love songs created as a result of a deep-rooted intellectual thought process.

Now contrast that with the so-called love songs doing the rounds in the Zambian music industry.

It looks like the same barren patch has affected the quality of the Zambian built environment during the post-independence era.

One racist leader was quoted to have defended himself saying "I do not hate the black man, but I hate the black man's propensity to dilute standards."

Unpalatable as this statement may be, it might still help as we evaluate the quality of built environment Zambia has created since attainment of political independence in 1964 because it is a fact that the post-independence urban environment leaves much to be desired in terms management as well as quality of urban life.

In their book "Architecture of America" John Buchard and Albert Bush-Brown say "An architect cannot easily maintain high standards for a society that is content with artlessness or which willingly accepts tools that have been nicked by vulgarity, the aesthetics of a nation is largely determined by the taste of its citizens and not by the talent of its artists, architects will not long seek perfection for compatriots who admire the nondescript, the copied, the merely utilitarian or the banal." This seems to summarise the exact situation of the Zambian consumers of architectural products that admire the merely utilitarian or the banal.

At one time, Zambia produced architectural products of high aesthetics by any standard. This includes the two projects designed by a firm of architects Montgomery, Oldfield and Kirby; the Bank of Zambia flats at the corner of Independence Avenue and Nasser Road as well as the then intercity bus station on Dedan Kimathi Road in Lusaka which was an architectural masterpiece but destroyed due to neglect and added insensitive patchwork.

However, over the years, buildings of architectural merit have been few and far in between being overshadowed by a combination of monstrosities and banalities or indeed lipstick architectural buildings whose aesthetics is only skin deep.

Lipstick architectural buildings lack deep rooted intellectual input in their creative composition of form and space ending up as the standard unimaginative basic boxes but are dressed in high-tech "lipstick" as external finishes.

A beautiful townscape means a town that radiates a visually pleasing picturesque image that is well-composed and well-maintained in terms of the layout of both the buildings and open spaces.

The overall visual impression of any town or city rather than the qualities of individual buildings is what remains implanted in the perception of a town by any visitor.

As one enters Lusaka on Great North Road at Independence Stadium, the image of the newly-developed residential area lacks cohesion and unity leaving one to be visually subjected to some haphazard urban sprawling landscape as compared to the old Kabulonga or even Chilenje residential areas for instance.

There are also a series of recently constructed buildings which seem to be purely utilitarian and are either devoid of any architectural statement or seem undecided about what statement to make.

Take for instance the series of new buildings at the back of Chisokone bus station in Ndola; yes they are hopefully functioning as shops or whatever utilisation they have been put to but there is no clear cut architectural classification they can fit in other than, may be, uncoordinated clustered forms.

Even the long outstanding steel-framed structure directly opposite Rekays Building Supplies in Ndola, although not completed yet does not seem to come clear of an architectural intention, with the regular additive series of steel columns one would, may be, have expected a definite grid organisation to be the obvious statement but no!

The grid system is hidden away making it difficult to appreciate the aesthetics of the new building. It could be that this may become clear on completion.

James Hadley Chase described a beautiful woman as one you look at and then look again just to make sure that you are not dreaming, the second look is supposed to confirm your initial impression.

This is the case for such buildings as the newly-opened Z-Mart building on President Avenue next to PEP Stores located where the old Duly Motors building was located.

You are initially taken in by the aesthetics of the high tech finishes used on the façades facing President Avenue as well as Chisokone Road but on your second look you are taken aback by mainly two issues.

Firstly, the design intention to ignore the needs of pedestrians along the pavement walk ways; it is a planning requirement to provide a canopy above the pedestrian walk way in order to offer some protection from the rain to pedestrians but this has been ignored. Secondly, the treatment of a building in terms of style ought to be as consistent as possible on all the facades of a building in order for the building to be whole and belong to the same composition.

The design adopts high quality finishes on the elevations facing President Avenue and Chisokone Road but what has happened to the elevations facing the new car park as well as the delivery area which seem to have gone back to the good old sand and cement plaster?

Being in this area of the new Z-Mart building gives an illusion as if you are in a different building altogether because of the contrast in external finishes. The house of the Speaker of the National Assembly was treated in similar manner to reflect the two functions; family and official to be accommodated in the house but to succeed this was done with much thought.

This propensity to dilute standards is not limited to newly-constructed buildings but existing building of architectural merit have been negatively affected by alteration that have been carried out without much architectural sensitivity to the salient architectural characteristics that initially defined the existing building. Take for instance the renovations carried out at the existing Mpelembe House on Broadway in Ndola.

Mpelembe House was initially occupied by an insurance company before nationalisation then it became the seat of authority for Roan Copper Mines Limited (RCM).

Mpelembe House was designed as an exoskeleton reinforced concrete structure arranged as a subtractive form with recessed windows and raised above ground level to create car parking area the building commanded authority and stability located at a dominant position of Ndola accessed directly from Broadway as well as the back car parking area with one reception area serving visitors from both directions of approach.

Renovations since carried out have, among other things, created shops where the parking area was located on the ground floor. It is the choice of the incongruous materials which start to subtract to the harmony of this landmark building; the fair faced red brick work walls used to demarcate the new shops do not echo any characteristic in the existing building.

The rhythm of the new aluminium windows as well as the treatment of window openings is also out of place as they have been carried out without due consideration to the existing detailing.

While the entrance to the old Mpelembe House was clearly defined and emphasised with a welcoming canopy whether one is coming from Broadway or indeed the back car park the renovated works have instead created a confusing dual entrance system on the Broadway front.

Communication systems at the time of designing and execution of Mpelembe House were completely different from current systems; however accommodating technological advancements in existing buildings also requires much thought so that such changes do not detract from the beauty of a building.

While New Savoy Hotel has hang new split air condition units thoughtlessly on the front façade compared to the old air conditioning units which were mounted to rhyme with window positions Mpelembe House has fallen in similar trap when positioning communication antennas and water storage tanks.

These services are part of the requirements necessary for the functioning of buildings and their incorporation in the built fabric should equally receive the necessary design attention. One can go on and on but the point is standards in the built environment have been seriously diluted.