Why can imported brick and aluminum roofs be unsuitable for hot African climates?

In the context of African architecture, the wholesale adoption of imported materials like brick and aluminum roofing is often unsuitable for hot climates because these materials fail to provide the natural thermal regulation found in traditional building methods.1

While traditional designs—such as open house plans centered around a courtyard—and indigenous materials like earth and thatch effectively keep interiors cool and well-ventilated, imported materials can cause houses to become uninhabitable due to heat retention. Consequently, the use of these Western-influenced materials often ignores the critical interaction between architecture and the local environment.12