The task was to design a community building that responds to the current crisis (COVID-19) in our respective hometowns, which mine being Nigeria. They should be efficient, adaptable buildings that facilitate a range of community functions.
I have titled this project ‘Ile Wa’ which means Our Home (translated from the Yoruba language), as this project looks at shelter for the community, I thought this would be appropriate as a way to think about it and tie it back to the where I’m from.
The exterior of the building (the screen) is inspired by the perforated clay tiles seen in a lot of post colonial housing in Nigeria. It was important for me to explore and represent the vernacular of where I’m from, even though Nigerian architecture is difficult to quantify. The screen allows for shading from heat, allowing the whole building to be cooled, while the translucent roof, allows fo light to pass through and reducing the heat.
There was a struggle for me with this project to design something specifically Nigerian while working in a European environment. I had to look at what was, what is, and what could be. I think I’ve been successful in keeping this building Nigerian, in a way that allows room for more forward thinking and progressive development.