Every week, we throw 10 quick questions at someone whose mind we find fascinating – the thinkers, founders, innovators, policymakers, builders and culture-shapers quietly changing how we see the world, and inspiring us to do things not just differently but better-differently. First thoughts only.
Our guest for this debut edition is a young Nigerian architect, Ayomide George; X bio: “Architect advocating for climate-smart, context-driven buildings in Nigeria and beyond.”
- What’s something about cities or buildings that you notice instantly, but most people completely miss?
What I notice about buildings, first of all, that most people might miss, is the form and how it responds to its immediate context – environment, culture & climate. I’m looking for elements like shading, use of color, materiality, etc. I’m also thinking about building performance as well in regard to things like energy efficiency. When I look at cities though, I judge them based on a completely different set of parameters – starting with how the existing & proposed infrastructure fit the economic realities, the population density, transportation systems & networks, enforcement of building codes, etc.
- If you could redesign one everyday Nigerian space — a bus stop, market, sitting room, backyard, classroom, junction, etc — what would you fix first and why?
I’ll redesign our residential buildings – it all starts there. If we can design our homes to fit our context & climate – which is what I had in mind when I came up with the sustainable housing initiative – it’s easier to see the need to redesign other spaces.
- Where do your best ideas come from? Or where do they typically meet you? Bathroom? At 2 a.m. scrolling on your phone?
I’m always thinking about a problem I want to solve, particularly as it relates to the built environment, so I wouldn’t say I have a particular place where my best ideas come from, they just come randomly.
- What was the last:
a. architecture article or book
b. non-architecture article or book
that you read that really stayed with you (Title and author)
Current architecture book I’m reading is ‘Building Lagos’ – it tells the story of how Lagos was formed way back from precolonial times to the metropolis that it is today, a very interesting read. For non-architecture books, one book I read last year that helped me a lot with my personal development is Atomic Habits by James Clear.
- What’s a building in Nigeria you secretly love… and one you secretly wish would disappear?
A building in Nigeria I secretly (not so secretly) love is the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) building [in Benin City, Nigeria], because it was built with rammed earth, and that creates a world of possibilities as far as our built environment is concerned. As for the building I secretly wish would disappear, let’s clear out those boring white box buildings along the Lekki-Epe corridor being termed as ‘luxury’, and replace them with buildings that actually fit our climate and exhibit our local context.
- What everyday object has surprisingly good design that more people should appreciate?
The iPhone base & Pro models are very well-designed and ergonomic.
- If architecture didn’t exist as a career, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
If architecture didn’t exist as a career, I would be a filmmaker. I enjoy telling stories & capturing moments/people. I‘ve been writing stories from as far back as when I was a child, and I plan to combine my passion for architecture & storytelling into long-form video content this year, and eventually start creating actual movies maybe when I retire from my architecture career (fingers crossed).
- What’s the most chaotic “only-in-Nigeria” housing design problem you’ve observed?
I’ll say that from my general observations, there aren’t any special housing design problems that are exclusive to Nigeria. Most of the housing design problems we face here exist in other over-populated, underdeveloped/developing countries like India, but I’ll point to two housing design problems that really get on my nerves – building designs that don’t fit our climate & context AND the lack of greenery in our urban landscape, caused by the sudden rise in the use of artificial grass (which can be attributed to our terrible maintenance culture).
- Whose mind do you enjoy following online right now — someone who constantly makes you think differently?
Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, the MD/CEO of Sterling bank, is one of my mentors; a man that is full of wisdom & intelligence, while retaining a simple nature. He is someone I enjoy having lengthy conversations with because I always leave with something profound. His passion for architecture, urban planning, the growth of the Nigerian economy, and young Nigerians, is very admirable.
I also enjoy following Elon Musk, who, in my opinion, is the greatest innovator the world has ever seen. His passion and approach to problem-solving are things I emulate in my day-to-day and business too.
- In 10 years, what would you like people to point at and say, “Yeah — that’s the work of Ayomide George!”?
In 10 years, I’d like people to point at affordable housing schemes, well-designed buildings of different uses (from high-rise residential buildings, restaurants, religious buildings, monuments, etc) built with locally available materials & techniques like compressed earth blocks (CEBs) & rammed earth. I’d also like people to point at facilities like Research & Development (R&D) centers that train skilled labour to build excellently with these locally available materials.
Find Ayomide George on X here: @vangeorgh