For a long time i have held to my stand that architects in Nigeria are not creative. On-like their counterparts in other part of the world.

At times when i look at the so called Nigerian mansion. i have nothing to say than too laugh at my fellow Nigerians. come see what you get in other part of the world.

In Nigeria the best designed house you see are those with concrete facial, and the normal POP.
In-fact POP has been BASTARDIZED in this country that it has lost it value. ---e.gLinda Ikeji recently put up some pictures on P SQUARE so called ongoing MANSION in lekki. i Was surprised with the praises linda showered on the houses. i couldn't wait further but to read the article my heart dying to get a view of the building. only for me to see POP BASTARDIZED BUILDING. I expected Linda with her exposure in New York to know what better houses are. * back to my writing

Nigerian Architects still give designs of 1998. In school i do blame my fellow architecture colleague in the environmental faculty but i found out that their lecturers where to blame as any building that is not square in shape would be taken as a stupid work, and i understand everybody wants to pass in the uni.

But looking at the architects who are now graduates i expected them to now put in that creativity since they are no longer within the four walls of the university as passing exams is not of utmost priority but truth be told i still don't see them doing this.

I believe in the usual saying Old habits Die hard.
Cant NUC/ASUU/ NAAS or any body responsible tackle the issue of course outline in Nigerian universities especially wit respect to architecture?? believe me am loosing it. !!!!!!!


Its not only about allowances


Take a look at this.

SHERATON HOTEL IN CHINA

Hmmmmmm.......nice

Na house be this. Chineke biko nyemu nnukwu ego. Abegi make una no vex if i say first to comment.

The Chinese have been making architectural wonders since the Great Wall.

Broken TV: Na house be this. Chineke biko nyemu nnukwu ego. Abegi make una no vex if i say first to comment.

better Luck next time.

Take a look at SHERATON in Nigeria

I'm an Architect and i also dream of creating masterpieces.....but the problem is....

(1) They are very costly to acheive. The reinforcement and structural design of that Sheraton Hotel in China will definitely cost way more than that of the Oriental Hotel in Lekki.

The client's pocket is a limiting factor to creativity.

(2) Such designs also come at the expense of space efficiency. The most space efficient buildings are either square or rectangle.

Look at the Hotel....that hole in the middle would probably be filled up to contain rooms if it were to be designed in Nigeria.

(3) Most clients also have a vision of what they want their houses to look like. Its only a few that give you free reign to be creative.

They tell you about a house they saw and how they want theirs to look like it.

I always succumb because they're the ones that will live in it in the end so why not give them what they want.

Minus these 3 factors, I wouldn't mind a Zaha Hadid inspired building. Google that name and be inspired.

Inspiration for design is endless....just look into Nature and you'll find it.

Ymodulus: Take a look at SHERATON in Nigeria

Who told you it was Nigerian architects that designed Sheraton Abuja?

Rossikk:

Who told you it was Nigerian architects that designed Sheraton Abuja?

i never said they did mr. i only posted that

www.nairaland.com/attachments/1259498_SHERATON_4_jpgb5c9c7d0936f5f532945ce1d765ca748

Good lord... Lagos should just seize this model and get a 5-star built on the Lagoon in VI with this design.

It's an absolute beauty.

Ymodulus: Take a look at SHERATON in Nigeria

That is Hilton and not Sheraton. By the way, who told you it was designed by Nigerian architects?

Abeg leave matter

I agree with a comment some one put up there. Creave plans are way too expensive to excecute! Doh I am not an achitect buh one tin av always noted is dat finance always limits visions

Creativity doesn't have to be expensive.
We do not encourage creativity in our culture, schools or work. Yes clients might obstruct you but again I have seen Architects houses interior or exterior. Not impressed

Our education system plays a huge roll as well in our quality.

....Hmm! Architects in Nigeria, where do we even start? The problem with Architects and Architecture in Nigeria is multi-faceted but they are almost all connected. First, the Architecture Education curriculum in Nigeria is very archaic; hence most Nigerian Architects are only giving back what they were given in Architecture school. They go in with a lot of enthusiasm and creative imagination but by the time they graduate, they probably would have lost all of that. I think it won’t be out of place to say American modernist Architect Louis Sullivan was referring to Nigerian Architecture schools when he said…

“How strange it seems that education, in practice, so often means suppression: that instead of leading the mind outward to the light of day it crowds things in upon it that darken and weary it. Yet evidently the true object of education, now as ever, is to develop the capabilities of the head and of the heart”.
-Louis H. Sullivan

It is scandalous for a Nigerian Architecture student to be forced to take courses like Computer science 101 and 201, where he is taught programming languages like Visual Basic, things he will probably never use. Yet he is only taught CAD programs like AutoCAD in his third or even fourth year in some schools- all on the blackboard of course (save for occasional demonstrations on the computer). So after graduation he now has to start learning how to use softwares that should have been part of his Architecture education in the first place.

Secondly, If any Architecture student were to present the designs like that of the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort you posted above, the student will simply be told by his lecturers that; “my friend, these design cannot work”. Unfortunately, these lecturers are also products of the very crude Architecture educational system in Nigeria and are probably too lazy to add value to what they have learnt; as we speak only very few of them today have CAD knowledge. Hence they cannot give what they do not have. Unfortunately, these are the same set of Architects working as Bureaucrats in Development Control Departments responsible for approving building plans so when you show up there with these type of design they will also tell you; ” it can’t work”.

Another challenge is that of materials and technical expertise. Nigerian Engineers are also not insulated from the obsolete technical educational system in the country; hence, if you are not hiring Julius Berger to work on this project for you then, you must be ready to fly in consultants from overseas to do so.
Building material is also a very big problem for Architects here in Nigeria. Their choices are very limited. Lets say for instance you have a design that requires the use of large single sheets of double-glazed glass of say (3 X 4) metres, there is nowhere in Nigeria you will get that, not to even talk of using sheets of curved glass as could have been used above. You will probably have to import everything.

The worst thing to have happened to Architecture in Nigeria is the NIA-Nigerian Institute of Architects. They have failed in their oversight duties in ensuring that Architecture Education is up to date. The organization is simply stagnant save for the poorly organized Archibuilt they organize every year, they are hardly visible in the National scheme of things, and have never deemed it fit to lobby government to improve Architecture Education….. yet as far as I can remember, there is hardly any time in recent History that they haven’t had at least three Architects on the Federal Executive Council.

Chei!!! that concept is badt but poverty why?

There are like a million and one hindrances to development in Nigeria.

You sound too bitter though. Not a good attitude.

You can start to make the change. Let us see what you come up with.

Many of the modern building in china are actually designed by British ,Dutch and German architects.
Le,g the birds nest was designed by the same architect who designed the shard in London .
However, I agree with you on the fact that nigerian architect still have a lot to learn

Good observation OP.
And ba7man your points are so true.
But I put 60% of the blame on environmental sciences lecturers in schools(archi lecturers specifically).
They are so not ready to blend with the modern architecture.
Any design that is above their understanding due to their outdated method of design is useless and unachievable. They prefer square-like shapes and discourage irregular and edgeless shapes like the hotel the OP has above.
Another major factor that hinders few Nigerian architects that like to make crazy designs from doing so is power(electricity). By the time you consider all these factors of lightening, ventilation and the likes when designing you will realize that you've been pinned down to the normal trend if you want your design to be effectively functional. Architects in the western and eastern world have little of these factors to put into consideration due to power and technological advancement.
Even in near-by Ghana, you have less to put into consideration when designing just because they have stable electricity.

Double post.

$£yi:
Good observation OP.
And ba7man your points are so true.
But I put 60% of the blame on environmental sciences lecturers in schools(archi lecturers specifically).
They are so not ready to blend with the modern architecture.
Any design that is above their understanding due to their outdated method of design is useless and unachievable. They prefer square-like shapes and discourage irregular and edgeless shapes like the hotel the OP has above.
Another major factor that hinders few Nigerian architects that like to make crazy designs from doing so is power(electricity). By the time you consider all these factors of lightening, ventilation and the likes when designing you will realize that you've been pinned down to the normal trend if you want your design to be effectively functional. Architects in the western and eastern world have little of these factors to put into consideration due to power and technological advancement.
Even in near-by Ghana, you have less to put into consideration when designing just because they have stable electricity.

Thank you for butressing my point. Even when i was studying Architecture in school, whenever you try to explore creativity, you're told its unrealistic and you would be drilled rather than encouraged.

It was until i graduated and started reading foreign mags like Architectural Digest, Ideal Home, books like "Complete Zaha Hadid nd watched "A list listings" that i truely knew creativity.

ba7man:
I'm an Architect and i also dream of creating masterpieces.....but the problem is....

(1) They are very costly to acheive. The reinforcement and structural design of that Sheraton Hotel in China will definitely cost way more than that of the Oriental Hotel in Lekki.

The client's pocket is a limiting factor to creativity.

(2) Such designs also come at the expense of space efficiency. The most space efficient buildings are either square or rectangle.

Look at the Hotel....that hole in the middle would probably be filled up to contain rooms if it were to be designed in Nigeria.

(3) Most clients also have a vision of what they want their houses to look like. Its only a few that give you free reign to be creative.

They tell you about a house they saw and how they want theirs to look like it.

I always succumb because they're the ones that will live in it in the end so why not give them what they want.

Minus these 3 factors, I wouldn't mind a Zaha Hadid inspired building. Google that name and be inspired.

I wanted to reply... but after reading your comment, you took the words out of my mouth.

Cheers

bloggernaija:
Many of the modern building in china are actually designed by British ,Dutch and German architects.
Le,g the birds nest was designed by the same architect who designed the shard in London .
However, I agree with you on the fact that nigerian architect still have a lot to learn

I bet you... there is no building you see out there that cannot be designed here. Just call for a competition and you will be shocked at creative and buildable entry designs. It may be a synergy between groups of architects or individuals but you will never see them built as clients consider logistics, maintenance and cost and will opt for a simpler building.
Also merit is down played in Nigeria so all your knowledge and ideas remain with you.

Where will the money to build to such a masterpiece in a third world country come from?

and you think its the Chinese that designed it?

g

Do you think the sheraton hotel in abuja was designed by a nigerian. What is the economic value of building an hotel as dat in nigeria. I can bet it would be over 6 times more xpensive to construct such. Cos of lack of technical know-how, lack of technologies of building. Can they get customers who are ready to pay such exorbitant price. The cost of maintenace might be 10 times higher. Wishful thinking.

In other news hey Dad dangote just bought a rolls royce for his son. Dat you can't even by me a bicycle.... Story for the gods.

Do you think the sheraton hotel in abuja was designed by a nigerian. What is the economic value of building an hotel as dat in nigeria. I can bet it would be over 6 times more xpensive to construct such. Cos of lack of technical know-how, lack of technologies of building. Can they get customers who are ready to pay such exorbitant price. The cost of maintenace might be 10 times higher. Wishful thinking.

In other news hey Dad dangote just bought a rolls royce for his son. Dad you can't even by me a bicycle.... Story for the gods.

When were the Lagos and Abuja sheraton hotels built? When was the one in China built? Compare and contrast.

Namadi Sambo, NIA should begin to look at this from may 29,2015.

Nigerians don't appreciate art, and they are cheap skates. This requires a certain level of artistic appreciation, raw cash and appreciation of beauty