Architects seek collaboration in Lagos’ urban regeneration

To quicken efforts at resolving Lagos’ developmental challenges, architects have called for collaboration with town planners and other relevant bodies in the built environment on urban redevelopment.

The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) Lagos Chapter, who made the call at the opening of a three-day Lagos Architects Forum , said such collaboration will help Lagos tap from developed economies in infrastructural regeneration. The event themed: “Lagos 9.0 – Architectural Regeneration 1 – The Lagos Response”, provided the opportunity for a creative thinking on developmental challenges in the mega city.

Leading discussions on the sub theme: “ The Architect and Regeneration of the Built Environment”, the head consultant at Intel Serve Inc, a Canadian Consulting Company, Roman Osehagle noted the slow pace of development in contrast with the population growth in Lagos.Using the Chinese example, he said, what is required is a creative thinking on the part of architects and policy makers to stem as well as the aggregate the benefit for the society.

For the Chairman of NIA, Lagos chapter, Mr. Fitzgerald Umah, there is need to work the talk, stressing that Lagos is shrinking not that the land mass is reducing but due to population explosion.

Also a former President, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Sam Oboh, said, the population of Lagos is not the issue, but requires proper application of innovation and organisation to manage every day problem.

To achieve that architects and urban planners must respond to solve things that benefit the society. Architects, he said, should strive through urban design and quality standards to shape how things should be.He stressed that Lagos is unique because of its environment, which will make certain foreign standards unworkable.

Supporting, an Austrian architect, Rose Orthner said architect must be creative since there is lees regulations in this part of the world to guide them.According to him, creativity is required in how architects respond to shape the environment is important.

For the principal of Construct, a Ghanaian architecture firm, Joe Osae Addo, architects need to re invent the communication of the their ideas in the urban regenerations.
“We need to communicate our ideas to the artisans to understand the role of architects not just as an elitist profession but for the overall development.In his keynote address, Adjunct professor, University of Calgary, Bill Chomik said the role of architects go beyond buildings to community revitalization.

Earlier Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode said urban regeneration and development could not be achieved without the efforts and services of the architects, saying that architects had vital roles in the development of a city.Represented by the Assistant Director, Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Remi Adebo, the governor urged architects to take up challenges hindering development of the state and deliberate on its solutions at the forum.

“It is our goal to provide an environment sustainable and comparable to any around the word. And we cannot do this alone but with the help of professional such as the architects to partner with us to achieve this goal.

NIA President, Mr. Njoku Adibe, urged architects and participants to seize opportunities of seminars, exhibitions and lectures of the forum to develop their professional skills of practice.

He said that LAF 2018 would unleash various new building materials and methodologies that could be harnessed to expand professional skills and competence.According to him, new dimension to building materials and methodologies can make the building construction industry and architectural work more appreciated.