A selection of works infusing narrative, storytelling. history and materiality into the built environment. I am deeply fascinated by the interplay of narrative and materiality in architecture, crafting spaces that serve their purpose and tell a story.
https://jemimaonugha.wixsite.com/mysite
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemima-onugha
Part 1 Architectural Assistant
2020- 2020
MEDIOMUNDO ARQUITECTOS (Sevilla, Spain)
Assisted in RIBA Stages 0–3, producing client plans with Photoshop and AutoCAD.
Created 3D renders to visualize concepts for a sound exhibition, enhancing project communication.
Compiled project booklets for presentations and submissions, ensuring accuracy.
Project Assistant (Construction/ Design)
2022- 2022
Mace
Conducted daily site walks on an active construction site, ensuring safety standards.
Assisted with site operations, enforcing PPE compliance and signage placement.
Managed project documentation and created reports
Creative Team Member
2022– Ongoing
One room
Designed and planned community music events using 3D software.
Managed logistics in high-pressure environments while maintaining professionalism.
Videographer/ Video Editor/ Graphic
Designer
2021- Ongoing
Doceo
Produced engaging video content for teens, using Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro.
Managed multiple projects, ensuring smooth coordination and timely execution.
Detail-oriented and solutions-driven, I excel in dynamic studio environments. My background in design, technical visualization, and project coordination provides strong organizational skills and a keen eye for efficiency. I’ve successfully streamlined workflows, coordinated teams, and implemented asset management systems, ensuring projects remain on track. I understand the fast-paced nature of studio operations and proactively resolve challenges, delivering seamless experiences. I thrive in finding order within complex productions.
Fifth Year Project
Profecient in AutoCAD, InDesign, Revit, Blender, Rhino, Modo, Unreal Engine, Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premier Pro, MicroStation and VectorWorks. 2016 – 2019
of Brighton BA Architecture 2:1 2021 – 2024
Thesis: Exploring Black British identity through the Afro hair salon and Hair shop Design project: FairyKnots- A Black British Hair Archive University of Greenwich MArch Architecture 2:1
Experience
Fairyknots critically explores British colonialism’s impact on Black identity through the lens of Afro hair culture in London.
Eager to join her father in the UK, Jemima gets a chance to visit her new home early.
In the middle of getting her hair braided, she goes on a quest to find the missing catfish and ends up in a new place called Transdean.
Guided by her ancestral guardian, “The Straw Bear,” she navigates Black and Black British Afro hair spaces, uncovering intertwined histories and shared experiences.s
Client facing the mirror, able to watch herself and the braider
Braider who has just finished a young client rests
Client can see the style as it progresses through the mirror. Mirror reflects what is behind the client.
Shelf objects reflected and nail salon display in the far corner of the room
Braider with bag still on, showing she is on the move, looking for client within the market
Lounging chair, padded, for waiting
Tool storage holding hair pieces ready for braiding
sprays and other hair products
Storage table between braider and nail tech space, contents unknown
“Barking was one of the first places my mother and I visited to buy African food when we moved to the UK.
It’s where I learned to choose the right peppers, ask butchers for the freshest cuts of meat, and pinch the bottom of a yam to check for rot.”
A successful yam harvest symbolizes prosperity, blessings, and status in African culture, reflecting family unity and societal roles. Its importance was so profound that yams were often honored with dedicated buildings.
The New Yam Festival celebrates this legacy in Barking with a yam milling factory for fresh yam powder and public spaces, like the Food Market, showcasing staples of African cuisine.”
Smell of african shop (butchers/ spices/ fish and vegetables)
Smell of fumes from the road
Market spaces (striped canopy tents)
NORMAL YAM PLANTING METHOD
STEP 1
Land preparation: Land is cleared and mound is formed befor heavy raining season
STEP 2
Seed yam is planted and mulched (covered with materials to prevent from weeds, to retain soil moisture and maintain soil nutrients)
STEP 3
Staking is the hardest part of the process. The creeping vines are elevated to above ground level
STEP 4
Small hand hoes are used to weed frequently before harvesting. Small hoes are used to ensure tuber is protected
To Wall Detail
Curing Room- Wall to Floor Detail
Net for debry
Project name: Audiosfera
Project Input: Renders and diagramatic work
Project Outcome: Completed
Created diagrams and initial renders for the Audio Contemporary Social Art exhibition at the Reina Sofía Museum (April–September 2020). The project, curated by Francisco López and designed by Marta Pelegrín & MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos, explored sound as a central artistic medium, challenging traditional exhibition paradigms.
Project name: Pedro G House
Project Input: Design iterations and Final renders
Project Outcome: Completed
This modern apartment project in Seville required balancing space, materiality, and modernity within a culturally rich context. I contributed approximately 20% of the project scope, including final renderings, design iterations, and drafting final plans. My input addressed challenges like optimizing spatial layouts and refining material selections to align with the design vision.
Project name: 1 Mayfair, Audley Square
Project Input: Design iterations and Final renders Project Outcome: Under Construction
As part of the design management team, I supported the resolution of key design issues by developing the key design issues document, liaising with contractors such as pool specialists and BASWA ceiling consultants, and conducting preliminary line load calculations for cast glass concerns.
I also conducted regular site walks, identifying on-site issues and relaying them to the design and construction team, streamlining workflows and enhanced team efficiency by approximately 5-10%.