Turquoise Desert Research Bureau 2019-2020, Cairo/Amsterdam, cohort
Community Planning & Design Initiative Africa Internship (CPDI), 2020
PUBLICATIONS
“What Lagos (and Africa's water cities) can learn from the world's water-bending cities.” Dezeen.com, TBA
“Call to arms; Tropical Contemporary Evangelism.” Medium.com, 2020
“Scaling good architecture in Nigeria with no Middle class” Livinspaces.com, Medium, 2018
“What Nigerian developers can learn from the pruitt-igoe scheme (or Eichler homes).”
Livinspaces.com, KlopfArchitecture.com, 2018
“What the architecture of Demas Nwoko got me thinking.” Medium.com, 2018
“REANIMATION - a case for the courtyard in Nigerian contemporary architecture” Livinspaces.com, Medium, 2018
‘Laolu Ganiy is a designer, architect and writer testing bespoke design solutions on problems posed by his immediate reality through experimental research and development in architecture, design and urbanism.
Member, Abuja Literary Society (May 2016 – Present)
Member, TheReadClub Lagos (2014 - Present)
2. Tropical Living Spaces 1. African Water City Series
3. Impact architecture
4. Product Design
The African Water City Series
people-oriented design explorations into possibilities in existing realities of african water cities elegbata ferry terminal
01 02 04 03
wóróbo bridges (type 1)
Elegbata Ferry Terminal
competition | 2019
an entry to the 2019 DesignWeekLagos competition, the project sought to gently return the site back into it’s environment and create an open and inviting passage for ferry passsengers. Three ideals led this agenda;
Open up site to public. Easy transition and throughfare. Integration of social spaces. creating in essence, a public park, a market and a terminal.
Located near clustered Lagos Island and catering to about 800 passengers a day thus demanding a design that is truly open truly public truly democratic
requiring a landscape that lets people pour in and activate the site organically.
structure and materials
Inspired by arresting factors present on the site; -lapping waters, egrets perching, palmtrees swaying to the winda sense of calm and flight.
the design sought to return these into the project by framing views towards them as well as ensuring rapid thoroughfare.
Placed in a humid tropical climate, the design responds to its surrounding habitat by passive climate control through natural ventilation by leaving gaps in its facade, solar shading and the use of transluscent sheets to allow natural light in.
The site’s floors absorbs water instead of runiing it off and channels it through pipes beneath that lead to a tank that recycles for gardening and toilets.
An inclined truss system cantilevers off a simple I-beam truss system bolted into the ground.
This primary structure is mirrored to house a utility space, storage and a solar roof.
The resulting structure is essentially a tent that allows timely passage straight to the dock, and the facade is simply a shroud
The transparence and transluscency properties of the facade ensures it blurs the divide bewteen the outside and inside, glows at night while giviing off a sense of the collective and safety.
duality, multiplying effect
site’s arresting factors
framed viewss
program
Ground Floor
Mezzanine
The site is defined by sheltered spaces, benches, swings, greenery with access to the roof deck.
Users are welcomed at the entry by a waterfall into a double heighted space which leads to a proximal ticket booth to ensure shortest travel time possible
Public restrooms are tucked under the inclined deck outside the structure which will be covered with wood locally sourced from neighbouring oko baba Ebute metta.
The height of the structure was restricted in a bid to not restrict views to the water while framing it still.
The structure has a flowing indoor-outdoor dynamic that controls entry but dignifies users through a heightened experience
An oval car park was provided to ease passenger drop-off.
Spaces contained within are a cafeteria, a ticket booth, sitting areas, a vip concession, a utility space, storage and offices in a mezzaine floor.
Floor
a. incline to roof deck
b. restaurant
c. restrooms
d. concessions
e. indoor hall/seatibg
Store
Park
Solaroof
the Wóróbo Bridges (type
1)
experiment | 2019
British Council ColabNowNow Finalist | 2019
02
exploring the possibilities in the african modern city where the “mixed-use” space is stretched to capacity and a bridge is not only a bridge but a market and an exhibition space as well
Borne of a need to solve the problem of pedestrian bridges, underused, overpriced and ill-maintained. An Instrument for peace, an incubator for dialogue, an exercise in place-making.
How do you create a bridge that is a responsible citizen?
Sustainable short term, paying for its constuction, and long term too, paying for its maintenance with extra change
a carbon positive bridge, -producing its own electricity, giving more greenery that it took?
a drop of mini stalls here, a dash of street and an art exhibition space, Architectural alchemy.
attracting users with bright colours, a market in the air and the excitement of the slide downwards (the lure of the endgame, )
a composite of recycled conctrete steel and cross laminated timber lattice framed to prevent cables swaying, structural integrity assured.
Modular, can be shipped from site to state, looks at home everywhere. with steel from recycled ship parts. Ventilated by stack effect
a cultural place, an alternate exhibit for local artists to reach more people, to inspire passers-by with art bringing art closer to the common person, increasing its appreciation. The slide. The glee of sliding down
The glow at night and the flurry of sillouhettes glows at night to attract people in, display art for longer ranges and as a beacon of security
And at night, like fireflies, we are drawn to the flurry of activities lit by bright lights, The promise of a beautiful place, we are social animals at heart
Double height volumes for exhibitions, Gardens giving shelter from flood and direct rays
cashflow through economy of scale, advert spaces running across celestory fenestrations.
wrapped up in an architecture of emotion. Emotive spaces that spur you to feel.
- the Wóróbo stall -
Lagos Floating Park
experiment | 2019-date
03
Our parks are dead. our beaches have been privatised, playgrounds for the kids, eroded, adult play is non-existent public spaces are war-torn, how do we democratise public spaces?
What could be an activator?
what can cedric price's fun palace teach us? what can we learn from the old Benin empire? how did they succeed in bringing people together?
how did they maintain city-states without loneliness ?
Enter,
a layercake of slides and stairs and wall climbers, escher-esque, othering views from all sides, activating the senses, ribbed, inviting touch.
a generator for fun.
a play on scale, with a playable scale, a meeting space, a stage for performance, interstitial spaces, an activator, weaving through space on water, anchored to shallow waters and harbours, a shaded track running through, an abundance of street furniture,
a gift to the public.
Still under development, this iteraton seeks to explore what an observatory for the urban environment saddled in nature could be, with a contextual bent to African water cities and a European reference.
Prototypes are to be located on sites open up to the public, with spaces that bear no weight of defined use, hence multi-purpose .
software: Sketchup, Vray, Photoshop, illustrator
"Public space has emerged as a critical lifeline for cities. It has proven to be as timeless risk-reducing infrastructure and an essential urban service"
- UN habitat
FEATURES
- Jogging track
- Planters
- Street Furniture
- Solar gazebos
- coconuts trees
- swings - pavilions
- hammocks
- Climbing walls - Gmelina trees (fast-growing. enduring, lightweight.) USES
- Play - Water park
- Concert - Jet ski jetty
- food bay
- Promenade KEYWORDS
- Public Space
- Community Building
- Prototyping
Eko Mobius Pavilion
Inspired by the mobius strip, the pavilion creates a space from a single band of material for users to create adventure. It is desiigned to cater for both adult and child play and be placed at existing playgrounds, Interstitial spaces in parks, used for fairs and exibits as well as to take advantage of views without building a building .
The structure is cantilevered for dramatic effect to create a landmark wherever it is placed.
Tropical Living Spaces
optimization experiments on tropical spaces that host daily human activities
Benson Residence
epe beach chalets
kaduna school
karu school
Benson Residence
experiment | 2019
soft, open and muscular. an attempt to model a contemporary space after the personality of the client.
The form seeks to reimagine old tropical modernist spaces found in old colonial cities in Nigeria. Grand entries, an open layout, an abundance of fenstrations and screens are the central theme of the project.
software: Sketchup, Vray, illustrator
Epe Beach Chalets
experiment | 2020
A result of a continuous study into low-energy building materials, this iteration was envisioned to be executed in rammed earth + a film material to test the combination’s strength agianst strong sea winds and salt.
The forms are molded simply to allow multiple linear openings , and steeped to shed water fast.
software: Sketchup, Vray, illustrator
Karu School
Proposed for a high-density site in a satellite town in southern Abuja, The buildin aims to tackle noise pollution by being an inward-facing community and a shield with a strong visualIdentity.
A grand entrance, screens of popping primary colours, shaded verdant courtyards layered fenestration, as well as burnt bricks were used to achieve the brief.
A renovation proposal for an academic centre in Northern Nigeria, the project aimed to revamp the building’s identity, making it fit for play and purpose with minimal demolition work.
Screens, colour and greenery were employed on a white canvas to achieve thisgoal.
software: Sketchup, Vray, illustrator
Impact Architecture
Community Centre
research | 2020
01
Inspired by TAMassociati’s Viareggio parish, the project is an experiment on light, exploring the many ways with which light can be channelled into space.
The form is executed in CSEB and rendered in earth tones with multiple light wells, light fenestrations and a defined, grand entry.
software: Sketchup, Vray, illustrator
Memory Place
compertition | 2019
How do you make a place? How do you make a memorable place?
A place that invites people, stays on their minds, and draws them back.
Slightly lifted, it seats grandly and gently into its swampy environment
Integrating the local trees into the building itself so structure and local flora become one.
software: Sketchup, Vray, Revit, illustrator
School of Architecture
academic | 2018
A studio project of my final year, this design sought to play on strong tropical modernist sensibilities present in Nigerian tetiary environments to develop a school of architecture sustainable in multiple ways.
The building works by providing deep shaded areas to students, negative spaces and couurtyards to host a veriety of functions as well as grand entry to give the department a visual identity,
software: Sketchup, Vray, Photoshop, illustrator
kaduna church
Small-Scale Industrial Cluster
academic | 2018
An accompanying studio project to my final year thesis, It posits circular economy of purpose-built architecture by proposing a small and medium scale idustrial complex win Ibadan.
The proposal contained 3 prototypes of varying sizes as well as Administrative blocks, a powerplant, warehouses, a restaurant and lodge and other supporting facilities. Central themes were reducing overhead energy costs and achieveing spatial economics of scale.
software: Sketchup, Vray, Photoshop, illustrator
Prototype
Prototype
Prototype
WAREHOUSE
POWERPLANT
WAREHOUSE
Product Design
people-oriented design explorations into possibilities in existing realities of african water cities
kukuFresh Prototypes
0304 02
studio lani chairs
generator muffler elegbata street furniture
kukuFresh Hydroponics
product | 2020
More than a farming sytem, premised as an icon of lifestytle, If its going to compete with food, it has to be a statement must-have product. It should do more, grow both food crops and ornamental plants.
A Non-consumption product integerated with multiple light sytems; soft night lights and bright ring lights, illuminating host spaces.
software: Rhino, Sketchup, Vray, illustrator
Generator Muffler
02
Under constant development, This iteration seeks to address airflow problems faced by previous prototypes.
The Muffler is being developed as a cost effective means of address noise pollution brought by generators by coopting sound-absorbing materials, exhaust flow as well as security.
Inspired by the form of the elegabta ferry terminal as a bench in its grounds.
Welded into a single form, It is to be sourced from crap metal and relies on the tensile strength of the material. Future iterations will introduce planting pods.
software: Sketchup, Vray, illustrator
StudioLani CHairs
product | 2020
Executed on behalf of StudioLani after multiple brainstorm sessions, a set of thinly-massed chairs to be easily produced by local artisans, inspired by yoruba artforms, was conceived.
