I remember vividly how My Course Advisor in School, while I was still in my First year of Architecture School always expressed his disappointments over the fact that Nigeria doesn't have Architecuture which I strongly disagree!
Wait, dont get me wrong, am not saying that Big Houses, Bigger Roof is officially and international recognized as Nigerian Architecture, my point is, as long as those kind of pattern of Architecture can be Indentified, what's stops it from being Oficially And Internationally Recognized?
Am intentionally not going to talk about our Traditional Architecture-at least not in this post- because we know that even tho' it is more recognized Internationally, I can say Categorically that it is Dead!(presently). No one wants to design houses with the design concepts late down by our Nigerian Ancients; every Architects dreams of getting that Contract to design a Skyscraper in Spain, Switzerland or in some other big Developed country..,#sad.
What they fail to understand is, there would never be Originality in our work if we try to Emulate the Western World and their Comtempoary Architecture. We'l just end up over working ourselves and coming up with an 'UnOriginal' Project.
Reason because, a Country or an area Architecture simply has to do with the obvious Patterns and Form which all Architectural a Works in that Place take that one can easily use to identify it; and If any one should see a Big House, (with roof almost as High as the House itself, twin duplex, security House), on Google, the person can easily conclude that that house can be found somewhere between In Nigeria!
My Concluding statement would be that we still learn Contempoary Architecture( because the world is moving, and you JUST have to keep in touch so as not to be too Backdated) and also learn Nigerian Traditional Architecture. Then try to use your Creative mind to Synchronise the two Architecture Genre, and am sure, you'll come out with a better work than you think.
