talented architect, pine leaves, beat other designers and emerged as the winner of the “Design Kulture” student competition sponsored by MTN, hosted to showcase and reward Nigerian students with outstanding designs. He won the competition with his masterpiece called “Oja Oba”. Born on July 1, 1998, to Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) and Judge Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court, he has always been inclined towards the arts, despite his parents’ legal background. He said in this interview Friday treatment On his love for art, how he came to be “Oja Oba” and his dreams for the future of architecture in Nigeria.
How did your love for art begin?
From a young age, I have always enjoyed a lot of creativity and innovation. I used to make my own toys when I was a kid, from what I remember. So, I used to get other games and merge them. Growing up, I knew I wanted to do something creative. I knew I wanted to jump into the creative field, be it fine art or software. At some point, I wanted to design the car as well. But I wasn’t sure what specific area I wanted to delve into. So, when I was applying for a course at university, my father suggested that I study architecture.
How did you get into architecture?
Studying architecture has given me space to delve into multiple areas of creativity. In the study of architecture, you deal with interior design, architectural design, graphics, and branding. This led me to where I am now, which is kind of on the hunt – to be a creative director as a whole. So instead of limiting myself to one creative outlet, I work on all the different parts. For example, if I was working on a project, ideally, I would be doing the artwork and interior design. I’ll also turn to brands, social media, and all those kinds of things.
Who do you think was your most vital support system besides your parents?
I can’t forget to mention my twin sister, Folasad. She always supports me and gives me emotional support when I go through things. Especially when I was feeling stressed about a project, she would help me keep my back on track. I recently became a doctor. It was one of the main reasons I got involved in luxury and design as a college student. You helped me a lot mentally. I also have a group of friends that I met in high school. They helped me a lot.
Why did you choose the name “Oja Oba”?
The idea behind Sankore was a different way of engaging with African heritage. To show that in my design, I decided to use a culture close to me as a Yoruba person. In Yoruba culture, opas are placed on a very high pedestal. So, naming the building after that idea represents how important it is to the Yoruba people.
Tell us about the widget creation process with the team?
At first, I planned to do all the work myself. But if you’re working on something yourself, you can’t create the same quality of work compared to working on it as a group. So I came up with this idea and talked about it with my brother, Volakonmi, who was the first participant. It helped me refine the concept. Then I spoke to Folarin Adefemi, who helped me improve it even further.
I spoke to Seyi Oyesiku. He is a wonderful photographer. He helped me create the video. In connection with the design competition, I realized the importance of having that flashy side. I wanted to make a captivating show that would inspire people. In order to do that, I had to put together a good show team. I got a great voice actor I met in Nigeria through my brother. When I was in college, I met a friend, Luke Stevens. It’s an exceptional product, and I knew I had to share it. Produce music for the video.
The whole goal of the team was to create inspiration that would stimulate creativity in people’s minds. Collaborating with them has been great, and I hope to do more with them in the future.
What was the most challenging part of creating an “Oja Oba” for you and your team?
I think the most challenging part was coming up with the initial concepts. I had ambitious goals, and didn’t want to create a museum that promoted colonialism with so much British or foreign influence. The hardest thing for me was getting that initial spark of design. So after I heard about the design competition, I didn’t start designing until two weeks later because I spent a lot of time thinking and brainstorming.
Then my brother came. We watched this show on YouTube where the person breaks down a lot of history regarding Nigeria and colonialism. So, the most challenging part was generating the idea. It took a lot of effort.
Your reaction when you won?
I was overwhelmed with excitement. I called the team right away. I told them we won. We were all shouting and partying on the phone. I’ve talked to my dad too. We are all active. I found it hard to contain myself. So obviously I’m delighted to discover that I can leave an imprint because I’ve never really won a competition before.
Is this your first competition?
Yes, it was a great experience. During my college and throughout my high school and foundation experience, I didn’t really have the choice to put all my passion and energy into a piece of work. I felt the desire to design the Sankore Center along with my team which gave me the opportunity to do my best. Finding out that I won made it seem like all that hard work had paid off. This energy has given me so much motivation to produce great things during my masters course.
Do you also cook?
I think for me, when I was growing up, my parents were completely different. My mother was great at cooking while my father loved to eat. I think as we grew up, we adopted these two mindsets into our own home.
When I was leaving home to go to boarding school and after my foundation studies, I learned cooking not as a form of creativity, but as a matter of necessity. I knew that if I wanted to enjoy top quality cooking, I had to learn to cook myself. Now, I look at cooking as a design project.
When I’m nervous about work or something, I go to the kitchen and cook some food. I always try to make sure it looks and tastes nice. And one of my other goals is to try to influence the culinary community in Nigeria. There are a lot of different things and ideas I’ve been working on. I hope to start a restaurant someday. I’m not sure.
Who inspires or motivates you?
I have three main sources of inspiration. The first is Philip Johnson, an American architect. He has done some big projects in America. But he is not that famous. I remember when on my first work experience my boss gave me a book on Philip Johnson. There was this work he did for the greenhouse, which was pretty cool. It was basically a small studio apartment, and everything was in just one place. However, it sparked my interest in architecture.
Then my second inspiration would be Demas Nwoko because the way he designs, mostly from his Nigerian roots, is simply amazing. My father gave me one of his books, and I look at it every day and get very inspired by it. Many of the ideas I put into the design of the Design Week Lagos competition have been influenced by it.
My contemporary artistic cosplay is Sir David Adjaye. It’s incredible to see how he became a true champion of African-inspired design and showcased this internationally.
Besides these individuals, what speaks to the essence of your designs?
When I was in college, it was all about luxury and trying to promote it. What I mean by luxury is living well. Many buildings do not support this. There are a lot of buildings that depress people just by being in space. This was my main idea. But after I came back to Nigeria for my NYSC job and placement, I saw a lot of beauties in Nigeria. I haven’t been here in a while because I studied high school and university in the UK. But when I came back, I saw so much beauty and possibilities. Nigerian and African culture has become a huge inspiration and essential parts of my life now.
What are your plans for the future?
I think my plans for the future are constantly changing, and they are always changing based on everything that has happened and everything that happens. I think, especially after the last few years. Back in Nigeria, my main motivation is to try and see how I can use architectural design to make a positive impact on Nigeria.
This is something that drives me to answer with the masters and try to find some deep and inspiring precedents to try and figure out how I can make a positive impact. I feel like people don’t understand the power of architects. I feel that many artists today have forgotten that because architects shape the spaces we live in and the spaces we live in, they can have a huge impact on your mental health and frame of mind. So I want to try and do a little research and try to see how we can use architecture to make a positive impact on Nigeria.
With a view to being Nigeria, how do you hope to overcome the difficulties of obtaining the resources you would need to create these spaces you have envisioned?
This is my research because I feel like many people, even in the UK as well, and they say, ‘Oh, let’s do some eco-design that hardly costs any electricity and has a good impact on the environment.’ But at the same time, it will cost you your left leg and right arm. My goal is to turn back time a little bit in terms of construction.
I feel like all the designs we do and pay for in the future are very western. I want to move on to using more natural materials, and this is how I designed Oja Oba. The idea behind this was that erecting the building was very simple. In this sense, it can provide many jobs for people. It will take labor, but in return, you will save a lot of jobs.
Because my personal design philosophy regarding changing the way we build in Africa is to push for a more massive but simple design, so instead of sourcing expensive materials, you’re using simple materials that you can get from the ground while excavating and building bigger monuments. An example, albeit extreme, would be the pyramids of Gaza. The Egyptians used very simple materials, but we have seen them stand the test of time. This will reduce the environmental footprint on the world, thus providing more job opportunities for people.
What would you say to young architects like you and Design Week Lagos?
I want to say thank you very much. They have provided a great platform for designers, architects and creatives in general, especially students in Nigeria, to experiment with designs. And we need more. Not many creative people have the opportunity to conduct cultural competitions like this. And frankly, I feel that this competition was a huge boost in my creative development. I will forever be grateful to Design Week Lagos and all sponsors like MTN for creating and allowing me to participate in such a wonderful competition in Nigeria.
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