Culture and Identity: Oshinowo Studio's Tosin Oshinowo on Calculated Risks, Apprenticeship, and Moving Forward

By Julia Gamolina

Tosin Oshinowo is a Lagos-based Nigerian architect and designer. The founder and principal of Oshinowo Studio, which she formed in 2013, Oshinowo has worked on a number of civic, commercial and residential projects throughout Nigeria. She is renowned for her insights into socially responsive approaches to architecture, design and urbanism. Oshinowo’s key designs include a project with the United Nations Development Programme to build an entirely new community in northern Nigeria for a village displaced by Boko Haram. She has curated the second Sharjah Architecture Triennial, which opened on November 11, 2023, and will run until the March 10, 2024.

Oshinowo is a registered Architect in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Before founding Oshinowo Studio, she worked in the offices of Skidmore Owings & Merrill in London and the Office of Metropolitan Architecture Rotterdam, where she was part of the team that designed the 4th Mainland Bridge proposal in 2008. Upon returning to Lagos, she practiced at James Cubitt Architects. She has a BA in Architecture from Kingston University, London; an MSc in Development and Planning from the University College London; an AA Diploma from the Architecture Association London; and a Masters in Business for Architecture and Design from IE University, Madrid. In her interview, Tosin Oshinowo talks about the importance of apprenticeship before establishing a practice, handling negotiations, and taking calculated risks, advising those just starting their careers to explore to find the right career path.

JG: Tell me about your foundational years — where did you grow up and what did you like to do as a kid?

TO: I grew up in 1980s Lagos, Nigeria. It was a time of austerity through structural adjustment programmes and military rule. As a child, I was not fully aware of this then, but now I know that this was why the “culture of consumerism” reached us much later than in the West. My father on trips to the United Kingdom would make recordings of children's programmes for my siblings and me.

There was also an array of adverts between the programmes, and we watched the VHS tapes repeatedly for hours. It was here I first became accustomed to the toys we did not have access to but this sparked my imagination. I spent most of my childhood making and imagining things I had seen from these VHS tapes.

In addition to this, I spent a lot of time making and playing with kites with the neighbouring children. Kite flying was a general pass time for many children because the materials to make them were easily accessible. I am reminiscing about the electrical cables that line the streets here, covered in nylons from kites that had gotten tangled. I do not see these anymore, it could be that kite flying is no longer a pass time or I have moved to a part of the city where it is not the culture.

Exterior of the Lantern House, Lagos, Nigeria. Photo by Tolu Sanusi.

Interior of the Lantern House, Lagos, Nigeria. Photo by Tolu Sanusi.

How did you choose where you studied architecture?

I did not have an excellent reason for picking my first school of architecture — I just wanted to be in London. I had been sent to the United Kingdom, to a place called Harrogate, for my A-levels which precede University selection. Harrogate is a lovely landscaped affluent town in Yorkshire roughly between Leeds and York. All my friends, who had also been sent to the United Kingdom for school higher education, were in locations near Central London and I was struggling with the culture shock and wanted to be around more people who looked like me.

Back then, there were so few black people at my private boarding school and even fewer in the town. As customary, when applying for universities in the U.K., there is a ballot system to apply for university through a first and second choice. I was two points down off my A-level result for my first choice university and made it into my second, which is Kingston University in Surrey.

After this, I became intentional about my career — more grown up and aware that my future was based on my decisions and to have a strong foundation in the profession. For my second degree in architecture, I applied and got into the Architecture Association London. The AA is a brilliant school and well known for its experimental approach to architecture and design. Some of the most celebrated architects passed through the school and many keep strong ties as alumni.

Tell me about your experiences working for various offices before starting your practice. What did you learn that you still apply today?

I worked at a couple of practices before I set up shop, and I believe it's essential to apprentice first. The process of practice needs to be learned on the job, and your value system in terms of design can also be refined through apprenticeship. This takes me back to the AA and why it is important to have a good start.

In 2007, when I finished at the AA, I met Rem Koolhaas. I had wanted to work at OMA for a while because of the research Koolhaas had done on Lagos through the Harvard Project on the City. After a brief conversation, I was invited to liaise work for him at the Rotterdam office. Little did he know, or did I realize that with a Nigerian passport, quite a few hurdles would have to be jumped through before I could resume at the office. I eventually made it to Rotterdam and fully enjoyed my time there. Koolhaas’s interest in cities and my experience working on projects in this capacity have played an essential role in developing my interest in urbanism, the cultural relevance of heritage, and the strength of architecture as a cultural and social force.

“I believe it’s essential to apprentice first. The process of practice needs to be learned on the job, and your value system in terms of design can also be refined through apprenticeship.”

— Tosin Oshinowo

How did Oshinowo Studio come about? What are your priorities for it as we enter 2024?

Oshinowo Studio came about out of frustration and survival. I moved back to Nigeria in 2009 and swiftly got married in 2010. Then I had a daughter in 2011 and swiftly got divorced then too. Many lessons were learned in this quick turn of events, but I was faced with the reality and urgency to create some kind of stability for myself and my daughter. I wasn't particularly excited about the work I was doing at the practice I was working for in Lagos, and I was also frustrated that my design skills learned at the AA and nurtured at OMA were not being utilized.

It was also at a time when Nigeria was economically on the rise, and there were many young professionals returning to Nigeria after receiving a foreign education. This well-exposed group started to push the envelope of expectation concerning design and architecture, which meant there were opportunities to showcase skills which hadn't been required or requested prior.

Because of the challenges I was having in my personal life, I asked my boss, whom I still have a great relationship with, if I could take a three-month sabbatical to put my house in order. It was during this period I started to experiment and seek out opportunities and was fortunate to meet a set of entrepreneurial brothers who were in the process of setting up a chain of coffee shops. I worked with them to create an identity, through an aesthetic language, for this young professional who had grown into the habit of coffee, and we produced six stores at the time. Using only materials that were locally available, we were able to create something fresh and alternative. They were my first clients.

Coral Pavilion, Lagos, Nigeria. Photo by Tolu Sanusi.

Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges? How did you both manage through perceived disappointments or setbacks?

There have been many setbacks and successes, and thankfully there have been more successes. The biggest challenge was learning how to negotiate fees. When I started, I brought something to the market that was unfamiliar so this meant I was always of interest. However, I struggled to get the fees appropriate for the work. I was constantly negotiated down with the tactic of seeing “the opportunity of completing the project.”

I have gotten better at this because I have a good understanding of my overheads and durations to compete for projects and so I go into negotiations well-informed. I have also learned that not everyone can be your client, and the rapport you have in those early meetings should be read wisely, as in many cases, your engagement will be an average of thirty-six months.

I also have had to learn the importance of having other professionals engaged from the inception of the business. The value of a good accountant and lawyer will be with you for many years to come.

I have also learned to take disappointment well; it is an inevitable part of life. What is important is the reflection on the shortcomings and to move constructively forward from them.

“If you are in this profession for the right reasons, when the going gets tough, which it will, you will have the strength to see it through.”

— Tosin Oshinowo

What have you also learned in the last six months?

I have had quite an intense year, let alone the last six months. I curated a Triennial in Sharjah, my practice turned ten, and we celebrated this with a name change from cmDesign Atelier to Oshinowo Studio. We have active projects on-going and are constantly looking for new opportunities.

We have expanded the team and will move to a larger space in the new year. The last six months have taught me the importance of “doing it afraid.” We have recently made some business decisions that have required calculated risks that were important for our growth but needed for us to stay constantly evolving and improving.

What are you most excited about right now?

I am excited about the work we currently have on our books in Lagos and seeking out opportunities for international commissions.

Ngarannam, Nigeria. Photo by Tolu Sanusi.

Ngarannam, Nigeria. Photo courtesy of UNDP Nigeria and JB Multimedia Studios.

What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And what does success in that look like to you?

As I mentioned, I started the practice out of frustration and a need for survival. I have realized I have done more than that; I am thriving and I enjoy practicing. I want to consciously produce work that celebrates the importance of culture and identity while being sustainable and equitable for the built environment.

Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?

For anyone starting out, the best advice I can give is to make sure this is the right career for you. If you enjoy it, you will excel at it. If you are in this profession for the right reasons, when the going gets tough, which it will, you will have the strength to see it through. Purpose and happiness are everything; live by these principles.