Architects and construction professionals at Design Week Lagos called for earlier manufacturer input and more locally grounded artificial intelligence, linking building design to production capacity and regional data, BusinessDay reported.
Anthony Aihie, CEO of Design Union, made separate appeals on production and AI, the outlet reported. He urged designers to connect locally available materials with production and the markets for finished work. Aihie also asked African designers to contribute local information to AI systems so they better reflect African urban settings, cultural contexts, materials and building methods. “High design does not always require high-tech materials,” he said, according to BusinessDay.
Sunit Deb Roy, technical director of SANA Group, called for architects, engineers, manufacturers and cost consultants to coordinate while projects are being designed, BusinessDay reported. He warned that late changes can be more difficult on projects that depend on imported building systems. Deb Roy said closer coordination could add value for clients, the outlet reported.
BusinessDay also reported that SANA Group expanded from construction contracting into manufacturing. BusinessDay reported that SANA Group’s manufacturing operations include a pre-engineered building factory, concrete-block production and fibre-reinforced concrete flooring.
Oluremi Ajose-Adeogun urged architects to consider design-and-build work and select business models suited to their abilities and the problems they can address, BusinessDay reported.
Design Week Lagos ran from Oct. 18-25. Its official theme was “Making a New Africa,” and its website lists the National Theatre among the festival’s locations. The sub-theme, “From Material to Market: Designing for Scale,” focused on routes from design ideas to production and commercially viable products.
The National Theatre schedule identifies “DWL Talks: Architecture Day & Global Press Conference” on Thursday, Oct. 22, but does not list an Architects Forum. BusinessDay reported the forum and the speakers’ remarks.
