Design Genre Renews Call for Sustainable Building Designs

Sunday Okobi

Design Genre Limited, a leading architectural, planning, urban and interior design firm in Nigeria, has reiterated the importance of adopting a sustainable and environment-friendly design in Nigeria towards reducing the negative impact of buildings on the environment in the various emerging towns and cities across the country.

The Managing Director of Design Genre Limited, Mr. Anthony Okoye, in a statement, advised that: “We need to think about evolving sustainable architecture designs through efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and our development spaces.

“This is germane to aligning to the global quest for a safer city so that we will not compromise a safer living and eco-friendly environment.”

The statement noted that Okoye stated this during the prize presentation to winners of the Architecture Students’ Award at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The award is an endowment by the company to raise an array of future Architects who will adopt the idea of sustainable designs that suits the lifestyle of a truly modern and safer city.

The 2019 edition, the 4th in the series, produced the duo of Miss Adeola Oderinde and Mr. Bidemi Ariyo both MSC 1 students of the institution who emerged first prize winners in a highly charged race which featured five teams pitching their creative ideas to a panel of judges, which included lecturers and practicing professionals in the field of Architecture.

The highly elated winners expressed joy as they were awarded for creating a building project with sustainability ingenuity and ecological features capable of promoting good health for the building occupants as well as reduce the building’s negative effects on the environment.

While highlighting the company’s determination to continue sponsorship of the competition, Associate Director of the company, Mr. Dayo Oduleye, disclosed that the whole idea of the competition was to connect the town and the gown.

“We are delighted and determined to continue to provide the platform for Architecture students to have practical experience of how the built industry works. The contestants were made to go through real-life business pitch and presentations. We are offering the students an experience to connect the theories being taught in classes and the practical as it works in the industry as at today. A sort of connection between academics and the real industry,” he explained.

He added: “It is also a give-back-to-the society initiative as our managing director, an accomplished architect and built design expert, with landmark projects to his credit was an alumnus of the Architecture department of the Obafemi Awolowo University. By this endowment, we are hoping to continue to nurture great emerging talents who will continue to bring fresh perspectives to the built environment.”