We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Hermann Kamte about their original and creative Residential Building design work. Hermann Kamte is an award-winning architectural designer, that makes our world a better place with their original residential building works.
Hermann Kamte ("HK") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Lagos's Wooden Tower Residential Building. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
HK : The main idea was to change the lifestyle of people in Lagos including the face of the existing urban fabric. People are living here without perfectly exploring the potential of Lagos climatic regions. The city is dominated by concreted building, steel construction is growing but wood is neglected. But Lagos naturally benefits to the potential of tropical rain forest. This mean, Lagos can use this potential to be a sustainable city for this and the next generation. Aside this idea, to promote a sustainable architecture, a social integration and new kind of urban fabric was in the top of design team challenge. What is the main intervention for fastest growing cities as Lagos? Some options are possible; 1- Continuous to build the city without taking in account the existing lake 2- Try to extend it in horizontal, and at this time people will make few kilometres to; buy bread, go to work, get healthcare facilities or get a job. 3- Reinvent the way we see the city and create a new approach of urban planning. Team design imagines a new kind of urban fabric, the city above the city. The approach for example has the advantage to optimise the investment made to build the existing city and help to reduce pollution create by urban mobility.
HK : To build a city above the existing was the main idea, but the first objective was to introduce wooden construction into the urban discourse. Team had worked on a wooden skyscraper in the wish to get the attention of the whole member of the city, especially residents and local administration. Lagos is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, it represents a serious challenge for Nigerian’s Architects in terms of mobility, resilience, urban planning and sustainability.
HK : It is a good thing the project has won the Bronze A’ Design Award 2017, Team is much honoured for the recognition but the challenge of this project remains focus about the future of our cities, especially tropical cities which are firstly concerned with wooden sustainable architecture. As well as awards or aside this, lecture series, interviews and workshops will be very efficient to exchange about the describe context.
HK : Less than a week. For designers and architects the most difficulty thing is always to get the good concept, the brilliant idea and best solutions to solve the context, it can take you a day, a month, a year, briefly less or more.
HK : The design is a shortlisted entry to international competition organised by MetsaWood in 2016. Particularity comes from the interest of the team design to the urban growing discourses, social integration of architecture into a city and the future of wooden construction.
HK : There are no particular reasons to sell or lease the production right to other companies. And it is a large-scale building to try to produce it by themselves, but we are available to exchange and discus about this opportunity with new clients and partner to guarantee their investment in the future with the team design.
HK : The context, the concepts, the ideas, the solutions and the results are the powerful ingredients of the design.
HK : Yes, Sir David Adjaye OBE with Alara Concept Store in Lagos, Bjarkes Ingels with the Ren Tower in Shanghai 2010 expo world and Thomas Heatherwick with Nanyang University in Singapore….
HK : For the first approach, middle class and highest class residents of Lagos are the main targets.
HK : There are many beautiful residential buildings made by architects in Lagos. The design has particularity to be built in wood with sky gardens, powerful highlight symbols into an environment dominated by concrete, into the heart of Lagos, into the Nigerian tropical forest.
HK : The name is directly related to the context. Lagos’s Wooden Tower, indirectly means the first wooden tower in Lagos. Lagos is the largest city in Africa and remains one of the fastest growing cities on the planet. Now, Lagos’s Wooden Tower equal ‘The Tallest wooden Building in Africa’.
HK : Archicad, Artlantis, Rhinoceros 3D; Grasshopper 3D and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop & Illustrator) are favorites.
HK : Emotion is the unique aspect of the Design
HK : Team worked in indirect collaboration with a variety and a range of experiences.
HK : Technology is including at each project as well as possible. Technology is important to reduced waste and enhances people’s lifestyle. Automation is efficient for water and lighting management. Technology helps to attempt resilience and sustainability for cities around the world.
HK : Research turned around aspects but not limited to; dwelling matrix, urban fabric, mobility, pollution, security or wooden construction.
HK : Interpretation of the context and integration of hypothesis solutions was a big challenge for the team.
HK : The challenge related to the context of urban growing through the world. The competition was an opportunity to exchange and to evaluate the value and the quality of our proposition. There was brilliant entries and very good approach of solutions.
HK : Emotion and subtlety are the most powerful ingredients for great designers or good designs.
HK : Tell us about the local Yoruba culture in Lagos? How is it reflected in your design? Lagos is a major Yoruba city in Nigeria. The history of Yoruba here is ancient and the project his to tell this old story through a landmark or a building monument. Architecture can be solving several aspects at the same time. The envelope high lights Yoruba culture in the heart of Lagos. We especially used symbols which refer to freedom, emancipation and patronage. Traditionally, Yoruba dwelling is built along a large courtyard and sometimes a secondary. These courtyards have a function to bring light and helped to collect rainwater for household usage. The perfect shape or form of their architecture is a rectangle or square, the function was basic, living, Cooking and Sleeping. By the shape, forms, Program, and integrated sky gardens, greenery, terraces and layers; the project is entire influence by the sense and the definition of a residential building by Yoruba. But there are some evolution; courtyards have replaced by greenery, facilities and gathering floors between the three blocks. But the cultural of the project mind is achieved.
