The entrepreneurial drive etched deep in the Nigerian spirit is evidenced in eighteen years of Temi D’ayo Ogunremi’s largely preparatory work first as a freelance designer then as a project architect in Lagos.
From freelancing in the Nigerian agricultural heartland of Taraba in 2002 to managing notable Bank building designs and projects in the sprawling commercial and cultural melting pot of Lagos, Africa’s most densely populated city, his experiences have varied from the artisanal to corporate.
Consistent is the visionary and futuristic sensibility to improve and rejuvenate the status quo within challenging environments. The deep desire to see a rise in the local socio-economic status of impoverished Black Africa, has led him to envision gateways, changing landscapes, infrastructure, modern banking facilities and family housing.
From studying Architecture at the University of Lagos, the organic works of American Frank Lloyd Wright and the modernist movement of British Hi-Tech’s Norman Foster have been a source of inspiration in staying true to his sustainable design ethos.
An uncanny ability to communicate in construction and materials suitable to every context started in university and led him to understudy the building industry of the Germans through visits to the Ruhr region and global building exhibitions in Bavaria.
Going into private practice at a time of great uncertainty foisted on our World by global pandemics and economic recession is a sign of the undying optimism with which this visionary dives headlong into every endeavour.
As we come of age, the planet becomes our stage.
– Temi D’ayo David Ogunremi
