Architects and construction industry professionals have called for stronger collaboration, local manufacturing and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to turn design innovations into commercially viable solutions and reduce project costs across Africa’s built environment.
The call was made at the Architects Forum during Design Week Lagos on Thursday, where industry practitioners said architects must move beyond traditional consultancy to identify market gaps, develop new products and work with manufacturers to address challenges in the construction sector.
The forum, themed ‘From Material to Market: The Evolving Role of the Future Designer,’ examined how designers could combine creativity, indigenous knowledge and technology to develop solutions that respond to local needs while creating new business opportunities.
Anthony Aihie, chief executive officer of Design Union, who delivered the keynote address, said African designers needed to rethink their roles by embracing discovery, invention, collaboration and commercialisation.
He argued that locally available materials and indigenous craftsmanship could deliver greater value when designers explored new applications and connected creative ideas to production and markets.
Using sand to illustrate how ordinary resources could be transformed into products such as concrete, glass and microchips, Aihie said the value of materials depended on the knowledge and ingenuity applied to them.
“High design does not always require high-tech materials. It requires intelligent application,” the presentation stated.
Aihie identified storytelling, collective thinking, discovery, invention, selling, celebration and technology as seven priorities for the future of African design, stressing that innovation must extend beyond developing ideas to documenting, communicating and commercialising them.
The need to connect design with production was reinforced by Sunit Deb Roy, technical director of SANA Group, who said the company had expanded from construction contracting into manufacturing to address challenges in project delivery.
Roy said the company had established a pre-engineered building factory, alongside concrete block production and fibre-reinforced concrete flooring, as part of efforts to provide solutions tailored to the requirements of clients and consultants.
Roy attributed the development of such solutions to the need to add value for clients and encouraged architects, engineers, manufacturers and cost consultants to communicate early in the design process.
“When you speak to the manufacturers and the professionals together, you can give a good value addition to the client,” he said.
He warned that limited engagement between designers and manufacturers could make it more difficult to accommodate changes during construction, particularly when projects depend on imported building systems.
Oluremi Ajose-Adeogun, an architect with more than four decades of experience, also urged practitioners to look beyond conventional consultancy, saying opportunities in design-and-build operations could help sustain architectural businesses.
He explained that his experience in the industry had shown the importance of maintaining cash flow while preserving the creative focus of architectural practice.
Ajose-Adeogun said architects should identify opportunities based on their capabilities and the problems they could solve rather than pursuing new business models simply because they had become fashionable.
The panel also examined the implications of artificial intelligence for the future of architectural practice.
Aihie said AI should be regarded as a tool for improving productivity and expanding creative possibilities rather than as a replacement for architects.
He argued that African designers needed to contribute more local data to AI systems so that the technology could produce solutions relevant to the continent’s cities, cultures, materials and construction practices.
The discussion highlighted the importance of developing local expertise and documentation to ensure that emerging technologies reflect African conditions rather than relying predominantly on information from other regions.
They said closer collaboration between architects and manufacturers, greater use of locally produced materials and the responsible adoption of technology could help improve construction efficiency, lower costs, and expand opportunities for African designers beyond conventional consultancy.
Taofeek Oyedokun is a correspondent at BusinessDay with years of experience reporting on political economy, public policy, migration, environment/climate change, and social justice. A graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos, he has also earned multiple professional certificates in journalism and media-related training. Known for his clear, data-driven reporting, Oyedokun covers a wide range of national and international socioeconomic issues, bringing depth, balance, and public-interest focus to his work.
