I am Olabode JEGEDE, a cultural architect, heritage enthusiast, Arts and Craft exhibitionist and promoter. I am the Principal Architect and founder of Archiworth Associates, Lagos, Nigeria.
I set up Archiworth Associates in the year 2005 and we have handled building projects all across Nigeria ever since. I am a chartered Architect registered with Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON). As a Safety Practitioner I am a Fellow of Occupational Safety and Health Association of United Kingdom. I hold a Ph.D. degree in Architecture from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and I am an Adjunct Lecturer at the same university.
Having practiced Architecture for almost 30 years, I realized that ornamentation in terms of signs, symbols, colors, texture and form of a people defines their architecture. Oftentimes client do not have flair for indigenous finishing in the architecture of their houses due to prejudice in perception. This implied few projects, sometimes personal ones, allows for expression of Afrocentric specifications in design and finishes.
My PhD. Thesis was titled “Indigenous Ornamentation in Branding Residential Architecture of Southwest, Nigeria.” The research established a workable framework to produce an architecture with the genetic composition of the location. An architecture that speaks volume to represent the essence of the culture, heritage and soul of the locality. An architecture that empowers the locals and ignite their passion to treat their heritage with dignity and candor.
Beyond the classroom, I have experimented with the phenomenon of ornamentation both in theory and in practice. It has been established that sculpture pieces used as columns, calabash carvings for interior decoration, carved wooden fascia boards, relief moldings of graffiti on walls, carved windows and sculpted doors and balusters are some of the elements to brand the Afrocentric architecture of the Yoruba people.
In response to branding, is the establishment of Ule-Ona, house of ornaments in the ancient city of Osogbo, with a UNESCO world heritage site. Ule-Ona encourages research and development of all the listed paraphernalia of cultural architecture of the Yoruba people of Southwest, Nigeria. It is a place of exhibition, a place of collaborative works amongst indigenes, Sages, Artisans, Craft practitioners and scholars in the field of cultural Arts and Architecture.
It is an avenue of wealth creation for practitioners of native arts and crafts, especially those at the borderline of extinction. This shall be achieved by enabling indigent Artists/Craftsmen to produce and get their works appreciated in all mediums for visibility and financial appreciation to keep the trade sustainable. Organized Cultural Fairs and shows like the annual Osun Osogbo festival, which draws tourists from all over the world are vehicles of visibility.
Ule-Ona will energize the branding of Yoruba indigenous architecture just like Afro music has brought global appeal to Afrocentric sound winning awards on international scene. The whole idea is to develop an array of symbols, motifs and glyphs that speaks the language of the indigenes and appropriated in product designs, web design and building form and façade in describing a group of people.