Visionary Architect James Inedu George from Nigeria

The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

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James Inedu George, One of the most eminent and influential West African architects and designers of recent decades recognized for his innovative approach to solving complex urban challenges, and most famously his brilliance with space and design.

He is the founding partner and Design Lead at HTL Africa Ltd, Tao South Africa, and HTL Asia Plus, which works on projects around the world and is widely considered “among the most significant in contemporary architecture.”

Born and raised in Zaria, Nigeria, Jame’s passion for architecture blossomed under the influence of his vibrant hometown, known for its historical significance. His early career accolades include winning the Sahara Energy young architect student competition, setting the stage for a career characterized by keen attention to social issues in architecture, housing deficits, and economic disparities.

James is recognized for his innovative approach to solving complex urban challenges, and most famously his brilliance with space and design.

James’s professional journey is distinguished by his unique ability to address complex urban issues through inventive architectural solutions. His career milestones include designing key pieces for the 2003 Nigerian presidential inauguration and developing a replicable $10,000 sustainable house in Lagos, which demonstrated the feasibility of affordable housing intertwined with economic opportunities for its residents.

In 2008, James founded HTL Africa, a research-driven architectural firm dedicated to addressing the specific challenges of West African environments. HTL Africa is today one of the most prolific architectural practices from the continent, with a varied body of work and a myriad of impressive ongoing projects beyond Africa. The practice’s work ranges from master plans to the restoration of historic buildings, urban planning and all aspects of design.

Honored internationally, including a nomination for the prestigious Rolex Mentor, Protegé Art Initiative

A fervent advocate for adaptive reuse, James has been instrumental in revitalizing structures and infusing them with new purposes, long before it became a mainstream architectural trend. In Ghana for example, it restored an already defunct 200-year-old Presbyterian church into more than just a spiritual centre but a major tourist hub to last for centuries more.

Currently underway is the first of its kind Transcorp Hilton Event Factory, a disused valley warehouse transformed into a 5,000 seater state-of-the-art venue, amongst many others. James's contributions have been honored internationally, including a nomination for the prestigious Rolex Mentor, Protegé Art Initiative, a gold mention for the Home Africa Crisis organized by the UN.

He actively participates in exhibitions like the Biennale d'architecture d'Orleans in France, Venice Biennale, showcasing his "Miracle Room" installation in 2019. His TEDX talk, "Invention of isi ewu," delves into his studio's work and the concept of Affordacity (affordable city).

Show Highlights

Integrating traditional African designs with sustainable practices.
James' firm work on residential, commercial, and performance buildings.
Challenges of recycling materials in Nigeria.
Focuses on ‘local sustainability’ - combining contemporary design with traditional practices
Exploring building permeability and energy efficiency.
Developing an 'energy bill' concept for cities.
Tying contemporary high end design with traditional practices.
Holistic use of different materials to support sustainable processes, availability, and finance in the region.
Energy balance needs to exist from the onset for the architecture to work.

“What we've been learning is that sustainability has to be ingrained in it. In that sense, a building must be responsible first and foremost. When I say responsible, like how you and I are responsible, it must act as a citizen, so it must pay tax. So if you look at it from that perspective, our buildings are paying tax because they outlive us. So if they pay tax and they are responsible citizens to the environment, sustainability starts to rewrite itself and develop differently. So that's the trajectory that we've gone.”

-James Inedu George

Get the episode transcript here!

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