Olajumoke Adenowo Unveils New Book, ‘Neo Heritage’
Renowned African architect and founder of AD Consulting, Olajumoke Adenowo celebrates the unveiling of her book ‘Neo Heritage’ this May.
The book, published by Global Leaders in Art and Architecture, Rizzoli, is an exceptional body of work which describes contemporary African architecture in detail and how the combination of these traditional elements with modern trends can create a globally relevant and innovative style in design.
The author, Olajumoke, believes that Africa’s rich heritage in design and architecture can shape the future of global architectural practice through its unique capacities, technologies, philosophies, and problem-solving skills of which many people may not be aware. The book aims to promote mutual respect by highlighting the ideation behind the designed form, showcasing the skills of the African ancestors by focusing on their approach to resolving the challenges of sustainably creating shelter for their human activities; a process that she termed “Heritage Design Ideation”.
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Neo Heritage transcends geographical and disciplinary borders; it discusses models about Africa at scale and undoubtedly elevates the narrative on not just African architecture but architecture in general. The book focuses on 8 key pillars that cover the varying aspects of design and African art, such as light, climate responsiveness, the fourth dimension, contextual veracity, paradigms of beauty, and functional art, among others.
“Africa must evolve its own solutions,” says Olajumoke, author of Neo Heritage.
“Generations of architects are unaware of the amazing architecture of their ancestors that maintains the ability to solve current problems. We must embrace the diversity that African architecture brings to the global stage, driving our heritage and the long-term prospects of a truly inclusive architectural ecosystem. Neo Heritage is designed to remind Africa of its true heritage and the many opportunities available globally to define and refine traditional architecture for future generations.
I am indeed proud of this book and extend my gratitude to my publishers, Rizzoli, for their support in helping me achieve this publication to the highest standards,”
she added.
Olajumoke’s journey as an architect started in 1994, when she founded AD Consulting, which is now recognized as Nigeria’s foremost architectural firm. Since then, she has been described as the face of architecture in Nigeria and one of the most inspirational women in architecture today. She has been featured and acknowledged by numerous institutions across the world, including the Royal Institute of British Architects, Forbes Africa’s 50 most powerful women in Africa, Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2020, Hall of Fame at Obafemi Awolowo University, and the University of West England (2021) respectively.
She is also a philanthropist, a thought leader, and a global speaker on global architecture. Olajumoke is an alumna of the Harvard Kennedy School, the Yale School of Management, the MIT Sloan School of Management, The IESE Business School at the University of Navarra in Barcelona, Spain, the Lagos Business School, and Obafemi Awolowo University.
Olajumoke also recently received Congressional Recognition from the US Congress presented in person by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (Democratic Chief Deputy Whip for the U.S. House of Representatives, during the US reveal of Neo Heritage took place in Houston, Texas on the 18th of March 2023.
Ahead of its official release date in June 2023, the author is gifting 1000 Legacy Editions to some of the leading Architecture Programmes worldwide.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple's Bite International Magazine.