Presented with a fascinating opportunity of designing a well-rounded, gated residential township, on an expansive land of 5 acres (2,17,800 sq. ft.), for the citizens of Lagos, Nigeria, the design team of Mumbai-based architectural firm, Atelier ARBO, delved deep into the research, analysis, and comprehensive master planning that goes behind creating a safe, social, and self-sustained living community. The client and the design team collaboratively envisioned a residential block of five mid-rise towers encompassing varieties of apartment configurations to allocate different family types and elegant communal spaces seamlessly binding the towers together.

Owing to the increasing population growth in Lagos, the largest city of Nigeria and a major financial centre, the establishment of slums and scanty dwellings have become a common sight with people living in standalone buildings often subjected to threatening incidents and unwanted, illegal encounters. To effectively counter this concern, the proposal of a residential township took birth, aiming to create a guarded and self-contained community living environment for the citizens of Lagos.

With one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom apartments being the three key configurations, the five towers were planned and segregated to produce an even mix of these flats. One complete tower accommodates only 2-BHK units, one entire tower is dedicated to 3-BHK units, two towers have an even combination of 1-BHK and 2-BHK units, and the fifth tower has an amalgamation of 2-BHK and 3-BHK units. Although a part of the large residential community, each tower acts as a self-sufficient, individual entity with a common lobby space for interactions and an accessible terrace for walking and relaxing. Each apartment of every tower showcases adequate infrastructure, basic utilities and amenities to offer a comfortable living experience for its residents. 

Segregating each residential tower into four components led to a significant increase in the number of openings and fenestrations in individual apartments. These openings effectively enhance cross ventilation and brighten up the space with abundant daylight. These residential towers have been raised to stand on pilotis, creating a beautiful flow of communal spaces on the ground floor that become an interactive platform for the resident community. A Basketball court, a central park, a Clubhouse, a children’s park, and parking facilities for each apartment are some of the other common spaces, spread across the entire plot and available to each resident. 

On a trapezoidal plot, the design team proceeded with an angular orientation of the built structures that created ample number of small green pocket spaces exuding freshness and countering the tropical climate of Lagos. The spatial configuration of the towers was mindfully planned to effectively increase the total number of residential units in the towers. A conscious approach was employed while selecting the facade materials. Exposed brick, a traditional building material of the region, was used to highlight the vertical structural elements of the towers, The simplicity and rustic beauty of the brick elegantly coalesces with the natural green landscape of the site surroundings.

Lagos is evolving into a new and improved form with real estate developments growing exponentially. In this developing scenario, Lagos will benefit tremendously from these well-planned, thoroughly designed residential townships offering citizens a safe and holistic living experience.