Contemporary real estate literature emphasizes the viability of locations that are immediately commercial. So, the question arises: who is going to develop the communities such as Abeokuta, Abijo, or Gombe where commercial real estate isn’t typically viable? Now that the economic situation of Nigeria is quite acute, communities must now borrow knowledge from businesses, become brand agents, build a lean start-up model, and even make building typology an analogy for the concept of ‘Minimum Viable Product MVP’. It is this thinking we wish to embrace in the planning of a 20 ha-large community in Abeokuta.

 Over 2 Saturdays, we will draw up an eco-tourist commercial belt with compact agro- commercial typologies such as: farm market, adire vocational school and biogas plant designed contiguous to housing prototypes on 165 plots. This charrette welcomes applicants with background in landscape architecture / urban design and planning and encourages more women to apply.

About the Charrettes

Our charrettes aim to be participatory design avenues for aspiring Environmental Designers (Architects, Urban Designers & Planners, Landscape Architects, Real Estate Valuers and Urban). Each participant creates a scheme and develops the same quickly into a full project proposal in a convivial atmosphere with immediate feedback. It offers a great avenue for students of the Built Environment Industry / young practitioners to gain experience in the profession, be part of live projects in Africa with freedom to work on projects outside of the academic calendar.

Selection

Participants are expected to have a stable internet connection, personal sketchbooks, pencils/pens and be highly skilled in any modelling and graphic software such as Revit, SketchUp and Photoshop. Interested applicants should register here: bit.ly/CityAsEntrepreneur by 6th October 2021 by 6pm WAT. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

Dates 9 & 16th October 2021

Time   12pm – 5pm WAT (7am - 12pm EDT)  [with breaks in-between]

Venue

Virtual (Google Meet)

Compensation

Participants will receive a $40 stipend toward their efforts on projects carried out during the Charrettes.

Certificate of Participation

A Certificate of participation will be issued upon completion of the design exercise.