The fortnightly series, on Wednesday afternoons, will begin on 28 September, with Professor Cordelia Osasona of the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
A specialist in the history of architecture and an active member of the CHN, Professor Osasona has taught and published widely on African traditional and vernacular architectural forms and practices, passionately championing the cause of conservation of imperiled architectural heritage: not least the important role it has to play in addressing climate change. The first female Architect produced by the University of Ife, and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, she is also the pioneer Head of Architecture at the University of Ibadan. Her present research and fieldwork centres on the restoration and renewal of Nigerian Brazilian houses, and revivalist experiments with vernacular building features.
Professor Osasona will be speaking on “The Renewal of ‘Heritage’ Architecture in Ile-Ife: Issues, Challenges and Outcomes”. As she will stress, ‘heritage’ encompasses not only the historic values of traditional and vernacular buildings, but also the values of those who live in and work in them.

Guests will include Rim Kelouaze (Vice Chair of the CHN’s Africa and the Arab States Region, and winner of the 2019 Denis Pietton Award from the Institute Francais for her work on reviving the use of clay-based architecture for urban development); Dr Irem Gencer (Associate Professor in the Department of Restoration at Yildiz Technical University, and a specialist in urban preservation, vernacular architecture, and planning history); and Mokọ́ládé Johnson of the University of Lagos (a specialist in architectural well-being and planning focusing on rural-urban communities, with a special interest in the transmission of vernacular building knowledge). Keep an eye on our website for full details.