DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS - MY 'EUREKA' STORY!

Once again, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”! I simply cannot get enough of the dry harmattan air, the early morning and evening haze, the bustling energy seemingly at boiling point across the major markets and shopping malls as buyers and sellers rush to make last minute transactions.  Then there is the awesome food. Speaking of which, would any Christmas/ New Year’s Day menu be complete without the wonderful staple of jollof rice? Our mum certainly took no prisoners with her Yuletide jollof rice. Hers was simply the best, no contest! Add her equally delicious teeth sinking - lip smacking- finger licking fried fresh chicken, and the world to a young me then could not have been more perfect! So good was her jollof rice that you would find me happily scrapping away and eating the burnt ‘bottom pot’ portion of the rice even after a couple of days as though my life depended on it!

DONALD TRUMP AND WETIN NAIJA ARCHITECTS DEY DO SEF?!

1. President - elect Donald Trump and his opponent, Hilary Clinton during the first Presidential Debate

The highly anticipated election for the 45th President of the United States of America has finally been dispensed with. Phew! We no see or hear word that period! Preceded by a contentious, acrimonious and no holds barred contest, the emergence of Donald Trump as the President- elect over the preferred candidate, Hillary Clinton sent shock waves across the world. In Nigeria, we went to sleep with Hillary in an early lead but woke up on the 9^th of November 2016 with the unlikely and underrated Donald Trump getting the required number of Electoral College votes to win. What a red letter day!!

 

 

One of the many campaign policies of President-elect Trump was the commitment of at least $ 500 billion to infrastructural spending over a five year period. The spending is required to fix America’s ageing and decaying infrastructure – airports, schools, hospitals, bridges, and train stations. From all indications, American architects will be very busy!  It was against the backdrop of this campaign policy that the executives of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the umbrella body for registered architects in the United States, pledged its commitment to working with President-elect Trump in the strengthening of the nation’s ageing and decaying public infrastructure. The outrage and backlash from the architectural community was fierce and immediate forcing the AIA executives
to publicly apologize for what it termed “a hasty and tone deaf post – election message”.

HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS FROM YOUR UNMADE BED!!

'My Bed'

Hold it! Stop I said!! You may want to think twice before you make that bed of yours or tidy up your room! Yes you heard right. That unmade bed and untidy room can make you famous and make you very rich, and I am talking in millions of foreign currency here.  

You think I’m joking? Okay let's confirm from Tracey Emin, the British artist whose messy (dirty)bed/room installation sold for a record £ 2.5 million in 2015. The installation is currently on loan for public viewing for the next decade at the Tate Modern Museum, London.

BRT BUSES, AKARA, BRAZILIAN HAIR AND RIO 2016!!!

Team Nigeria at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Photocredit: Getty Images

Firstly, belatedly though, let me join the teeming number of proud Nigerians in saluting our contingent to the Rio 2016 Paralympics where Team Nigeria with her stellar performance shone like a million stars with a formidable medal haul comprising of twelve medals.

Asides the 2016 Olympics and of course the ubiquitous Brazilian weaves (which we cannot get enough of); Brazil occupies a key position in West African history for both good and bad reasons. Brazil accounted for roughly forty percent of the African slaves brought to the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade with most of them processed at Bahia before being sent off to plantations across the country. Centuries after the slave trade, the Yoruba influence is still heavily felt in Bahia where their dialect is a blend of Portuguese and Yoruba. Deities such as Orunmila, Obatala, Ogun, Sango, Obatala, etcetera are also worshipped. Babalawos nko? Dem dey there too!! Even local delicacies are well represented, take for instance the utterly scrumptious fried bean cakes called ‘akara’ here, in Bahia, ask for acaraje instead!  

WORLD ARCHITECTURE DAY 2016

Photocredit: www.uia.archi

The 3^rd of October, 2016 was World Architecture Day. Every first Monday in October has been set aside annually to celebrate architecture and its practitioners. World Architecture Day which also coincides with the World Habitat Day of the United Nations was created in 1985 by the International Union of Architects (UIA), a global federation of national associations of architects that represents over 1.3 million architects in 124 countries and territories.

WHEN ARCHITECTS GATHERED IN BENIN CITY

On Thursday 4^th August 2016, the ancient city of Benin, Edo State  hosted the second edition of the Nigerian Institute of Architects Distinguished Lecture Series. The lecture series which was initiated by Immediate Past National President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (2013 – 2015), Arc. Waheed Niyi Brimmoh is to enable the generality of national Architects benefit from the wealth of experience from Past Presidents.

In 2015, the maiden edition of the series held in Abuja with Chief Dr Alex Ekwueme, 2^nd President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (1967 – 1968), Past President of ARCON and first civilian Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the lecturer. Befittingly his lecture topic was “Architecture: Management & Participation of Architects In Nigeria’s Political Class”.  

ARCHIBUILT 2016

Nigeria’s premier trade show is on!

Currently holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, ARCHIBUILT is an annual exposition organized to bring to the fore trends, technologies, systems and policy issues that impact the nation’s building industry.

FOOD ART AND WORLD JOLLOF RICE DAY!

One of my favourite channels on cable television - DSTV is the Food Network channel. I usually get teased endlessly about putting into practical use what I have learnt. You especially need to see my concentration and admiration when short segments are shown of the food artist Nathan Wyburn making portraits of Food Network’s celebrity chefs such as Siba, Bobby Flay and a host of others using everyday cooking ingredients.

So naturally, my excitement went through the roof when I came across the food art created by the multi-talented Nigerian blogger and creator of the Hijarbie (the hijab-wearing and fully clothed Barbie doll which was an Instagram sensation), Hanefaah Adam.

IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE!! OR NOT??

"Early morning in Africa, A gazelle wakes up, it knows it must run faster that the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up, it knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU'RE A LION OR A GAZELLE, WHEN THE SUN COMES UP, YOU BETTER BE RUNNING!"

Source/ Photocredit: www.i.imgur.com

GHOSTS OF OLYMPICS CEREMONIES PAST

 

 

It’s the Olympics, baby!

I cannot recall where I heard or got that phrase from, but like my ‘bottom box’ (special occasion) clothes which I seldom use, this phrase pops into my head without fail every Olympic year!

Hours from now, the world’s spotlight will beam on the Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the opening of what is unarguably the greatest sporting spectacle on earth, the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The opening ceremonies are always highly anticipated and it has been said that since Los Angeles 84, each host country has sought to surpass its predecessor by staging a bigger and more spectacular show. 
 

Back in the 80s, there were only two television stations in the whole of what was then Bendel State -  National Television Authority (NTA) and Bendel Television (BTV). BTV later metamorphosed to Edo Broadcasting Service (EBS) with the split of Bendel State into Edo and Delta States respectively. Both stations ensured that viewers were kept fully updated with on-going events at the Olympics by dedicating one or more hours daily for the highlights. But these days, without an active cable television subscription, OYO (On Your Own) is your case!

                     

TOO CREATIVE TO EAT.

Brace yourself passengers on board! Up! Up! Up and Away!

Cakes are scrumptious treats to be devoured, right? Wrong! Certain cakes fall into the category of being too creative to eat. Call them works of art if you will. With the painstaking attention to details and life like resemblance to cartoon characters or creatures, it would seem a great injustice if these marvels 'disguised' as cakes were to serve their real purpose- for consumption! See if you agree.

ZAHA HADID - HOPE FOR HER PRESENCE AT EKO ATLANTIC CITY EVAPORATES?

When I sighted him at the Eko Atlantic City Sales Office Showroom, my heart skipped a couple of beats. The first fluttering of hope stirred in my soul. Dare I conceive the idea? Time would certainly tell I thought to myself.

You see, ‘him’ happened to be Paolo Zilli of Zaha Hadid Architects who was one of the keynote speakers at the May 2015 edition of the Lagos Architects Forum LAF, the flagship seminar of the Nigerian Institute of Architects Lagos State Chapter. The local architectural community was agog to have Zaha Hadid in our midst, albeit in the form of a representative. On my part, I hoped that perhaps some of the Zaha Hadid magic design ‘twinkle-dust’ would rub off on me! 

 

During the course of the seminar, I had enquired about his views on the Chinese government’s tough stance on the halting of what it had termed ‘weird architecture’. Surely that classification of their major projects in China was a source of worry for Zaha Hadid Architects. This was apparently a non- issue as it had been casually brushed aside as mere propaganda and grandstanding by the Chinese authorities.

Fast forward to Thursday 31^th March, 2016 when the local and international architectural design community was greeted with the shocking news of the untimely demise of famous Iraqi born British architect, Zaha Hadid from a sudden heart attack at the age of 65.

Now, to the uninitiated, Zaha Hadid is to world of architecture what Steve Jobs is to the information technology world- a revolutionary. Aside from being one of the most brilliant contemporary architects with her avant-garde and award winning designs, she was a prolific interior and product designer lending her famous design skills to a seemingly endless array of jewellery, furniture, automobiles, household accessories, footwear. Some of her product designs were showcased as recently as April 2016 at this year’s Milan Design Week and included a metal and crystal table centrepiece for famous crystal brand Swarovski for its debut home ware range.

3D-PRINTING AND THE FUTURE OF 'ASO-EBI'

It’s a Thursday evening in the year 2036. In Lagos, Ehiwenma has a society wedding to attend on Saturday. To be frank, she has thought of little else for several weeks now. Unless you lived under a rock somewhere in Mars, EVERYONE knew that “ain’t no party like a Lagos party”. Her major preoccupation is how to make a resounding fashion statement and make the occasion’s best dressed list. Her appearance in ‘AsoEbi Bella’ is already a foregone conclusion! Lagos babes certainly take no prisoners with their overall appearance at these functions. Some even do pass the bride sef!

An interesting angle to her grand fashion take-over-plan is that a key element, her dress, is not ready but she is not losing any bit of sleep over that. Smiling to herself she remembers a little over a decade ago when this would have been a prime ingredient for a major meltdown and high blood pressure to boot. Ah! Designers and tailors alike ‘showed her pepper’! But all that had been relegated to a very distant past.

Ehiwenma is in receipt of the digital file of the wedding fabric for guests (popularly known as Aso-ebi) which had been distributed to those who subscribed. She would use the design from House of Deola’s latest collection which, come to think of it, is reminiscent of their ‘Komole Kandids’ collection that was the entire rave in 2016. Fashion indeed does come full circle. Phew! Had that digital download cost a fortune or what? It was worth every single naira. As they say,“soup wey sweet, na money kill am”! According to her plans, printing of the aso-ebi outfit to her exact fit commences on Saturday evening. The embellishments to be attached to the bodice of the dress were printed a week earlier, same for the shoes and other accessories

ARCHITECTURAL LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

“Girl, there’s no acceptable substitution for your quality and performance in my specifications”

 

We firmly believe that God created architects on a Monday after a well rested Sunday! We are complete in all ramifications. Aside from being at the vanguard of the built environment, the average architect is a romantic at heart.

It’s the season of love once again and Valentine’s Day is right at our doorstep. So for both the ladies and gentlemen alike, just in case you have run out of sweet words for your special someone this season, we have decided to help your love ‘ministry’. Kindly feel free to borrow from the following architectural 'sweet nothings' we came across and just had to share.

WELCOME TO THE GOLDEN ERA – CHERISHED GOLD

Cherished Gold is the Dulux 2016 Colour of the Year. According to Dulux, the choice of this colour ties with the on-going trend especially in interiors of using metallic tones in the home. Coming on the heels of the 2015 Copper Blush, Cherished Gold is a gold influenced ochre (deep yellow) which is warm and subtle.

It can be utilized as a statement colour or in combination with other hues such as fresh pastels e.g. baby pink, sky blue, mauve (pale violet) or rich jewel tones such as emerald green, coral, electric blue and magenta. Neutrals such as grey or beige work well with this colour.

Rebecca Williamson, Dulux's Senior Design and Content Manager opines that gold and tones of gold are being used everywhere in the design world. She believes that as metallics continue to add that feel good factor in our homes, this earthy gold inspired hue will offer that little touch of glamour in an authentic and personal way.

ALEJANDRO ARAVENA - 2016 PRITZKER PRIZE LAUREATE

The year certainly holds great promises for the Curator of the 2016 Venice Biennial, Alejandro Aravena who has also been announced as the 2016 winner of architecture’s most prestigious award, the Pritzker Prize.

In his citation by the Pritzker Prize jury, the 48 year old native of Santiago, Chile, is described as leading a new generation of architects that has a holistic understanding of the built environment and has clearly demonstrated the ability to connect social responsibility, economic demands, design of human habitat and the city. And in doing so, has meaningfully expanded the role of the architect.

Going further, the jury believes that what sets Aravena apart is his commitment to social housing. As the Director of ELEMENTAL, a company co-owned by three groups: the private architects who work for the company, a Catholic university, and Chile's largest oil company, Aravena and his collaborators have consistently realised works with clear social goals. Calling the company a ‘Do Thank” as opposed to the norm of a Think Tank, they have built more than 2500 units using imaginative, flexible and direct architectural solutions for low cost social housing.

A CLUTTER- FREE 2016 - 7 Tested & Easy Tips

Each year brings with it the usual practice of making resolutions. Most of us are awash with resolutions to make us perform optimally, be better people, and generally make the world a better place!

One common resolution that would unite a huge percentage of us would be that of having better organized working and living environments. Central to achieving this is de-cluttering. Getting rid of clutter not only leads to increased efficiency due to the reduction in time spent looking for items, but it helps with the maximization of our spaces.

Clutter practically creeps upon us. One minute, there is ample space and the next thing; one is literally drowning in stuff. Most of us can identify with the fact that getting rid of clutter is usually easier said than done! The good news is that hope is not lost! Here are some de-cluttering tips.

WELCOME TO 2016!

In 2016, the Lord has filled our lives with joy and laughter and caused our endeavours to prosper.
Welcome to a glorious New Year, one that promises to be our best yet. Amen.

So what are we waiting for? Let's go conquer territories.

Loads of love from the VERVEPOINTS Team.

Photocredit : Google images.