I am keen on user-centered design and the application of social theory in architecture. This encompasses intangible aspects of human livelihood like culture, gender, race, etc., and its influence on the way architectural interventions are generated and perceived.
My interests have led me to engage with design briefs in several architecture-related fields like animation, art, and graphic while working in a wide range of geographic contexts: Senegal, India, Nigeria, Mexico, UK, etc.
My M-arch academic portfolio applies social theory to explore topical issues surrounding sustainable design and climate-induced change in rural parts of low-income countries. The chosen site for this study is Baghere village within the Tanaff valley, Senegal, currently receiving global attention because of its low adaptive capability and high-risk factor.
A portion of this portfolio was short-listed in the 'Call for non-urban Ideas-2021' planning competition and commended for its response to administrative issues affecting rural planning in Senegal.
This portfolio starts by challenging common misconceptions surrounding sustainable development that actively disenfranchise low-income countries by ignoring the cultural nuances involved in implementing environmental policy. For example: undermining the carbon-intensive demands of climate-resilient infrastructure brandished by developed countries, and the role culture plays in creating policy.
It then goes on to emphasize the importance of human livelihood in creating architectural interventions by taking a ‘social sustainability’ first approach to sustainable development. It uses film in a social theoritical framework as a design driver to gain deep insight into subtle yet indispensable aspects of Senegalese culture, resulting in a unique brand of sustainable practice inspired and detailed to the specifications of the inhabitants of the proposed site.
