Our immediate environment is a space that we subconsciously create and inhabit. We can make this space very familiar, or we can expose ourselves to unfamiliar elements that provoke our response and re-evaluation. There are many sources of inspiration: one only has to observe closely. It is possible to have set ideas of what architecture should be, but first we need to understand why things are a certain way.
Founded by Patrick Koshoni and Ade Shokunbi, pwdc is a group of local skilled craftsmen, full-time architects and a design consultant who design and build the work directly. With experience gathered from execution of various projects, the group shares an environment created from a collaborative process, where ideas are explored through the production of stimulating and focused discussion, material studies, sketches and drawings.
Our projects are developed based on careful consideration of physical site conditions and a practice that draws from the combination and management of prevalent building techniques, locally sourced materials and an ingenuity arising from limited resources. The essence of our work lies in the relationship between a site, its surrounding environment and our design style. It requires coming to terms with the presence of the environment while keeping an open mind as to the design possibilities.
Inspired by real life conditions, we analyse the complexity of relationships within each project without any assumption or prejudice. Our attempt is to remain intuitive and look for an angle to initiate dialogue. It is through this practice that the matter being observed naturally reveals itself and a feasible solution becomes clear. One underpinning element that has evolved from this approach is a design style that we term as ETC, ethno-tropical contemporary.
ETC relates to spatial solutions based on contemporary design that takes into consideration our tropical climate and incorporates ethnic provenance in its internal styling and decoration, while staying true to a project’s essential purpose.
The endeavour is to show the genuine possibility in creating designs that emerge through a process of collective dialog, a face-to-face sharing of knowledge through imagination, intimacy, and modesty as opposed to a forced, contrived process.
Our designs reflect a building composed of a dateless contemporary form and interior, with our tropical climate as the determinant of the building’s functionality and construction materials. Then we take into consideration the reality of our every day traditional domestic lifestyle and finally, minimally infuse the interiors with ethnicity.
ETC is characterised by:
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| shola akande architect |
ayodele olaogun draftsman |
ikenna okpara architect |
gbenga aremo 3D specialist |
afolabi elijah accountant |
kemi babalola customer care |
We believe that in the very short term, design will be one of the major determinants of commercial success and our ETC design style will continue to be a proven catalyst reflecting this trend.
Bearing this in mind, it is essential that there is a meeting of minds between the client and patrickwaheed. Just like in normal relationships, one can intuitively tell if there is an initial spark, that positive chemistry that says it’s OK to take things further…that this will work, that the relationship will be pleasantly productive.
Therefore projects where the client is comfortable that our ethno-tropical contemporary design style will meet the project’s essential purpose are those that we are equally comfortable accepting.
The endeavour is to show the genuine possibility in creating designs that emerge through a process of collective dialog, a face-to-face sharing of knowledge through imagination, intimacy, and modesty not through a forced, contrived process.
The projects shown below are a collection of interior and architectural design projects taken on by pwdc since its debut in 2006. With such a comparatively short period of operation, the images are consequently mostly actual photos of completed interior design projects than images of actual buildings designed by patrickwaheed. The latter are mostly architectural 3D images.
