Kunle Adeyemi

Kunlé Adeyemi is an architect, designer and development researcher whose works are internationally recognised for originality and innovation. He is the founder and principal of NLÉ – an architecture, design and urbanism practice founded in 2010, for innovating cities and communities. Adeyemi’s notable works include ‘Makoko Floating School’, a groundbreaking, prototype floating structure once located in the lagoon heart of Lagos, Nigeria. Makoko Floating School has since evolved into ‘Makoko Floating System (MFSTM)’ – a simple, prefabricated, building solution for developments on water – now deployed in 5 countries across 3 continents. This acclaimed project is part of NLÉ’s extensive body of work – the ‘African Water Cities’ – which explores the intersections of rapid urbanisation and climate change. In 2016 NLÉ was awarded the Silver Lion Prize for its second iteration of Makoko Floating School (MFS II – Waterfront Atlas) at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Other NLÉ projects include A Prelude to The Shed in New York, USA, the Black Rhino Academy in Karatu, Tanzania and the Serpentine Summer House at the Royal Kensington Gardens in London, UK.

Before founding NLÉ, Adeyemi worked closely with Rem Koolhaas for about 9 years at the world renowned Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), where he led the design and development of significant projects such as the Shenzhen Stock Exchange tower in China, the Qatar National Library and Qatar Foundation Headquarters in Doha, Samsung Museum of Art and the Prada Transformer in Seoul.

Alongside his professional practice with multiple prestigious awards, Adeyemi is an international speaker and thought leader. He is one of UNDP’s African Influencers for Development (AI4D) Supergroup. He served as juror and nominator for distinguishing many industry talents including the RIBA international Prize, the AIA awards, Venice Biennale jury, and the Rolex Mentor and Protegé program. Adeyemi holds an honorary doctorate degree in Architecture from Hasselt University, Belgium, and a certificate in Real Estate Economics and Finance from the London School of Economics (LSE). He is an Adjunct Visiting Professor at the University of Lagos, Nigeria and has held several academic positions including the 2017 Aga Khan Design Critic in Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, New York, a visiting critic at Cornell University and Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University – where he leads academic research in architecture and urban solutions that are closer to societal, environmental and economic needs.

Academic work

Kunlé Adeyemi has held several academic positions in many reputable institutions. He was a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University School of Architecture in 2019 and 2017 Aga Khan Design Critic in Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Previously he was an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, 2015 Gensler Visiting Critic and 2014 Baird Distinguished Visiting Critic of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, teaching and researching the program ‘Water & The City’. In 2011 to 2012, he was the Callison Distinguished Visiting Lecturer of the University of Washington, teaching and researching ‘The Modern City in the Age of Globalization’ in Chandigarh – India’s first planned modern city. His main area of academic interest is in developing cities of the global south. He has pursued and developed this issue via a number of research papers and study opportunities. They include a post-professional degree from Princeton University in the US, where with Peter Eisenman he investigated rapid urbanization and the role of market economies in developing cities of the global South, focusing on Lagos.

His hypothesis ‘Urban Crawl’ published in the Log Journal, is a critical exposé on architecture and urbanism in emerging megacities of the global south, which also unravels the complex urban conditions and operative mechanisms of such cities. His knowledge and opinions in this area are much sought after. Consequently, he has acted as a speaker and visiting critic at prestigious institutions such as the Guggenheim New York, Harvard University, MIT, the Cooper Union, the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Architectural Association in London, ETH in Zurich, Chandigarh College of Architecture in India and Delft Technical University in the Netherlands.

Education

• M.Arch II Princeton University (2004 — 2005)
• B.E.S; B.Arch University of Lagos (1992 — 1999)

Companies

• Adjunct Visiting Professor University of Lagos (2021)
• Founder | Principal NLÉ Works (2010)
• Visiting Lecturer Princeton University (2019 — 2019)
• Aga Khan Design Critic in Architecture Harvard University Graduate School of Design (2017 — 2017)
• Associate Professor (Adjunct) Columbia University in the City of New York (2016 — 2016)
• Gensler Visiting Critic Cornell University (2015 — 2015)
• Visiting Artist - School of the Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago (2015 — 2015)
• Baird Visiting Critic Cornell University (2014 — 2014)
• International Advisory Council Member World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 (2014 — 2014)

Skills

• Rhino
• Green Building
• Sustainable Architecture

Other

Residential Design, Submittals, Urban, Mixed-use, Comprehensive Planning, BIM, Urban Planning, Architectures, Interior Design, SketchUp, Design Research, Urban Design, Urbanism, Sustainable Design, Architecture, Architectural Design