Strings of Light by Whenu Mauton, Abiodun Olowu and Abimbola Omutunde
In a highly urbanized megacity like Lagos, the adaptation and reuse of architecture is critical for the future. In their final proposal, the Lagos team tackled the challenging conversion of a former residential building into a progressive office space. Retrofits are often expensive and time consuming, which is why their approach promotes feasible interventions that are cost efficient and respect the building’s integrity.
‘Strings of Light’ uses fiber optics to unlock the most problematic resource in Lagos: the sun. The smart lighting concept is programmed to capture sunlight in concave collector plates installed outside the building and channel the light into the interior workspaces. It is a simple, DIY solution that can be easily scaled up and made into an industry standard supplement for office conversions. Different light temperatures are funneled into the offices depending on the time of the day; the morning might be white and crisp, whereas the afternoon may be a rich glow. The low-cost, high-impact approach uses natural sunlight efficiently to solve recurring issues of glare and heat. Furthermore, it employs a strong design element that is constantly changing and connecting the interior with the outdoor urban environment.
