Architecture
Architecture
Overview
It is with a deep sense of honour and privilege that we welcome you to the Department of Architecture, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria. We are not in doubt that the timing of your visit is GOD chosen; and we want to use this opportunity to let you know where we were, and where we have strategically planned to be in the next few years. The Department of Architecture is one of the three departments in our School of Environmental Sciences established at the inception of Covenant University in August 2002. It is among the very few Departments of Architecture accredited in Nigeria by the National University Commission (NUC), Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and Nigerian Institute of Architecture (NIA) to run B.Sc, M.Sc and PhD degrees in Architecture. This is a clear testimony of the caliber of faculty, staff, teaching and research resources at our disposal as well as the quality of our programmmes. Feedback from the employers of our products shows that they are competing well with architecture graduates from older Schools of Architecture within and outside Nigeria. This may help to explain why on a yearly basis; the department is inundated with requests from employers of labour for our graduates. Our success story is based on our strategic approach of doing things in a different way and God’s grace available to us as drawn from our proprietor base.
Visit the departmental website here
Philosophy and Objectives
The Department of Architecture is absolutely committed to effective creative “design solutions which are tailored to meet the socio-economic and cultural needs and aspirations of the people in a sustainable manner”. Our curriculum is focused on the development of students’ creative skills and capabilities in generating architectural solutions that are environmentally, socially, economically and culturally response to the desire of all categories of clients in contemporary society. This is achieved through our emphasis on problem-based learning approach, which is the hallmark of architectural education.
Our Goal and Objectives
Globally, the profession of architecture is all about the creation of human settlements that embody human values and support human activities. Through the design process, architects thrive to address the interrelated environmental, economic, behavioural, and cultural issues that underlie the organization of the built environment. Recent developments show that one of the most intricate challenges confronting us today at local and global levels is how to achieve sustainable human settlements. Consequently, the DesignIntelligence’s 2014 survey report reveals that a majority of the Deans of Schools of Architecture in the US identified sustainability and climate change as one of the architecture’s biggest concerns. In fact, Schools of Architecture all over the world are re-directing their focus on teaching, learning, research and civil engagement to issues related to sustainability and climate change within the context of urban and the built environment. Form examples, top rated Schools of Architecture such as those in Harvard University, California Polytechnic State University and Cambridge University, just to mention these few, are currently engaged in goals and strategies that help them create, transfer and exchange knowledge and ideas, as well as position their staff and students at the forefront of these new challenges and responses in architecture, urban and the built environment.
As a department in a university that desires to be among the top ten universities in the world by 2022 (Vision 10 2022), there is a need for us to be engaged in seeking and providing practical solutions to the challenges confronting our society. This implies that a significant part of teaching, learning and research efforts should seek to provide intellectually robust assessments of some of these issues, identify past and current responses to such challenges and evaluate the efficacy of such responses, and then propose more effective, innovative and targeted solutions that would provide a sort of relief to the society. Apart from contributing to our drive for relevance in the local and global community, these will help to deepen our students’ understanding of the challenges of contemporary society.
In view of our antecedent, internal capabilities and resource base, Covenant University’s overall Vision, Mission and Goals, as well as the global trend in the teaching, learning, research and practice of architecture; the overall our corporate goal of the Department of Architecture for 2015 is “to develop a better understanding of the issues of sustainable human environments among our students, staff and faculty through innovative teaching, learning, research and collaborations.
Our specific objectives are to:
- Review our current approaches to teaching and learning of sustainability issues as they relate to the design, development and management of human environments
- Forge a clear direction and identity for our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes by placing more emphasis on sustainable design principles and practices in our teaching and research activities
- Engage in effective strategies to optimise the existing research strengths in sustainable human settlements for maximum output and impact on our immediate environment
- Increase our generation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge by establishing and maintaining a database of research findings and publications in our niche area; and
- Pursue aggressive collaboration programmes by formalising and strengthening the existing links with other departments in the School of Environmental Sciences in Covenant University, Schools of Architecture and researchers in other Universities/ Institutions, and maintaining constant interactions with the industry and public spheres within and outside Nigeria.
We strongly believe that pursuing this goal can contribute to our drive for relevance locally and visibility globally; and also help us evolve new strategies for achieving our short, medium and long term vision
Goal-Attainment Strategies
The Department of Architecture appreciates the fact that conducive learning environment has to be created. The components of the ideal environment include Curriculum, Right Man Resources, Qualified students and Learning Facilities. With the right environment, the curriculum is structured to produce professionals capable of producing appropriate and imaginative solutions that are not only technically proficient and contemporary but also economically feasible and relevant in all their ramifications. Students are guided by the right human resources, procedures and conducive learning environment. Studio work and its supervision are structured to enable students acquire the knowledge and skills for the practice of the profession
Mission Statement
Our Mission is to produce a new breed of Professional Architects who are competent, creative, and capable of leading the Building Industry within and outside Nigeria. The Department plans to attain the set goals through innovative approaches to teaching, learning, research and specialized mentorship programmmes; and to create a conducive environment for the training of all categories of Architects.
Vision
The Vision of the Department of Architecture is to be locally relevant and globally recognized for its innovative contributions to issues of sustainable human settlement from architectural perspective.
Research & Development
The department of architecture has a number of ongoing research projects involving researchers from within and outside the department. Some of the ongoing research works are undertaken under the Built Environment Research Cluster, while others are independent research carried out by groups of researchers. The Built Environment Research Cluster with 4 sub-clusters such as: Education Practice and Behaviour; Materials, Construction, Cost and Investment; Built Environment Management and Building Informatics.
One of the current endeavours is research on “Investigation of Housing in Ogun State: Understanding the Relationship Between Housing Demand and Provision of Affordable Housing”, which secured a Covenant University Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery (CUCRID) grant worth N1.6million. The objectives of the research are to:
a) identify the building typologies and morphologies in the study area;
b) determine the building materials and constructional methods used in buildings in the study area;
c) examine the physical characteristics and condition (age, height, state of repair) of buildings in the study area;
d) determine of the extent of access to infrastructural services by residents in the study area;
e) identification of existing urban design morphologies in the study area;
f) explore housing demand patterns in the study area through investigation of housing preferences, socio-economic characteristics (disposal income, rental expenditure, etc) and aspirations of residents; and g) make recommendations aimed at the provision of architectural solutions and urban renewal programmes that are better suited to housing demand in the study area.
Dr. P.A. Opoko, a seasoned researcher is the Principal Investigator in this research project. Other team Members is Prof. S. A. Oloyede; Prof. E. O. Ibem; Dr. O. A. Alagbe; Dr. E. B. Aduwo; Dr. B .A. Adewale; Dr. F. O. Jegede and Dr. Oloke
Another ongoing research project is aimed at investigating and analysing current adoption of e-Procurement and how its benefits can be successfully maximized in the Nigerian construction sector. It seeks to ascertain the state of e-Procurement adoption in the construction industry and how clients use e-Procurement systems and tools to acquire services and works in the construction procurement process. The specific objectives are to:
a) Identify users of e-Procurement and their experiences in the Nigerian construction industry;
b) Ascertain the electronic systems and applications used for construction procurement;
c) Identify aspects of the construction procurement process supported by electronic systems and tools;
d) Investigate the factors that influence the use of e-Procurement in construction in Nigeria; and
e) Analyse how the use of electronic procurement can be successfully diffused and its benefits maximised in the Nigerian construction industry to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of construction procurement processes. The Research Team comprise Prof. E.O. Ibem (Principal Investigator); Dr. L. Amusan; Dr. E.B. Aduwo; Dr. O. C. Iroham; Arc O. Uwakonye and Dr. P. Tunji-Olanyeni.
The Department has produced eleven (17) Ph.D. graduates between 2009 and 2018. Twenty (20) M.Phil/PhD students are current on the Ph.D programme in the department. The areas of our research activities are diverse, and include but not limited to
a) Architectural History;
b) Housing and Urban Studies;
c) Building Maintenance;
d) ICT in Architecture;
e) Architectural Education /Gender issues;
f) and Post occupancy Evaluation.
The following are some of the Ph.D thesis titles by students in the department.
1. Assessment of Compliance of Academic Buildings to Universal Design Principles in Selected Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria- SHOLANKE Anthony Babatunde
2. Investigation of Housing Development Patterns in International Border Towns of Ogun State, Nigeria- OJO Oladimeji Olusola
3. Evaluation of Public Housing for Resilience to Rapid Population Growth in Abuja, Nigeria- EQUERE Enobong Bennett
4. Impact of Classroom Architecture on Students’ Leaning Outcomes in Secondary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria- OWOSENI Abraham Oluwakayode
5. Visual Quality Assessment of Senate Buildings in Selected Universities in Southwest Nigeria- OBALEYE Oludare Joseph
6. Building Procurement Waste Management Practices in Southwest Nigeria- TONGO S. O.
7. Effect of Learning Environment and Learning Approaches on Academic Performance of Architecture Students of Universities in Southsouth Nigeria- SEN Gabriel Iwua
8. Assessment of Lean Practices Adoption in the Nigerian Building Industry- BABALOLA Oluwatosin Dorcas
The department of architecture has a number of ongoing research projects involving researchers from within and outside the department. Some of the ongoing research works are undertaken under the Built Environment Research Cluster, while others are independent research carried out by groups of researchers. The Built Environment Research Cluster with 4 sub-clusters such as: Education Practice and Behaviour; Materials, Construction, Cost and Investment; Built Environment Management and Building Informatics.
One of the current endeavours is research on “Investigation of Housing in Ogun State: Understanding the Relationship Between Housing Demand and Provision of Affordable Housing”, which secured a Covenant University Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery (CUCRID) grant worth N1.6million. The objectives of the research are to:
a) identify the building typologies and morphologies in the study area;
b) determine the building materials and constructional methods used in buildings in the study area;
c) examine the physical characteristics and condition (age, height, state of repair) of buildings in the study area;
d) determine of the extent of access to infrastructural services by residents in the study area;
e) identification of existing urban design morphologies in the study area;
f) explore housing demand patterns in the study area through investigation of housing preferences, socio-economic characteristics (disposal income, rental expenditure, etc) and aspirations of residents; and g) make recommendations aimed at the provision of architectural solutions and urban renewal programmes that are better suited to housing demand in the study area.
Dr. P.A. Opoko, a seasoned researcher is the Principal Investigator in this research project. Other team Members is Prof. S. A. Oloyede; Prof. E. O. Ibem; Dr. O. A. Alagbe; Dr. E. B. Aduwo; Dr. B .A. Adewale; Dr. F. O. Jegede and Dr. Oloke
Another ongoing research project is aimed at investigating and analysing current adoption of e-Procurement and how its benefits can be successfully maximized in the Nigerian construction sector. It seeks to ascertain the state of e-Procurement adoption in the construction industry and how clients use e-Procurement systems and tools to acquire services and works in the construction procurement process. The specific objectives are to:
a) Identify users of e-Procurement and their experiences in the Nigerian construction industry;
b) Ascertain the electronic systems and applications used for construction procurement;
c) Identify aspects of the construction procurement process supported by electronic systems and tools;
d) Investigate the factors that influence the use of e-Procurement in construction in Nigeria; and
e) Analyse how the use of electronic procurement can be successfully diffused and its benefits maximised in the Nigerian construction industry to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of construction procurement processes. The Research Team comprise Prof. E.O. Ibem (Principal Investigator); Dr. L. Amusan; Dr. E.B. Aduwo; Dr. O. C. Iroham; Arc O. Uwakonye and Dr. P. Tunji-Olanyeni.
The Department has produced eleven (17) Ph.D. graduates between 2009 and 2018. Twenty (20) M.Phil/PhD students are current on the Ph.D programme in the department. The areas of our research activities are diverse, and include but not limited to
a) Architectural History;
b) Housing and Urban Studies;
c) Building Maintenance;
d) ICT in Architecture;
e) Architectural Education /Gender issues;
f) and Post occupancy Evaluation.
The following are some of the Ph.D thesis titles by students in the department.
1. Assessment of Compliance of Academic Buildings to Universal Design Principles in Selected Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria- SHOLANKE Anthony Babatunde
2. Investigation of Housing Development Patterns in International Border Towns of Ogun State, Nigeria- OJO Oladimeji Olusola
3. Evaluation of Public Housing for Resilience to Rapid Population Growth in Abuja, Nigeria- EQUERE Enobong Bennett
4. Impact of Classroom Architecture on Students’ Leaning Outcomes in Secondary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria- OWOSENI Abraham Oluwakayode
5. Visual Quality Assessment of Senate Buildings in Selected Universities in Southwest Nigeria- OBALEYE Oludare Joseph
6. Building Procurement Waste Management Practices in Southwest Nigeria- TONGO S. O.
7. Effect of Learning Environment and Learning Approaches on Academic Performance of Architecture Students of Universities in Southsouth Nigeria- SEN Gabriel Iwua
8. Assessment of Lean Practices Adoption in the Nigerian Building Industry- BABALOLA Oluwatosin Dorcas
Staff & Personnel
Architecture
Professor IBEM, Eziyi Offia
Dr. ALAGBE, Oluwole
Dr OPOKO, Akunnaya Pearl
Arc. OWOSENI, Abraham
Mr AKINOLA, Adedotun
Miscellaneous
Departmental Activities
As part of the efforts aimed at enhancing teaching, learning and research in the Department of Architecture, Covenant University; a number of academic and extracurricular activities are organized in the department. These activities include but not limited to ARCHIFUSE, Architectural Retreat, Weekly Seminars and Students’ Induction Programme.
THE ARCHIFUSE
The ARCHIFUSE is an annual event initiated by the student body under the auspices of the Society of Architecture Students (SAS). As the name implies, it is a fusion architectural education and practice; and seeks to create a platform where architects in practice share their uncommon experiences with architectural educators and the students of architecture. ARCHIFUSE is usually a week long programme event featuring talk shows, counselling, seminars, exhibitions, awareness campaigns, design competitions and excursion/tours. It provides an avenue where students can freely ask questions related to architectural practice, requirements for membership of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), registration with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and prospects in architecture as a profession and vocation. Due the success recorded in the past editions of this event it is now recognized as a University event and given a slot in the University annual calendar.
ARCHITECTURE RETREAT
This is another annual event in the Department of Architecture, Covenant University. It is an academic retreat which is principally aimed at improving staff capacity in handling teaching, research and community service. In addition, it is designed to widen staff perception of academic issues and enhance their ability to deal with such issues with dispatch. One of the key objectives of this event is to create an informal environment outside the confinement of the University setting where faculty freely discuss a wide range of issues related to curriculum development, lecture delivery and strategies for mentoring students as well as junior staff members. For this reason, it has been the common practice to invite experienced academics and professionals to shear their wealth of experience in an atmosphere that promotes mutual interaction.
Although, the academic retreat has its primary target on capacity building for academic staff, representatives of professional and student bodies are also involved. This is to enable the student gain insight into the capacity building process that supports their learning base. In addition, it provides the students an opportunity to interact with their teachers and practicing architects outside the formal academic environment of the University
WEEKLY SEMINARS
Globally, world-Class Universities and faculties are known for their research output. In view of the fact that Covenant University has a Vision of joining the league of world class Universities, the Department of Architecture is not left out in the drive to achieve this goal. Therefore, the department has instituted a weekly seminar series for its faculty. The seminar series holds on Fridays, and it is an avenue where our faculty presents their current research activities for comments, debates and discussions. In addition, the weekly seminar series also provide the platform for our postgraduate (M.Phil and PhD) students to present their works to comments and suggestions. In view of the fact that the School of Environmental Sciences and the Department of Architecture have a good proportion of experienced Senior faculty members, this category of faculty are invited as guest lecturers to share part of their experience and make inputs to ongoing PhD research works of faculty members at the weekly seminar series.
To the glory of God, the weekly seminar series of the department of architecture have been instrumental to speedy completion of PhD research programmes of a number of faculty members in this department. Therefore, it is one of the capacity building initiatives that have produced tangible.
TOWN-GOWN SEMINARS
In a bid to encourage industry-classroom interactions; Covenant University recently initiated a platform for robust town/gown interactions. In a memo dated 12th January 2015 to all the Heads of Departments (HODs), the Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Professor Charles K. Ayo, noted that such interactions, are expected to be in the form of departmental seminars, and seek to enhance the employability of the University’s graduates. The Vice-Chancellor therefore enjoined all HODS’s to initiate plans and make necessary contacts with their professional colleagues in the industry to be guest speakers at the departmental town/gown seminars. Each department is expected to organize three of such seminars within the each. It was in response to the directives of the Vice-Chancellor that the Department of Architecture commenced a monthly seminar series tagged “Town-Gown Interaction. The first in this series of town-gown seminars was held on Thursday 29th January 2015. The department played host to Arc Lukman B. Arowona from Interstate Architects Ltd, Lagos as the Guest Speaker. Arc Arowona spoke on the role of the Architect in the Contemporary construction Project Management Practices
TEACHING
Teaching is an essential part of the responsibilities of the member of staff of the Department of Architecture. Various methods and systems are employed to drive home training and educational goals of the Department. We insist on the preparation and submission of Lecture Notes on the University’s e-learning platform called MODULE. Preparation and submission of course compact for effective and qualitative delivery of lecture are compulsory in line with the University’s drive for teaching quality and academic excellence. The delivery of our curriculum content is heavily supported by the use of modern teaching aids, ICT driven tools and techniques. We also use Internet technology to disseminate information to our students, while our design studio works involve the use of real life projects. Tutorials also form an integral part of the teaching and learning process in the department of architecture. At the beginning of every semester, students are provided with tutorial questions in each taught course. Each course Lecturer is mandated to conduct student- centred tutorial sessions at the end of each module. These have been found to be very helpful in enhancing students’ understanding of the course content and preparing our students for tests, quiz and semester examinations.
Staff List
FULL-TIME ACADEMIC STAFF
| S/N | Name in full | Designation / Rank
| Qualificati-ons | Area of Specialisation |
| 1 | Dr. A. A. Oluwatayo | Associate Professor | Ph.D (Arch) 2009 M.Sc (Arch) 2001 B.Sc (Arch) 1998 | Architectural Practice and Sustainable Architectural Education |
| 2 | Prof. E. O. Ibem | Professor | Ph.D (Arch) 2011 M.Sc (Arch) 2001 B.Sc (Arch) 1998 | Housing and Sustainable Urban Development |
| 3 | Dr. A. P. Opoko | Associate Professor | Ph.D (Arch) 2013 M.A (Arch) (Housing Studies) 1995 M.Sc (Constr. Mgmt) 1989 B.Arch 1984 | Construction Management, Housing Studies |
| 4 | Dr. O. A. Alagbe | Senior Lecturer | Ph.D (Arch) 2009 M.Sc (Arch) 2000 B.Sc (Arch) 1998 | History of Architecture, Housing Studies and Building Materials |
| 5 | Dr. I. C. Ezema | Senior Lecturer | Ph.D (Arch) 2015 M.Sc (Arch) 1986 B.Sc (Arch) 1984 | Sustainable Architecture and Professional Practice |
| 6 | Dr. P. A. Aderonmu | Senior Lecturer | Ph.D (Arch) 2013 M.Sc (Arch) 2001 B.Sc (Arch) 1999 OND (Arch) 1994 | Architectural Education; Architectural Psychology |
| 7 | Dr. E. B. Aduwo | Senior Lecturer | Ph.D (Arch) 2011 M.Sc (Arch) 1999 B.Sc (Arch) 1997 | Housing Studies and Interior Design |
| 8 | Dr. O. N. E. Ekhaese | Lecturer I | Ph.D (Arch) 2011 M.Sc (Arch) 2002 B.Sc (Arch) 2000 | Housing and Vernacular Architecture |
| 9 | Dr. B. A. Adewale | Lecturer I | Ph.D (Arch) 2014 M.Sc (Arch) 2000 B.Sc(Arch)1998 | Housing Studies and Specification Writing |
| 10 | Dr. O. O. Izobo-Martins | Lecturer I | Ph.D (Arch) 2015 M.Tech (Arch). 2006 B.Tech (Arch) 2002 | Building Maintenance and Recreational Architecture |
| 11 | Arc. A. B. Sholanke | Lecturer I | BES/B.Arch 1998 HND 1989 OND 1986 | Universal Design and Urban Planning |
| 12 | Dr. O. D. Babalola | Lecturer I | Ph.D (Arch) 2016 M.Sc (Arch) 1985 B.Sc (Arch) 1983 | Housing Studies and Construction Methods |
| 13 | Dr. O. J. Ediae | Lecturer I | Ph.D (Arch) 2015 M.Sc (Arch) 1997 B.Sc (Arch) 1995 | History of Traditional Architecture; Preservation and Conservation |
| 14 | Dr. G. M. Alalade | Lecturer I | Ph.D (Arch) 2017 M.Sc (Arch) 2008 B.Sc (Arch) 2006 | Architectural Structures |
| 15 | Dr. O. A. Fulani | Lecturer I | Ph.D (Arch) 2017 M.Sc (Arch) 2002 B.Sc (Arch) 2000 | Gender and Architecture |
| 16 | Dr. O. U. Uwakonye | Lecturer II | Ph.D (Arch) 2018 M.Sc (Arch) 1997 B.Sc (Arch) 1994 | Building Information Modeling and CAAD |
| 17 | Dr. F. O. Jegede | Lecturer II | Ph.D (Arch) 2018 M.Tech (Arch.) 2001 B.Tech (Arch.) 2000 | Architecture and Crime Prevention |
| 18 | Arc. E. M. Erebor | Lecturer II | M.Sc (Arch) 2017 (CAD & Constr.) 2005 M.Sc (Arch) 1994 B.Sc (Arch) 1991 | Architectural Practice and Computer Aided Design |
| 19 | Arc. A. O. Owoseni | Lecturer II | M.Sc (Arch) 2013 B. Sc. (Arch) 2011 | Behavioural Architecture and CAAD |
| 20 | Mr. O. O. Olagunju | Assistant Lecturer | Dip. Interior Designing (2016) M.Sc (Arch) 2011 B.Sc (Arch) 2009 | Sustainable Architecture |
| 21 | Mrs. O. C. Adetoro | Assistant Lecturer | MSc (Arch) 2014 BSc (Arch) 2012 | Housing, Building Materials, Sustainable Architecture |
| 22 | Mr. A. Akinola | Assistant Lecturer | MSc (Arch) 2014 BSc (Arch) 2012 | Housing, Post-Occupancy Evaluation |
Laboratory Staff and Technologist
| S/N | Name in full
| Designation / Rank
| Qualifications |
| 1 | Mrs Omokehinde Favour Oni | Technologist 2 | B.Sc (Arch) 2007 |
Administrative and Non-Teaching Staff.
| S/N | Name in full
| Designation / Rank
| Qualifications |
| 1 | Mrs Victoria A. Adeoye | Administrative Officer I | B.Sc (Int. Rel.), 2008 |
