PORTFOLIO
NWAN KWO JAMES SOMTO CHUKWU
SELECTED WORKS 2019 / 2023
LIFE and DEATH
“As the windows of my soul opens, I see beauty As the casements of my eyes closes I see eternity”
ABOUT
This Portfolio is an overview of range of projects from academic to professional practice which highlights the impact of design in our environment and how design can impact and play a major role in our lifes from the point when we were born into this world to where we learned in the four walls of the educational system, to a place of work, to where we reside, to where we retire in our elderly years and, to the place we final rest at the journeys end.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: A LIFE BEGINS
The Embryo - Maternity Centre
CHAPTER 2: A LIFE IN TRAINING
The Turtle of Knowledge - Lecture Theatre
CHAPTER 3: THE WORKING HOURS OF LIFE
The Feeding Fruit - Palm Oil Factory
CHAPTER 4: THE END ROADS OF LIFE
A Wrinkle In Time - Home for The Elderly
CHAPTER 5: A LIFE ENDS AND CONTINUES
Beauty For Ashes - Cemetry
EXTRAS: A GALLERY OF ART
A Skin Of My Skin
CHAPTER 1: A LIFE BEGINS
The Embryo - Maternity Centre
A life begins when one is born into this world as the fetus develops in the womb of the woman awaiting to concieve her child into a new environment. Apart from the skin-to-skin touch the newly born baby experience with his or her mother, architecture also plays a role in the psychological and physical well-being of the child and his mother during childbirth from the atmosphere in which the mother is in labour to the space in which she conviences.
A research shows that a calm and healing atmosphere and space can relief the emotional stress and pain the mother experience during birthing.
This project is proposed Maternity Centre design for the community of nawfia, located in Nawfia, Anambra state, Nigeria, aiming to creating a solace environment for birthing mothers in labour.
In this project, these healing spaces and atmosphere is introduced using biomimicry and biophilic design approach, appying nature and color as a psycholoigical balance of the well-being of the users of its spaces.
year: 2022 type: personal practice | | location: anambra, nigeria 2 1
BYPASS THE EMBRYO
CONCEPT a b c d e g h i j f 4 3
ACCESS ROAD ACCESS ROAD NAWFIA
THE
circulation - lobby
admin - offices
labour room
delivery room - private ward
delivery room - general ward
neo-natal intensive unit
postpartum ward
scrub area
sterilization area
theatre access space
theatre room
recovery room
archive
cloak room
nurse station
circulation - stairs / ramp
lavatory
courtyard
entrance / kitchen exit
reception
admin - offices
paypoint
circulation - lobby
cafe
pediatric - private ward
pediatric - general ward
archive
utility room
cloak room
nurse station
lavatory
green areas
circulation - stairs / ramp
exit
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0 1 L E V E L 1 0 2 - L E V E L 2 G R O U N D L E V E L 8 7
fabricated double -skin wall shell 3d printed precast concrete wall envelope lamiWnated curtain wall glass sky light window installed in 1st & 2nd stage labbour room, delivery room and ist floor atruim space cast-in-place concrete damp proofed flat gently sloped roof suspended ceiling board suspended floor slab (level 2) THE RECEPTION THE EXTERIOR
10 9
ACCESS ROAD
CHAPTER 2: A LIFE IN TRAINING
The Turtle Of Knownledge - Lecture Theatre
Life is a training and part of this training is present in the four walls of an educational structured system. It is known that most of what we know right now serves as a body for the base that was aquired during this structured system, acting like a pillar or foundation for more knowledege to be laid on top.
This project is a lecture theatre auditorium design that reflects the beauty of knowledege proposed to be designed for my university, Caritas university’s already pre-exist auditorium structure. The idea brief was to redesign a new lecture theatre auditorium for the university where it space could be used to hold lectures, seminars and catholic mass for the students and lecturers.
For the concept of the lecture theatre, it took its form in plan from a living sea turtle to express the endless age of knowledge and in its elevation from a lobster, in-elevation to annotate and balance the interior acoustic parameters of the shell structure. a large pieces of this project was also inspired by the sydney opera house in sydney, australia in the idea to give a friendly environment while learning.
year: 2021 type: academic | | location: enugu, nigeria 12 11
the site is located in amorji-nike, emene, enugu state, nigeria. the site is situated in the university premises where the pre-exsiting structure resides surrounded by neighboring structure, green life and a steep slope
the turtle
the concept
the lobster
14 13
the concept
The lecture theatre approximately accomodates 630 seats.
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CHAPTER 3: THE WORKING HOURS OF LIFE
The Feeding Fruit - Palm Oil Factory
As life comes in stages and time grows older, there would reach a stage in ones youth or adulthood whereby he or she is required to work to meet ends meet for survival in this world, however most times this stage is experienced before ones youth. This project emphasis the working hours of life and portrays a feeding fruit that can be used to meet ends meet in a hard economy like Nigeria’s own.
This is proposed Palm oil factory design located in Nawfia, Njikoka local government, Anambra state, Nigeria which aims to utilize the natural resources of palm trees and palm fruits genetically present on the soils of Nawfia.
This project is a means to regenerate the countries failed economy in the aspect of exporting of mineral resources especially exportation of palm oil and palm fruit which could help to give the country a kick aback into the race of leading countires which also export this same mineral resoucres.
It is also to be aimed to create jobs for the working class, though it might not feed the whole country but its a starting point.
year: 2020 type: academic | | location: anambra, nigeria 20 19
22 21
1 2 3 THE
THE
24 23
ADMIN
PALM OIL FACTORY THE PALM OIL STORAGE SILO
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28 27
30 29
32 31
CHAPTER 4: THE END ROADS OF LIFE
A Wrinkle In Time - Home For The Elderly
There’s one thing amongst many that we cannot control, and that is “Time”. It always catches up to us whether we like it or not. As time runs up to us, a boy who was once young becomes no longer as young as he was as he gradually wrinkles in time.
Some people see this as a curse, some see it as a blessing. The wrinkling in time is just, beauty and should be appreciated as a gift from God. As it’s said there’s “beauty in aging” and the people that are already in this wrinkling of time be it our parents, siblings, family or strangers, matters.
This project emphasis on homes that can accommodate our elderly citizens as they spend there remainimg productive years on earth with loved ones. The project idea was to create a small village like community in Nawfia, Anambra state, Nigeria where our eldery citizens could be taken care of by medical caregiver in there private homes.
These homes are divide into two classes, A & B which are graded by the physical and medical performances of the elderly,
year: 2021 type: academic | | location: anambra, nigeria 34 33
all entrance
dining
kitchen veranda
bedroom bathrooms guest toilet main entrance reception office lobby stone paving green area multi - purpose hall
hall entrance home - a home - b admin access road 36 35
porch living /
area
elderly bedrooms care - givers
lavatory
home - a this home is designed for elderlies who have some physical challenges and find it difficult to carry on with daily activities independently without someone for assistance in this home one care-givers is assigned for two edlerly
home - b
this home is designed for elderlies who have little or no physical challenges and have less difficult in carrying out daily activities independently without someone for assistance in this home two care-givers is assigned for three edlerly
admin home home 38 37
THE HOMES THE ADMIN 40 39
THE LIVING SPACE THE OUTDOOR MACRO - PAVILION 42 41
CHAPTER 5: A LIFE ENDS AND CONTINUES
Beauty For Ashes - Cemetry
Someone’s knocking at the door, who could that be at this hours of life? Could it be time already? Oh how time runs so fast, I didnt even have time to prepare, Oh Lord please!!! please!!! forgive am so sorry.
The casements of my eyes begins to close, everthing begins to get dark. Am so afraid. I began to ponder of my past life. I could have done better, be more gentle in heart, be more devoted. Regrets!!!
Of sudden, i see a beam of light rays blast upon my temple and the darkness that surrounded me i saw no more as i rose into a Glorious Kingdom of Light.
This project is a proposed cemetry design which emphasis on a place to put to rest those who have lost theirs lifes and find nowhere to buried natively in their local home towns, be it rejection in native tribes or difficulty in identifing the lost one. In nigeria the concept of buring ones loved one in a cemetry is like taboo, thats why this project aims to give a place for this souls to be put to rest as life contiunes beyond.
year: 2023 type: personal practice | | location: nigeria 44 43
the CROSS the CONCEPT 46 45
THE GRAVE YARD THE ASH TRAY - BURIED URNS 48 47
CHAPTER 6: A GALLERY OF ART
A Skin of my skin
Art is just an expression of ones heart, a reflection of the soul. It can be said that what we draw or create is what we are. To better clearify this statement “your art is what is in your heart”.
A skin of my skin is an expression of art as an extension of ones being and surrounding which he or she communicate through a medium.
In this gallery of art holds three art piece expressed in 3 different mediums of choice. First medium is in a traditional style of art depicting the beauty in aging. The second meduim is rendered in a 2d/a.i digital representation which was prompt to convey a comic book cover named “Police Story” which narrates a young life of a passionate police officer in a world rooting in corruption and destruction. And the third medium expresses the art work in 3d of a robot named i Robot, which has a beating human heart with only one question in his heart “am i a human or just a robot?”
year: 2020 - 2023 type: personal works | | location: nigeria 2020 BEAUTY IN AGING POLICE STORY i ROBOT 2020 2023 50 49
“
As the windows of my soul opens, I see beauty
As the casements of my eyes closes I see eternity”
“Thank You Lord”