A career shaped by creativity and culture
From a young age, Tola was drawn to creative pursuits and was encouraged to follow her passions. This led her to study art and construction in school and eventually pursue a five-year degree in interior architecture. While Tola is of Nigerian heritage, she was raised in Ireland and didn't have much exposure to the African continent growing up. In her 20s, she began traveling back to Africa to learn more about her roots — an experience that would profoundly influence her design philosophy. She found herself drawn to the unique findings from her travels, which led to her design process being tightly connected to her heritage.
The creative process: weaving in a story
For Tola, a project begins with a strong narrative and a "big idea". This narrative is the foundation for her creative process, dictating a space's materials, finishes, and atmosphere. Her designs are highly focused on materiality and tactility, starting from the very beginning of a project. She and her team use various sources for inspiration, including nature, architecture, history, fashion, and cities she has visited.
Tola and her team quickly translate their ideas from plans into 3D models using SketchUp. This allows them to test out different materials and finishes while considering the project's budget. SketchUp is a vital tool for client collaboration, as it helps people who can't read plans or envision a space to truly understand the design. The models make the project more engaging and allow clients to feel like part of the process.
Game-changing tools and innovation
In her decade-plus career, Tola has developed an intuitive eye for design, allowing her to quickly understand what a client needs to feel comfortable and warm in a space. She naturally gravitates toward warm palettes, often using wood or stone.
Tola highlights a few key features in SketchUp that have been "game changers" for her work:
Ambient Occlusion: This tool allows her to create shadows and model the space before applying textures or finishes, saving her time when creating client presentations.
Follow Me Tool: This tool has been helpful for exploring curved designs, which are a natural part of her work.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Tola believes AI is the future of the design profession. She has used AI within SketchUp to quickly transform a space from a daytime look to a nighttime look, a process that would have previously taken a long time with a visualizer or a separate plugin. She sees AI as a way to work more efficiently and present more options to clients.
3D Warehouse: The 3D Warehouse in SketchUp makes adding elements like plants to a model easy. The ability to see the file size, compress it, and share it easily is invaluable for collaboration.
A full circle moment: the Africa centre
The Africa Centre project was a significant milestone, marking a "full circle moment" in Tola’s career. Having made an effort to connect with Africa-centric events and spaces, she felt the stars had aligned when she was approached to work on the project. The Africa Centre, which began in 1961, was in a new phase of its identity. Tola’s bicultural background and professional expertise were a perfect match.
The project allowed her to apply her professional knowledge alongside the cultural insights she gained from her travels. The goal was to tell a story that showcased the African continent as diverse and not a "monolith." The project was a success; seeing people live in and enjoy the space she created—and seeing that the design, including specific details like a light fixture, still looks good years later—is what she finds most rewarding.
To hear more stories like Tola's, check out Your Vision Realized and inspire yourself further.
