A university don and successful architect, Dr Yinka Gbotosho has charged his colleagues in Nigeria to embrace the use of technology in order to be more productive and relevant in the profession to meet up with international practices and standards
He said “An Architect that will remain relevant needs to build both personal and corporate competence in handling current and competitive tools and processes”.
He stated that the advent of COVID-19 which has significantly affected the entire world has brought a new dimension to the practice of the profession while urging architects on the need to reduce physical contact in order to eliminate the possibility of being infected.
The University Scholar gave these submissions in Ibadan on recently during the 2021 Annual general meeting and product exhibition of the Nigeria Institute of Architects, Oyo State chapter.
He described the use of drawing board, T-Square and similar tools as obsolete in the face of new technological advancement while emphasizing that the use of interactive online platforms such as Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google classroom, Google Meet among others have been proved to be very effective in the teaching and practice environment.
He said “there is need to be open minded in readiness to embrace new order of doing things based on current and future technological advancement”.
The University don further urged architects and other stakeholders in the building profession to embrace the use of CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design and Manufacture) and BIM (Building Information Management) softwares to enhance project delivery and to improve the quality of the work from early- stage design to construction.
Speaking further, Professor Olu Ola Ogunsote urged architectural institutes and tertiary institutions in Nigeria to embrace the use of technology both in teaching and practice while lamenting the inefficiencies of many architectural studios in the various tertiary institutions where architects are being trained in the country.
He, however, urged ARCON (Architect Registration Council of Nigeria) and the Nigeria University Commission (NUC) and other relevant stakeholders in the profession to be more proactive in order to reduce the imbalance currently experienced in the practice and teaching environment.
Some of the notable names in the profession who were present at the AGM included Architect Bolu, Architect Muyiwa Ige, Adenike Olugbesan and so many others.
