Niamey 2000 Housing – Street View © united4design
Why did you choose to pursue a career as an architect?
I wanted to be an architect since middle school. I drew a lot, but I did not aspire to be an artist, as science had a central place in my education. Architecture seemed to me to be the perfect compromise that allowed me to be creative, while producing concrete. Later, during my computer studies, I still took care to take plastic arts classes that allowed me to satisfy this creative need by painting paintings. But my desire to be an architect did not leave me. On the contrary, it intensified with the maturity and development of a stronger social and identity consciousness in me. I realized that in addition to being a creative activity, the product (buildings and spaces) of this profession affects people psychologically, socially and economically. That's when a career as an architect became irresistible to me and I got started.
2. What role has Niger played in your career?
I like to say that I live elsewhere, but my soul has remained stuck in Niger! Therefore, all my thoughts and all my efforts are turned towards the problems of our region, our realities, but also our riches and how to value them.
3. What aremasōmī workshop and united4design?
At the end of my studies, I modestly contributed to a girls' school project in Afghanistan, the construction of which has just been completed. It was extremely rewarding and this project allowed me to understand how my humanistic aspirations could be applied to my new training. This project gave birth to a collective of four architects, united4design, of which I am a part and whose objective is to bring our services to populations who do not always have access to them. We have no geographical limit and are of a very global character, counting an Iranian architect (Yasaman Esmaili), an American (Elizabeth Golden), a Nigerien and a German (Philip Straëter)! This allows us to develop rich and complex projects and gives rise to very rewarding dialogues and debates. Atelier masōmī is the architectural firm I just set up, based in Niamey. Its objective is similar to that of united4design of course, but the mission of the firm is also to experiment with architectural techniques, materials, to research our architectural traditions, producing contemporary interpretations. It is a question of finding answers to the question: what is modernity for us? Not the modernity we confuse with Westernization. But a strong expression, and directly drawn from our lifestyles and practices. Masōmī means "the beginning", "the beginning" of something in Hausa. It spoke to me because I feel like I'm embarking on an adventure where I don't have all the answers. As a result, each step, each project is a discovery, one more step towards the discovery of an architecture whose shapes and contours we do not yet know. We are in the childhood of this architectural movement, so I found this name appropriate.
Center for Wooden Boats – Exploratory sketch © Mariam Kamara
4. What advice would you give to young people who see you as a role model?
I'm not sure I should be considered a role model! I took a pretty tortuous path to get to my dream career. I'm just starting out, so there's still a long way to go to accomplish my goals. But for those who wish to be an architect, I would say first of all that it is not necessary to be a fine draftsman or mathematician to achieve this (this is often the myth conveyed). But it is not superfluous to have a certain creative activity before embarking on architectural studies, in order to be sensitive to certain aesthetic and compositional aspects. For me, it was drawing and painting, but it can also be sculpture, photography, etc. On the other hand, architecture is a sometimes thankless sector: it requires very long hours of work, sleepless nights are common during studies. It is therefore necessary to have a real passion for this career to not only hold on, but also to constantly improve, something that I find essential, because an architect must constantly renew his knowledge and his creative force.
Your last word?
There is no miracle recipe. I think the lesson of my career is that you have to be tenacious and not get discouraged when you set a goal. You also have to be willing to make a lot of sacrifices coupled with a very strong work ethic to overcome the obstacles that are always present.