ADAMS ARCH PROJECT

ADAMS ARCH PROJECT

ADAMS ARCH PROJECT

Location
Benin
Year
Typology
Residential

The Adams Arch Project was commissioned as a country home in Benin, but its ambition was much larger than a private residence. The client wanted to give something back to his hometown by creating a modern house that would engage meaningfully with Benin’s architectural history, the Benin Palace and the artefacts for which the city is known around the world. The project began with research. ECAD studied the techniques, reliefs and material traditions that have shaped Benin architecture for centuries, asking not only how they were made but why they took the forms they did. Working with Adams Architecture, restoration architects from England, the team travelled to Benin, visited the Palace, spoke with craftspeople and studied the process of bronze casting. The challenge was to avoid treating heritage as decoration. Instead, the design sought to bring traditional knowledge into dialogue with modern domestic life. Brick, mud, steel and bronze form a material language that bridges the old and the new, while the house itself combines contemporary amenities with ideas drawn from Benin’s architectural and artistic traditions. The project’s contribution extends beyond its walls. By engaging craftspeople whose skills have been passed down through generations, it creates a platform for traditional knowledge to be carried into new work. It is both a country home and a form of cultural restoration: a project that looks to Benin’s past to create new possibilities for its present and future.

Explore More

the pantheon

The Pantheon

Pantheon is conceived as a refined contemporary residential development that brings together elegant architecture, generous glazing, carefully framed views, and a calm material palette to create a sophisticated urban living experience in Lagos. The building is defined by its clean vertical proportions, soft curved edges, and continuous horizontal floor bands, giving the façade a distinctive sense of rhythm and lightness. Expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing allows natural light to penetrate deeply into the interior spaces while also opening the building toward panoramic views of the surrounding cityscape. At ground level, the project establishes a strong sense of arrival through a tall glazed entrance lobby, landscaped forecourt, palm-lined frontage, and carefully composed drop-off areas. These elements create a welcoming transition between the city and the more private residential environment within. The internal planning is organised around comfort, privacy, and flexibility. Residential units are envisioned with open-plan living areas, spacious bedrooms, modern kitchens, private terraces, and large glazed openings that maximise daylight and exterior views. Shared circulation, vertical cores, service spaces, and communal areas are arranged to support efficient movement throughout the building while maintaining a premium residential character. Landscaping plays an important role in softening the architectural form and strengthening the connection between the building and its tropical context. Planting, shaded outdoor areas, water features, terraces, and green roof elements help create a calmer environment while contributing to the overall identity of the development. The material expression combines glass, light-toned concrete, metal detailing, and warm neutral finishes to create a balanced and understated aesthetic. Rather than relying on excessive ornamentation, Pantheon is designed around proportion, transparency, light, and material quality. Overall, the project seeks to create a residential landmark that feels modern, elegant, and enduring. Pantheon brings refined urban living together with generous glazing, fluid architectural lines, carefully considered interior spaces, and framed views across Lagos, resulting in a development that balances comfort, sophistication, and a strong contemporary identity.

Location
Victoria Island, Lagos
Typology
Residential
asaharam school of architecture

Asaharam School of Architecture

A contemporary learning environment centered on a dramatic arched entrance, flexible studios, and shaded landscape spaces for collaboration. The Asaharam School of Architecture is conceived as a contemporary academic landmark that reflects creativity, openness, innovation, and the evolving identity of architectural education. The building combines expansive glazed façades with sculptural geometric forms and a dramatic central entrance that creates a strong sense of arrival. Its architectural language is modern and expressive, using glass, light-toned stone, warm textured materials, and bold structural forms to establish a distinctive institutional identity. Designed for a tropical environment, the school incorporates shaded entrances, landscaped courtyards, pedestrian walkways, palm-lined approaches, generous overhangs, and carefully planned outdoor spaces. These elements help create a comfortable relationship between the building and its surrounding landscape while encouraging interaction between students, staff, and visitors. The internal programme is organised around flexible learning and collaborative spaces. Facilities include architectural design studios, lecture rooms, classrooms, exhibition and critique spaces, digital fabrication laboratories, workshops, faculty offices, administrative spaces, a library and resource centre, computer laboratories, seminar rooms, student lounges, and shared collaborative areas. Large areas of glazing bring natural light into the building and visually connect the interior learning spaces with landscaped exterior areas. The central circulation and courtyard spaces serve as social and academic gathering points, reinforcing the idea of architecture as a collaborative discipline. Overall, the project seeks to balance visual transparency, climatic responsiveness, functionality, institutional presence, sustainability, and a forward-looking architectural identity. The Asaharam School of Architecture is envisioned not only as a place for learning architecture, but also as a building that demonstrates architectural ideas through its form, materiality, spaces, and relationship with the environment.

Location
Lekki, Lagos State
Typology
Educational
l5

L5

L5 is conceived as a refined waterfront residential development that brings together sculptural architecture, expansive terraces, planted balconies, and direct connections to the marina. Positioned as a contemporary lifestyle destination, the project creates a layered waterside silhouette that responds to both the skyline and the calm openness of the water. The building is defined by its stepped massing, generous private outdoor spaces, and softened horizontal lines, which give the architecture a sense of movement and elegance. Large glazed openings allow natural light to flood the interiors while framing panoramic views of the waterfront, marina, and surrounding city beyond. The repetition of terraces and balcony gardens strengthens the building’s identity and gives each residence a more open, relaxed relationship with the outdoors. At ground level, L5 establishes a premium arrival experience through landscaped promenades, a carefully designed entrance sequence, and a strong visual connection to the water’s edge. The marina frontage, planted public realm, and outdoor leisure spaces help create an atmosphere that feels both exclusive and welcoming. The planning concept is centred around comfort, privacy, and elevated residential living. Homes are envisioned with spacious living areas, open layouts, broad terraces, and carefully considered views, while shared amenities and circulation spaces are arranged to support convenience, lifestyle, and community. Overall, L5 is designed as a contemporary waterfront address that combines luxury living with openness, greenery, and a strong sense of place. Through its layered terraces, planted edges, and direct relationship with the marina, the project presents a distinctive vision of refined living on the waterfront.

Location
Eko Atlantic, Lagos
Typology
Residential
the coronation bank

The Coronation Bank

The Coronation Bank presents a composed civic frontage, combining deep vertical fins, warm interior light, and a carefully landscaped street edge to create a calm and confident institutional presence. The architecture is defined by clean lines, strong proportions, and a restrained material palette that gives the building a sense of clarity, stability, and modern elegance. Large glazed openings bring visibility and light into the workplace while the rhythm of the façade creates a refined identity from the street. At ground level, the landscaped forecourt, controlled entrance sequence, and transparent banking hall help establish a welcoming relationship between the building and the public realm. Overall, the project is conceived as a contemporary banking environment that balances professionalism, accessibility, and trust, presenting Coronation Bank as a forward-looking institution with a strong and dignified urban presence.

Location
Victoria Island, Lagos
Typology
Commercial