Atelier Inhyah from Ivory Coast is part of our series of profiles of architects, spatial designers and builders shaping West Africa's architectural future
Atelier Inhyah is a story of two friends, Assarah Adoum from Tchad and Tara-Aude Koffi from Ivory Coast. They graduated from the École Spéciale d’Architecture de Paris in 2019, and went on to work for French and Ivorian firms. But soon, they both felt the need to create a practice relevant to their cultural backgrounds, and so they decided to start their own firm in 2020: ‘We are inspired by where we are from, while being relevant to our time.
Inhyah’s latest project is a series of eco-lodges for a private client. ‘It shows what we are really about – we aim to have an architecture suitable to the cultural context and climate,’ says Koffi. To achieve this goal, the studio is putting emphasis on local know-how and materials. The duo are constantly learning, improving and developing their interest in education surrounding architecture in Africa.
More unique to Abidjan, the dangers of hiring non-qualified practitioners results in disorganised and unsafe structures that do not respect planning regulations. Koffi says, ‘it is becoming urgent to deconstruct the perceived inaccessibility of the architect, and raise awareness regarding the need to hire an architect.’ At the same time, the difficulties Koffi and Adoun have come across on and off the field highlighted the blatant underrepresentation of women in the profession.
Inhyah’s next step is to grow and learn, to see how it can better impact that very complex African architectural landscape. ‘We hope to be the new generation of architects that challenges and tackle all the issues talked about.’ Koffi and Adoun’s clearest aspiration is to develop a sustainable city as a way to materialise the endless ways traditional African architecture can be reinvented.From Senegal to Nigeria, and from Niger to the Ivory Coast, West Africa is vast and brimming with potential.
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