On Thursday, we had the opportunity of visiting the Lagos Architects Forum currently holding at the Expo center, Eko Hotel and suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Being Day 2 of the event, the venue was abuzz with a great turn out and so much to see and engage with.
Per usual, the exhibition featured a plethora of products, materials and services on display. Some particular and peculiar offerings did stand out to us and we sought to highlight those that were most intriguing (in our opinion). Here they are,
NIGERITE/KALSI
I’ve personally come across Nigerite and Kalsi products a number of times in the past, but i must say, they’re really championing dry construction in the country and offering total solutions to aid in its actualisation. As you know, we really like container architecture on livin spaces, so it was a pleasure seeing viable materials available in country that would help develop high quality container structure as well as light guage steel structures. From their Kalsi wall, to the Kalsi plank as well as other interior/exterior cladding materials, steel truss systems as well as ceiling and roofing materials, it was easy to see how achievable dry construction could be in Nigeria.
KANSAI PLASCON NIGERIA
A new entrant into the Nigerian coatings market, Kansai Plascon manufacture a fair range of coating products at competitive prices with a quality that rivals current market leaders. They offer a broad colour palette along with a number of ancillary products and even offer training for applicators. It was also a pleasant surprise to see that they had an annual colour forecast which we’ll possible be featuring on the site later this year.
FLEXI CLAY
Flexi Clay is an indoor/outdoor cladding and flooring material (made from modified clay) that could well rival our traditional ceramic or granite tiles. The aforementioned modified clay is modified soil made and bonded together by using only low heat temperature and low carbon in its manufacturing process. Only recycled materials such as left over concretes, or yellow and red soils are used with the natural characteristics of the soil remaining. This makes flexi clay fire retardant, breathable, non toxic, durable and flexible. It also comes in a number of styles and forms, mimicking stone, bricks, wood and even woven fabric. Take a look.
GRANT QUARTERMAINE
This isn’t the first time we’re coming across grant quartermaine, but it is certainly the first time we’re seeing they’re 3D structured panels and textured panels. The panels which are manufactured in Nigeria, are made from high grade, micro refined MDF at a standard size of 1300 x 2800mm and are supplied primed and ready to paint. The primary difference between their product and the fairly popular 3d panels readily available in the market are the absense of seams. These panels are minimise seams thereby reducing labour and installation costs. They also gone a step further to ensure the patterns on their panels don’t appear repetitive but more continuous with a seamless flow.
Q RAILINGS
Q railings are, what I would like to call the relatively silent market leader in railing systems in Nigeria. Their railings are in some of the most prominent buildings around the city of Lagos and beyond, from hotels, to office buildings and residences. They offer very high quality and a surprisingly wide variety of railing solutions.
TRANOS
Tranos manufactures very impressive power generation and power distribution products all of which are made in Nigeria. They offer steel enclosures, switches, sockets and even water treatment solutions. The generator cabin we saw at their booth was particularly impressive.
WOWBII
In a slight departure from all the construction materials, we came across an impressive technology solution. Wowbii flat panel displays or Wowbudd. Its basically a 60+ inch interactive flat panel display that features 10-point capacitive touch, scratch proof, shatterproof ruggedized screen, interconnectivity with multiple interfaces, and has the capacity to run dual operating systems (Windows/Android). It can be used for video conferencing and meetings for collaborative sessions, you can annotate drawings, save and share them, and ofcourse use it for that killer presentation. Its an all-in-one meeting room and classroom solution that was all round impressive.
There were ofcourse other displays and exhibitors that caught our eye as well,
Yet another aspect of LAF 2017, that debuted last year, was the architect’s exhibition. This years edition saw new work featured from a fairly younger crop of architects alongside the older, more established firms. It also included student work – the result of an earlier organised competition that tasked students with creating architecture from recyclable material. Here’s a look,
Rounding up tomorrow (Saturday, 13th May 2017) at Eko Hotel, the LAF event offers a great opportunity to be connect and interact with possibly every generation of practicing architects as well as product and materials manufacturers and a number of other stakeholders within the industry.
