Nigerian Architect Tosin Oshinowo has been inducted as an honorary fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). The announcement makes Tosin one of six Honorary Fellows inducted at a ceremony in Vancouver on 6 May 2026. Based in Lagos.
About Tosin Oshinowo
Tosin Oshinowo is an internationally acclaimed Nigerian architect, designer, curator, and author known for her socially responsive approach to architecture and urbanism.
Based in Lagos, she is the founder and principal of Oshinowo Studio, an architectural practice established in 2013 that focuses on residential, commercial, civic, and humanitarian projects.
Early Life and Education
Oshinowo studied architecture and urban design in the United Kingdom and Spain. Her academic qualifications include:
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Kingston University, MSc in Urban Design in Development from University College London, Postgraduate Diploma from the Architectural Association School of Architecture and a Master’s in Business for Architecture and Design from IE University
Architectural Career
Before launching her own practice, Oshinowo worked with some of the world’s most respected architecture firms, including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in London, OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) in Rotterdam and James Cubitt Architects in Nigeria
Her firm has delivered a wide range of notable projects, including the Maryland Mall in Lagos and the Ngarannam Resettlement Project for the United Nations Development Programme, a collaboration with a displaced community in Nigeria integrating cultural continuity with contemporary infrastructure.
Oshinowo is widely associated with “Afro-minimalism,” a design language that combines modernist simplicity with African materials, history, and cultural identity. Her work emphasizes Sustainability and climate-conscious design, Social equity and community-centered planning, Yoruba cultural references and Contemporary African aesthetics
In 2017, she founded Ilé-Ilà (“House of Lines”), a Lagos-based furniture brand known for handcrafted chairs upholstered with traditional Yoruba textiles such as aso-oke.
She has curated and contributed to major global design events, including: Sharjah Architecture Triennial, where she served as curator, Venice Architecture Biennale, where her research project on Lagos markets received a Special Mention and Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she was selected as a Loeb Fellow in 2025
Awards and Recognition
Her honors include:
- Architect of the Year at the City People Real Estate Awards (2017)
- Top Architect for Community at the Monocle Design Awards (2024)
- Inclusion in the ELLE Decor A-List (2025)
