Tosin Oshinowo
I am a practicing architect with almost twenty years of experience. I have a BA in architecture from Kingston University in London and a diploma from the Architectural Association in the UK. In addition, I hold an MSc in Development and Planning: Building and Urban Design in Development from University College London and a Master in Business for Architecture and Design from IE University.
I also have my own design practice, Oshinowo Studio, in Lagos, Nigeria. We turned ten years old in October 2023.
“I was mindful that growth came from the business strategy, which I knew I needed to gain the skills to do.”
Balancing creativity with business strategy
Tosin Oshinowo has an impressive career trajectory. Since gaining qualifications in architecture in London, she’s worked in various roles as an architect for almost twenty years. In 2013, she opened her own design practice in Lagos. Although her business was going well, Tosin was aware that she needed to develop a business strategy to ensure future growth. In the summer of 2020, during the global COVID-19 pandemic, she began to explore online courses and lectures—including one from IE School of Architecture and Design.
This lecture proved to be the catalyst for Tosin’s IE University experience. She was intrigued by the unique combination of architecture and business on offer, as well as the flexible conditions of the Master in Business for Architecture and Design, which allowed her to study part-time while running her business. “I jumped at the opportunity to enroll,” she says.
The program has boosted Tosin’s career in a number of ways. In addition to the business skills acquired through juggling study and work, she also values the coping mechanisms she developed, which helped her improve her time management and create a structure to “ensure the efficient running of the business without necessarily creating strain along the way.” This taught her how to run a design practice by delegation and to develop the fundamental skills of running a business which, she notes, are not yet covered by any standard academic architecture and design program. Indeed, the negotiation, finance, marketing, business strategy, HR and contractual skills she learned at IE University are now embedded in her practice.
“It was a great program with equally great people.”
Tosin also notes that, while she retained her existing career path after graduation, the Master in Business for Architecture and Design has opened up new opportunities. She was selected to be the curator of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, which opened in November 2023. And she’s also made the most of the networking opportunities offered to IE University alumni, forming lasting friendships and meeting up with fellow alumni on business trips.
Oshinowo Studio has recently undergone a rebranding and is going from strength to strength. “We are growing, taking on larger-scale projects locally while building the team,” Tosin explains, adding, “We’re also actively seeking work outside the region, as the Triennial exhibition has given me and the practice a platform of international recognition, which we intend to pivot from.”
When asked for her thoughts on the role of architects and designers in creative industries, Tosin’s response is clear-cut: “We are fundamental to the modern development model of the building industry.” In addition, she says, architects and designers have problem-solving skills “that make us significant assets across the creative industry and all sectors of society.”
