Valentine Chiamaka Ukpe Team lead CHii Arkeetects
It was around 2005/2006 when Nigeria was just being opened up to Hollywood seasonal movies. By that time many people knew little or nothing about seasonal movies but even though I grew up in a sub-urban part of Delta State, Nigeria; I was privileged to see a few. First on my list of seasonal movies was Rome and Empire, then it was Kiefer Sutherland’s 24 and then Wentworth Miller’s Prison Break.
At that time my mentor and senior friend, Mr. Harrison was in University of Benin (Uniben) and was always bringing these DVDs home when he was coming back from school. I was in Junior Secondary School Three by that time (that will be around my last year in Middle school by American school standard).
Prison Break was the movie I loved the character of Michael Scofield, not just because of his natural uniqueness and smartness but because he was a structural Engineer. He understood buildings and knew what was wrong with a building even without living in it. It was more like a medical Doctor but with buildings. That was what helped him breakout his elder brother who was on death row.
However, what captivated me most was the way he helped the chief Warden; Henry Pope build the model Taj Mahal castle he was building as a gift for his wife. By that time, I had zero knowledge of buildings nor had any body who worked as a builder or in the construction industry. In fact, the only person I knew that worked in the construction company then was just an earth moving truck driver. But after watching Michael break his brother and other people out of a maximum-security prison through a well-designed building plan; I made up my mind to become a structural Engineer.
To achieve a dream, one has to go through the system and pass the exams. To become a Structural Engineer in Nigeria, I had to pass physics, Chemistry and Metamathematics. But being a product of public-school system in my Senior secondary School days (that will be around my last year in High school in American school standard); we lacked good teachers in some department and I failed chemistry twice in the Certificate Exams. While printing the second result and feeling dejected, the person in charge told me not to sit for the exams again and go with my seven-credit pass and look for a course that fits. Getting home I picked up my University brochure and searched for a course related to construction that I can study. And there came two universities and a polytechnic that did not need chemistry to study Architecture.
The only knowledge I had of Architecture was that my church lead pastor in the person of Bishop David Oyedpo was an Architect. And among his portfolio was a fifty thousand capacity sitter church auditorium. And just like that I chose to study Architecture like my Bishop and understand buildings like Michael.
What I never knew was that I was choosing a profession that was exalted more than structural Engineering. This is so because, the ideology and creations worked by a structural Engineer, has to come from the ideas and ingenuity of the Architect. Being an Architect is a blessing triggered by many things but on top of the list is Michael Scofield and Bishop David Oyedepo.
Today I have studied Architecture and already practicing Architecture with different firms. And now my private practice just began with chiiarkeetects. See our portfolio and hire us today.
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