GAS Foundation Farm House

Ikise, Nigeria

Photo © yinkashonibarefoundation.com

Architects: MOE+ ART ARCHITECTURE

Location: Ikise, Nigeria
Year: 2022
Client: Yinka Shonibare

The G.A.S. Farm House was designed by Papa Omotayo of MOE+ with an interior design concept delivered by Temitayo Shonibare. The ambitious project is guided by principles of sustainability which are reflected in both it's construction and design. The estimated 40,000 bricks used for the building were created from earth dug up during the foundation laying process. Meanwhile, bamboo scaffolding was repurposed for the screens that wrap around the building. High ceielings keep air ciculating and the building cool and power is delivered by solar panels.

The G.A.S. Farm House offers a three-bed residency space for artists, designers, makers, scientists, agronomists, ecologists and researchers in quiet and peaceful surroundings. It sits on the lush 54-acre Ecology Green Farm founded by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA in 2018 which produces crops ranging from cassava and cashew to peppers and maize and the building.

The entire project is inspired by the idea of “Ile wa” which means “our home” in the Yoruba language, a style that includes a central courtyard surrounded by ancillary buildings. The aspiration has always been for the design of the space to be harmonious with the environment whilst maintaining the elegance of handcrafting.

‘When you’re in the space, you can look from one end to the other through the garden spaces, and that brings the outside inside. You are constantly reminded that you are on this farm and that you have all these beautiful views of the landscape.’ - Papa Omotayo