#we are not including the trains themselves because they aren't really infrastructure

[network-rail]

After seeing @cosmos-dot-semicolon's poll on what the most sexually attractive type of transport is (trains, obviously), we here at Network Rail were inspired to ask the public their thoughts on the various pieces of railroad infrastructure. You see, at Network Rail, we are responsible for infrastructure rather than the actual vehicles, so we were wondering what part of the railway the public considers most sexually attractive. Let us know your thoughts on this, along with what makes that part of the railway more attractive than the others.

[diarrheaworldstarhiphop]

Dude, people don't grow like bacteria. It's not a simple "add resources, get more people" situation. There's a lot more factors to consider, like housing and wellbeing. Besides, resources aren't in short supply right now, they just aren't being distributed very well. There's food overflows in some area, like w/ cheese in America, and shortages in others.

So we forgo the environment for the foreseeable future in order to accommodate growth and consumption trends right now…

its interesting because its like a smoker planning to kick his habit by smoking more cigarettes thinking eventually his own cravings will naturally plateau and THEN he will do something about stopping smoking… even tho its like, what if lung cancer hits before then? Isn’t the issue that the doctors have been screaming for the past while to stop because the cancer is immanent?

>It’s not a simple “add resources, get more people” situation.

it’s more like, increase living quality, get more people consuming and producing emissions at more “advanced” level society consumption habits. Seems everyone is invested in the riding out growth trends train, citing china, when the real exponential population growth and GDP development trend rests in africa. So the population plateaus, thats still 100-200 years of a bloated population demanding the lifestyle of the west. The west can AFFORD to move from industrial to post-industrial, but the rest of the world is either just getting started, or in china’s case, completing the rise into industrial. Unless the west really cuts it’s standard of living to help regions like africa move into post-industrial without first moving to industrial,

Like i don’t think people get the sense of scale of these industrializing and pre-industrialized countries here. The population of all of finland is the same size of one of hundreds of MODERATE sized cities in China. In 10 years, the population of Delhi will rise 10 million more and rival the population of ALL OF CANADA. Lagos, today is roughly 20 million and that’s projected to at least DOUBLE by 2050.

We just experienced a series of riots and protests in France against raising gas prices to mitigate impact to the environment. If the Enlightened, population declining west is that resistant to tightening it’s own belt to save the planet, imagine how these countries that just started rapidly industrializing out of colonialism and poverty will react when westerners tell them to stop industrializing and forfeit it’s sovereignty to the socialist international. Africa is beginning to industrialize almost solely so China can render Africa it’s OWN China to buttress Chinese consumption habits the way America did to China to sustain itself.

 Besides, resources aren’t in short supply right now, they just aren’t being distributed very well. There’s food overflows in some area, like w/ cheese in America, and shortages in others.             

Do you even understand how much emissions will be burnt JUST for the logistics of moving food and resources around the world in such an equitable manner and tracking populations? The amount of sovereignty and independence the developing world will have to forfeit in order to facilitate that? The cultural costs of REEDUCATING POPULATIONS so they don’t overpopulate themselves to cataclysm? The amount of new infrastructure, industry and fossil fuels required simply to feed EVERYONE and EVERYONES offspring for the indefinite future?

These food resources aren’t in short supply now because the rest of the world subsists on 1/100th what the west does. You ideologues have a habit of looking at a number from 5-10 year old census data, believe it’s STATIC and endlessly ejaculate everywhere on how to lift everyone up when the process of lifting ourselves up is itself, alone crushing the environment, informed solely from what we read and the luxurious lifestyles we take for granted. Either we dramatically CUT our lifestyles and habits to facilitate fairness or we rapidly exhaust the planet’s ability to sustain life as we have it in order to maximize production to lift everyone up to our standards of living, including the poorest in our societies.

You can’t utopia yourself out of this complex web of predicaments on the precipice.

[africanfemalearchitects]

AFA Open-Chat Series with Tosin Oshinowo pt.2

Tosin: We are a very interesting conundrum, as a continent. We are a series of ethnicities, that were divided into countries in 1835. There isn't a singular identity for Nigerian, Congo, or Uganda or Ghana. We are a series of cultural groups, who by the lining of a boundary line of a country, have been told 'go, and become a standardized identity'. It doesn't exist. In Nigeria we have so many different cultures, if I go to the North, South or West - even what should have been our vernacular, is not the same. It's based on the terrains, it is based on the people, it is based on traditions.

This question of identity is one that I think is terribly fluid; and we were brought into modernism. Modernism was populated across the whole world not just in Africa, yes, in many terms it took the climate into consideration : modernism in Europe look absolutely different from Modernism in Tropical, to North and South Africa; and there are certain consistencies of modernism. But if we are looking for specific identities: I think we are just beginning to see that.

Covid came in as a material, and completely changed the game everywhere. Most of us, we are still building in concrete; a lot of the West builds with steel and they've got more advanced materials. We are stuck in the materials of early modernism, and we are now beginning to appropriate and create identities based off that. Although no one has really documented here, you start to see elements of identities when you step back; and you've to step back. And it's always at the end of a movement that you can actually see and categorize it as such. If I look at Architecture in Nigeria from the 80's, it's very specific and you can actually categorize it as such: the materials that were used and the scaling of the building tells me that. If I look at a building from the Northeast in Nigeria, you can tell that that was a period: by that type of windows that were used, spaces, and the finishes. We do have something, but it's not that distinct. That kind of vernacular and identity is a transition. But in a world where we have a globalization exposure; somebody who lives in Nigeria wants a house they saw in Florida. You've, then, to find interesting ways to carry that cultural identity in modern-day context. Yes, I do think there are nuances of identity but they're not strong in terms of very-striking particular form. Moderator: With a number of architects in Nigeria, do you visually see an impact of the presence of architects currently in your country?

Tosin: I don't think so, but it's not because there are no architects, but how projects are executed. For example, there was an upgrade of an existing train station that was inaugurated recently by our President. But this was done by Chinese contractors, and it doesn't look anything like where it is located; it could've been a spaceship that was just dropped in. There was absolutely no local context included in it; and even the Institute were not aware. When you look at Singapore, there was a big emphasis on marrying local and foreign architects; and there was a cross of information. You can't improve a profession, if you don't allow them to be part of innovative process. When that happens, what value does it add or make of us, if no local consultancy is involved? That biggest impact to show a strong physicality norm of infrastructure on a government-led project, where the government is not involving local practitioners then you can't see the impact. Moderator: We are dealing with the same issues here in Rwanda, we are struggling to make understand the importance of having an architect in the community. Tosin: As Africans we need to make an effort to upscale ourselves as well. Some areas, some architects are still drawing-by-hand. Who's going to call you when you're drawing-by-hand. There are no excuses today. With the information age, everything is online. If you want to learn something, you can learn it. Software companies aren't accommodating to the situation that we have in this part of the world. If you look at a dollar and naira; the naira is like a nonexistent entity that happens to be a dot in the atmosphere compared to a dollar. When you earn in a country with a slightly lower GDP, if you look at GDP per capita, the reality is that the economy is going to determine how much people can afford to build, and to pay towards professionals' fees. If the software is x amount, how do you expect a local consultant to pay for it? Because in this market you cannot command a high fee. What I'd expect is that for these programmers and software companies were really thinking about the professionals; they would make it affordable for a local person because they won't have to kill themselves to get a Revit license. What you happen to have here in a lot of situations, is that people just use bootlegs; but the problem with that is you're not part of the community. When innovations are happening, when new programs are being added, you're not even aware of that information. Information is there, but that barrier of money is also very present. Moderator: We need to raise awareness of that issue, especially even for students; as soon as they graduate they're not going to be able to afford it right away.

Tosin: They need to scale it for us based on economies. I know the West doesn't consider us. For example, if buying an Iphone in Nigeria is different than buying an Iphone in Europe. Some people's whole salary here is the price of an Iphone and less. And they have a better system on how to acquire these things. We are in a skewed environment, but it is still much better than what it would have been in the 60's.

Moderator: Looking then, architects were sketching to the last detail of a building. Do you think we should still invest ourselves in that way? Tosin: We live in a global world, and Africa is left much farther and farther behind. It's worrying how much attention is not being paid to it. I was looking at a project done by Mass Design and they're doing a lot of work in Africa. One of the biggest selling-point is that they have skills, and exposure to research that a local practitioners doesn't have. This is a good age for an American Firm to give back, and they're a not-for-profit organization and it's of value, with policy about social change. It's a good thing, but the reality irrespective if they were doing it or not, these are necessary projects: schools hospitals, etc.. These are necessary projects irrespective if a foreign company was coming in, it has to be done! But the government are more willing to give that project to a foreign consultant because they have the skills. Even not just the government, a private client in Nigeria will pay a lot of money to a foreign consultant because they believe they are getting the best. What happens to people who are pushing boundaries, who are trying to produce work that is global anywhere? This puts you in an awkward position.

If we don't upscale ourselves, we are going to get further and further behind. Those who have the choice, will rather not use local consultancy. This is not just based on being a good designer, it's about being conscious of what's happening globally. It's about exposing ourselves on technology, and innovation; and bringing that into your work as well. Moderator: It's a competitive market. Tosin: Yes, and I think this is something architects don't realize: you can't tell anyone how to spend their money. It is a market and it's an open market. The sooner we realize that we must equip ourselves with skills to stay ahead, then we will put ourselves in a better position. Moderator: I hope students are listening. Get into the most complicated and innovative way of design and build, and excel in that; and do something that local markets aren't doing currently. I have been 5 years in the career, and I know, I'm still far and I'm pushing myself to learn and excel at these. I'm really glad you highlighted it. How would you advise women architects to invest in their career? Tosin: I think everybody needs to understand the importance of strategies in life, and not just in the profession - especially; as a woman. How many children do you want? Do you want children? Have you thought about how you'll balance life with having children with work? Will there be a point where you'll focus more on your children? Will you be doing half and half? Everybody's approach is different, but you must be intentional. You can't just let life happen to you. You have to decide, 'what do I want?'. When I look back in 30 years, what do I want to have achieved? If you don't have a class strategy or a plan, then that's the beginning of failure; because life will happen to you. And there's no right or wrong. But whatever decision you make, you must make a conscious decision. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom, there's nothing wrong with that - but decide that's what you wanted. If you want to be a working professional with working children, decide that's what you want, and again, there's no right or wrong. For any person who's at the beginning of their career, look at your goals, and make conscious decisions. And follow through! Life will change your plans. I always get confused when I see people letting life just happen to them. How did you not think? And the sad thing is life is very short. I'm 41 now. I see people who are 26, and I tell them, go turn the world! And they' tell me they don't have the time. You have all the time in the world. The older you get, the more you realize that this journey is very short. I'm already half-way, and eventually things are going to start working properly. I've 20 years of professionalism, I've done half of it. Am I happy with the decision I made? Will I continue on this path? Even on my journey, I'm conscious of the decision, I've made, and what I'm trying to achieve. And ultimately, one of my biggest goals is I want to leave a legacy of work. And this is just for me, it might not be somebody else's plan. But I want my great-great-grand-children to know that their great-great-grand-mother added value. I don't want my country to put a plaque on my name, but my children's children who did not meet me, know that their grandma was hard-working. That for me is enough, and that means that I have done my job.

Moderator: Definitely, and I'll check again, but I haven't seen another African woman who has been featured this much, either on Archdaily or other things as well. You are being intentional. Tosin: Yes, even as a practice now, when I see what I've achieved, I wonder what can I achieve on a global stage? How do I start building networks, and tactical points on how I can build a project in this region? It's no longer impossible in mind. And I've realized that there's so much you can do, without being in a fixed location. I realize now I can work in a global capacity. BurnaBoy won a grammy. For Nigeria, that means a lot. Talent has no geography. If you're good at what you do, the world will come and look for you . Moderator: You have to have a target. As an architect, do I want to stick to what's existing or do I want to do more than that? Tosin: There's nothing wrong with that. Because everybody can't be the super-star; that's the reality. There has to be a place for everyone. Just be intentional. And as you excel, you can check where you want to go next. We all have different paths. Moderator: Whichever level you're at, try to improve what's existing and make an impact; and that's what our career is about. What can architects do, to improve Gender Equity in the profession? What are males can do to level your ground? Tosin: We don't live in Utopia. If you are waiting for people to give you a seat at the table, go and take the chair yourself. No one is going to handle you anything. We have this problem in Nigeria, everybody is waiting for government; what can you do, yourself? Don't wait for anyone. Do what you can do within the limits of your environment. People who are successful do not wait for hand-downs, as they do not get you anywhere. We are born into different situations. Moderator: What practices can someone do professionally and personally to find their niche in the architectural field.

Tosin: That's a very open-ended question. Look at your strengths and your weaknesses. Make sure you try to amplify your strengths. As a professional, you must need balance. Moderator: What career advice would you give to fresh graduates? Tosin: Go work for someone first. Learn the ropes. It's a lot easier to start under tutelage of somebody else. Learn from somebody else's mistakes. When you have gained a certain level of confidence, you can step out on your own. Moderator: What thoughts would you like to share with the world, about the importance of inclusivity? Tosin: I don't like to wait for the world, but the profession could be more inclusive, not just for the female architects but for the African architects, in general. We have always been at a large disadvantage, as innovation is happening in the fourth revolution, we are getting further and further behind. I'm very conscious of it, because I'm paying attention. For the example I gave of Autodesk, actually looking at the realities of our economies of scale, and pricing the software to something that we can afford, would be a massive help. Those are things we don't control.

Moderator: I think we have got everything covered for this interview, Tosin; I can't thank you enough. Tosin: I also want to thank you. I started following you because particularly I was interested to see what other women were doing. I was pleasantly surprised that I'm not alone in this. It's nice to see other people doing interesting things as well; and it's a warming feeling to know that you're not alone. And I really enjoy your Instagram Page. Moderator: Thank you very much. How accessible are you, and how can young architects reach you, for mentorship and more career advices? Tosin: It's becoming a little difficult to be honest. I do have some people I do mentor now. I have someone I mentor from Bahamas, London, and in Lagos. It's becoming a little difficult with everything that I'm handling. If you send me an email, and you have a very specific question, I'll always answer because I know the importance of the people who also supported me when I was a young professional, and please be very specific. Moderator: On this topic, I actually love this mentorship rotation you do on your sites Tosin: On Thursday's every two weeks, I try to carry people along. I was actually surprised about how many people followed with a thousands of views on Instastory. Even highlighting the sites that way online is useful. If you're interested, please continue to watch that. I didn't realize it was a thing, but I know it's a thing. Moderator: It's very much a great thing you're doing! Thank you so much for your time Tosin, if we have more questions we will cover them in other series in the future. We are thankful to have you as an advisor, and your enthusiasm is really great for us - I wouldn't be here otherwise. Tosin: And keep it up as well! Thank you so much for having me! Thank you for reading and to everyone who participated in this live and is supporting this platform and helping it grow. Written & Edited by Lise Isaro, founder of AFA. Published 21 August 2021