What Studio Contra does

Studio Contra is a Lagos-headquartered architectural, urban, and interior design practice founded in 2017 by Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei and Jeffrey Adjei. Operating from offices in Lagos and Abuja (Nigeria) plus a workshop in Accra (Ghana), the firm delivers projects across residential, commercial, hospitality, cultural, civic, and educational sectors, with a stated focus on contemporary, sustainable architecture grounded in African cultural context. The studio is registered with both RIBA (United Kingdom) and ARCON (Nigeria), an unusual dual qualification that supports cross-border work.

The practice offers a unified multidisciplinary service spanning concept design, design development, technical design, tendering, construction administration, and handover, alongside interior architecture and urban design. Its technical differentiation rests on climate-responsive methods including load-bearing clay brick construction sourced near project sites, passive ventilation via fluted terra cotta 'solar chimneys,' and hydrological infrastructure integrated with public space. The team includes two EDGE-certified sustainability experts, and projects such as the Quartey Residence are pursuing IFC EDGE Green Building certification. R&D is positioned around city creation, architectural innovation, and material fabrication.

Studio Contra earns revenue exclusively through professional services fees for architecture, interior design, urban design, and project management. The go-to-market is direct client engagement via the website's 'Hire Us' and 'Work With Us' inquiry forms, supplemented by referrals and design competition entries. Notable clients include the Kwara State Government (Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film), UNDP (Anambra Makerspace), MOWAA (Art Guesthouse competition winner), London School of Economics (Firoz Lalji Global Hub finalist with Alison Brooks Architects), Brookside School (Holcim Foundation Award 2025 winner), House of Deola, Nordic Hotel Group, and Atelier Hotel. The studio is privately held with no external institutional funding.

Name

Studio Contra

Legal name

Studio Contra Ltd

Website

https://studio-contra.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studio Contra is a Lagos-based architectural, urban, and interior design practice founded in 2017, serving residential, commercial, cultural, civic, and educational clients across Nigeria, Ghana, and international collaborations with sustainable, culturally grounded design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Mixed-Use Commercial Construction (IMAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Interior Fit-Out (Offices & Corporate) (IMAFANAA)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design practice
• Urban design services
• Sustainable architecture
• Contemporary African design

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full architectural design services for residential, commercial, institutional, civic and cultural buildings from concept to completion
2. Interior Design Services: Interior architecture and design services including custom furniture, joinery and lighting design for new projects and renovations
3. Urban Design Services: Research and information-driven approach to neighborhood, estate and urban district design at larger scales
4. Project Management: Team assembly, brief design, budget advice and project structuring for timely and cost-effective delivery

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Studio Contra is an architectural, urban and interior design practice that delivers full-service design from concept to completion across residential, commercial, institutional, civic, and cultural buildings in West Africa and internationally. The practice offers project management, research and development, and custom furniture, joinery, and lighting design, with a core emphasis on sustainable, climate-responsive architecture grounded in African cultural context.

Product overview

Studio Contra is a multidisciplinary design studio offering architectural, interior design, urban design, project management, and research & development services. The practice operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Services span from concept to completion across seven project stages: Briefing & Pre-Design, Concept Design, Design Development, Technical Design, Bill of Quantities & Tendering, Construction Administration, and Handover. The portfolio includes residential projects (beach houses, villas, apartments), commercial projects (co-working spaces, hotels), cultural and civic projects (museums, galleries, theaters), and educational facilities. Notable projects include the Institute of Contemporary African Art & Film in Ilorin, Brookside School in Delta State, London School of Economics Firoz Lalji Global Hub competition entry with Alison Brooks Architects, and various residential projects in Lagos, Abuja, and Accra.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full architectural design for projects in all sectors including residential, commercial, institutional, civic and cultural buildings. Services cover new builds, extensions, and renovations from concept to completion across seven project stages: Briefing & Pre-Design, Concept Design, Design Development, Technical Design, Bill of Quantities & Tendering, Construction Administration, and Handover.
• Interior Design Services Interior architecture and interior design services for new projects and renovations including custom furniture, joinery, and lighting design. Targeted at private residential, hospitality, retail, and commercial clients seeking distinctive interior environments.
• Urban Design Services Research and information-driven approach to designing innovative solutions for neighborhoods, estates, and urban districts at larger scales. Targeted at government agencies, developers, and institutions commissioning larger-scale urban planning and design work.
• Project Management Team assembly, brief design, budget advisory, and project structuring for timely and cost-effective delivery of built environment projects. Offered to clients engaging the studio for full architectural commissions.
• Research & Development Research and publications around topics related to city creation, architectural innovation, sustainability, and material fabrication processes. Supports the studio's practice and contributes to industry knowledge in African architecture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won 2026 Africa International Design Award (AIDA) for Public Building Architecture - Brookside Secondary School
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Alison Brooks Architects (London, UK)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Studio Contra invited to participate with Alison Brooks Architects in the design of LSE Firoz Lalji Global Hub - a landmark £120m project for London School of Economics. Among six finalists from 200+ international submissions. Consultants included AKTII, Skelly & Couch, Charcoalblue.
• HLW International (New York)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborated with HLW in New York on international project in 2020.
• Tokitu Studio (Madrid)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-authoring projects with Tokitu Studio in Madrid during 2021.
• Robert Dye Architects (London)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborating with Robert Dye Architects in London on cross-border projects.
• SO-IL (New York)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Entered design competitions with SO-IL in New York along with other practices globally.
• Nelson Byun and David Pearson (Boston, USA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaboration between Studio Contra and Nelson Byun and David Pearson in Boston on Bwari Student Housing project.
• TOKITU Studio (Bilbao, Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on Plantation Road large private residence project in Ilorin. TOKITU Studio provided design collaboration alongside Studio Contra.
• Design DotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design practice collaborated with Studio Contra on Ishahayi Beach House project for interiors and finishes.
• Nordic Hotel GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDongodaji Lodge hotel in Kaduna developed following Nordic Hotel Group design and operational guidelines for efficient, streamlined, cost-effective hospitality.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• atelier masōmī: atelier masōmī is a Niamey-based architecture practice focused on contemporary, contextually rooted West African design. It is a direct peer given regional overlap (West Africa), small emerging-practice scale, and shared emphasis on locally appropriate, sustainable African architecture.
• SO-IL: SO-IL is a Brooklyn-based contemporary architecture firm with an internationally oriented, research-led practice. It is a direct peer given similar emerging-practice profile, comparable team size, and direct collaboration with Studio Contra on international design competitions.
• MASS Design Group: MASS Design Group is a Boston- and Africa-based nonprofit architecture practice focused on social impact, sustainability, and built-environment research. It is a direct peer given shared commitment to mission-driven, sustainability-credentialed architecture (Studio Contra Creative Director previously worked at MASS).
• Kéré Architecture: Kéré Architecture, founded by Pritzker Prize-winning Francis Kéré, designs culturally rooted, climate-responsive buildings across West Africa and beyond. It is a direct peer given overlapping emphasis on local materials, sustainability, and African cultural context, although it is materially more established.
• NLÉ: NLÉ is a Dutch-Nigerian architecture practice led by Kunlé Adeyemi, focused on contemporary African architecture and urbanism. It is a direct peer given comparable mission (culturally rooted, climate-responsive African design), similar emerging-practice profile, and shared Nigerian/West African project context.

Others

• Barkow Leibinger: Barkow Leibinger is a Berlin- and New York-based architecture firm where Creative Director Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei previously worked. It is comparable as a contemporary, material-driven practice and as a former employer shaping Studio Contra's design DNA, though it is not a direct competitor in the African market.

Broad incumbents

• Adjaye Associates: Adjaye Associates is a globally established, London-based practice founded by David Adjaye with deep roots in Ghana and West Africa. It is a broad incumbent given its substantially larger scale, broader portfolio, and overlapping focus on African cultural and institutional architecture (e.g., museums, libraries).

Regional players

• Counterspace: Counterspace is a Johannesburg-based architecture practice led by Sumayya Vally, working across cultural, civic, and adaptive-reuse projects in Africa and internationally. It is a regional peer given geographic proximity in Africa, comparable emerging-practice stage, and overlap in cultural and civic architecture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Studio_Contra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studio-contra
• Instagraminstagram.com/studio_contra_?utm_medium=copy_link

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio Contra