Kunlé Adeyemi is an architect, urbanist and creative researcher.
Kunlé is the founder and principal of NLÉ — meaning "at home" in Yoruba — an architecture, design and urbanism practice founded in Amsterdam in 2010. Before establishing NLÉ, Adeyemi spent nearly a decade at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), working closely with Rem Koolhaas on projects across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Adeyemi studied architecture at the University of Lagos, graduating top of his class, before completing a post-professional degree at Princeton University's School of Architecture in 2005. His practice is internationally recognised for its work on water-based urbanism and design for rapidly urbanising, flood-prone regions. His best-known project, the Makoko Floating School — a prototype floating structure in the Lagos lagoon — has since evolved into the Makoko Floating System, a prefabricated building solution now deployed in five countries across three continents.
He has held academic positions at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Columbia University and the University of Lagos, where he is an Adjunct Visiting Professor.
Kunlé is a speaker at our Conference, Building Resilience: Demonstrators for a Changing Climate at the Design Museum in June 2026.
