By Samson Tochukwu

In a ground breaking stride towards revolutionizing Nigeria’s architectural landscape, Evelyn Memshima Tuleun, a certified Architect with over a decade of experience, has presented an outstanding unmatched body of work that seeks to redefine the future of public theatres through sustainable, maintenance-oriented design. Drawing global attention with her detailed publication “Architectural Solutions towards Minimizing Maintenance Problems in the Design of Public Theatres” in the World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews (WJARR), Tuleun’s research delivers a timely response to the decay of national cultural landmarks and ushers in a new era of architectural responsibility. This aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), which emphasizes resilient, inclusive public infrastructure worldwide

Her work, set against the backdrop of deteriorating public theatres such as the National Arts Theatre in Lagos, Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre in Benin City, and the Aminu Isa Kontagora Theatre in Makurdi, unearths the direct correlation between poor design decisions and the premature failure of iconic public buildings. Unlike conventional reports that place blame on post-construction maintenance, Tuleun shifts the responsibility to architectural design itself, arguing with conviction that future maintenance challenges are rooted in early-stage planning flaws.

Through extensive fieldwork incorporating visual surveys, structured interviews with maintenance staff and theatre managers, and analytical checklists, the study reveals an undeniable pattern: inadequate detailing, material incompatibility with environmental conditions, and poor accessibility design continue to plague public theatres. Roof leakages due to flat or low pitched designs, spatial inefficiencies, and inaccessible service zones have all contributed to rising operational costs and abandonment of vital cultural spaces. Tuleun’s work cuts through the noise of policy-level excuses and targets the architect’s drawing board as the genesis of sustainable success or failure.

At the heart of the study lies a proposed framework grounded in real world functionality. This includes the introduction of sloped roofing systems for efficient drainage, demountable roof panels for easy inspections, durable and climate-compatible materials like low-emissivity glass and UV-resistant coatings, and intelligent spatial layouts that prioritize clustering of utilities for reduced pipe runs and easy maintenance. Site planning features such as gravel lawns and interlocking pavers were recommended to reduce landscape overgrowth and promote natural water run-off. Each element reflects a fusion of indigenous pragmatism and global best practice—a model that speaks to both Nigeria’s realities and international architectural discourse.

Tuleun’s blueprint is not only academic—it resonates with the ethos of global sustainability leaders. For instance, U.S. architect Richard Levine, founder of the Center for Sustainable Cities Design Studio, has long argued against superficial “green tweaks,” instead advocating for fully integrated, sustainability-driven architecture. His projects demonstrate that whole-building, energy-first design can reduce climate-control energy consumption to as little as 10% of conventional levels. Likewise, German architect Christoph Ingenhoven advances his celebrated “supergreen” philosophy, which merges ecological, social, and aesthetic goals—leveraging natural daylight, geothermal systems, and rainwater harvesting to create buildings that exist in harmony with their environments. These global perspectives affirm that Tuleun’s framework is firmly aligned with internationally recognized standards of sustainable and maintenance-conscious architectural design.

The study’s qualitative methodology was both rigorous and sensitive to Nigeria’s socio-environmental context. The choice of case studies: Lagos, Benin, and Makurdi provided a panoramic spread across climate zones and regional construction practices. Observations from these theatres painted a consistent picture of neglect enabled by design. In one damning image captured during fieldwork, dead spaces within the National Arts Theatre were shown in complete disrepair, revealing the real cost of poor spatial planning.

Perhaps the most striking revelation came in the form of design accessibility. According to Tuleun’s findings, the National Arts Theatre in Lagos scored poorly in providing routes for basic maintenance access. Areas such as high-level lighting zones and roof spaces were practically unreachable without risking safety. Such oversights have made even the simplest tasks like changing a light bulb or inspecting a leak, an expensive and dangerous endeavour. These are not mere inconveniences; they are direct threats to the building’s usability and longevity.

What sets Tuleun’s work apart is the actionable nature of her insights. In a country where infrastructural decay often draws cyclical attention but little change, this study offers tangible tools for immediate reform. Her framework proposes that architects consider maintenance not as an afterthought but as an integral design criterion equal in importance to aesthetics and form. For instance, her suggestion of modular systems that allow future reconfigurations ensures that buildings adapt with time rather than crumble against it.

The publication also calls for a re-education of architectural professionals and institutions. Tuleun encourages a shift in mind set, where design is not celebrated only for its visual impact but also for its performance across decades. By advocating for multi-use functionality within theatre design, encompassing conference rooms, educational spaces, and recreational areas, she ensures that public theatres remain active, relevant, and maintained.

Her recommendations conclude with a strong policy implication. If public procurement processes were to adopt her checklist model during the design approval stage, future projects would avoid many of the fatal flaws documented in the study. It is a call to architects, planners, policymakers, and facility managers to adopt a proactive rather than reactive approach, saving resources, preserving culture, and building for the future.

In essence, Evelyn Memshima Tuleun has not only contributed to academic discourse, she has authored a manifesto for sustainable public architecture in Nigeria and beyond. Her work is a timely reminder that buildings, like the cultures they house, must be designed to live, breathe, and evolve. Theatres are not mere structures; they are stages for national narratives. With Tuleun’s model, these narratives will now be told within walls that are built to last.