#12: Micro-Interview w/ Nahoua Sorho
By Bilal Mohamed
Bilal Mohamed (Los Angeles) prepares plantains to fry in his kitchen over a long roller coaster of a FaceTime call with plantain-deprived Nahoua Sorho (New York), also in a kitchen, cooking a complicated rice dish. The conversation features various interjections from Elie, Nahoua’s impassioned friend & host, while pleasant Jazz music plays in the background.
The Q&A below is only a small portion of the conversation that took place… Enjoy.
Top 5 Cities & a 1-Word Description for Each?
Abijan, Côte d’Ivoire - “Essence”
San Francisco, California - “Highs”
Chicago, Illinois - “Space”
Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire - “Sacred”
San Diego, California - “Everything-but-a-Plateau”
Do You Believe in the American Dream?
I did think about it before but not for myself. I did not come here with the intention to become the most successful person in the country or some version of Jeff Bezos. I just want to be the best architect to be born on the continent of Africa.
You wrote a quote in the first book you made at The New School. What did it say?
”The souvenirs of the greatest architect born on the African continent.”
Do you truly believe that you will move back Home (Africa)? And if so why aren’t you there now?
Elie (Friend): Absolutely! I am moving back next year. And we are here because we are wise. You have to know your enemy!
Nahoua: Yes. I didn’t come to America to stay here forever. All these places I’ve lived - Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco, etc. - I still cannot call any of them home.
What is your vision of back Home (Africa)?
EVERYTHING. The next Manhattan will not be in America. The empire started falling as soon as they finished it. That was the peak. Rem Koolhaas said something along the lines of, (paraphrasing) “We are no longer driven towards making places for people. We only now build empty, soulless structures, free of any human purpose and usage.” I am glad I get to witness it now. America is at a crossroads, and so are we (Africa).
What is prosperous about architecture in Africa?
It’s funny there is this conversation about sustainability we are always having, but Africa figured that out long ago. This idea of “15-minute cities”, where everything you need in terms of resources can be sourced within a 15-minute walk, has been practiced in Africa for some time, yet they used to call us underdeveloped because of it. That is now their DEFINITION of sustainability.
Top 3 Architects?
I would have said David Adjaye, but due to recent events…
One that hasn’t let me down yet - Issa Diabaté
What is 1 thing you want people to look back on and say, Nahoua Sorho gifted people with THIS through his architecture?
Sense of self.
To infuse every space with people walking away with a better sense of self. I want them to be better connected to themselves in contrast to who they were right before they walked into a space. I want them to have a better grasp on such things as the kind of material they might now like or dislike. Maybe they realize they appreciate having a certain amount of light in a space, or they discover they don’t like walking into a room so quiet they can hear their own thoughts.
Best New York experience?
The first day I met Haadi and ended up at the penthouse of the creative director of Andy Warhol. It was the perfect example of worlds colliding. I had just met Haadi, and he just met some other people, and it was a whole snowball effect.
Most New York experience?
Seeing giant rats in SoHo. Some of them running around, others crushed on the ground. I have never seen rats that big.
What do you think about therapy?
Nahoua: I’m a big advocate. Some of the tools I got in therapy are things not anybody could come to conclusions with on their own. Last year was very overwhelming for me, and I feel if I had been in therapy I would’ve walked away from it with fewer wounds. Everybody needs something to hold you - for some, it’s community or drugs, for others it’s music or religion, but for many, it’s sitting down with a stranger.
Elie (Friend): But who needs therapy when you have Bilal!
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Wahhhh!! This was such a good read. We <3 Nahoua