There are no roads or much infrastructure of any kind in the floating world of Makoko, a shantytown flowing out from Lagos, Nigeria’s waterfront. Teetering atop small piers, the maze of tenuous wooden structures is frequently inundated by floods. Like many coastal cities, Lagos’ burgeoning population is faced with the increasing threat of more frequent flooding from rising sea levels.

The architecture firm NLÉ, with offices in Lagos and Amsterdam, began the Lagos Water Communities Project to introduce dynamic new floating buildings into the lagoon. NLÉ principle architect Kunle Adeyemi devised the scheme to address issues of inadequate housing and the worsening impacts of climate change. The pilot project, Makoko Floating School was completed in early March and combines sustainable strategies with the local tradition of building on water.