John and Gillian were born in England in 1928 and in 1927 respectively. They both studied architecture at the Architectural Association in London, both qualifying in 1950. John came to Nigeria with his wife, Gillian in 1954, residing in colonial Lagos, British Nigeria. They began their careers in architecture and were involved in designing many significant projects in the city. John also established an academic career as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Lagos. Although he collaborated with his wife on many projects, Gillian focused in historic preservation and architectural photography and documented several iconic buildings which existed in colonial Lagos (some of which have been demolished). They established their architectural firm named Godwin and Hopwood Architects in 1954. The firm’s name was later changed to Godwin Hopwood Kuye (GHK) Architects Limited in 1989. The couples became Nigerian citizens in 2013 after spending about 60 years living and practicing as architects in Nigeria.