Tokie Laotan-Brown

• Name — Tokie Laotan-Brown • Birth Name — Tokunbo Laotan • Birthplace — Germany • Citizenship — Nigeria Ireland • Education — University of Nova Gorica Università Iuav di Venezia • Occupation — Environmentalist/Architect • Known for — Research on marginalised African heritage

Laotan-Brown was born in Würzburg, Germany to Nigerian parents. She pursued higher education in architecture, heritage conservation and cultural economics, earning a Ph.D. in Economics and Techniques for the Conservation of Architectural and Environmental Heritage from the University of Nova Gorica and Università Iuav di Venezia. Laotan-Brown has worked internationally as a heritage architect and consultant, focusing on conservation, restoration and cultural landscape assessment. She is the founder of Merging Ecologies Studio (UK & Ireland), where she integrates digital technologies such as CAD, HBIM, and photogrammetry into heritage preservation practices. She has contributed to heritage-related initiatives including World Heritage nomination processes, conservation appraisals, and cultural landscape projects with her work often emphasizes Afrocentric approaches and the inclusion of intangible cultural narratives in architectural conservation. She has also held academic roles, including serving as a lecturer at the State University of New York, where she teaches courses in cultural studies and gender studies. In 2004, she ran for councilor 2004 Galway City Council election.