John Godwin was born in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, England on 17 June 1928.
John also established an academic career as a Professor of Architecture at the University of Lagos.
[5] 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).
The firm’s name was later changed to Godwin Hopwood Kuye (GHK) Architects Limited in 1989.
The couple became Nigerian citizens in 2013 after spending about 60 years living and practising as architects in Nigeria.