Diébédo Francis Kéré is first African to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. He is an internationally renowned Burkinabè architect and the 2022 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He is recognised for his pioneering approach to design and sustainable modes of construction. His vocation to become an architect comes from a personal commitment to serve the community he grew up in, and a belief in the transformative potential of beauty.
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest challenges modern architects face is environmental sustainability. With climate change's stark realities, sustainable and eco-friendly building design is crucial. Architects must create green buildings that minimize carbon footprints and reduce environmental impact.
Located in the third most populated city in Burkina Faso, the Lycée Schorge Secondary School sets a new standard for educational excellence in the region. The school consists of nine modules arranged radially around a courtyard, protecting the central space from wind and dust. A series of steps creates a loosely defined amphitheatre, which accommodates informal gatherings as well as assemblies and celebrations for the school and wider community.
Francis Kéré created a design that resolved these issues directly, within the parameters set by cost, climate, resource availability and construction feasibility. Clay is abundantly available in the region and traditionally used in house building, so a clay/cement hybrid was used to create structurally robust bricks. These are not only easy to produce, but also provide thermal protection against the hot climate. Despite their durability, however, the walls must be protected from damaging rains by an overhanging roof.
Story & Words from Kéré Architecture
“I am hoping to change the paradigm, push people to dream and undergo risk. It is not because you are rich that you should waste material. It is not because you are poor that you should not try to create quality,”
“Everyone deserves quality, everyone deserves luxury, and everyone deserves comfort . We are interlinked and concerns in climate, democracy and scarcity are concerns for us all .”
Renaissance describes a moment when the quantity and quality of intellectual and artistic output are perceived as signalling “a monumental historical shift” in the life of a people, nation, or region.
It is not in funding that Africa Renaissance can be fully realized, but the desire, the imagination and will in ...
Hwehwemudua - excellence, superior quality, perfection, knowledge, and critical examination.
