Building the future

Diébédo Francis Kéré 

Architecture as an agent for development

Resisting the wholesale transfer of Western architectural practices to projects in developing countries, Diébédo Francis Kéré, winner of the 2009 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, advocates adapting the methods of local cultures. Having trained as a carpenter in Ouagadougou, Diébédo Francis Kéré left Burkina Faso for Germany in 1990. He began his architectural studies at the Technische Universität in Berlin, graduating in 2004 with some innovative ideas about the social responsibilities of the architect. Diébédo Francis Kéré seeks sustainable solutions to the challenge of constructing infrastructure in regions with many economic and humanitarian problems. His work focuses on creating architectural designs which respond directly to climatic conditions, using low-cost construction materials and methods. He also seeks to raise awareness among local communities about the merits of traditional materials. By combining traditional earth construction and some inspired techniques, this is an architecture which emphatically meets ethical, aesthetic and environmental demands.

Since winning the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004, Diébédo Francis Kéré’s international reputation has grown and he has completed projects all over the world. But he remains best known for the 2001 primary school project which he built in Gando, the village where he was born in Burkina Faso. It was his first building - a beautifully simple structure with impeccable sustainable credentials - which has become a symbol for architecture as an agent for development. The load-bearing walls are made from traditional compressed earth blocks which moderate room temperature by absorbing heat. The overhanging corrugated metal roof shades the entire building and extends to cover outdoor play areas. And, crucially, the roof can be raised on a steel truss, allowing air to circulate and cool the classrooms.

Gando primary school

But Diébédo Francis Kéré’s initiative does not stop there. In line with his ‘help to self-help’ philosophy, the principal participants in the build were the villagers themselves. Keeping construction techniques and materials simple empowered the local community to become totally involved in the project management and build. With no access to expensive lifting machinery all elements, including the roof, had to be adjusted to ensure the build could be completed purely with manual labour. All that was needed was to teach people how to use a handsaw and welding machine. Diébédo Francis Kéré’s Gando model has been replicated in neighbouring villages and he has now initiated projects in India and Yemen. This pioneering designer is breathing a love of world cultures into architecture with transformative results.

www.kere-architecture.com

Alexis Munteanu

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