Projects
Sacred Heart Cathedral of Kericho: A Vault of Cypress and Light, Kericho, Kenya
Set amidst the lush tea plantations of the Kenyan Highlands, the Sacred Heart Cathedral of Kericho is a monumental achievement in contextual religious architecture. Designed by John McAslan + Partners, the building is defined by a striking, ascending roof that shelters up to 1,500 worshippers. By relying entirely on natural ventilation, daylighting, and locally sourced materials, from Kericho-grown cypress to Nairobi Blue stone, the cathedral honors both the faith and the frugality of its rural community.
Basuna Mosque: Parametric Peace in the Desert, Basuna (Sohag), Egypt
Located in a noisy, densely populated village in Upper Egypt, the Basuna Mosque is an oasis of tranquility. Designed by Dar Arafa Architecture, this modern place of worship reimagines traditional Islamic geometry to combat the hot and arid climate. Featuring a breathtaking, light-block central dome and a network of pendentive skylights, the building filters the harsh desert sun and captures cooling breezes, creating a serene sanctuary for both spiritual and community life.
Women’s Opportunity Center: Rebuilding Heritage and Hope, Kayonza, Rwanda
Set on a two-hectare site in rural Rwanda, the Women’s Opportunity Center is a mini-village dedicated to empowering female survivors of war. Designed by Sharon Davis Design in collaboration with Women for Women International, the center revives the lost Rwandan tradition of circular, woven-reed dwellings. By utilizing 450,000 clay bricks hand-pressed by the women themselves, the architecture actively creates economic opportunity, rebuilds social infrastructure, and restores African heritage.
Black Rhino Academy: The Catenary Arches of Karatu, Karatu, Tanzania
Situated on a hilly site just outside the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater, the Black Rhino Academy is an immersive environment for learning from nature. Designed by NLÉ (led by Kunlé Adeyemi), this primary and secondary boarding school rejects the standard rigid grids of institutional buildings. Instead, it utilizes locally made earth bricks to form a series of sweeping catenary arches, creating a campus that mimics the undulating savanna and the protective clusters of traditional Masai settlements.
Tambacounda Hospital: The Breathing S-Curve, Tambacounda, Senegal
Serving as the only major hospital for a region of over 20,000 patients, the Tambacounda Maternity and Paediatric Hospital is a vital lifeline in eastern Senegal. Designed by Manuel Herz Architects and backed by the Albers Foundation, this two-story facility rejects the overcrowded, stuffy corridors of traditional clinics. Instead, it takes the form of a sweeping, curvilinear S-shape wrapped in a breathable brick lattice, providing a naturally cooled sanctuary for healing.
Guga S'Thebe Children's Theatre: The Art of Upcycling, Langa (Cape Town), South Africa
Located in the heart of Cape Town’s oldest township, the Guga S'Thebe Children's Theatre is a vibrant celebration of recycled architecture. Designed and built through an international collaboration between local architects, the community of Langa, and students from three global universities, the theatre transforms discarded shipping containers, fruit crates, and straw bales into a colorful, acoustically brilliant performing arts center.
Rwanda Cricket Stadium: Vaults of Earth and Sport, Kigali, Rwanda
Emerging from the rolling landscape of Kigali, the Rwanda Cricket Stadium is a marvel of modern engineering and local craftsmanship. Designed by Light Earth Designs, the pavilion moves away from the steel-and-concrete norms of global sports architecture. Instead, it features three sweeping, parabolic vaults built entirely from soil-stabilized tiles. The form mimics both the trajectory of a bouncing cricket ball and the cherished hills of Rwanda, creating a dynamic, low-carbon hub for community and sport.
The Library of Muyinga: Woven from Earth and Sisal, Muyinga, Burundi
Designed as the first phase of an inclusive school for deaf children, the Library of Muyinga is a masterpiece of participatory architecture. BC Architects worked alongside the local community to revive traditional building techniques, constructing the building entirely from Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB) and baked clay tiles. The library's defining feature is a massive, hand-woven sisal rope hammock suspended beneath the high ceilings, creating a magical mezzanine where children can read and dream.
Alioune Diop University Teaching Building: The Breathing Canopy, Bambey, Senegal
Faced with extreme temperatures and a lack of infrastructure, the architects at IDOM designed the Alioune Diop University Teaching Building not as a conventional structure, but as a giant, protective tree. By utilizing a massive double-roof canopy and a hand-crafted, perforated concrete facade, this project creates a naturally cooled oasis for 1,500 students in the heart of the Sahel, reducing interior temperatures by 10 degrees without a single air conditioner.
Niamey 2000: Urban Earth for the Modern Middle Class Location: Niamey (Kollo District), Niger
As Niamey faces a rapid housing crisis, Niamey 2000 emerges as a revolutionary prototype for urban living. Designed by United4Design (including Mariam Kamara and Yasaman Esmaili), this 1,700-square-meter development rejects the sprawling, concrete-heavy suburban model. Instead, it looks to the dense, pre-colonial cities of the Sahel to create a high-density, multi-story housing complex built entirely from unfired earth.
CSPS Laongo: Framing Health Location: Laongo, Burkina Faso
Part of the visionary "Opera Village" project initiated by Christoph Schlingensief, the Centre for Health and Social Welfare (CSPS) is not just a clinic; it is a piece of social sculpture. Designed by Kéré Architecture, the facility is defined by its playful, dynamic windows that frame the landscape like paintings, proving that architecture can provide dignity and beauty alongside medical care.
Eastgate Centre: The Urban Termite Mound Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Built in 1996, the Eastgate Centre is a global landmark of sustainable architecture. Designed by Mick Pearce, this office and retail complex rejects the hermetic "glass tower" typology. Instead, it draws inspiration from African termite mounds to create a passive cooling system that keeps the interior comfortable without conventional air conditioning, saving massive amounts of energy while paying homage to the stone architecture of Great Zimbabwe.
The Nest @ Sossus: Biomimicry in the Namib Location: Namib Desert, Namibia
In the vast expanse of the Namib Desert, a structure rises not as a building, but as a biological anomaly. The Nest @ Sossus, designed by Porky Hefer, is a fully off-grid dwelling modeled after the massive communal nests of the Sociable Weaver bird. Crafted from a hand-bent steel skeleton and thatched with local reed, it is a piece of vernacular architecture that proves luxury can be organic, sustainable, and wildly imaginative.
Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre: The Vaults of History Location: Limpopo, South Africa
At the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers, where South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana meet, lies the site of an ancient trading civilization. The Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre, designed by Peter Rich Architects, honors this history not by imposing a foreign structure, but by birthing one from the earth itself. Using 200,000 hand-pressed soil tiles, the building forms a series of organic, free-form vaults that mimic the surrounding hills, blending ancient technique with modern engineering.
Church of the Assumption: Tropical Transcendence Location: Assinie-Mafia, Ivory Coast
In the coastal town of Assinie-Mafia, the Church of the Assumption rises from the white sands like a pair of praying hands. Designed by Koffi & Diabaté Architectes, this project transforms humble materials, timber and corrugated metal, into a majestic sanctuary. By embracing the tropical climate rather than fighting it, the church creates a naturally ventilated, triple-height space that is as sustainable as it is spiritual.
SOS Children’s Village Tadjourah: A Medina for the Future Location: Tadjourah, Djibouti
Located in one of the hottest places on Earth, the SOS Children's Village in Tadjourah is a masterclass in passive cooling. Designed by Urko Sanchez Architects, the compound rejects Western layouts in favor of a traditional "Medina" typology. By using narrow, shaded alleyways and distinctive "wind catcher" towers, the village protects its young residents from the harsh climate without relying on energy-intensive air conditioning.
Maternity Waiting Village: A Safe Haven for Mothers Location: Kasungu, Malawi
In rural Malawi, distance is often the biggest danger to expectant mothers. The Maternity Waiting Village, designed by MASS Design Group, addresses this by providing a safe place for women to stay near medical help during their final weeks of pregnancy. Rejecting the cold, barrack-style dormitories of the past, this project recreates the warmth of a traditional Malawian village, using earth blocks and shared courtyards to build a community of support.
Lycée Schorge: The Breathing Village Location: Koudougou, Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso’s third-largest city, Francis Kéré has reimagined the school not as a building, but as a village. Lycée Schorge creates a protective "embrace" around a central courtyard, using locally harvested laterite stone and a stunning curtain of eucalyptus wood to create a space that is cool, shaded, and deeply inspiring for its students.
32° East Arts Centre: Urban Earth & Circular Creativity Location: Kabalagala, Kampala, Uganda
Located in the bustling heart of Kampala, 32° East is a sanctuary for creation. Designed by New Makers Bureau and Localworks, this arts centre is a masterclass in the circular economy. Built from the very soil excavated from its foundations and roofed with timber reused from its own construction scaffolding, it creates a serene, breathing space for artists amidst the urban chaos.
The Women’s House of Ouled Merzoug: A Hearth of Granite and Earth Location: Idelsane (Ouled Merzoug), Morocco
Perched on a ridge near the Atlas Mountains, the Women’s House is a sanctuary built by and for the women of Ouled Merzoug. Designed by the "Building Beyond Borders" program at UHasselt, this community center blends traditional Berber craftsmanship with contemporary design. Constructed from site-excavated granite and adobe bricks, it provides a vital space for sharing crafts, baking, and education, anchored by a lush forest garden that greens the arid landscape.
One Airport Square: The Ecological Diamond of Accra Location: Accra, Ghana
One Airport Square is a landmark that redefines what a modern office tower can be in a tropical climate. Designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, it is the first building in Ghana to receive a 4-Star Green Star rating. The design moves away from the inefficient glass-box standard, wrapping the building in a stunning diagrid concrete shell inspired by palm tree bark that provides self-shading and structural strength.
RICA: The World’s First Climate-Positive Campus Location: Gashora, Rwanda
Set on a 3,400-acre peninsula, RICA is more than a university; it is a radical model for the future of the planet. Designed by MASS Design Group, the campus integrates agriculture, ecology, and education into a single "One Health" system. Built almost entirely from local earth, stone, and wood, and powered by the sun, it is the first campus in the world designed to be climate-positive, proving that large-scale infrastructure can heal rather than harm the environment.
Hikma Community Complex: The House of Wisdom Reborn Location: Dandaji, Niger
Reviving the ancient Islamic tradition of uniting faith and knowledge, the Hikma project transforms a derelict mosque into a library while raising a new place of worship alongside it. Designed by Mariam Kamara (Atelier Masōmī) and Yasaman Esmaili (Studio Chahar), this complex is a harmonious dialogue between the secular and the religious, built entirely with earth to cultivate both the mind and the spirit.
Startup Lions Campus: A Tech Hub Inspired by Nature Location: Turkana County, Kenya
Located on the banks of Lake Turkana, this ICT campus combats youth unemployment by offering high-level training in a remote setting. Designed by Francis Kéré, the architecture draws inspiration from local termite mounds, featuring tall ventilation towers that utilize the "stack effect" to naturally cool the workspaces. Constructed from locally sourced quarry stone, the campus is a stunning example of biomimicry, blending advanced technology with ecological sustainability.
Lideta Market: The Fractal Concrete Souk
In a city rapidly filling with air-conditioned glass towers, Lideta Market takes a radical step backward to move forward. Rejecting the Western shopping mall typology, Vilalta Studio looked to the chaotic energy of Addis Ababa’s "Old Mercato" to create a breathable, vertical market wrapped in a fractal concrete skin.
The Magoda Project: Architecture Against Malaria
In rural Tanzania, a team of architects and scientists has proven that a building can save lives. The Magoda Project consists of eight prototype homes designed to fight malaria not with chemicals, but with geometry. By fusing traditional African methods with Asian typology, these "star homes" reduced indoor mosquito density by an astonishing 96%.
Norrsken Kigali House: The Anti-Skyscraper Tech Hub
Built on the historic grounds of the École Belge, Norrsken House Kigali rejects the glass-tower trope of modern tech hubs. Instead, it reclaims Kigali’s heritage, transforming a colonial-era school into East Africa’s largest campus for entrepreneurship, a place where the "unicorn" startups of tomorrow are incubated in a climate-resilient, human-scale village.
The Ellen DeGeneres Campus: A Volcanic Sanctuary for Conservation
Nestled in the volcanic foothills of Rwanda, the Ellen DeGeneres Campus is more than a headquarters, it is a living laboratory designed to secure the future of the mountain gorilla. Designed by MASS Design Group, this sprawling facility mimics the forest canopy and uses volcanic stone to create a seamless transition between the human world and the wild.
Burkina Institute of Technology: High-Tech in Poured Earth
Expanding the Koudougou educational campus, the Burkina Institute of Technology (BIT) houses cutting-edge digital infrastructure within walls of poured local clay. Using a groundbreaking cast-in-situ earth technique, the project bridges the gap between rapid, scalable construction and indigenous material tradition.
Lycée Schorge: The Red Laterite Citadel
In Burkina Faso’s third-largest city, Francis Kéré evolves his architectural language by mastering local laterite stone. Lycée Schorge is a radial "fortress of knowledge" where heavy thermal mass meets a lightweight, breathing wooden skin, setting a new benchmark for educational infrastructure in the Sahel.
Gando Primary School: The Clay Manifesto that Launched a Legacy
Francis Kéré’s debut project, the Gando Primary School, challenged the stigma of local materials in Burkina Faso. By hybridizing traditional clay techniques with modern engineering, this Aga Khan Award-winning structure proves that sustainability and community pride are the ultimate foundations of African architecture.
Noomdo Orphanage
Noomdo Orphanage is a carefully designed residential complex in Koudougou, Burkina Faso, offering a safe and nurturing environment for children. Inspired by local residential compounds, the project is organized around a communal courtyard and built using locally sourced laterite stone, ensuring thermal comfort, durability, and a strong connection to place.
Umubano Primary School Extension
The Umubano Primary School Extension is a sustainable educational development in Kigali, Rwanda, designed to expand learning spaces while strengthening community engagement. Carefully integrated into the site’s topography, the project introduces new classrooms, a multipurpose hall, and shared facilities that support both education and social life.
Tudor Apartments
Tudor Apartments is a thoughtful residential development on the waterfront of Tudor Creek, Mombasa, Kenya. Comprising 14 private apartments, the project blends Swahili-inspired design, natural ventilation, and sustainable strategies to create a serene and luxurious living environment with stunning views of the creek.
Long Project Description
A Contemporary Oasis in Earth Architecture
Alhamra is a stunning earthen architecture project set in a remote, arid landscape 60 km from Dakar. Designed as a peaceful retreat, the house combines traditional earth-building techniques with modern living. Its thick walls, an internal oasis, and a 12-meter wind tower ensure natural cooling, making it a sustainable and inviting space.
Reconstruction of the Large Central Market in Kinshasa
The project focuses on rebuilding the iconic Central Market in Kinshasa, integrating market spaces, shops, logistics, and modern facilities such as food courts, administrative offices, and essential public services. This transformative project aims to create a safe, functional, and vibrant hub for trade and community activities.
Atelier Bois: Celebrating Local Craftsmanship in Senegal
The Atelier Bois is a carpentry workshop located in Thionck Essyl, a town in the Casamance region of Senegal. This innovative project blends tradition and sustainability by seamlessly integrating local materials, techniques, and natural surroundings. The design creates a multifunctional space where craftsmanship and community thrive.
CEM Kamanar: A Model of Sustainable and Social Architecture in Senegal
The CEM Kamanar Secondary School is a remarkable educational facility designed for 500 students in Thionck Essyl, located in southern Senegal. As the first project developed by Foundawtion, this initiative reflects a mission to meet architectural needs in economically disadvantaged regions. The school embodies principles of comfort, sustainability, and cost-effective construction, utilizing local resources and community expertise.
Floating Music Hub, Mindelo (MFS™ IV): A Cultural Platform on the Atlantic
The Floating Music Hub in Mindelo, Cape Verde, is a cultural platform celebrating African creativity. Designed by NLÉ using the Makoko Floating System (MFS™), it features prefabricated, modular timber construction for sustainable water-based architecture.