May 20, 2010, Innsbruck
Diébédo Francis Kéré: Sustainable Architecture in Africa
Curator: Matthias Böttger
[make] – simply doing it, to rear, to raise upwards. Houses and cities can be constructed physically. In order to revive these rooms the inhabitants must have contact and create with one another. Only then does a city develop. To undertake this construction requires an important drive. Doing, Making, Getting started. At times creators proceed spontaneously, not planned, even with planning the making is very important. Unfortunately feasibilty studies often prevent that anything gets started.Planning often is regulated from above which can end up not being understood and resulting in not being accepted. Creators should be thoughtful and strive to do the right thing. Especially since creating is always linked to power and this must not be abused. At the moment the dwellers and investors are creators. Where architects only play a small but important role in a small part in the production of space. Make it right! It takes a lot of trust, respect and patience to start the production of a space, away from intercultural boundaries on the level of the people. Even without official power it is possible to get started. Without lapsing into action-ism it is possible to get started in many ways. Just do it!” (Raumtaktik)
Diébédo Francis Kéré: sustainable architecture for Africa
2004 Diébédo Francis Kéré received the most important architecture-prize in the Islamic world, the Aga-Khan-Award. Architect Francis Kéré hails from Burkina Faso. He received the award for his rendering of a school, which he designed while he was still attending university, in his home village Gando. The former school was in danger of collapsing and Kéré, who is the oldest son of the chief of the village was dealt the task to save it. To raise money for the rebuilding the school he founded the association „Schulbausteine für Gando“. (School Building Blocks for Gando) Now the association also supports further projects.
What is essential with all of his projects is that Kéré brings back the knowledge he acquired in Berlin. Not in the linear way in, which help comes from above, as it is typical for development assistances. His projects develop by working together with the local people and are based onsite specifics, the climate and the local economy. He works with the people, for the people. Using clay, a material that is local and cheap and easy to obtain He develops prototypes that are naturally ventilated and easily adapt to the climatic conditions. He develops a special method, to mix the clay and make it resistant to rain. Through his acquired knowledge new construction principles and the traditional, ways of construction Kéré transformed the building methods into a permanent, climatically resistant and high class construction.
Through the participation of the community in the building process, costs are kept low, knowledge gets handed down and the people strongly identify with the buildings. Viewed from Europe this is a process that cannot be controlled and is not planned. As Kéré would describe it in his own words; it is a process of “just do it“.
Kéré`s newest project, the media is being very attentive to, a „festival hall“ for Africa is being constructed in the same way. The project initiated by Christoph Schlingensief has reached another level of attention this past year. The opera house will transform into an opera village, similar to a small African village consisting of small modules made from local construction materials such as clay that assemble in the form of a nautilus around a central place. The modules can also be used in the event of flood for victims who become homeless.“While constructing, we teach the people how to build the house by themselves and something again develops.” (Christorph Schlingensief)
Inspired by Francis Kérés projects, students from the BORG Innsbruck built, together with the artist Michael Engela, a wall made from clay making the connection between traditional construction and innovative techniques tangible.
diébédo francis kéré
b. 1965 in Gando (Burkina Faso); 1995 – 2003 studied architecture at TU Berlin; 1999 foundation of the association „Schulbausteine für Gando“; since 2001 architect; since 2004 lecturer at „Habitat Unit“ at TU Berlin; lives and works in Berlin and Burkina Faso; 2004 „Aga Khan Award for Architecture“ for the community college Gando (BF); 2009 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, Paris
selected buildings and projects
2001 – 08 primary school, expanding and teacher houses, Gando (BF); Girl’s Boarding School, Dattigaon, (Indien); ideas competition Nation Station, Fuerteventura (ES); Forschungsprojekt Schul-Prototypen, Jemen; 2007 extension of secondary school, Dano (BF); 2009 competition Internationales Konferenzzentrum Ougadougou (BF), 2009/10 National Park, Bamako (Mali); since 2008 Operndorf Afrika (together with Christoph Schlingensief)
An exhibition kindly supported by Würth Hochenburger GmbH
Series of events
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