Diébédo Francis Kéré Enhances Creativity and Art through Architecture
Diébédo Francis Kéré, a Burkina Faso-born architect, is the first African to win the reputable Pritzker Prize, also known as the Nobel Prize of Architecture. His architectural practice is very distinct and has been recognized both locally and internationally. He is mostly recognised for his pioneering approach to design and sustainable modes of construction. Kéré's desire to become an architect stems from a desire to give back to the community in which he grew up, as well as a belief in the transformational power of beauty.
His very first building, the Gando Primary School, which he designed, raised funds for, and built in collaboration with the residents of his hometown while still a student at the Technical University of Berlin, won the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004, bringing him critical acclaim from the start of his career. In 2005, he founded his architectural practice, Kéré Architecture, as well as the Kéré Foundation; a non-profit organisation that pursues projects in Gando.