Intervento a MI/ARCH 2016 di Francis Kéré
As the first son of the head of his rural village in Burkina Faso, Francis Kéré was the only child allowed to attend school. This seemingly small detail completely changed the trajectory of his life, as he was eventually afforded the opportunity to train as an architect and builder in Germany. After graduating with his diploma, he set out to reinvest his hard-earned knowledge back into the community that nurtured him as a child. Returning to Gando with a simple vision for an improved primary school, Kéré would later take home the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for a design that integrates traditional and modern techniques while addressing the pressing concerns of climate and sustainability. Harnessing this success, he began to integrate other community and educational resources into an ambitious masterplan. Through the process of building in Gando, Kéré has empowered those in his village to be creative with resources for the betterment of their individual and collective futures. These efforts continue to create awareness for developmental and economic problems facing communities in rural Africa and abroad. The work has earned prestigious awards such as the Schelling Architecture Award 2014, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, the BSI Swiss Architectural Award, the Marcus Prize and the Global Holcim Gold Award. Francis Kéré is an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects and the Royal Institute of British Architects. He has held professorships at the Harvard Graduate School of Design as well as the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio.