A supportive community
The Kéré Foundation e.V. was founded in 1998 (under the name Schulbausteine für Gando) by internationally renowned Burkinabè architect Francis Kéré with the aim of giving back to the community of Gando that raised him.
Gando is a district located in the vicinity of Tenkodogo in the Centre-Est region of Burkina Faso. Our work there intends to provide the community with the means towards a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable future through projects that focus on education, health and the environment. In the pursuit of these goals we have developed a collaborative practice that makes innovative use of local resources.
Our compact and agile structure is made up of an administrative board based in Germany and two project managers in Burkina Faso, with further employees hired on a project basis.
Francis Kéré
Francis Kéré, a distinguished Burkinabé-German architect, is renowned for his innovative, sustainable, and collaborative architectural initiatives. While pursuing his education at the Technical University of Berlin, Kéré concurrently established the Kéré Foundation to bolster the development of his native village, Gando. In 2005, he founded Kéré Architecture. His architectural prowess gained international acclaim, most notably through the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2004, a distinction earned for his pioneering work on the Gando Primary School in Burkina Faso.
Over the years, Kéré has emerged as a prominent figure in contemporary architecture, characterized by his communal design philosophy and unwavering commitment to sustainable construction methods and materials. He leads a diverse, international team at Kéré Architecture in Berlin, where they undertake projects spanning four continents, leaving architectural footprints in various countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Togo, Sudan, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Kéré's architectural endeavors often transcend conventional boundaries, seamlessly blending architecture and art. Across all his projecst, Kéré's methodology shines a spotlight on collaboration and forward-thinking practices, hallmarks of his 20 years of continual development. His approach places a strong emphasis on environmentally sensitive solutions, addressing climatic and sociological considerations. His focus on materials, natural light and ventilation exemplifies innovative solutions that harmonize modernity with tradition.
Kéré's profound appreciation for education is evident through his initiatives, which include training construction workers in Burkina Faso and nurturing the next generation of architects through teaching engagements at esteemed institutions like the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, TU München, and Yale University.
In 2022, Kéré achieved a historic milestone by winning the Pritzker Architecture Prize, a remarkable accomplishment as the first individual from Africa and the first Black architect to receive this prestigious accolade. More recently, his contributions have earned recognition within the art world, exemplified by the prestigious Praemium Imperiale awarded in 2023.
"My work is first and foremost a social instrument. Its cultural, economic and environmental building solutions are always underpinned by a social process."
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