34. DIÉBÉDO FRANCIS KÉRÉ
DIÉBÉDO FRANCIS KÉRÉ remembers sweltering in a 104-degree classroom in his West African hometown of Gando, Burkina Faso. “You will agree with me that this is not a nice place to train people,” he says. Kéré designed what’s known as a passive ventilation system for a new high school in Gando, promoting a vacuum effect with perforated ceilings and lattice-supported tin roofs, thereby sucking out the hot air. The project has won global awards for its function and its stunning looks. “It’s the same thing when someone wears a hat to protect himself from the sun, and the hat just happens to fit him well.”
Timeline
-
2004
Graduates from the Berlin Technical University
-
2004
Wins the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for his primary school in Gando
-
2005
Founds Kéré Architecture
-
2011
Receives Marcus Prize from Marcus Corporation/University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
-
2012
Wins the Global Gold Holcim Award for his secondary school in Gando