Project for the expansion of a school complex. D. B. Shrubs, 2010
Burkina Faso-Upper Volta before conocido as- is a semi-desert country of the Sahel region of Africa. Began to play in the world of international architecture following that win Diébédo Francis Kere Aga Khan Award for Architecture en 2004 with Gando School.
Rural school in Gando, Burkina Faso. D.B. Shrubs, 2004
Burkina is one of the world's poorest places, due to the extreme aridity of the soil. Life expectancy of fourteen and a half million inhabitants is less than fifty years, and the activity of this population, accustomed to the extreme shortage, is based almost entirely on agriculture. The European Union contributes to maintaining their help this economy internationally subsidized in a high proportion.
There, earlier this century, in the small village of Gando Tenkodogo Province, Francis Kere Diébédo make his contribution essential equipment for its three thousand inhabitants: a school where you learn to study and have better knowledge about the world in which they have to live.
There, earlier this century, in the small village of Gando Tenkodogo Province, Francis Kere Diébédo make his contribution essential equipment for its three thousand inhabitants: a school where you learn to study and have better knowledge about the world in which they have to live.
Rural school in Gando, Section constructive expression of environmental conditioning system
Kere School came to reveal to us a very gifted architect to act on environmental conditions, extreme social and financial. Built in his hometown, building that represented a very austere building, nearly a pioneering example of the strategies that will address the architecture in a resource-constrained future.
Recognition Francis Kere has done nothing but grow over the years, since it was first awarded. Since, has been invited to various forums and has received numerous awards from such prestigious institutions as the Royal Institute of British Architects where he was named a Fellow in 2010. His work was also included in the permanent exhibition at the Musée International de la Croix Rouge et Croissant Geneva and, likewise, Small Scale in sample, Big Change: New Architectures of Social Engagement, held last year at the Modern Art Museum in New York.
Rural school in Gando, inside classrooms observed in austerity and rational use of materials
The history of this small school is revealing the path of this immense character who is the architect of Burkina Faso. In his childhood years Francis Kere be prepared as a carpenter and, later, go to the capital Ouagadougou to teach the professional craft courses sponsored by Germany as development aid. A subsequent grant, granted 1990 German government also, allowed to leave the familiar surroundings of his country to go to study in Berlin, where years later as an architect would license. As he himself, when he got there his impression of the wonders that exist in an advanced society did not fail to amaze long.
During his apprenticeship would propose raising enough money to make their conciudanos could leave behind poverty by encouraging education. In many ways, among which include harassment and persecution of their fellow students to donate small contributions, get enough resources to build that first school where born.
That construction, as known today, be done by the villagers themselves, according to the traditional way in which these things are decided in that area of Africa: by explaining and collective discussion between all future beneficiaries. Kere would have to present the project to their neighbors for long hours before getting the common consent of those who will help build the building. The architecture there would only once everyone was convinced of the goodness of the young architect architectural proposal.
Finally be built in a simple, rapid and essentially using existing materials on site. Kere have in mind the climatic conditions of the place to establish the shape of your building. A rectangular prism with a generous sunshade to give shade and allow the creation of an environment light and temperature conditions suitable for a place so hot and dry. That work together to continue subsequently a variety of other buildings, as the residence for teachers completed in 2007 and the expansion of the school and a small library, currently under construction.
Dotacional Complex in Burkina. D.B. Shrubs, 2010
Over the years, has been adding new proposals of his career, always with social content. Many of them also in their own country which is considered something of a national hero. Now, is called from many parts of the Third World to assist in the provision of services and facilities of all kinds; Low cost and long. The best thing is that even her breath projects have a unique aesthetic that makes them special and not a product of excessive extravagance. Is an architecture ethics, whose expressiveness comes from the extreme austerity.
Recently, has obtained the Gold Medal Holcim Foundation Sustainable Construction for its proposal to expand the already extensive school complex made in Gando. With it will continue in its efforts to provide better and more comprehensive services to various areas in your region. Kere generation raises all kinds of social and cultural facilities, education to complement already made.
Ideas for the use of agricultural terraces incident air coolers. Dotacional Complex in Burkina
According to their intentions, the important capital is going to bring this award 100.000 $ will be used to experiment with its own resources instead. Inter alia, is going to work for improvement in the use of clay and perfecting the various techniques of local building. The use of existing local granite foundations and eucalyptus, locally grown rapidly growing and will also demonstrate a potential sustainable use of these materials.
Another source of support for the work to residents is the encouragement of public participation in the work, with the objective of transferring knowledge by training new artisans. As the architect, motivates people itself through its own initiative, without external intervention, to create sustainable structures for their own future - without the intervention of modern methods and materials. What should be encouraged is the use and recovery of traditional building techniques.
Their program includes ideas for reforestation of arid fruit trees and storage and distribution of low rainfall as a tactic to improve environmental conditions in the desert places. Finally, seeks to innovate with cultivation techniques to temper the extreme heat in the place.
In sum, a comprehensive strategy to improve the unfavorable life circumstances of people in a poor region. And this, with the participation and direct decision of the people to whom it is addressed, avoiding the usual hegemony imposed by many non-governmental organizations engaged in the misguided philanthropy.
Diébédo architect Francis Kere
Good architecture with minimal budget, front of star architects and their works of unspeakable amounts provides food for thought…..
That good work in every way not only in architecture. Thanks Federico.Da learn these things taste.