Contents
Francis Kéré
Designing climate-responsive community buildings and becoming the first African-born Pritzker laureate.
Gando Primary School · Serpentine Pavilion
- Born
- 10 April 1965
- Birthplace
- Gando, Burkina Faso
More people
Francis Kéré
A Burkinabé-German architect whose work combines local materials, collaborative building and engineering for hot climates. Schools and civic spaces are central to his practice.
Early life
Gando childhood
Left his village to attend school, experiencing overcrowded and uncomfortable classrooms.
Training in Germany
Moved to Germany for carpentry training and later studied architecture in Berlin.
Career
- 1998
Community fundraising
Established an organisation to support building projects in Gando.
- 2001
First school
Completed Gando Primary School while still a student.
- 2005
Architectural practice
Founded Kéré Architecture in Berlin.
- 2022
Pritzker Prize
Received the international architecture award.
Buildings & projects
Gando Primary School
Used local construction and passive ventilation for cooler classrooms.
Serpentine Pavilion
Created a London gathering space inspired by a village tree canopy.
Xylem
Designed a wooden pavilion for Tippet Rise in Montana.
Beyond architecture
Teaching
Has taught architecture at universities in Europe and the United States.
Community involvement
Uses projects to develop local skills as well as completed buildings.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Pritzker Prize biography and projects ↗Photo: Astrid Eckert. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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