“Everyone deserves quality”

Using local materials and smart building structures, Kéré creates high-quality infrastructure for the locals in climatically challenging regions. Whether it’s a school, hospital or residential complex – Kéré makes the most of locally sourced natural resources in his buildings without destroying the habitat. Sometimes, for example, the architect creates canopies from fast-growing eucalyptus wood to provide shade; in other projects, they are used to build screens or windbreaks. Light and shade are used equally for structure, tempering and aesthetics. All building materials are used in a way that is creative, effective and clever. The architect is always very keen to get the local community involved in the projects.

For the Gando Primary School in Burkina Faso, for example, Kéré took clay from the region and mixed it with cement, thereby optimising the bricks with bioclimatic thermal mass. This allows the cooler air to be retained indoors, with the heat able to escape through the brick ceiling and wide, overhanging, raised roof. The air circulates without the energy-guzzling use of electric air conditioning. During the construction of the school building in 2002, Francis Kéré also ensured the training and fair use of local workers. Since then, the school has been expanded several times – and the number of pupils has rocketed from 120 when it opened to 700 today.