Beneath the structure of a building lies the facade elements that depict its aesthetic appeal. The designs of these buildings show the artistic nature of the brains behind the operations who deserve recognition and honour.
A Burkina Faso native architect received the 2022 Laureate of architecture for his notable projects among them designing Turkana's Startup Lions Campus.
The prestigious annual global prize is regarded as the highest honour bestowed on any architect for their projects. The winner goes home with a Ksh11.4 million cash prize.
Diebedo Francis Kere added the Laureate award to his list of collections including the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture and 2017 Serpentine Pavilion.
He is the first person of African descent to receive the accolade for his projects which mainly involve working in desolate areas in a bid to be part of the global efforts to eradicate poverty.
"Through buildings and demonstrate beauty, modesty, boldness, and invention and by the integrity of his architecture. Kere gracefully upholds the mission of this Prize," read part of the statement from Pritzker Architecture chairman Tom Pritzker
Features of Startup Lions Campus
The building is an ICT centre that stands out for its architectural design resembling a termite mound through the red paint. The structure was built using quarry stones and cement.
The essence of the design is to erect the tall towers that are used for ventilation in order to control the room temperature of the building as they enhance the aeration.
This is due to the high temperature experienced the county, being one of the Arid and semiarid areas in the country, and records an average temperature of 30-40 degrees celsius.
The technique is a cost-effective method that has seen locals use during different construction projects. The project was completed in 2021.
"From the very beginning, the project has had a collaborative building and learning at its heart. We had imagined an educational facility that blended with the striking natural landscape that surrounds it, mirroring the ingenious structures built by the terminates close by," Kere stated during a past media interview.
