Submitted by editor on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 21:28
Diebedo Francis Kere, founder of Kere Architecture, is a master of invention. A native of Burkina Faso (located in the Sahara Desert), he learned carpentry in Germany and did well enough to be accepted to a German school of architecture. When he decided to help his village build a school, Kere knew he would have to innovate since there was no wood, electricity or modern machinery available. Furthermore, he did not want to build the customary concrete block building with a corrugated roof that becomes an oven in the heat of summer.
So he created a mud brick building fortified with ten percent cement. This compound can be mixed and pressed with hand tools the villagers are able to operate. He also used the principles of heat to devise a cooling “system.” Specially designed windows offer both ventilation and shelter from the blazing sun. In addition, a double-layered roof made of clay and corrugated iron use convection to produce a breeze that simulates air conditioning.
Kere told Fast Company that the entire village pitched in to complete a structure within six weeks that accommodates 120 children. And, everyone learned new, salable skills in the process. The school building was so innovative that it won the 2010 BSI Swiss Architectural Award. Kere’s success has given him and his company the impetus to take on similar projects in Togo, Yemen, India, China and elsewhere.