Born in Gando, a small village in Burkina Faso, Diébédo Francis Kéré was the first son of the headman and thus the only child allowed to attend school. After graduating he received a scholarship for further education as supervisor in the context of development aid in Germany. Following the apprenticeship, Kéré studied architecture in Berlin and funded his office KÉRÉ ARCHITECTURE and the nonprofi t association SCHULBAUSTEINE FÜR GANDO. After University, he went back to his home country to reinvest his knowledge in his people. Kéré sets the main focus of his work on the usage and development of local materials and techniques, the adaptation of new technology in a simple way and the potential of the local community. Today, Diébédo Francis Kéré is an expert in preserving and developing traditional clay technologies and architecture heritage. To Kéré, education is the foundation for every social, technical and economic development. His first project, a primary school in his native village Gando, finished in 2001, received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture of Today. Meanwhile the primary school is completed through teachers housing, a school extension and a library and has been awarded with numerous important awards such as the BSI Swiss Architectural Award in June 2010, the Marcus Prize in June 2011 and the Regional Holcim Award for Africa and Middle East in September 2011.


Relevant projects
– Scuola superiore, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2011
– Centro per le donne, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2010
– Biblioteca, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2010
– Esposizione permanente per il Red Crescent Museum, Ginevra, Svizzera, 2010
– Centro di educazione in collaborazione con DAZ e. V., Dapaong, Togo, 2010
– Opera village Remodoogo, laongo, Burkina Faso, 2009
– Fondazione Aga Kahn: Museo per l’architettura della Terra, Mopti, Mali, 2010
– Fondazione Aga Kahn: Parco Nazionale, Bamako, Mali, 2009-2010
– Ampliamento di una scuola, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2008
– Scuola superiore, Dano, Burkina Faso, 2007
– Centro congressi internazionale, Fuerteventura, Spagna, 2007 (concept)
– Prototipi di scuole in tre diverse fasce climatiche, Yemen, 2005 (concept)
– Residenze per docenti, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2004
– Scuola elementare, Gando, Burkina Faso, 2001

• Opera Village
• Opera Village
• Opera Village
• Mali
• Mali
• Primary School
• Primary School

Relevant publications
– Sustainable Design II – Towards a new Ethics for Architecture and the City, 2011
– Actes Sud / Editor: Marie-Helene Contal, Jana Revedin, 2011
– Moderators of Change – Architecture that helps / Editor: Andres Lepik, Hantje Cantz, 2011
– A+U, Diversified Solutions – A new beninning in architecture, 2011
– BSI Swiss Architectural Award 2010, a cura di Nicola Navone, Mendrisio Academy Press, Silvana Editoriale, Mendrisio-Milano, 2010
– Arquitectura Viva, VII-VIII, 2010
– Green Source Magazine. Buildings without borders, May-June 2010
– Topos. The International Review of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2010
– Ecologik. Architecure, ville, 2009
– Harvard Design Magazine, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, 2008-2009
– African Architecture 2008. Digest
– The Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture, Phaidon Verlag, New York, 2008
– Arquitectura Viva. Architectures for     a Sustainable Planet, 2008
– Architecture of change / Editors: Kristin Feireiss, Lukas Feireiss, 2008
– Updating Germany, 100 Projekte fuer eine bessere Zukunft / Editors: Friedrich von Borries und Matthias Boettger, Raumtatik, Hantje Cantz, 2008
– Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises. Architecture for Humanity (Editor), Metropolis Books, Newyork, 2006

• 
• 
• Bridging

Relevant exhibitions
– BSI Swiss Architectural Award 2010, a cura di Nicola Navone, Mendrisio, Galleria dell’Accademia di architetura, 19 novembre 2010-30 gennaio 2011
– “Small scale, big change”, Museum of Modern Arts, New York, USA, 2011
– “12 Biennale di Architettura”, Padiglione Ruanda, IUAV, Venezia, Italia, 2010
– “The future has arrived”, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen, Danimarca, 2009
– “Biennale Internazionale di Rotterdam”, Squat City, Rotterdam, Paesi Bassi, 2009
– “Afrika Baut Seine Zukunft”, Dipartimento per gli Affari Esteri, Berlino, Germania, 2008/2009
– “11 Biennale di Architettura”, Mostra e conferenza, Venezia, Italia, 2008
– “After Ward Ceremony”, Premio Aga Khan per l’Architettura, Ouaga, Burkina Faso, 2008
– “Architecture Richness and Poverty”, Parma, Italia, 2000


Relevant awards
– Global Hocim Award (vincitore), 2012
– Regional Holcim Award for Africa and Middle East, Marocco (vincitore), 2011
– Premio Marcus, Milwakee, USA, 2011
– Premio Detail 2011, Premio speciale per la “Green Architecture”, Germania, 2011
– BSI Swiss Architectural Award, Mendrisio, Svizzera, 2010
– Membro del Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Londra, UK, 2009
– Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, Parigi, Francia, 2009
– Premio Architettura Sostenibile (menzione d’onore), 2009
– Premio Zumtobel per l’Architettura Sostenibile (menzione d’onore), 2007
– Cavaliere di primo ordine nazionale, Burkina Faso, 2006
– Aga Kahn Award for Architecture, 2004

PROMOTORI XFAFX
Università degli Studi di Ferrara
Facoltà di Architettura di Ferrara

SOSTENITORI GENERALI XFAFX
AHEC American Hardwood Export Council
Casalgrande Padana
Il Casone
Lithos Design
Pibamarmi
Giuseppe Rivadossi
Viabizzuno

PATROCINI E COLLABORAZIONI XFAFX
Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali
Regione Emilia Romagna / Provincia di Ferrara
Comune di Ferrara
ADI / SITdA / CNA
Ordini Architetti, Pianificatori Paesaggisti e Conservatori
Province di Bologna, Ferrara, Forlì-Cesena, Modena,
Piacenza, Ravenna, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Rovigo, Verona

PARTNER XFAFX
Fassa Bortolo
Libria
Nardi
Sannini

MOSTRA PROMOSSA DA
BSI Architectural Foundation

ORGANIZZATA DA
Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Facoltà di Architettura
Archivio del Moderno dell’Accademia di Architettura, Università della Svizzera Italiana

NELL'AMBITO DI
XfafX Festival To design today

CON IL PATROCINIO DI
Accademia di Architettura, Università della Svizzera Italiana