AWARD YEAR
2017
CATEGORY
Home
GOALS
Responsible Consumption & Production
KEYWORDS
sustainability, Local Fabrication, design-build
COUNTRY
Rwanda
DESIGNED BY
Christian Benimana, MASS Design Group
WEBSITE
http://www.africandesigncentre.org
The African Design Centre
Training the design leaders who will build a more equitable and sustainable Africa
By 2050 the population of Africa will double, from 1.2 billion to 2.5 billion. The need for infrastructure to support healthy and prosperous growth is immense, and slum conditions in urban centres as well as recent epidemics demonstrate the risk of not doing so. But who will plan, design, and build equitable and sustainable cities? There is an extreme shortage of trained design professionals, and even fewer with training in human-centered, sustainable practices. The United States has 75 times as many architects per capita in as East Africa (1:2,000 vs. 1:130,000).
Opening in Rwanda this September, the ADC will lead African infrastructure growth by training leading young designers in high-impact, sustainable methods. The ADC will teach a three-part curriculum that includes project-based education, research, and focused seminars. By emphasizing context, the impact design methodology will encourage designers to work critically in all locations with positive results.