TEDGlobal 2017
Christian Benimana: The next generation of African architects and designers
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Christian Benimana wants to build a network of architects who can help Africa's booming cities flourish in sustainable, equitable ways -- balancing growth with values that are uniquely African. From Nigeria to Burkina Faso and beyond, he shares examples of architecture bringing communities together. A pan-African movement of architects, designers and engineers on the continent and in diaspora are learning from and inspiring each other, and Benimana invites us to imagine future African cities as the most resilient, socially inclusive places on earth.
Christian Benimana - Architect
Christian Benimana wants to develop the talent and potential of the next generation of African designers with socially-focused design principles. Full bio
Christian Benimana wants to develop the talent and potential of the next generation of African designers with socially-focused design principles. Full bio
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00:12
The longest journey
that I have ever taken.
that I have ever taken.
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That was in 2002.
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I was only 19 years old.
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It was the first time
I had ever been on an airplane
I had ever been on an airplane
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and the first time
that I had left my country,
that I had left my country,
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Rwanda.
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I had to move thousands of kilometers away
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to follow a dream.
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A dream I have had
ever since I was a child.
ever since I was a child.
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And that dream was to become an architect.
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That was impossible
at the time in my country.
at the time in my country.
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There were no schools of architecture.
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So when I got a scholarship
to study in China,
to study in China,
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I left my life and my family behind
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and I moved to Shanghai.
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It was an amazing time.
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This country was going through
a major building boom.
a major building boom.
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Shanghai, my new home,
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was quickly turning
into a skyscraper city.
into a skyscraper city.
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China was changing.
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World-class projects were built
to convey a new image of development.
to convey a new image of development.
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Modern, striking engineering marvels
were going up literally everywhere.
were going up literally everywhere.
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But behind these facades,
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exploitation of huge numbers
of migrant workers,
of migrant workers,
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massive displacement
of thousands of people
of thousands of people
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made these projects possible.
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And this fast-paced development
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also contributed significantly
to the pollution
to the pollution
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that is haunting China today.
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Fast-forward to 2010,
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when I went back home to Rwanda.
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There, I found development patterns
similar to what I saw in China.
similar to what I saw in China.
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The country was and still is experiencing
its own population and economic growth.
its own population and economic growth.
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The pressure to build cities,
infrastructure and buildings
infrastructure and buildings
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is at its peak,
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and as a result,
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there is a massive building boom as well.
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This is the reality across
the entire continent of Africa,
the entire continent of Africa,
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and here's why.
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By 2050, Africa's population will double,
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reaching 2.5 billion people.
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At this point,
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the African population will be
slightly less than the current population
slightly less than the current population
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of China and India combined.
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The infrastructure and buildings needed
to accommodate this many people
to accommodate this many people
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is unprecedented
in the history of humankind.
in the history of humankind.
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We have estimated that by 2050,
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we have to build
700,000,000 more housing units,
700,000,000 more housing units,
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more than 300,000 schools
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and nearly 100,000 health centers.
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Let me put that into perspective for you.
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Every day for the next 35 years,
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we have to build seven health centers,
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25 schools
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and nearly 60,000 housing units each day,
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every day.
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How are we going to build all of this?
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Are we going to follow a model
of unsustainable building and construction
of unsustainable building and construction
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similar to what I witnessed in China?
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Or can we develop a uniquely African model
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of sustainable and equitable development?
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I'm optimistic we can.
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I know Africans who are already doing it.
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Take Nigerian architect
Kunlé Adeyemi for instance,
Kunlé Adeyemi for instance,
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and his work in slums
of coastal megacities.
of coastal megacities.
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Places like Makoko in Lagos,
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where hundreds of thousands of people
live in makeshift structures on stilts
live in makeshift structures on stilts
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on water,
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without government
infrastructure or services.
infrastructure or services.
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A community at great risk
of rising sea levels and climate change.
of rising sea levels and climate change.
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And yet, people who live here
are examples of great ingenuity
are examples of great ingenuity
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and the will to survive.
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Kunlé and his team have designed
a prototype school
a prototype school
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that is resilient to rising sea levels.
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This is Makoko School.
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It's a floating prototype structure
that can be adapted to clinics,
that can be adapted to clinics,
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to housing, to markets
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and other vital infrastructure
this community needs.
this community needs.
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It's an ingenious solution
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that can ensure this community
lives safely on the waters of Lagos.
lives safely on the waters of Lagos.
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This is Francis Kéré.
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He works in the country
where he comes from,
where he comes from,
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Burkina Faso.
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Kéré and his team have designed projects
that use traditional building techniques.
that use traditional building techniques.
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Kéré and his team
working in the communities
working in the communities
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have developed prototype schools
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that the whole community,
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similar to every project
in the villages of this country,
in the villages of this country,
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comes together to build.
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Children bring stones for the foundation,
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women bring water
for the brick manufacturing,
for the brick manufacturing,
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and everybody works together
to pound the clay floors.
to pound the clay floors.
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Working with the community,
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Kéré and his team have created
projects that function better,
projects that function better,
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with adequate lighting
and adequate ventilation.
and adequate ventilation.
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They're appropriate
for this particular context
for this particular context
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and really, really beautiful as well.
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For the past seven years,
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I have been working as an architect
at MASS Design Group.
at MASS Design Group.
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It's a design firm that began in Rwanda.
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We have worked
in several countries in Africa,
in several countries in Africa,
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focusing on this more equitable
and sustainable model
and sustainable model
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of architectural practice,
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and Malawi is one of those countries.
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It's a country with beautiful,
remote landscapes
remote landscapes
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with high-peak mountains
and fertile valleys.
and fertile valleys.
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But it also has one of the worst
maternal mortality rates in the world.
maternal mortality rates in the world.
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A pregnant woman in Malawi
either gives birth at home,
either gives birth at home,
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or she has to walk a really long journey
to the nearest clinic.
to the nearest clinic.
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And one out of 36 of these mothers
dies during childbirth.
dies during childbirth.
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In Malawi,
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with our team at MASS Design Group,
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we designed the Kasungu
Maternity Waiting Village.
Maternity Waiting Village.
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This is a place women come to
six weeks before their due dates.
six weeks before their due dates.
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Here they receive prenatal care
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and train in nutrition
and family planning.
and family planning.
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At the same time, they form a community
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with other expectant mothers
and their families.
and their families.
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The design of the of Kasungu
Maternity Waiting Village
Maternity Waiting Village
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borrows from the vernacular
typologies of Malawi villages
typologies of Malawi villages
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and is built using really simple
materials and techniques.
materials and techniques.
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The earth blocks that we used
were made from the same soil of this site.
were made from the same soil of this site.
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This reduces the carbon footprint
of this building,
of this building,
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but first and foremost,
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it provides a safe and dignified space
for these expectant mothers.
for these expectant mothers.
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These examples show
that architecture and design
that architecture and design
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have the power and the agency
to address complex problems.
to address complex problems.
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But more to point,
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that we can develop
a model of effective solutions
a model of effective solutions
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for our communities.
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But these three examples are not enough.
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300 more examples will not be enough.
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We need a whole community
of African architects and designers
of African architects and designers
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to lead with thousands more examples.
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In May of this year,
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we convened a symposium
on African architecture, in Kigali,
on African architecture, in Kigali,
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and we invited many
of the leading African designers
of the leading African designers
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and architectural educators
working across the continent.
working across the continent.
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We all had one thing in common.
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Every single one of us
went to school abroad
went to school abroad
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and outside of Africa.
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This has to change.
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If we are to develop
solutions unique to us,
solutions unique to us,
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rather than attempting to turn
Kigali into Beijing,
Kigali into Beijing,
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or Lagos into Shenzhen,
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we need a community
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that will build the design confidence
of the next generation
of the next generation
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of African architects and designers.
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(Applause)
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In September last year,
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we launched the African Design Centre
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to start building this community.
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We admitted 11 fellows
from across the continent.
from across the continent.
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It's a 20-month-long,
design-build fellowship program.
design-build fellowship program.
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Here, they are learning
to tackle big challenges
to tackle big challenges
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such as urbanism and climate change,
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as Kunlé and his team have.
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They're working with communities
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to develop innovative
building solutions and processes,
building solutions and processes,
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as Kéré and his team have.
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They're learning to understand
the health impact of better buildings
the health impact of better buildings
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as we at MASS Design Group
have been researching
have been researching
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for the past several years.
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The crowning moment of the fellowship
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is a real project
that they designed and built.
that they designed and built.
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This is Ruhehe Primary School,
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the project they designed.
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They immersed themselves in the community
to understand the challenges
to understand the challenges
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but also uncover opportunities,
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like using a wall
made of local volcanic stone
made of local volcanic stone
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to turn the entire campus
into a space of play and active learning.
into a space of play and active learning.
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They evaluated
the environmental conditions
the environmental conditions
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and developed a roof system
that maximizes daylight
that maximizes daylight
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and improves acoustic performance.
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The construction at Ruhehe Primary School
will begin this year.
will begin this year.
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(Applause)
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And over the coming months,
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the African Design Centre fellows
are going to work hand-in-hand
are going to work hand-in-hand
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with the Ruhehe community to build it.
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When we asked the fellows
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what they want to do after
their African Design Centre fellowship,
their African Design Centre fellowship,
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Tshepo from South Africa said
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he wants to introduce this new way
of building into his country,
of building into his country,
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so he plans to open
a private practice in Johannesburg.
a private practice in Johannesburg.
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Zani wants to expand opportunities
for women to become engineers.
for women to become engineers.
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Before joining the African Design Centre,
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she helped start, in Nairobi,
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an organization to bridge the gender gaps
for women in engineering fields,
for women in engineering fields,
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and she hopes to take
this movement across Africa,
this movement across Africa,
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eventually the whole world.
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Moses, from South Sudan,
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the world's newest country,
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wants to open the first polytechnic school
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that will teach people how to build
using local materials from his country.
using local materials from his country.
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Moses had to be determined
to become an architect.
to become an architect.
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The civil war in his country frequently
interrupted his architectural education.
interrupted his architectural education.
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At the time he was applying
to join the African Design Centre,
to join the African Design Centre,
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we could hear gunshots going off
in the background of his interview call.
in the background of his interview call.
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But even in the middle of this civil war,
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Moses hangs on to this idea
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that architecture can be a way
to bridge communities back together.
to bridge communities back together.
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You have to be inspired
by this fellow's belief
by this fellow's belief
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that great architecture
can make a difference
can make a difference
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on how the future of Africa is built.
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The unprecedented growth of Africa
cannot be ignored.
cannot be ignored.
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Imagine Africa's future cities,
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but not as vast slums,
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but the most resilient
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and the most socially inclusive
places on earth.
places on earth.
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This is achievable.
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And we have the talent
to make it a reality.
to make it a reality.
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But the journey to ready that talent
for the task ahead,
for the task ahead,
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like my own journey,
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is far too long.
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For the next generation
of African creative leaders,
of African creative leaders,
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we have to shorten
and streamline that journey.
and streamline that journey.
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But most importantly --
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and I cannot stress this enough --
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we have to build their design confidence
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and empower them to develop solutions
that are truly African
that are truly African
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but globally inspiring.
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Thank you very much.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Christian Benimana - ArchitectChristian Benimana wants to develop the talent and potential of the next generation of African designers with socially-focused design principles.
Why you should listen
Christian Benimana is co-founder of the African Design Centre, a field-based apprenticeship that is set to be the BAUHAUS of Africa with the mission to empower the leaders who will design a more equitable, just, and sustainable world.
Benimana is currently leading the implementation of the African Design Centre. He dreamed of becoming an architect, but there were no design schools in his home country of Rwanda, so he applied and was accepted to Tongji University in Shanghai, China. Not letting his inability to speak Mandarin stand in his way, he spent a year gaining fluency before pursuing his degree in architecture. Upon returning to Rwanda, he joined MASS Design Group as a Design Fellow in 2010 and today directs the firm's Rwanda Programs and the ADC. He has taught at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology and chairs the Education Boards of the Rwandan Institute of Architects and the East African Institute of Architects. His goal is to develop the talent and potential of the next generation of African designers with socially-focused design principles. He announced the plans for the African Design Centre at the UN Solutions Summit in New York in 2015.
Christian Benimana | Speaker | TED.com