Diébédo Francis Kéré is an architect originally from Burkina Faso, born in 1965. Today he is considered one of the most influential architects in the world. His story begins long ago. He is the son of a village chief from Gando, an agglomeration of a few houses in Burkina Faso. His family, supported by the others, allowed him to go to study in Germany to become an architect. His commitment and genius did the rest: after studying at the Faculty of Architecture of the Technische Universität in Berlin, he committed to his community and built many structures in Burkina Faso, all of great social utility, designed and built with respect for the environment and enhancing local human and material resources. He gave back what he had received. His journey is a compelling tale of solidarity and altruism. But above all, it is the living testimony of a model of society based on a collective project. Kéré today is considered the symbol of a new architecture, inspired by ethics and solidarity criteria. His theories are going around the world and in June 2017 he inaugurated a prestigious creation: the Pavilion of the Serpentine Gallery in London. And he did it a few days after his extraordinary participation in RUFA Contest 2017.
