- Thank you. Thank you everybody for your patience. It really gives me extraordinary pleasure to welcome you all here tonight. This is the first real day of the 2022- 2023 Academic year at the Yale School of Architecture. Also gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Yale University Art Gallery, which is Yale's spectacular art museum, If you don't know it already. Our lectures typically occur in Hastings Hall in the basement of the School of Architecture's home, Paul Rudolph Hall across the street. However, given the interest in tonight's speaker, we needed a bigger space and
our colleagues at the art gallery have generously shared their auditorium with us. The pandemic rules in place here, which I'm happy to see you all observing is that everyone must be masked and capacity in the room is limited to 75%. We do have an overflow room at the School of Architecture. So there nobody's missing this lecture. Tonight's speaker is the renowned architect, Francis Kéré . Based in Berlin, Francis is this semester's Louis I. Kahn Visiting Professor in Architecture. So it's even more suitable that we're in this building. The Kahn Visiting Professorship Endowment was established in
1980 through a series of gifts from architects in honor of the great Louis Kahn, who taught a architecture at Yale between 1947 and 1957. You sit in a building designed by Kahn, which opened in 1953, and we are across the street from another, the Yale Center for British Art, completed posthumously in 1977. Former Kahn visiting professors include Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman, who is with us tonight, Todd Williams and Billy Chen, who are also with us tonight, Tom Phifer , Francine Hoen and Lena Ghotmeh. Francis, I cannot tell you how delighted we are. One that you
have returned to Yale, to your family here in New Haven and the United States, and that you are joining us this year at the as the Louis I. Kahn visiting professor of architecture. I'm not gonna bury the lead any further. As you all know, Francis Kere was the winner of the 2022 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the 45th Pritzker Laureate he is also the first person from Africa to be so honored. Born in Burkina Faso, Kere's practice is based in Berlin. And in addition to the Pritzker, he has received among many, many other awards, the Global Holcim
Award and the Arnold Burnham Memorial Prize in Architecture, from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He's an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects, the Royal Institute of Architects in Canada, and is a chartered member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. His biography is better known thanks to the attention his work has received since being recognized by the Pritzker. So I will not repeat it. I think we're all interested in hearing from Francis and probably not so much from me, but let me just say that. In addition to being a profoundly gifted
architect, he is an extraordinary and gracious human being. In these times, I believe where arrogance often follows achievement and it's accompanying attention, Francis remains curious and interested, generous, and caring, and continues through architecture and buildings to contribute to the betterment of the world. Please join me in welcoming Francis Kere. (audience applauding, whistling) - Hello. Hello. I'm very happy that I have been told many time that I'm with my family, which is good for me. I have to agree and confess that time has become a very, very, very rare and luxury, luxury good in my life.
So I was hoping this lecture to be wow. Then I found myself running with the technology and then my office is already shut down. It is like six hours, time difference. However, Deborah, thank you so much. This lecture today, I will show you a lot of pictures. My problem was because I already spoke here, cuz I don't want to bother people. I was trying to show you the new things I'm working on, while hoping to have them. Evan was traveling to shut, take pictures of all of these project. So I got them, but it was
not easy to put them on my computer so that why it took me so long. I will kill you with a lot of pictures. (laughter) So I don't care. It's not in the classroom. I want to say that today is a memorable day for me. When I got an invitation, I said, wow, I will come. And that which should be my very first lecture in the U.S. since COVID. And coming back to Yale is a great honor. Not just simply because of the happiness to be able to work again with Martin. Now coming back here,
you know, let be sincere as a Pritzker Laureate, you really feel that I'm still deep under emotions and coming here, bring me choice and gratitude because allowed me to say without really seeing my work would have never been even discovered. It is because of Billy that I was awarded Archicad Award. A philosopher told me this lady, you know, do you know this lady? I know, I don't know this lady showing to, to Billy. When I was standing with my father in Delhi, She fought for you like a lion fighting for her babies. (crowd laughing) So
in the corridors at the school, you will heard Martin and me fighting to say, Billy is our mother. (crowd laughing and applauding) You have to sincerely take this under account. I was lucky and happy that someone like her was sitting in a jury didn't know me and loved my work. Today I'm here with a lot of gratitude, Billy, you know, your son has won the place card. (audience applauding) But I'm also full of gratitude because you know it, I came here because Deborah got me here and my dream was to connect, to have a network,
you know, to really also learn from this school because I have a chair teaching chair in Munich, where I'm supposed to teach in English while I was hoping to teach in German because this is the language that I can in Europe, additional to French. So I came full of, you know, hope, hope to just met. But now to realize that she would be part of the jury for Pritzker and then that's that my work now has be being awarded. Can you imagine how much I was struggling to really come on the stage and really to
be normal and speak. I'm not a normal guy anymore. (audience laughing) No, this is pass. Who, who who's that knows me now that I will normally dance, I will stamp. I will show you how music in my culture become part of my architecture. How the women will work hard and then to overcome the hard work they will sing. They will dance and they will make a floor. Now I'm considered to be serious. I cannot do this anymore. (audience laughing) So, so let me just start. Okay. So, so to all our friends that have joined us,
thank you. I try to enlight just a couple later. I miss you, you guys, so I'm very happy that you're here. Now I have no fear anymore. (audience chuckles) So this work has, yeah, this work just started because I grew up in a place and there was nothing. There was no school. That why I had to leave my parent very early just to go abroad. And I'm a privileged person now, even more. But at that time being a student in Germany, I was already feeling, I am privileged. So I wanted to give something. I don't
like this word of giving back. You know, it has become very heavy, but I just wanted to do something for my people. I wanted to create the school so that the kids could stay home and be able to attend education. What brought me to Europe until we started very naive, very naive, to really see what is available. We have locally, I have available materials. You have people that are full of enthusiasm and looking to contribute. And so with that, I just started to, to give. And honestly, especially for the student that what you see here
was built when I was in your position, I was a little older. I started very late to study. Many people don't know that, but I was academically on your age. And just, I was able to do that and that what Billy has awarded Pritzker, okay? No, no techniques may not work also because I'm nervous. She said don't touch, but I need your help. However, just where is so let me try again. No. So while she's coming to help and fix, no I'm I just created this school where there was no other opportunities. And then my
people were so excited that we were able to do it. It was not, it was new, very modern, but it was not like coming from outside, because that is how architecture has been seen is not, I really need you to come and bring it back. Okay. So, and architecture has been seeing because modern architecture that we talking, being documented started because with the colonial time, they build huge things, but no one could relate to those buildings. And so what I did was modern, but for my people, it was something at they reach, you know, because
there was part of it, honestly, this is the beginning of my career. I just want to go back. And so it didn't took me very long that people start to ask for more of my project and still, I didn't consider it to be me, myself to be architect. I was considering myself as actionist. And then you will be surprised to see that I being traveling a lot to do lectures. The truth is here. I was not running to show off or to show, look at what I'm able to do. It was simply because I needed
the money. (audience chuckling) You know, if really, honestly, I, I, I discover myself flowing to the U.S. for 200, $2,000. And then the flight was of course paid, who will not come to the U.S.? (audience laughing) As a, yeah. A student. I didn't have that privilege. So I start to come and I start to be everywhere, fighting with swollen eyes. But you know, I was sharing what was moving me to people and I was getting paid. One more back and I will be brave. Good. Yeah. So how do you build in that environment? What I
do, what I do is a lot of mockup, Real one to one mockup. And to really test because I couldn't afford to have professional joining us. And so we build mockup and that is so a picture that is into me because I did it running with the fiber, hoping the structure that you see will not collapse because you want to prove your people that you know, better you're coming from a community. No one has seeing you building, you know, because to gain knowledge, you're gonna run after your grandfather or your father or your grandmother for
long time and acquire knowledge and end. They should be builder. And when you come, you grow everyone. We know you are a builder, but Francis disappear from the community. He went to a country called Germany and he's spending so much time. Instead of coming back, we have nothing from him. And he came back and say, hey guys, I know how to build, can you imagine that we'll believe you? (audience laughing) In the U.S., maybe. (audience laughing) So we had to do a lot of tests. I hope it's gonna go. I'm pressing, it's not going yeah.
With him. Yeah. Yeah. So this is already the extension of the, the school. And from that moment, I was sure I was able to build and then I couldn't stop. So I will be coming back to, to the west, mainly in Europe first, just try to raise money. And I will go in schools in Germany, talk to kids and convince them that Africa is beautiful. It's so great. But it's missing opportunities. You have a lot of little kids your age having no opportunities. Honestly, this is how I raise money. Not serious institution would give you
money because they will say, why it's you going to build a school or not the government? Cuz they don't know that infrastructure is not the same, like in the west. You know? So I build it and every time, so here, when it came to color, the entire village was part of it. So I don't want to go through, but it is about participation. Really. When I was doing this, I didn't have that vocabulary. I was just doing it. And nowaday, you know, participation has become a key word every time when I have a new school
project, I'm changing the shape because I hear it. When people copy and paste, dear student for detail please, do me a favor. Don't copy somewhere, a detail and put in your paper. I will see it immediately. I don't like it. You know? So for my people, I wanted to give different shape of the building so that I, that I can't keep, you know, applying and improving what I have brought and not to keep replicating. One, One thing that is, that is stagnation. This is to me, the problem in, in Africa, You have a school model.
It's not even working well, but I keep replicating it. So yeah, many people start to ask for project and here, one of the very first client is a surgeon and he wanted to create a clinic. He applied to work with Meen frontier, doctor without border. And it didn't take him because he didn't have enough time to be there. So he asked me if I can help him create his clinic. So of course, student, I know how to draw sketch just to show you the images. And this is this picture that I also have, thanks to
Even. What do you see is at the age of the city at the border of Ghana, but this project is our tech. It is self-sufficient it produces electricity, water, everything. But if you see the kind of solution that have been taking inside this building out of mud, you're gonna be surprised. And that is what I'm able to do. You know? So later on, so to think in my work, now, if I start a project, I see myself being ask to add, to add. So actually I have like eight projects that are not finishing because the
clients keep asking to add because there is a big request here, you have doctor housing, but already I have to double the capacity of the clinic that you see. Yeah. I'm using the material that is available. But I, I like things that are very well done or honestly this is so that is nutrition for me. Yeah. And so the clinic is well done is working well. Really people get fixed. Kids are there being happy while their parent, you know, getting fixed inside. (audience laughs) Who knows, who knows the continent very well. You know, a clinic,
a hospital is a place where, where no one goes. And basically the simple problem is they will go when it's too late. And so no one wants to go. But if you go is place of dirt and no one like to go there. But if a city is kids playing in a healthcare facilities, it's so great to myself into, I don't know how much time we have, but if you go now to that clinic, you will see hip hop from Ouagadougou.. the capital city of Burkina Faso going to, to do videos. And the first time
when I saw that, I say, wow. Hey, what is here? I want hear people to get fixed and you come to do a song. (audience laughing) And later I say, wow, it's good. People are looking for structures. You know, like to be like a, a frame for, you know, for their own projection. And that is how my project are. And very quick, all I'm taking inspiration from the traditional housing for the doctoral housing, I'm giving them a is highest hoping the patient will come or their family and look at and, and, and learn, or let
me use the word copy in this case, I say, copy the good product and bring it home. So I'm making little models that you could put together to create a compare. So it's collecting water. It is biomass. It's so really good. And inside you have doctor staying and myself. If I go, I'm staying there. If I'm lucky to go with Martin, we may stay there. Let hope. Yeah. And so no, the work is basically what you have seen. And suddenly even in the west, people became aware about the work and asking me to contribute to
places. Very quick here, the serpentine pavilion, this was the first project that has been giving visibility. So the kind that people say, oh, he can do also in the west. So we did it sketches, playing, looking the, the fabric of Kensington Garden, the gallery, and then starting to do more cap and create the structure that will fit until, yeah. It's almost like Gondo. I can't tell you, you really design and think, and then incompetent people start to put things together, layering like brick by brick to create a facade. And it looked like an UFO, (audience
laughing) but it it's is done by people. So this pavilion is now in Kuala Lumpur. First 2019. When I was here, there was a plan for me to go for a big inauguration. It has become a, a public library, but then COVID arrived, postponing a lot of things, but it's still, still happy to yeah. Remember how fine it is. It is wood. Basically. It is three elements, wood, very thin metal structure and color. Yeah. Yes. About creating, gathering. Always. If I have a job, I'm thinking how people will come together. This is important to me.
It's about it. And at the serpentine time when I was proposing, I know I want people to sit and lean, and lean back and touch the facade. I think it was something new that we did it. Yeah. Yeah. So I also went to the U.S.. That is a pavilion. I was, had a chance to design for Peter and Kathy Holstead. It is a couple, I don't know how to call them' philanthropist? Artists themself? But really open and very generous. And the, so the first word, when I met them, they said, you know, Francis, you helping
build communities in Africa. We want you to help us build our community for Fish Day in Montana. I say, wow, wow. So someone, a couple comparing my work with their own work in the U.S.. And I was like, wow. It gives you such a nutrition, a recognition. You know that the work you being see seeing as a, a mother of heart has that recognition. And we did it being inspired by the Togona, so he's here is a little drama. This picture you see so nicely, you cannot see it anymore. It is at the border to
Mali. Nowadays you cannot go. In the past I used to just take a car with even ban will draw through and just hang on and do things. But you cannot because it's invade by terrorism. So I can go by myself alone. Okay. Potentially not now anymore. After the media thing that came to me, but normally I will go. But if you have an European looking person with you in the age of cell phone, people will call and say, hey, in this car is money. Let kidnap them. And you cannot go, is it tragedy? So however,
getting inspired by those kind of structure make sketches, oh, Render's also student. This is also part of what I'm doing. But looking to the beautiful forest in Montana and say, wow, these is virtuous. And then after I learned that the native was using these kind of wood to create their housing, I say, wow, let use it. And to create the pavilion. And so like very simple material that we use it, Nina testing. And that is a pavilion that is still standing , In October I think that is scheduled that I should go there to do
a movie. It's called U.S by design. There will be filming me in that. So P many people will discover this pavilion. I really like it because it's like part of the landscape, but being wood and manmade and in winter, particularly it's melt within the landscape. So, okay. But I have a lot of work to do in Burkina. So people asking and here, I show you very quick or a aside started to be like a high school. That was the request. That's a high school and we did it. Now it has become a campus and call
even I might B I T you know, maybe if I work, I will call one day something. Yeah. Because being inspired by Yale for myself, (audience laughing) but here was about MIT. And then we, we, we, we just designed this always in my work, I'm trying to increase comfort inside the building ventilation always. And then to use like a local material here. This is like, right. That we just cut, cutting it, give it up. You know, for my people is a sense of modernity, but because it's regular, you know, they know this material they're being
using it, it fit well to the climate. Wood is a big issue in Burkina Faso. There is no wood, but we have an alternative. This can be a spacious. And I wanna just use this and then really create the work something important. What I do there is a job engine, really a job engine. So when you can understand that I have a workshop that is bigger than 200, have more than 200 people while I'm talking. I mean, they're sleeping now, of course, but normally have like three, four construction sites going on somewhere in Burkina. And
then I see the women sending wood and they will earn money. At the beginning, When I succeeded in Gando, there was adapt. It was his village. It was his community. So as a young architect, you have to prove, you know, guys be ready. So never give up if you did it and you succeed somewhere, they will say, oh, no, but don't give up. So just keep going. Here, we succeeded in places that are 200 kilometer far from Gando and creating a workshop that is really working and to yeah. Do a building like this. So after
this building, we are asked to really design. I'm rushing because I want to go to the newest project that we have. And you have seen potential all of these images. So some of these student are now visiting, oh, already graduated in the next project that I had created inside. So there is a big demand in this, in, in Burkina Faso, but in the entire continent, it is keep growing. And the fact is, it was, I show the pictures before I cannot go back. I don't want the system to crash, (audience chuckling) but, but when we
started, there was no settlement, really, that was at the age. And now we surrounded, I, I warned a client. I told him, you know, if we build this and it is good and successful, and he's working, you know, land is going to be very expensive. And that is exactly what is happening. He, we cannot get more land to extend the school. And so here, because I'm traveling, we develop modular system, ventilation system at class, I can show more. But then what we wanted to do is to really try another way of building, not to really
use bricks, but to pour clay is not ram and earth to pour it. So I'm trying to check the corner or the cracking, how can I improve it with my team? And then we go to production. Here, the clan was generous to help us with the farm work. So with this, you could pour one classroom. And if you good enough, you could just extend it and pour a sort of conference room. And that is what happening now. So it mean I can't just go. And then my people just pouring classrooms and conference rooms, allowing the
project to grow, even without me. So it's a lot of labor that you see how it is, so they will move it, keep moving it. And it just growing into to campus. It's really, yeah, best suited in Burkina and something that you may see. There are trees coming up. Furniture, I keep doing them by site, on site because the site become a production place for me. And with the leftover, for the facade, we creating benches that are protecting the same time trees. And it's always nice to see how it's just shaping very simple. This is
clay. Comfortable courtyard, wood, as a ceiling. I don't have money for this here, you know, (audience laughing) But I have alternative. So a tower, which is even better, but I had no time to document. Or even for the Prescott family, I was asked to go and be photographed in every single of my building. But since I had no time to go back, but the tower looks so amazing and kids has access to the world because it is so high, I change it. The client wanted to put the metal structure just for an antenna and said,
no, let build the water tower and the need of the water tower, put administration for the school and have a higher, you know, structure to put the antenna. Now student has connection to the world, you know? Yeah. And Hey, honestly, what I'm doing is bringing light. This work is like light in places, you know, that has no opportunities, really? That is it. So this is wrong is not coming soon because it is already reality. I like this project, it's a slack campus in Turcana, Kenya. I was asked to design a school so a university and
say, okay, wow, good. But this university is for people that has no high school degree. So meant to recruit young refugees from Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, but also volunteer from Kenya and then give them a computer and teach them digital designing. And they will be sitting somewhere far from urban settlement and earn money. It was like a fiction. So, you know, but sometime I like fictions because I know who I am. I came from very poor background and I was able to do that. So that idea looks like you will laugh about it. That what I
tried to did at the beginning, but I trusted him and look at what we did first I discovered Turcana's so huge and dry. Okay. And people will gather in front of the termite hill. I try to learn from termite hill and then design the building. So you will see the buildings later are like this image. That is what is happening inside. And these student are even trying to design. They're not architect, but they're designing. They're doing a lot of stuff. And then they're sitting really there and being commissioned even from the U.S.. And the first
building was opened And in during end of just end of COVID and COVID year number two, it was already in full function. And that is the building. And this is the laptop they got. What you need is energy and a building that is, that is not consuming a lot of energy. And this is the result. So I got that is pictures right now, because even is like turning there. And you see the, the, the situation is really far from yeah. Every urban structure. And what you see is the lake is lake Turcana is water, but
you cannot drink is a, not salty. Is it has a yeah. Like salt water. Yeah. And the landscape is so fragile. Now it's about building housing for 300 kids. So the project has been accepted and so many student will stay there. And so we designing, working to build them yeah. Creating yeah. Corners. And then he tried to make light at night, but the client also loved this light. He says, you know, Francis, we're bringing hope. And again, I bring you back to the notion of light. You know, we're bringing light to places where there is
no hope. If you to try to understand me, you see that for most young people, an opportunity is to go to the next big urban city. If you go to Nairobi, Nairobi is so crowded a lot of problems. And then you must be really good connected to have a great place there, but now they can stay in Turcana and access education. Yeah. So, so career started with little things. And then with the time people really look at to what I are been doing. And so here, an idea, I should build a parliament house. Okay. So
have being asked to do many, many things in my career. Really. I always will really start, start to study and check the sincerity of the project. And I will just enroll. Here. trying to imagine a gathering space and also to learn from the nature, but to go back in African trad- West African tradition, where people just gather together under a big tree and solve problems is real democracy. If you sitting in the shadow of the tree, you cannot sit Or like we sitting, you know, you're gonna sit around. So everyone is equals, you know, and
while sitting, because there is no a boundary people will see you talking, people will come and sit. So it's really open. You will be talking, taking a decision about the community and your kids will standing and listening to you or your, your partner, you know? And then you got, you know, that you have to behave because that is really transparent. And I wanted to learn from that. And this is called AGA pallab. Palabra Tree if you may translate. And I wanted to learn from that and just design a project, I design it. And it's by
now my biggest project, it is now under construction. So it's really a big, now I can say the idea of the Palabra Tree has been chosen, but I think that the client didn't really understood the complexity of the project. And it made me suffer last year. But I don't talk about suffering. I'm talking about growing, you know, (audience laughing) because this is most of you here. Some of the teachers being going over years, like working on big, big project. And so I saw myself facing this, but in this project, I was not just the architect.
Can you imagine I was in charge of everything in French It's called Mission Complex. And I told, I put it like a big character to my office. If ever something like this entered this office, you have to say, no, really no. Yeah. Mission complex means you have to be in charge of everything. This, everything, everything talking to you now, I just happened to change the contract. And now the government is taking all these other, you know, staff and I'm now in charge of the architecture. Oh! (audience laughing) I can't tell you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's
construction. As I told you, I couldn't put the images. That is, it is like giant. Like we, the dream was to create the bigger tree inside a botanical garden. And it's coming short. I think in less than two years, we're gonna be so far. The funny thing, when we went to start construction, there was a meeting and I was called, Hey, Mr. Architect, we want to add a, a mil, a cazier, like for soldier for 200 soldiers inside the site. Room for 200 soldier, the project was finished. You have to go again and work and
work and work. BA my gosh. Yeah. Okay. Funny thing. Let's go. But I'm still dealing on scale project like this one for Dr. Awuna in Kenya, Kogelo. Aha becomes serious. But in, in normal time, I will tell you, if you look at two days, you know, the people in, Kogelo say people will come to Kenya to check the house of the Obama, but because this is a village, but now people come to check a house that is flying. And for me, it's like an honor. You understand? You know, so it's showing what the power of
our profession, you know, this project is so far good because I collaborated with people. I couldn't be on site. It's like WhatsApp. It's about correspondence and talking back on forward. But we, we, we made it. And again, I got these pictures from Even is always about, Hey, honestly, to make people happy, really, to create an environment that is positive for teaching, for celebrating and doing whatever. Yeah. So here we just arrange the volume the way that is just core of, while you have a big gathering, it is open, but then you have like the sort
of semi-public private where people can gather in little groups, it's really, really small and rich. Yeah. And I, from outside also, you have like a way where you could just gather and from outside, people will be watching and checking what is inside. And so here, the project that I will show you before ending, I couldn't find a picture before, cuz it was time was short. But what you see is a playground in Kampala, Uganda. It's in an formal settlement, there was no space. There was just this space that people showed to us with a lot
of conflicts because of encroachment. And I've been working for five years in this project back and forward, really trying to negotiate space. Some of the people took the space of the public space, which belonged to a church, a KCC and many other organization. And we had to really negotiate with the neighbor. People will be playing ball. They will be playing track, whatever, a lot of games and boxing and body building studio in this little, little space. And the problem by playing ball is the ball flare in the neighboring plot. The neighbor is good. Take the
ball and threw again. And he's happy another neighbor, the ball will fell. He take a knife, cut it. (audience laughing) So a lot of conflict, a lot of conflict. And then with being, dealing, going back and forward, back and forward and to do it. And that is how you see it, how it full packed. Yeah. And I really thanks, Even for these pictures, we happen to really create a multi- functional structure. So here we wanted to create many, many form of gathering, even little cozy place for people to be happy. Look at these faces. Can
you see? You know, also these faces and, and this is all about this project. Even was catered to stay one day, he end up staying three, four days because I know his schedule is so full packed, but this little place is so used that you cannot imagine Myself, I haven't had the chance to go, but it's like, you know, this is what you hope you create it. And people take ownership using every corner, really. You see the existing and the new one, even in term of colors, we was able to adapt. But you, you, I
was told by my people that the floor was so flat, the kids has a new game. They call it sliding. They just run and (whooshing) in the, in the floor and it was, it's incredible. You know, it's incredible. And so we brought a water tower because water can be sold, can be sold there or used to wash bottle water. And at night you have many kind of place. Normally at night is dangerous. You don't go there. And yeah, it is, it has become the most visited site in Kampala. Can you imagine in an informal settlement
and now it's a little conflict. We have like a storage and they say, no, we shouldn't make it out of it. People are sometime exaggerated. We make exclusive coffee that people that are wealthy should come. And, and, and so then the question what to do with the bottled water? So, but that is so amazing. So someone ask today, what is the community part of pro project? If you work in this area, it is you have to deal and negotiate, you know? So, and you could see roads have light during night, but so you have like
little, little light inside the compounds, but now you have light for the community. Yeah. And I love water towers. I love to build them. I've been, traveling across Africa, documenting water towers. And I, I don't know if I can use the word hate, but they're so nightmare. So ugly. So, and I have decided to do water towers differently. And this is like the thing you did it. We draw, it's like rivers really. I, I, I tested many times in Burkina, and we just send the drawing and Johnathan was able to really make it happen. He,
he coordinated everything. Yeah. In the heart of informal settlement. Playing, watching, being part of it. So thank you very much for your patience. (audience applauding) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank You. - Francis told me earlier that he would be happy to answer a few questions before we go back over to the school of architecture. Let me ask that if you have a question, you stand and you can take your mask off. Are there microphones? - [Man In Audience] Yes. - Back there. Okay. Thank you. If you have a question, please walk
to the back cross aisle, stand in front of the microphone. Take your mask off and ask your question. So everybody hear you and we'll, we'll do a few. - Just,head on back. - Sport run, run, run. (audience laughing) - [Questioner 1] Hey, awesome. So I was just, my question is about the form of your buildings. How do you think about the shape of the building so that it's, it's regular, it's, it's detailed, but it's not oppressive and people are still feel like it's friendly? - Yeah, it's be okay. It's first about, I mean, I don't
think about the shape, but I'm thinking about how I can protect first, the building itself with the roof, you know, so against sun, you know, but also to create a shadow and the rest is like putting things together and get it done. And so, and I, I really like things that are accurately done and inspire and you know, and inspiring to people. So the place where I grew was honestly speaking, not a place that can inspire young people. And that is the primary reason why I started to do architecture. And so in everything where I'm,
what I'm I'm doing is just to make sure that everything fit, thinking about the economy, but to protect, but to provide space where you could just even use outside the building. You know, this is simply the thing that I'm doing. - [Questioner 1] Cool. Thanks. - Thanks. - [Questioner 2] Thank you for your presentation. - Are you, are you studying here? - Yeah. Okay, good. (audience laughing) You will do better roofs. - [Questioner2] I think my question has to do with the materials, like in the variety of the project that you have showed us, there
was a certain focus on using local materials, perhaps because of the, because of the, the brief or the standards or the context or the availability of these materials in there. But I, I just wanted to ask, like, if there was ever any room to go into these local context and use different materials entirely, and how receptive, what would the people be? And I'm asking this because there's always, there's often this fear of marginalization of like marginalizing people with 30 materials of context. So what would happen if we bring in like a different material and what
is the possibility of doing that? - So what kind of different material. - [Questioner 2] Something that is not present in the context, for example, in Africa, something that is not clay, maybe concrete, maybe any other material that would seem fit for the project. - Yeah. So basically, I mean, one day I just said, I am a material opportunist. (audience laughing) Yeah. Not a materialist, no like good stuff. (audience laughing) But I want to say, no, I want to say, if I go to a place I'm looking it's, it's very simply, and it's it's for
me. The, the, the easier thing to do look at what is the most available? How can I use these in a smart way? Don't say that I'm smart, but I hope I am, but I'm, I'm talking to apply the, you know, the rules of architecture and come out with something that really work. It's about design. It's about structure. It's about security, but also some comfort. And those things are guiding me. And I will use everything. Even cement block. If I have nothing else, then that I will use, if I, I, I will even say I
will use sand then, but I needed not a structure to, to support the, the sand, you know, sandbags for example. But I think there is no limit. It is up to you really to try. And then I'm looking if something is there I'm doing also sort of resource, I will try to see how can I use these material in the different way, but you achieve quality. I will try. And then for many people, in many places we building it's about having a precedence to create something that I see say, oh, wow, this work. But if
it's like really well- done and inspiring, then there is no limit. Yeah. I, I, I have no taboo regarding material. Yeah. [Questioner 2] Cool. Thank you. I use also concrete. I mean, it needs basement sometime. Yeah. Yeah. But she, she, she did like that. She, she was happy. [Audience Laughing] - [Questioner 3] Hi, thank you so much for the presentation. But, so my question is actually quite broad. I'm just wondering since cuz Africa is at this moment, like the youngest has the youngest population and the fastest growing population as well. So which means at like
now there are a lot of kids there, but in like 20, 30 years, they're kind of growing to working adult. And then in like 50 something years they'll become like elders. So I'm wondering, do you have any thoughts on how can architecture response to this like changing demand from like a lot of educational buildings to like working buildings, to maybe like buildings for the elders in Africa, especially on kind of the budget control and the material use? - Well, it's really broad. - [Questioner 3] Yeah. Sorry about that. - Yeah, no, I mean, it's, this
is, let's say we have a survey now we know that is a big need, but we also know population is growing and then it's us to adapt, you know? And then the more people you educate and then the more example you're showing and then, you know, make it accessible. People will keep transforming it. So in my case, I mean, if I say those that are connected to information knows what it is. I mean, in Burkina Faso have the feeling that every second person want to become architects, you know, they know this word again. Everyone want
to do that. I think that, you know, you will have a lot of young people being interested and then being trained. And when they become 30 or professional, they will just care. And so learning from what exists to really keep growing and, and care or create structure that sweep every, every need, even for elderly. What are, if I'm thinking about the school and whatever that is easy, but then that is a structure regarding the family. So the compound year in cities, you will be alone. But if you come to the countryside, people are really living
in a family. We would have to develop years that sweep very well. You know, you attempt by the project in Leon, I created sort of house that you can just apply you know, you could transform it. And so this will allow those kind of structure to really be adapt to the number of people, but also be spread. You know, I think that is it. I'm not quite sure if I answer to your question, but I think it's it's, that is a, a question of evolution and it will, it will work. Yeah. It will work. People
are aware now, you know, they have a Pritzker winner. (audience laughing) Yeah. And they can win the Pritzka. No, I mean, it is important. Yeah. It's very important. Yeah. So I have become a very serious person. Have to be careful. Okay? - [Questioner 3] Yeah. You say it like this. Okay, good. - [Questioner 4] Thank you for the visual feast. This is incredible. I, I also had a question about kind of materials and methods because you're working in so many different locales. I would imagine there's a lot of different kind of bases of construction knowledge
that differ from each other. And what I've noticed from these images is that there's, if not consistency, a lot of attention paid to detail, to things all the way from site grading. When you have walkways made out of the pavers. to the the thickness of the mortar that's laid between the brick, when you're working in all these different locales, do you draw a lot more? Do you talk a lot more? What is it that you try to do to get the, the methods to work for you in, in so many different places? - I, I
think this is key also, you would, you see that my work is transformative. It also, the loca depend on the location. If you work in a really countryside where there is no nothing else in the middle of nature, you limit it, you know, the, the action to the building, and then you could plant trees. So to come, if you work in the urban area, so, you know, you have to deal with a lot of issues that will push you to really find ways paving the Camochia project is Camochia is what you call a wit a
wet area is like a subject of, for flooding all the time. And then it took us very long time because we had a main channel getting all of the water out at this middle, in, in our plot. So if you start with all of these, you start with ideas to make things fix and show, protect the entire, if like you let one corner untreated, and then it will be a weakness that may destroy all these stuff. But depending where I am, or pavement can be made with really rough material like granite, I do it a
lot in Gando I couldn't, I didn't want to show a lot of things, but because for the moment I'm trying to reduce the visibility, not to show, show, show, I'm building a huge high school. And then if you see how it's working, we using rocks to really create landscape and plant trees, because it's very dry know, I'm, I'm adapting where I am. If I'm working in Germany is a different area. I didn't wanted to show all of these and to get those that love me, be afraid that I'm working too much, but I'm, I'm happy
really to do it. I'm checking. It's also about availability, you know, resources, if you don't have a lot of resource you limit it, you, you be, you know, you will limit the, you know, the pot, the extension of the project, the landscaping can be rough, you know. And that's very defined like in the city. Yeah. Okay. He made like that. (audience laughing) Yeah. - [Questioner 5] Hello Francis. My name's Ryan, me and my friends, we drove three hours to come hear you. And it was well worth it. - [Francis] Good. - [Questioner 5] My question's
pretty specific, but I was also really intrigued by the water tower. And I saw how, like, the water gathers at the top, but like kind of the bracing mechanic, the wiring frame between like the top and bottom, I couldn't really understand how the water would transfer down or like how the people would receive, like, I didn't see no kind pipe system or maybe. - Yeah, there's a pipe. There's a pipe. Actually, what we found on site, we found that someone was selling water to the border border driver to clean their border border. So actually what
I do, if I come to a place and I have a job like this, I will really try to study and try to fit to everything. And so the idea with the water tower camp, you have seen a sort of concrete base, you know, - [Questioner5] okay. - It is like where you have a tap, you could get the water. And someone is selling is a, and then we have solar that is pumping the water. We, we, we just secure everything. And we collecting under, under pavement. I was asked about, we collecting all the water
on the site, you know, because water is contaminated and we're storing all the water and we will depending on the use, you will pump it. And then you got it. - [Questioner5] Oh, Okay. - It's a pipe. - [Questioner 5] Okay. - And solar is a, it, it's not expensive. Yeah. - [Questioner 5] Very interesting. Thank you. - You're welcome. So let plan won, you know, let design won. - [Questioner 6] Hello. So I've got just one question. I think, first of all, it's amazing to have you here. And it's amazing to hear about all
the work you're doing for your people in Africa. But, you know, I think a challenge with a lot of architecture in developing nations is that the long term upkeep and maintenance of it. And I I'm just wondering.. Long term, long term? - [Questioner 6] Long term maintenance and upkeep. - Ah, yes. [Questioner 6] So I'm just wondering, how do you consider that challenging or design? Like, do you try to make something that is easy to maintain? - Yeah. - [Questioner 6] Or do you try to make something that's, you know, maybe easy to fix up
with what's available? - Yeah. - This is key: Maintenance is a big, big problem. And then, so if you see the project that why, so the detailing is also so high because I want to make them first stable and durable, and then to reduce the amount of maintenance and also to give ideas like the parliament house I'm going to the big one. We was lucky that the government working with us decided to increase the budget. I think even 5% of the budgets was kept somewhere for, to maintain the big building. But in reality, maintenance has
always been a big, big issue. Public building are not maintained is a big problem. If you start to build in this place, it's up to you to come with solution that are not subject easily subject to, you know, to, to, to be destroyed and you have to fix them. You, you are right, but that is part of the way I'm working and I'm checking how can I really fix them? And if it's in, in Burkina Faso, I have like a big team that is able to maintain and to fix thing. And so next to being
an architect, I have developed the structure that is caring for building. I cannot say you what we are doing, but we're doing everything. Fixing electric installations, water supply, deep wells. And so we are doing this, but everyone here, if you want to build it, you have to make sure the building is stable and come out with less maintenance because few people will care for it. So especially if it's government buildings. - [Questioner 6] That's everywhere, right? - Okay. - Are you okay? - [Questioner 6]] Thank You. - You're welcome. - [Deborah Berke] This will be
the last question. - [Questioner 7] Thank you, Francis for your lecture. I want to ask you, if you think there's a major lesson from the way you create something relatively simple, but so powerful in areas that doesn't have much else into societies that are relatively abundant. - The key look, creating something, huh? - [Deborah Berke] In a society. If you've learned from a society that has very little, what do you bring to a society where there's abundance? - Yeah. Yeah. I think I, I, yeah, I'm facing this question, but because we're in the family, we
try to I'm. I don't know. I'm I don't know. I'm seeing myself. I am now someone living in abundance. I have a lot of great people, great mamas. (audience laughing) And you know, and you know, it's one of the privilege. So, but I think if I'm thinking back to places where people just deal with this the, the minimum, what we... There is two, two answers. So we may say, I don't care. Don't give a s**t, but I will not do that. Cuz we say it's normal. So I don't want them to learn from those people.
But I, I think we all can be a little bit more, modest, you know. We all can save a little bit more and then we can learn to from how people live in scarcity. We don't need to, to be like an as ake as ake aesthetic. Huh? Yeah. We don't need to be that. We don't need to refuse a lot, but I think we could learn a little bit to really start to save. Your question is so fundamental because we are seeing every government in the west and then in the rest of the other world
where everyone is struggling because of COVID, you know, we saw that we really need goods that we cannot have. And maybe we start to reduce consumption to know that resources are limited. And so I think that is a message that we can really look at. You know, I think that we cannot just keep consuming. Like we do. I don't want people to start to be poor, like people in Burkina Faso, but you know, we need to think about energy and to see how other people from in other culture are behaving, you know, can learn a
little bit. - [Questioner 7] Thank you. - Are you you satisfied? - [Questioner 7] Yes. - Yeah. Okay. You have to. - Thank You - Thank you. (audience applauding) - Thank You (audience applauding) - I'm done. I made it.(laughing) Yeah. - There's a reception across the street at the school of architecture on the second floor in our gallery. You are welcome to join us at this time. - I made it. I made it. I...
