Why?

Throughout history, architecture has evolved globally to create varying vocabularies of form, proportion, and spatial elegance. These progressions have brought forward inspiring spaces of worship, monuments of human achievement, and beautiful spaces that stimulate forward thinking and intellectual rigor.

In a place such as rural SubSaharan Africa, where there is limited capital due to a myriad of factors, most rural projects have been erected with only resourceful thinking, rapid construction methods, and with efficient, streamlined results as the primary design criteria.  There is so much to learn from these methods – and there is also so much creative potential.

Local art, and in particular local artisans, are often an untapped resource of knowledge and creativity that can contribute to and indeed drive development projects.  The creation of schools and clinics that are not only functional but culturally elegant as well, can have enormous benefit beyond standard statistical measurements – by inspiring dedication, hard work, cultural pride and further innovation.