Designing, Training and Building in Four African Nations

The AIANY Architecture Dialogue Committee is collaborating with the AIANY Future of Practice and AIANY Global Dialogue Committees to feature discussions on global design issues by emerging and mid-career global talent. This program, focusing on Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa, will feature Architects Tatu Gatere from Kenya and Noella Nibakuze from Rwanda, who use their practice to provide much-needed design and construction training and education opportunities to African youth. Gatere and Nibakuze will be joined by Frances Halsband, FAIA, whose firm has recently completed a healthcare facility in Uganda, and Joseph Mizzi, whose non-profit foundation builds and operates schools in Zambia. The conversation will focus on in-country training and education to shape projects that are sustainable and reflect local culture, regional materials, climate, and resources. These topics will also be viewed in the contexts of empowerment and the impact of the built environment on human rights.

Speakers:
Tatu Gatere, Co-Founder & CEO, BuildHer
Frances Halband, FAIA, Co-Founder, Kliment Halsband Architects
Joseph Mizzi, President & COO, Sciame Construction; Co-Founder, 14+ Foundation
Noella Nibakuze, Associate, MASS Design Group

About the Speakers:

Tatu Gatere has been profiled as one of the most influential women in Kenya. She is the co-founder and CEO of BuildHer in Nairobi, a non-profit social enterprise that trains women in the construction and fabrication fields. Gatere is part of the leadership team of Orkidstudio Charity, which focuses on poverty relief and education. Gatere received her B. Arch from the University of Arkansas in 2010, moving back to Africa in 2012 to work in South Africa before returning to Kenya, where she led the Kounkuey Design Initiative in Nairobi from 2015 to 2018. 

Frances Halsband, FAIA, is co-founder of Kliment Halsband Architects in New York. Her firm designed the recently completed Mount Sinai Ambulatory Surgical Facility in Kyabirwa, Uganda—a site with no infrastructure for water, electricity, waste disposal, or internet—where every system needed to be created and constructed.

Joseph Mizzi, President and COO of Sciame Construction, is Co-Founder of the 14+ Foundation, a non-profit that develops, builds, and operates schools in rural African communities, including the Chipakata Children’s Academy, designed by a consortium of architects including Susan Rodriguez and Ennead Lab, and the Mwabwindo School, designed by Selldorf Architects, both in Rufunsa District, Zambia.

Noella Nibakuze joined MASS Design Group in 2017 and is a Design Associate currently leading the construction of the Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture.  Noella has also served as Program Coordinator of the African Design Centre fellowship in Kigali, a 20-month program that empowers African designers to build a more equitable, just, and sustainable world.  She holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from Tshwane University in Pretoria, South Africa.

This event is offered in person and virtually; proof of vaccination (for those over age 12) and masking are required in order to attend in person. Food and beverages will be served. Masks are recommended when not actively consuming food and drink. Read our full Health and Safety Protocol here.

If you register for an online ticket, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the program.