Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “Pritzker Prize Goes to Architect From West Africa,” by Robin Pogrebin

Earlier this month, Francis Kéré, an architect originally from Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa, earned the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor.

Kéré often designs buildings in areas with limited resources. He uses available materials with the aim of meeting the needs of the communities who will use the spaces. He has designed a wide range of buildings, including schools, health care centers and public spaces.

In this lesson, we invite you to reflect on Kéré’s work, specifically on a school he designed. Then you’ll take a closer look at the spaces in your own school building to try to understand the decisions architects make and why.

Warm-Up

Part 1: In today’s featured article, you’ll learn about a school Kéré designed. Take a few minutes to think about the design of your own school building and then discuss the following questions with a classmate:

• What does your school building look like? Are there any interesting aspects of the design?

• What decisions and choices did the architects of your school building make? Why do you think they made those decisions?

• What would you change about the design and why?

Part 2: Scroll through these photos of the Gando Primary School in Burkina Faso.

Then respond to the following questions:

• How would you describe the structure? Are there any interesting elements that you notice?

• What decisions and choices did the architect make and why?

• How would you compare the design of the Gando Primary School with your school? How does the Gando Primary School building aim to meet the needs of the students and teachers there?

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article and then answer the following questions:

1. What kinds of buildings does Kéré design? Where are some of his big projects?

2. Why did the jurors of the Pritzker Prize think his work was worthy of architecture’s highest honor?

3. What are some of the challenges Kéré faces when planning buildings in underserved areas?

4. The jury said that Kéré’s “buildings, for and with communities, are directly of those communities — in their making, their materials, their programs and their unique characters.” Give two examples from the article that support that claim and explain how.

5. What do you think about Kéré’s work and his approach to architecture in general? Do you think his work is worthy of the prize?

Going Further

Option 1: Redesign your school.

Kéré takes careful consideration of materials. He uses local resources and keeps the needs of the communities in mind as he designs.

How would you redesign a part of your school to create a better learning environment? How might you take into account the needs to the students and teachers?

Choose one aspect of your school to redesign — for example, the gym, the cafeteria, the windows or an outdoor space. Sketch a redesign of the space. Then write a paragraph explaining the design choices you made as well as the materials you would use and why.

Option 2: Learn about other Pritzker Prize winners.

If you want to learn more about the Pritzker Prize, read one or more of the following Times articles about past winners:

(You can find even more winners on the Pritzker Prize website.)

As you read, consider these questions:

• Why do you think these architects were awarded the industry’s top prize?

• How do their designs meet the needs of the communities using their buildings?

• What are their approaches to architecture?

• What are some similarities between Kéré and one of the architects you read about? What are some differences?

Then, with these questions in mind, write a paragraph about the Pritzker Prize or discuss it with your classmates.

If you’d like to read more about Kéré’s work, check out these articles:

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