Kéré Architecture was founded in 2005. Its practice is informed by a dual focus on design excellence and social commitment.
Renowned for its restrained elegance of structure, pioneering use of material and an inclination towards building in regions unchartered by much of contemporary architecture, the studio has been the recipient of numerous awards.
Kéré Architecture’s portfolio spans a wide spectrum of projects from civic infrastructure to temporary installations, from concept to execution and across diverse geographies.
Francis Kéré is an internationally renowned Burkinabè architect, recognised for his pioneering approach to design and sustainable modes of construction. His vocation to become an architect comes from a personal commitment to serve the community he grew up in, and a belief in the transformative potential of beauty.
In 2004, his very first building – the Gando Primary School, which he designed, raised funds for and realised in collaboration with the residents of his hometown while still a student at the Technical University of Berlin – was awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, garnering him critical acclaim from the outset of his career. In 2005 he founded his architectural practice, Kéré Architecture GmbH, as well as the Kéré Foundation e.V., a non-profit organisation that pursues projects in Gando.
Since then, Kéré has gone on to become one of the world’s most distinguished contemporary architects, with a vision that is at once utopian and pragmatic. Inspired by the particularities of each project’s locality and its social tapestry, he and his team work on projects across four continents. These include his designs for the Burkina Faso National Assembly, the Lycée Schorge Secondary School, the Léo Surgical Clinic and Health Centre, the 2017 Serpentine Pavilion and Xylem, the recently opened pavilion for the Tippet Rise Art Centre.
Underpinning his architectural work are his past and present teaching engagements at TU München, the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio and Yale University, as well as his participation in solo and group exhibitions including at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, the Museo ICO in Madrid, the Architekturmuseum in Munich and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Portrait of Francis Kéré
by Lars Borges
Our Berlin studio is where most of our design work is done by a dedicated team of architects who work within a flat hierarchy and flexible structure. All staff members work across design and project management, as well as coordinate closely with our Burkina Faso team and local experts on our international sites.
Jeanne Autran-Edorh – Architect
Fabiola Büchele - Creative Director
Claudia Buhmann – Dipl.-Ing. (FH)
Kinan Deeb – Architect
Jaime Herraiz Martínez – Architect
Andrea Maretto – Architect
Javier Mola Cárdenes – Architect
Josephine Richard – Administrative Assistant
Juan Carlos Zapata Baldrich – Architect
Alexandra Zervudachi – Architect
Viana Wagokh - Intern
Our team in Burkina Faso grew out of hands-on training during our projects in Gando and elsewhere in the country. Project managers and site supervisors on all our projects in West Africa work in close collaboration with the independent craftsmen and construction companies that also grew out of on-site training.
Nataniel Sawadogo – Project Management
Amedee Kéré – Project Management
Sophie Agne, Charles André, Adriana Arteaga, Armin Antkowiak, Rozenn Baly, Franziska Behrendt, Ines Bergdolt, Valentin Bettinger, Valentin Billhardt, Monica Lamela Blazquez, Laura Bornet, Yasmin Bremer, Léon Bührer, Alice Busani, Orsola Carraro, Cloé Collet, N'Faly Ismaël Camara, Samuel Perea Diaz, Emmanuel Dorsaz, Olani Ewunnet, Linda Franken, Nanna Friis, Raquel Font, Pedro Montero Gosalbez, Olivier Gondouin, Damien Greder, Linda Heiß, Daniel Heuermann, Jerome Byron Hord, Maddalena Iovene, Jin Gul David Jun, Stefanie Kammeyer, Luis Kann, Jamie Keats, Moumini Kéré, Donat Kirschner, Fabian Klemp, Benjamin Koziczinski, Hannah Kümmerle, Jeannette Kunsmann, Jenny Kurth, Franziska Laue, Johanna Lehmann, Inès Léopoldie-Dubois,
Matthew MacKay-Lyons, Diego Sologuren Martin, Oriol Domínguez Martinez, Roberto Rodríguez Martínez, Dominique Mayer, Isabelle McKinnon, Marta Migliorini, Fily Mihan, Marina Martínez De Aguirre Miral, Valeria Molinari, Galina Möller, Malak Nasreldin, Yara Pavel, Julia Philips, Moritz Rieke, Fran Sanchez, Vincenzo Salierno, Meike Schnackenberg, Dessislawa Stoyanova, Emanuela Smiglak, Tamara Speil, Greta Nina Tescari, Nick Thorne, Ren Tian, Lukas Veltrusky, Jesús Salcedo Villanueva, Blake Villwock, Leonne Vögelin, Judith Wach, Lina Wittfoht, Andrea Zaia,
Since their establishment in 2005, Kéré Architecture and the Kéré Foundation e.V. have been working closely on several projects in Gando, Burkina Faso.
The Kéré Foundation e.V. is committed to providing high-quality, easily accessible infrastructure focused on health, education and the environment. These are created for, and in direct collaboration with, the community of Gando and its surroundings.
Kéré Architecture is looking for an experienced executive assistant for founder and principal architect Francis Kéré to take on this role alongside a number of office coordination tasks.
The internationally renowned architect Francis Kéré runs his Berlin-based studio and foundation, teaches at the TU Munich and travels extensively for lecture purposes. His projects are located across all continents and he himself is based between Germany and Burkina Faso. We are looking for someone to facilitate the navigation and smooth working at the cross roads of all these activities.
The individual we seek would bring the following qualifications and skill:
* At least 3-5 years as an executive assistant
* Practical experience in the day to day working of a busy studio or enterprise and coordinating all maintenance task and equipment upkeep.
* A proven background in managing the communication between a variety of stakeholders
* Experience basic tech support, setting up of presentations and preparing for events
* Fluent in at least two of the following three languages and have working knowledge of the third: German, English, French
To cover these areas of work
* Facilitate all professional tasks of Francis Kéré and keep all collaborators informed
* Organise all of Francis Kéré’s travel arrangements
* Prepare (or coordinate) all meetings, events, lectures to ensure all tech aspects are working and all participants are briefed properly
* Facilitate the smooth running of the Kéré Architecture studio, including answering phone, welcoming guests, keeping all supplies stocked
* Organise Kéré Architecture Studio’s team travel arrangements
With the below approach:
* Reliable, detail-orientated and discreet
* Willingness to travel extensively and often at short notice between Berlin and Munich in particular and further afield on occasion
* Excellent communication skills across the above languages
* Willingness to at times work outside regular office hours when particular events require
* Friendly demeanour with a clear sense for professional hospitality
* Profound multi-tasking skills
Kéré Architecture offers remunerated internships to architecture students for periods of 6-12 months. The next available slots are in August 2021.
Candidates should be driven, have the ability to take initiative, exhibit flexibility and work constructively both independently and in collaboration with team members. Additionally, they should be aware of and interested in the topics that our projects deal with.
Model-making is a central part of our design process and candidates should demonstrate strong modelling skills. The main softwares used by the team are AutoCAD, Rhino and the Adobe Suite. Knowledge of these softwares is appreciated, although fast learners with fluency in similar softwares are also welcome to apply.
Our office is multilingual, with the main languages spoken being English, German and French. Fluency in at least one of these languages is required to ensure a good level of communication with our team.
Your application should include:
1. A cover letter in which you describe your interest in working for Kéré Architecture
2. A complete resume
3. Your portfolio, which illustrates your design work and other relevant skills
The internship must be a requirement of your university’s curriculum. Please refer to your university’s administration to confirm whether they will provide accreditation for your internship.
The next selection process will start in June 2021 for an internship starting August 2021. If you are interested in applying for an internship starting in August 2021 please send your application to career(at)kerearchitecture.com with the subject “Internship application August 2021”. Please note that due to a high submission rate, not all applicants will receive feedback.
Kéré Architecture is looking for an experienced project and studio administrator to join its team full time at their Berlin studio.
The internationally renowned studio works on projects of various sizes across all continents and is home to an international group of architects. Kéré Architecture has received critical acclaim across its last 15 years of being through both its particular approach to design and the norm-bending background of its principal founder Francis Kéré. Currently the team is working on major projects in Senegal, Benin and Germany.
The individual we seek would bring the following qualifications and skill:
* A total of 5-10 years in a comparable role at a mid- to large-scale architectural studio either located in Germany or with a significant number of projects in Germany.
* A degree in either the architectural field or business administration
* Practical experience working in an international setting including for projects where client, studio and project are in different locations
* In-depth knowledge and practical experience of the German HOAI regulations across all phases and the proven ability to write offers adhering to this framework
* German and English fluency is a must, as well as a base-level of French
* Practical experience in leading the administrative aspect in collaboration with architects
To cover these areas of work:
* Project coordination and administration for ongoing and upcoming projects across all building phases.
* Studio-wide team coordination
* Writing of offers for new project requests and assisting management in administration for acquisitions.
* Communication between all partners including sub-contractors and client
* Preparation in cooperation with legal representation of all contracts
* Coordination with press team for timely communication of project
With the below approach:
* Reliable, detail-orientated and discreet
* Ability to work both without directive and in cooperation across various fields of the studio
* Willingness to pick up new skills and apply experience in a sensitive manner to the particularities of the studio
* Excellent communication skills across the above languages
* Love for spreadsheets, dotting is and crossing ts, yet flexible enough to adapt to a variety of geographical realities
* All-hands-on-deck attitude when the relatively small size of the studio requires work to be done that may be a little outside the day-to-day scope