Kabakoo Academies, the reference training platform for young Africans, announces the launch of the first edition of its innovation laboratory, the ” Building tomorrow in the Sahel”, an innovation laboratory on new forms of habitat in the Sahel.
This interdisciplinary training is aimed at architects and other building trades, such as masonry, plumbing, carpentry and painting. Its objective is to support a cohort of 20 to 30 people to design and build new forms of housing in the Sahel, using endogenous knowledge and emerging technologies.
Innovative and collaborative training
With Kabakoo’s highdigenous approach, participants will connect with local communities and experts around the world to collaboratively solve habitat challenges by combining local knowledge and emerging technologies. This innovative training will allow participants to develop a mindset and skills adapted to the current challenges of the region. The varied and rich training modules address themes such as “Bank, clay and earthen architecture”, “Design Fiction and speculative future of buildings in the Sahel” or “XR at the service of regenerative architecture”. The training also includes collaborative reflections on the social status of local materials, the environmental and health implications of architecture, as well as the exploration of alternative futures of architectural norms and practices in the Sahel.
Recognized personalities involved
The experts who will take part in this training are architects and other personalities recognized for their commitment to local construction cultures. Among them, we can mention Mamadou Koné, architect specializing in earthen constructions and restorer of buildings classified as “World Heritage” in Timbuktu and the Dogon country in Mali, Armelle Choplin, urban planner and professor at the University of Geneva, author of ” Urban gray matter. The life of cement in Africa” in Switzerland, Salima Naji, architect and anthropologist, specialist in local materials and techniques for bioclimatic architecture in Morocco, Madiana Hazoumé, civil engineer specializing in building energy efficiency in Cotonou, and Lassana Cissé, anthropologist and former National Director of Heritage at the Ministry of Culture of Mali.
A commitment to the future of architecture in the region
With the highest urbanization rate in the world in Africa and 7 of the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change in the region, it is urgent to draw inspiration from local forms of construction to bring out a regenerative architecture, benevolent with our ecosystems, comfort
reliable for us and profitable for our savings. The “Building tomorrow in the Sahel” program launched by Kabakoo Academies responds to this crucial challenge by offering an innovative and collaborative approach to train architecture and building professionals capable of designing sustainable habitats adapted to the needs of the region.
Applications for the program are open until April 10, 2023. Interested persons can apply on the Kabakoo Academies website: This unique opportunity will allow participants to develop their skills and contribute to the emergence of regenerative architectures in the Sahel region.
By launching this innovation laboratory, Kabakoo Academies affirms its commitment to the future of architecture in the region and its desire to train a new generation of professionals aware of environmental and social issues. By combining local knowledge and emerging technologies, the “Building tomorrow in the Sahel” program will contribute to the emergence of sustainable architecture that respects ecosystems, a crucial issue for the future of the region.
