Francis Kéré x Daina Cunningham
‘And I was not dreaming to become an architect, it just happened because I had the will to go back to Burkina and do things by myself.’
Pritzker Prize–winning architect Francis Kéré and Sydney-based architect Daina Cunningham reflect on their shared commitment to climate-adaptive design in a conversation with students from the Powerhouse Lang Walker Family Academy.
Kéré traces his journey from the village of Gando in Burkina Faso to global acclaim, highlighting the power of local materials, traditional techniques and community collaboration to create sustainable architecture that offers comfort without fossil fuels. Cunningham draws out the principles of climate-responsive practice, exploring how architects can design resilient buildings that serve their communities and meet accelerating environmental challenges.
‘The beauty of architecture will come from the function of the building.’
Speakers
Francis Kéré is a Pritzker Prize–winning architect whose practice centres on community-led, climate-responsive design. His work blends local materials, traditional construction techniques and participatory processes to create buildings grounded in social and environmental sustainability.
Daina Cunningham is an architect and co-director of Sydney-based Incidental Architecture. Her practice focuses on resilient, place-based design that responds to community needs, environmental conditions and the changing climate.
About
The Age We’re In brings together practitioners, scientists and researchers at different stages of their careers to share ideas and responses to global issues. These conversations highlight the common ground of how and why they pursue their practise and explore challenges and opportunities in their industries.
