Last year, we at Africans Column proudly unveiled the inaugural edition of 50 Influential African Women Architects, a heartfelt tribute to the brilliance and resilience of African women shaping the continent’s built environment. It was a celebration born from a desire to spotlight the extraordinary contributions of these architects—visionaries who craft spaces that echo heritage, sustainability, and innovation across Africa’s diverse landscapes. Their works stand as testaments to creativity and courage, weaving stories of community, culture, and progress into the very foundations of cities and villages alike. With this list, we sought to amplify voices too often dimmed by the shadows of a male-dominated field, honoring their craft and illuminating their indelible mark on a world that thrives because of them.
Despite these challenges, their impact is undeniable. From designing awe-inspiring structures to leading innovative projects that merge tradition with modernity, these architects are not merely building; they are telling stories, forging identities, and shaping futures. Their work, often underappreciated, deserves a spotlight that not only acknowledges their genius but also inspires the next generation of women architects to dream, design, and disrupt the status quo. From the sun-scorched deserts of Niger to the vibrant streets of Lagos, their portfolios shimmer with ingenuity, blending ancestral wisdom with modern flair. Yet, their triumphs often whisper rather than roar, overshadowed by a narrative that has long favored louder voices. It is this quiet brilliance, this unshakable dedication, that compels us to lift them higher, to ensure their legacies resonate far beyond the blueprints they draft.
Thus, we at Africans Column have vowed to make this an annual ritual—a vibrant tradition of recognition and reverence. Each year, we will gather their stories, polish their brilliance, and present them to the world, ensuring their light burns brightly in the architectural canon. Now, for the second time, on this final day of Women’s Month, March 31, 2025, we unveil the 2025 Edition of 50 Influential African Women Architects. This is a jubilant ode to those who excel with elegance, who carve paths where none existed, and who redefine excellence in a field ripe for their genius. With this edition, we celebrate not just their works but their spirits—luminous, bold, and unyielding—heralding a future where their names echo as loudly as the spaces they create. These are the visionaries redefining African architecture—bold, innovative, and unstoppable.
Below is the list, in alphabetical order:
1. Alia Bengana (Algeria)
Alia Bengana, born in Algiers, is an Algerian architect whose international journey has shaped her into a leading voice in sustainable design. She graduated from the Paris-Belleville School of Architecture in 2000, spending a formative year at La Sapienza in Rome, which sparked a career spanning Barcelona, New York, Shanghai, and Paris. Her early professional path included stints at Josep Llinás in Barcelona (2001), Dusapin Leclercq for North African projects (2002), and three years with Pier Luigi Copat in Paris, linked to the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. In 2006, she received the Delano & Aldrich Fellowship from the American Institute of Architects, enabling a year-long study in the U.S. comparing LEED and HQE environmental standards—an experience that ignited her passion for ecological architecture. After working with BAU International Architects in Shanghai (2007–2008) on environmentally sensitive projects, she returned to Paris in 2009 to found Alia Bengana Architect Agency, a practice that balances building construction with intricate furniture design, all rooted in improving environmental quality.
For over a decade, Bengana has specialized in natural and regenerative materials, particularly earth and fibers, advocating for alternatives to concrete’s dominance. Since establishing her studio, she has focused on designs that harmonize with their contexts, such as the transformation of a fungus-riddled Parisian courtyard building into a light-filled family home with Capucine de Cointet (2019), preserving its envelope while reimagining its core. Her fascination with sustainable materials deepened through workshops on earthen and straw construction, inspiring her critique of mainstream green certifications like LEED and BREEAM as “unhelpful.” This led to her groundbreaking investigation into concrete’s ecological and social impacts, first published with Heidi.news as “Béton, la fin d’une ère?” and later expanded into the 2024 graphic novel Béton – Enquête en Sables Mouvants with Claude Baechtold and Antoine Maréchal. In it, she explores concrete’s “four enormous problems”—sand overexploitation, CO2 emissions, structural obsolescence, and waste—revealing, for instance, why Algeria’s desert sand, too smooth for concrete, drives coastal extraction instead, a global issue she ties to ecological and economic cascades.
Bengana’s influence extends beyond practice into education and advocacy. Since 2015, she has taught in Paris, becoming the Year 1 studio director at ALICE (Atelier de la Conception de l’Espace) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in 2020, and also lecturing at the Haute École d’Ingénierie et d’Architecture de Fribourg since 2021. She pushes students to rethink architecture through local resources and waste, challenging the cement industry’s sway over academia. Her writings for Swiss outlets like Tracès magazine and her comic book—praised by The Architectural Review for tackling concrete’s socio-political dimensions—aim to democratize these issues, drawing parallels to West Africa’s cement aspirations and proposing hybrid solutions like thin concrete frames with earth blocks. From Algiers to Paris, Bengana’s career reflects a relentless pursuit of a more equitable, sustainable built environment, proving architecture can be both a craft and a call to action.
2. Aziza Chaouni (Morocco)
Aziza Chaouni, a Moroccan architect born in Fez, is the visionary founder of Aziza Chaouni Projects (ACP), a multi-disciplinary design office with bases in Toronto, Canada, and her hometown, where she blends sustainable innovation with cultural preservation. Holding a Master’s of Architecture with distinction from Harvard Graduate School of Design and a BSc in Civil Engineering with honors from Columbia University, Chaouni’s expertise spans architecture, urban planning, and landscape design. Since launching ACP in 2011, she has spearheaded award-winning projects like the rehabilitation of the Fez River—a decade-long effort begun in 2009 to restore the polluted lifeline of Morocco’s medieval medina, detailed in her 2014 TED talk—and the 2016 restoration of the al-Qarawiyyin University library, founded in 859 by Fatima Al-Fihria, the world’s oldest functioning library. As Associate Professor at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, and Director of the Designing Ecological Tourism (DET) platform, she explores ecotourism’s challenges in the developing world, advocating for designs that harmonize with arid climates and local traditions.
Chaouni’s work is a tapestry of modern heritage preservation and ecological ingenuity, earning her global recognition. Her restoration of Jean-François Zevaco’s brutalist Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex near Fez, supported by a Getty Foundation Keeping It Modern grant, showcases her skill in adaptive reuse, while the Cultural Interlude in Morocco project—a music school and ecotourism center in M’hamid El Ghizlane—won the 2020 Holcim Foundation Awards Bronze for Middle East & Africa for preserving tribal heritage amid climate threats. Before ACP, she co-founded Bureau E.A.S.T. with Takako Tajima, securing the 2009 Global Holcim Awards Gold for the Fez River project, lauded for its holistic approach to ecology and community vitality. Her designs, from anti-seismic earth-brick prototypes to the International Fair of Dakar, reflect a commitment to integrating community stakeholders, a process she champions in her books like Ecotourism, Nature Conservation and Development and Out of Water: Design Solutions for Arid Regions. Her efforts extend to social impact, co-founding the NGO Joudour Sahara in 2017 to offer music and anti-desertification classes to Moroccan youth.
Chaouni’s influence resonates internationally, with her work exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale (including the 2023 edition curated by Lesley Lokko), the International Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Her accolades include the Architectural League of New York Young Architects Award, multiple Holcim Foundation prizes, and the Prix du Design Institut de Monde Arabe, reflecting her prowess in sustainable construction. A former jury member for the 2023 Holcim Awards Middle East & Africa, she continues to shape discourse on modern heritage, as seen in projects like the preservation of Ontario Place and Sierra Leone’s Old Fourth Bay College with the World Monuments Fund. From her childhood amid Fez’s historic medina to her academic and professional heights, Chaouni crafts architecture that bridges past and future, offering solutions that are as resilient as they are rooted—proving design can heal landscapes, empower communities, and rewrite the story of the Global South.
3. Chinwe Ohajuruka (Nigeria)
Chinwe Ohajuruka, a Nigerian-born green architect and social entrepreneur, has emerged as a trailblazer in sustainable housing, splitting her time between Nigeria and the United States to bridge global innovation with local needs. With over 25 years of experience, she founded Comprehensive Design Services (CDS) in 2012, a company that designs and builds affordable, solar-powered homes using Bio-Climatic Design—a method tailored to Nigeria’s climate with passive strategies like natural ventilation and rainwater harvesting. Her journey began in Nigeria, followed by a move to the U.S. in 2003, where she earned accreditations from the U.S., UK, and South African Green Building Councils, alongside a Master’s in Architecture from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Ohajuruka’s work confronts Nigeria’s housing, energy, and water crises head-on, relocating families from substandard conditions into dignified, eco-friendly homes built in as little as 12 weeks, a feat that earned her the 2015 Cartier Women’s Initiative Sub-Saharan Africa Laureate Award for her blend of green architecture and social impact.
Her signature project, the Passive House Prototype, exemplifies her mission to deliver off-grid, low-cost solutions that tackle Nigeria’s triple threat of housing shortages, unreliable power, and water scarcity. Implemented in Port Harcourt and beyond, these homes—featuring solar wells and climate-responsive design—have garnered international acclaim, including a National Geographic “Great Energy Challenge Innovator” grant and a feature in Al Gore’s 24 Hours of Reality broadcast. Ohajuruka’s approach not only reduces dependency on costly grid electricity (where AC bills can devour half a household’s income) but also empowers communities with sustainable infrastructure. Her firm has secured support from USAID and the Western Union Foundation, amplifying her impact across Nigeria. As a former board member of the Green Building Council of Nigeria and a Chevening Scholar, she has shaped policies and practices that advance climate-resilient urban development, proving sustainability can be both practical and inclusive.
Ohajuruka’s influence extends beyond construction into advocacy and mentorship, where she champions women in STEM and equitable access to clean energy. Her numerous accolades—such as the Chenving Foundation’s Science and Technology Award and the GSBI Online Social Entrepreneurship Incubator prize—reflect her role as a leader in Africa’s green building revolution. Through workshops, lectures, and collaborations with governments and international partners, she nurtures the next generation of architects and engineers, emphasizing architecture’s potential as a tool for environmental justice. Her story, from a Nigerian upbringing to global recognition, embodies a relentless drive to design not just homes but hope, offering scalable models that address climate change while uplifting underserved populations. Chinwe Ohajuruka stands as a beacon of how purpose-driven design can transform lives, one solar-powered roof at a time.
4. Dominique Petit-Frère (Ghana)
Dominique Petit-Frère, born in 1993 in New York City to Haitian-Ghanaian roots, is a visionary designer and urbanist whose innovative practice redefines spatial design in West Africa. After completing her master’s in international development at Lund University in Sweden, she co-founded Limbo Accra in 2018 with Emil Grip, a spatial design studio based in Ghana’s capital that transforms unfinished concrete structures—ubiquitous across the region—into vibrant cultural and public spaces. Her work, which spans architecture, urban planning, and art installations, reflects a deep focus on the geopolitical and environmental implications of urban phenomena, drawing inspiration from the resourcefulness she observed in Ghanaian communities during her studies. Petit-Frère’s interdisciplinary approach bridges contemporary African architecture with youth empowerment, as seen in her collaboration with Virgil Abloh on the Freedom Skatepark in Accra (completed in 2021), Ghana’s first recreational skatepark, designed to foster “Afro-Utopian spatial justice” alongside partners like Surf Ghana and Daily Paper.
In November 2024, Petit-Frère expanded her vision with the opening of Limbo Museum in Accra’s Labone neighborhood, a 600-square-meter cultural hub housed in an incomplete brutalist building she co-founded with Grip, curator Diallo Simon-Ponte, and architect Lennart Wolff. This transformative space embodies her philosophy of “ruins as practice,” reimagining abandoned sites as generative platforms for art, architecture, and sustainability dialogues—a concept celebrated with a Wallpaper* Design Award in 2025. The museum’s launch featured a three-day summit with luminaries like Ibrahim Mahama and Tosin Oshinowo, alongside the debut of the Limbo Architecture Lab in collaboration with London’s AA Visiting School, exploring ecological and community-driven design. Petit-Frère views these “liminal” spaces—about a third of Ghana’s built environment—as opportunities for creative regeneration, a mission underscored by her statement: “The time has come to reimagine skeletal voids and envision new futures within them.”
Petit-Frère’s influence extends beyond Ghana, earning her global recognition, including the inaugural Black Design Visionaries grant from Instagram Design, Meta, and the Brooklyn Museum in 2021, and the Monocle Design Award in 2022. Her work has been showcased at the Sharjah Architecture Triennial (2023), where she collaborated on the Super Limbo installation, and she’s spearheading Africa’s first digital archive of incomplete brutalist structures with a grant from Denmark’s Obel Foundation. As Founder and Vision Director of Limbo Accra, she champions sustainability by working with existing resources, a regenerative ethos evident in projects like the WET exhibition with artist Araba Ankuma. Petit-Frère’s practice—spanning Accra, Copenhagen, and New York—offers a bold model for urbanism, proving that architecture can be a collaborative tool to redefine public space, inspire community, and address planetary challenges, one unfinished ruin at a time.
5. Elsie Owusu OBE (Ghana)
Elsie Owusu OBE RA RIBA FRSA, born in Ghana in November 1953, is a Ghanaian-British architect whose pioneering career has left an indelible mark on architecture and urban design across the UK, Nigeria, and Ghana. Moving to London at age eight with her diplomat father, she attended Streatham and Clapham High School before embarking on an architectural journey that began in 1986. She founded Elsie Owusu Architects (EOA), where she remains principal, delivering innovative projects like the low-energy 60 Aden Grove house—assembled in three days with artist Sir Peter Blake—and a studio-residency complex for UK-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare in Lagos, in partnership with Symbiotica and NS Design Consultants. Her decade-long partnership with Feilden+Mawson saw her co-lead the 2009 refurbishment of the UK Supreme Court, mastermind Green Park Tube Station’s planning, and oversee the Lammas Centre at St. Bernard’s Hospital, blending her expertise in conservation with a passion for culturally resonant design.
A staunch advocate for diversity, Owusu was the founding chair of the Society of Black Architects and launched the RIBA+25 campaign in 2017 with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to honor Stephen Lawrence’s legacy and address architecture’s stark lack of inclusivity—where, as reported by Architects’ Journal in 2015, 94% of UK architects were white and only 4,000 of RIBA’s 27,000 chartered members were women. Elected to the RIBA Council since 2014 and serving as vice-chair of the London School of Architecture, she ran for RIBA presidency in 2018, narrowly losing to Alan Jones with 1,673 votes to his 2,704, backed by luminaries like Sir David Adjaye and Baroness Doreen Lawrence. Her vocal stance against institutional racism and sexism in the industry—once calling RIBA a “racist boys’ club” in a 2015 Independent interview—earned her an OBE in 2003 for services to architecture, a citation she proudly ties to her advocacy, alongside accolades like the 2014 African Business Woman of the Year and a 2017 Women4Africa Recognition Award.
Owusu’s influence extends beyond buildings to social impact and sustainability. As a director of JustGhana Ltd, she promotes education and creative industries in Ghana, designing rural zero-carbon schemes, while also developing eco-homes in Sussex. Her work on the Greenwich Cultural Quarter in London reflects her commitment to weaving diversity into historic urban fabrics, and her designs for public transport systems in Lagos and Accra showcase her global reach. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the first Black woman elected an academician at the Royal Academy, she has served on boards like Arts Council England and the UK Supreme Court Arts Trust, advocating for a “modern African vernacular” (Voice Online, 2022). From her childhood in Ghana to her current projects, Owusu’s career embodies a relentless drive to decolonize architecture, ensuring it reflects the rich tapestry of the communities it serves—proving design can be a powerful tool for equity and heritage.
6. Emma Miloyo (Kenya)
Emma Miloyo is a trailblazing Kenyan architect whose journey began in the classrooms of Loreto Convent Msongari and The Kenya High School (1995–1998), where her artistic flair was nurtured by an inspiring art teacher. She made history at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree and becoming the first woman to earn first-class honours in the program—a feat fueled by her mother’s encouragement as a mathematics lecturer who championed girls breaking glass ceilings. In 2007, right out of university, she co-founded Design Source Limited with her husband and classmate Chris Naicca, growing it into a leading firm with offices in Nairobi and Mombasa, boasting a portfolio of over 50 projects across Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Tanzania, including high-profile builds like Delta Towers Upper Hill and K-Rep Centre. Her early career was marked by a relentless drive, balancing teaching and university activities while still excelling academically, a testament to her multitasking prowess.
Miloyo’s ascent in the architectural world reached a pinnacle in 2017 when she became the first female president of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), serving until 2019 after a stint as vice president (2015–2017). During her tenure, she amplified AAK’s visibility through initiatives like The Kenya We Want, a 2018 manifesto advocating for sustainable urban development, and revived the AAK Awards of Excellence in Architecture, cementing her legacy as a thought leader. Her firm’s innovative designs—spanning corporate interiors and conventional architecture like hotels and retail stations—earned her accolades such as Business Daily Africa’s “Top 40 Under 40 Women” in 2011 and 2018, and a 2015 Eisenhower Fellowship, recognizing her as a global influencer. Beyond buildings, she co-authored Building in Kenya (second edition launched in 2023), the first book of its kind locally, offering practical guidance for developers and listed among Rafu Books’ top 10 Kenyan bestsellers, reflecting her commitment to shaping the industry’s future.
A passionate advocate for gender equity, Miloyo founded Women in Real Estate (WIRE) to empower women in the built environment and volunteers with the Ex-Bomarian Education Trust Fund to support impoverished girls at her alma mater, The Kenya High School. Her influence extends to education and governance, serving as a director at Kiota School—which she co-founded, growing it from one to 172 students in two years—and as a non-executive director at Longhorn Publishers since 2020, bringing entrepreneurial insight to the board. She has held roles on boards like Konza Technology City (where she chaired the Audit Committee), the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, and the Kilimani Project Foundation, while preserving Kenya’s architectural heritage through the Steering Committee on Buildings of Architectural and Historical Significance. Married to Naicca with three children, Miloyo’s life—from jogging and boxing to mentoring young architects—embodies her mission to inspire women to shatter barriers, proving architecture can be a canvas for creativity, equity, and lasting change.
7. Ene Agada (Nigeria)
Ene Agada MNIA stands as a towering figure in Nigeria’s architectural landscape, serving as the Chair of the Female Architects of Nigeria (FAN) with a rare blend of resourcefulness, creativity, and unwavering commitment to inclusivity. A member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (MNIA), her leadership has transformed the field into a vibrant, welcoming space where women architects are not only recognized but celebrated for their ingenuity and impact. In a profession historically dominated by men, Arc. Ene has carved out a platform that amplifies female voices, tirelessly advocating for an environment where their talents shine as brightly as their male counterparts. Her efforts have injected new energy into Nigeria’s architectural community, fostering a culture of diversity that enriches the nation’s built environment—from Lagos’ bustling urban sprawl to the quieter corners of its rural regions.
Under her stewardship, FAN has blossomed into a dynamic force, launching initiatives that empower female architects to collaborate, innovate, and showcase their contributions on both local and national stages. Arc. Ene’s vision goes beyond mere representation; she has cultivated a network of mentorship and support, guiding emerging professionals through the complexities of the industry with a nurturing hand. Her programs encourage young women to step boldly into architecture, offering them the tools, confidence, and opportunities to thrive in a field where their predecessors often faced steep barriers. This dedication to gender equity is not just a professional pursuit but a personal mission, reflecting her belief that a truly thriving architectural practice must reflect the full spectrum of Nigeria’s talent—male and female alike.
Arc. Ene’s leadership is a beacon of inspiration, blending professional excellence with a maternal essence that uplifts her peers and paves the way for future generations. Her influence transcends FAN, setting a powerful example of how to wield authority with grace and purpose, inspiring not just architects but all who encounter her work. Colleagues and mentees alike commend her for reshaping the narrative around women in architecture, turning challenges into opportunities and fostering a legacy of empowerment that will echo for years to come. We celebrate Arc. Ene Agada and her team for their transformative impact, honoring a leader whose mission continues to empower, uplift, and redefine what it means to build a more inclusive Nigeria—one design, one mentorship, one triumph at a time.
8. Etta Madete Mukuba (Kenya)
Etta Madete Mukuba is a Kenyan sustainable architect and housing developer whose innovative work is reshaping affordable housing in emerging markets, with a focus on scalability, sustainability, and gender inclusivity. Born and raised in Kenya, she earned an undergraduate degree and a Master’s in Sustainable Architecture from the University of Nairobi—where she received the Duracoat Award for Academic Excellence in 2015 and 2018 and a scholarship for postgraduate studies in 2019—before completing a Master’s in Real Estate at Harvard Graduate School of Design. As the founding director of Zima Homes, launched in Nairobi, she has raised over $2 million to deliver 137 green-certified, multi-family homes, earning accolades like the WIRE Young Achiever Award in 2021 and recognition as the top candidate in Papers II & III by Kenya’s BORAQS in the same year. Her decade-plus career spans the housing development lifecycle—fundraising, design, construction, and management—blending technical prowess with a systems-thinking approach honed through roles like Affordable Housing Lead at BuildX Studio and a lecturer at the University of Nairobi.
Mukuba’s passion for sustainable design shines through her leadership at Zima Homes, a partner in Empowa’s NSE Catalyst Project, which leverages blockchain to fund eco-friendly housing (empowa.io, 2024). Her projects prioritize bioclimatic strategies—such as atrium daylight penetration and brick use in hot, dry climates—detailed in publications like “Sustainability and Inclusivity in Affordable Housing” (2022) and co-authored works with Rem Koolhaas, including The Countryside Report (2020), featured in exhibitions at the Barbican and Guggenheim. An EDGE Expert, she integrates ESG and SDG frameworks into her practice, ensuring homes are not just affordable but environmentally and socially impactful, as seen in Zima’s award-winning Nairobi developments. Her multilingual skills (fluent English, moderate Swahili) and mastery of tools like Revit and Lumion enhance her ability to design and advocate for solutions that address Kenya’s housing deficit—estimated at two million units by the World Bank—while reducing carbon footprints and empowering women in real estate.
A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Mukuba’s influence extends globally through fellowships like Aspen Senior Fellow and Mandela Washington, and her 15-plus publications in outlets like Al Jazeera and Architectural Record. Her advocacy for gender equity and sustainable development earned her a spot among Kenya’s rising stars, with recent talks at the 2023 Africa Green Building Summit highlighting her vision for climate-resilient housing (Construction Kenya, 2023). Beyond Zima Homes, she chairs its board, drives partnerships, and measures impact, while mentoring students at the University of Nairobi and contributing to boards like WIRE (Women in Real Estate). From her early academic excellence to her current role shaping Kenya’s built environment, Etta Madete Mukuba embodies a rare blend of technical skill, leadership, and social purpose—building not just homes, but a legacy of inclusive, sustainable progress across East Africa and beyond.
9. Fatiya Diene Mazza (Senegal)
Fatiya Diene Mazza, born in 1984 in Dakar, Senegal, to an architect father, grew up in the vibrant Plateau district near the Corniche, where her early fascination with design took root amidst the city’s blend of tradition and modernity. Educated at Lycée Jean Mermoz in Dakar, she pursued architecture at Northeastern University in Boston, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2007 and a master’s in 2008, a period that honed her eco-centric philosophy through interdisciplinary learning. Her career launched at HOK in San Francisco, where she contributed to major projects like Doha International Airport and Salt Lake City Airport, before moving to Brazil in 2010. There, between São Paulo and the Northeast, she founded the precursor to ID+EA (Innovative Design + Engineered Architecture), which she established in Dakar in 2015 upon her return, driven by a desire to reshape Senegal’s built environment with a “contemporary pan-African” lens, inspired by architects like Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, Jean Nouvel, and African pioneers Koffi and Diabaté.
Mazza’s ID+EA has become a powerhouse of innovative design, delivering landmark projects that fuse functionality with cultural resonance. Her most iconic work, the Diamniadio Station—inaugurated on December 27, 2021—spans 10,000 square meters and serves 9,150 passengers daily, linking central Dakar to Blaise Diagne International Airport via Senegal’s first post-independence railway, the Train Express Régional (TER). Its aerodynamic, UFO-like design, reflecting the Plan Sénégal Émergent’s modernist ambitions, earned praise for reducing commute times in traffic-choked Dakar from hours to 30 minutes. She also led the 2024 restoration and expansion of the Radio-Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS) headquarters, a 33-billion-CFA-franc (50-million-euro) project inaugurated by President Macky Sall on March 20, preserving its 1990s Japanese design while adding a 55-meter double-skinned tower with studios and a 585-seat amphitheater. Other notable works include the Black Rock House (2019), an artists’ residency for Kehinde Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal, the NSIA Bank branch, and the Tambacounda Orphanage, each showcasing her knack for blending local heritage with global aesthetics.
In 2024, Mazza unveiled the Villa U:BIKWITI in Nguerigne, Thiès—a 700-square-meter rammed-earth home that epitomizes her commitment to sustainable, low-impact design rooted in Senegal’s Serer traditions. Built with local materials and labor, its thick walls harness thermal mass to temper the harsh climate, offering a cooler, energy-efficient interior while reviving ancestral techniques. Leading a diverse team of 15–20 mostly African collaborators at ID+EA, Mazza champions environmentally friendly technologies—using sunlight and wind for efficiency—and addresses urban challenges like Dakar’s housing crunch, where she notes 70% of constructions bypass architects, leading to flawed designs (Forbes Afrique, 2024). Her influence extends beyond Senegal, with projects like the Guédiawaye Nursery and the Outarde Bank headquarters, earning her a spot in Wallpaper’s 2023 Architects’ Directory. A dreamer who once sketched airports in transit lounges, Mazza now crafts Senegal’s future—harmonizing past and present, proving architecture can elevate both landscape and lives.
10. Fifi Ejindu (Nigeria)
Fifi Ejindu is a Nigerian architect, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose career spans design, business, and social impact, making her a pioneering figure in Nigeria’s architectural landscape. Trained at Pratt Institute in New York, she founded Starcrest Group, a conglomerate with interests in real estate, energy, and hospitality, leveraging her architectural roots into a broader economic empire. Beginning her practice in the 1980s, Ejindu was among Nigeria’s first female architects, designing high-end residential and commercial spaces for Lagos’ elite—projects that blend luxury with functionality, though specifics are less documented than her business ventures. Her work reflects Nigeria’s aspirational urban culture, likely featuring sleek lines and premium materials suited to the tropical climate.
Ejindu’s architectural influence lies in her trailblazing role, breaking gender barriers in a patriarchal industry when few women held such positions. Her designs, assumed to include upscale homes and offices, introduced sophisticated aesthetics to Nigeria’s property market, drawing from her Pratt education to cater to a growing class of wealthy clients. While her built legacy is overshadowed by her entrepreneurial success—Starcrest’s real estate arm develops properties across Lagos and beyond—she remains a symbol of versatility, showing how architecture can fuel broader ambitions. Her projects likely incorporate sustainable elements like natural ventilation, adapting global standards to Nigeria’s context.
Beyond design, Ejindu’s philanthropy through the Fifi Ejindu Foundation supports education and healthcare, amplifying her societal impact in Nigeria’s bustling cities. Recognized by Forbes Africa and Vanguard for her leadership, she inspires Nigerian women to pursue multifaceted careers, blending creativity with commerce. Her influence combines a built legacy with a mentorship ethos, shaping Nigeria’s architectural and business spheres as a pioneer whose vision transcends traditional practice.
11. Hayatte Abderahim Ndiaye (Chad)
Hayatte Abderahim Ndiaye is a Chadian architect who made history as the nation’s first female architect and served as President of the National Order of Architects of Chad (ONAT) from 2019 to 2022. Trained at the Victor Horta Institute of Architecture in Brussels, she founded Hayatt Architecture in N’Djamena, focusing on sustainable design tailored to Chad’s arid Sahelian climate—hot, dry, and prone to desertification. Her pioneering status in a male-dominated field and a country with limited architectural infrastructure highlights her resilience and determination. Ndiaye’s work likely includes schools, clinics, or housing that endure Chad’s harsh conditions, serving a population of 18 million often overlooked in global design narratives.
Her projects prioritize durability and local adaptation, using materials like adobe or compressed earth blocks to create low-cost, climate-responsive buildings—essential in a landlocked nation with scarce resources. In 2018, she launched the first Sustainable Habitat Day in the Sahel, promoting eco-friendly construction techniques like passive cooling and water conservation, which reduce reliance on imports like cement that strain Chad’s economy. While specific buildings aren’t widely cataloged, her firm’s output likely supports both urban centers like N’Djamena and rural villages, addressing basic needs with ingenuity. Her leadership at ONAT elevated professional standards, advocating for sustainable practices in a region vulnerable to climate change.
Ndiaye’s influence extends through her role as a trailblazer, inspiring Chadian women to enter architecture despite cultural and economic barriers. Her Brussels training and local focus position her as a bridge between global knowledge and Sahelian realities, a rare feat in Central Africa. By championing sustainability and equity, Ndiaye is laying the groundwork for Chad’s architectural identity, making her a foundational figure whose impact transcends her built works.
12. Huda Tayob (South Africa)
Huda Tayob is a South African architectural historian and theorist whose scholarship redefines how African spaces are perceived and taught globally. Currently a Senior Tutor (Research) at the Royal College of Art in London, she earned her PhD from UCL in 2018, focusing on Cape Town’s migrant markets—research commended by the RIBA President’s Award for its depth and originality. Her academic journey spans the University of Cape Town, Manchester, and Johannesburg, where she’s explored subaltern architectures, postcolonial theory, and the politics of invisibility, offering fresh perspectives on South Africa’s urban histories. Tayob’s work challenges Eurocentric narratives, centering the lived experiences of Africa’s marginalized communities.
Her curatorial efforts amplify her influence—she co-created Race, Space & Architecture (2018) with Suzanne Hall and Thandi Loewenson, an open-access curriculum dissecting race in design, and led Archive of Forgetfulness (2023), a pan-African digital exhibition uncovering hidden spatial stories. Her 2023 Venice Biennale project, Index of Edges, traced East African coastal narratives through drawings and oral histories, blending art with scholarship to reveal overlooked connections. These initiatives position Tayob as a bridge between practice and theory, amplifying voices silenced by colonial archives. Her writings in The Architectural Review and Places Journal further cement her as a critical thinker, pushing architects to rethink power and place.
Tayob’s influence is intellectual but profoundly practical, shaping how educators and designers engage with Africa’s complex spatial legacies—think Cape Town’s townships or Johannesburg’s informal markets. Her mentorship at RCA and guest lectures at Harvard inspire a decolonial shift in architectural education, while her South African roots keep her work grounded in local realities. By foregrounding migrant and minor perspectives, Tayob is a transformative force, crafting a legacy that reorients global architecture toward equity and inclusion.
13. Jeanne Autran-Edorh (Togo)
Jeanne Autran-Edorh, a French-Togolese architect and co-founder of Studio NEiDA, embodies a design philosophy that intertwines contemporary African architecture with material innovation and collaborative ethos. Her illustrious career has seen her thrive within the studios of Pritzker Prize luminaries—Herzog & de Meuron, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, and Studio Francis Kéré—where she honed her craft on globally acclaimed projects. At Kéré’s studio from 2018 to 2023, she led monumental civic works like the Benin National Assembly in Porto-Novo, a structure inspired by the communal palaver tree, and the Thomas Sankara Memorial in Ouagadougou, a mud-brick tribute to Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader. These projects reflect her signature sensibility: architecture as a dialogue with its environment, rooted in indigenous craftsmanship and responsive to socio-political contexts. Earlier stints at Herzog & de Meuron (2014–2016) and Jean Nouvel (2017) saw her contribute to iconic builds like the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles and La Marseillaise Tower in Marseille, blending her Togolese heritage with a cosmopolitan flair.
Beyond her built works, Autran-Edorh is a passionate educator and thought leader, expanding her influence through teaching and lecturing across Europe since 2021. As a lecturer at Berlin Internationale University of Applied Sciences and a guest speaker at institutions like TU Berlin and Stuttgart University, she advocates for a broader architectural pedagogy—one that embraces non-European design approaches, sustainable complexities, and a pluralistic history often absent from her own training. Her 2021 World Architecture Community talk, Re-reading Local Knowledge Through New Modes of Practice, encapsulated this mission, urging a reimagining of architectural practice through local expertise and ecological mindfulness. Her projects—like the urban scheme for Niamey or the Kunstareal Pavilion in Munich—demonstrate this ethos, marrying clay and contextual design to create spaces that resonate with their cultural and environmental DNA, a testament to her belief that architecture is not insular but inherently impactful.
Autran-Edorh’s creative spirit spills beyond architecture into art, dance, and music, enriching her interdisciplinary approach. In 2023, she DJed for Berlin’s Lekker Collective and Architects not Architecture, while her participation in TogoYEYE’s photography series for Photo Vogue showcased her cultural roots in Lomé. Her dance performances—like “The Thrill” music video in Cape Town (2021)—and workshops with artists like Tadashi Kawamata reveal a restless curiosity that informs her design process. Featured in Frame Magazine (2023) for her insights on African urban design, she challenges Western paradigms with a vision that celebrates uncertainty and collaboration. Through Studio NEiDA, Autran-Edorh is crafting a legacy that bridges continents and disciplines, proving architecture can be a vibrant, living conversation—one that honors tradition, embraces innovation, and dances to the rhythm of its people.
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14. Kate Maree Otten (South Africa)
Katherine Maree Otten, widely known as Kate Otten, was born on March 28, 1964, in Durban, South Africa, and has emerged as one of the country’s most celebrated architects, renowned for her deeply contextual and emotive designs. After matriculating from Roedean School in Johannesburg in 1981, she graduated with a BArch from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1987, swiftly founding Kate Otten Architects (KOA) in 1989—just a year after completing her studies. Her practice, based in Johannesburg, quickly gained acclaim for weaving together local materials, traditional crafts, and contemporary sensibilities, creating spaces that resonate with South Africa’s landscape and spirit. Projects like the museum exhibition space at the Women’s Jail at Constitution Hill—commended by the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA)—the Tzaneen waterfront development, Soweto’s Art Therapy Centre, and community libraries showcase her ability to blend functionality with emotional depth, earning her a reputation as an “architect of place” (Perspective Global, 2019).
Otten’s portfolio, spanning over 160 projects in 35 years, reflects a philosophy of “happy buildings” that nurture the human spirit, often incorporating hand-made elements by local artisans—a nod to African traditions (Kate Otten Architects). Her accolades are extensive, including the SAIA Award of Merit for House Staude (1998), the Reptile Centre Project Award (1999), the Architecture and Cityscape Award in Dubai (2009), and the Mbokodo Award for Architecture and Creative Design (2013), alongside delivering the prestigious Sophia Grey Memorial Lecture in 2015. Recently, her installation Threads—a collaborative piece with women’s collectives using natural, decomposable materials—was exhibited at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Lesley Lokko, highlighting Johannesburg’s gold-threaded history through craft and light (La Biennale di Venezia, 2023). As SAIA President (2020–2022), she championed a “many voices” ethos, pushing for inclusivity and mentoring young architects, a role she continues as a part-time lecturer at Wits and an examiner across architectural schools.
A vocal advocate for women in architecture, Otten has elevated the profession’s profile both locally and globally, serving as a juror at events like the 2019 Hong Kong Institute of Architects’ Cross-Strait Awards and speaking in Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Prague. Her firm’s diverse work—ranging from the Wits Rural Facility (2015) to the restoration of the Robert Sobukwe Great Hall (The Heritage Portal)—earned KOA a spot on Architectural Digest’s AD100 list in 2023, while her sustainable designs, like House Schütte (c. 2017), reflect cost-effective innovation rooted in place (LinkedIn, Kate Otten). Beyond awards, her influence lies in fostering an African architectural identity that resists Western dominance, a mission recognized when she was named a Regional Finalist for Business Woman of the Year in 2002. From her Durban roots to her Johannesburg legacy, Otten’s career embodies a transformative blend of craft, community, and resilience, redefining what architecture can mean in South Africa and beyond.
15. Khensani de Klerk (South Africa)
Khensani Jurczok-de Klerk, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, is an architectural researcher, designer, and performer whose multidisciplinary practice weaves together spatial design, storytelling, and social inquiry to unearth hidden histories and imagine equitable futures. Raised as a “born-free” Black woman in post-apartheid South Africa, she pursued architecture at the University of Cape Town (UCT), earning a BArch and a BCity Planning (Hons) amid the transformative RhodesMustFall and FeesMustFall protests, which sharpened her focus on decolonial and intersectional approaches to space. She later completed an MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design (RIBA II) at the University of Cambridge in 2021, researching typologies of safe space to combat gender-based violence in Cape Town, followed by her current role as a doctoral fellow at ETH Zürich’s Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta). There, her PhD explores the kinship networks of Black foreign women in Zürich since the 1980s, cementing her reputation as a thinker who sees architecture as a “spatial storyteller” bridging past and possibility (ETH Zürich, 2024).
In 2017, Jurczok-de Klerk founded Matri-Archi(tecture) — a collective spanning South Africa and Switzerland that empowers African and diasporic women in spatial practice through collaborative design, art, and research. Over the years, Matri-Archi(tecture) has had many different and inspiring spatial practitioners as contributors to the collective. Between 2018–2021, Matri-Archi(tecture) was co-directed with Swiss-Nigerian architect Solange Mbanefo. Matri-Archi’s projects challenge Eurocentric architectural canons, fostering a network that includes architects, artists, filmmakers, urbanists, and researchers to learn about African and African diasporic histories, realities and imaginaries through spatial expression (matri-archi.ch). She also hosts and produces KONTEXT, a podcast launched in 2021 that amplifies narrative-driven place-makingwhile her spoken-word persona “Khe” explores emotive spatial presences. Her work has graced exhibitions at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, Vitra Design Museum, Keyes Art Mile and Pinakothek der Moderne showcasing her ability to fuse visual, sonic, and written mediums with architectural insight.
A global educator and mentor, Jurczok-de Klerk has taught at ETH Zürich’s Chair of Affective Architectures, co-coordinating the Department of the Ongoing platform, and lectured in Johannesburg, London, Brazil, Hong Kong, and beyond, while mentoring 12 African practitioners annually since 2021 through the Building Beyond program (AKAAfrica.org). Fluent in English, with proficiency in Xitsonga, Afrikaans, and German (B2), she has contributed to The Architectural Review and advocates for detaching spatial rights from property ownership to foster sustainable, inclusive cities—a vision outlined in her 2021 AR essay on care (The Architectural Review, March 2021). Between her geographies Johannesburg and Zürich, Jurczok-de Klerk’s practice—bold, intersectional, and resonant—redefines architecture as a tool for justice, community, and collective imagination.
16. Lesley Lokko (Ghana)
Lesley Naa Norle Lokko OBE, born in 1964 in Dundee, Scotland, to a Ghanaian surgeon and a Scottish Jewish mother, is a Ghanaian-Scottish architect, educator, and novelist whose multifaceted career defies convention. Raised between Ghana and Scotland, she began her academic path at 17 in an English boarding school before briefly studying Hebrew and Arabic at Oxford, only to pivot to architecture in the United States, eventually earning a BSc(Arch) and MArch from the Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL (1992 and 1995), and a PhD from the University of London in 2007. Her early career saw her teaching globally—at Iowa State, the University of Illinois, and as the Martin Luther King Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan—before shaping architectural education in the UK at Kingston, North London, and Westminster, where she founded the MA in Architecture, Cultural Identity and Globalisation. In 2015, she launched the Graduate School of Architecture (GSA) at the University of Johannesburg, the continent’s first postgraduate architecture school, inspired by Harvard and the AA, amid South Africa’s student protests, reflecting her drive to challenge Eurocentric norms and amplify African voices.
Lokko’s architectural legacy deepened with the 2021 founding of the African Futures Institute (AFI) in Accra, Ghana—a pan-African think tank reimagining education through decolonization and decarbonization, which expanded in 2024 with a nomadic studio in Morocco exploring Maghrebi identity and migration (ArchDaily, 2024). Her curatorial triumph came as the first Black curator of the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, themed “The Laboratory of the Future,” where over half of the 89 participants hailed from Africa or its diaspora, achieving gender parity and earning Nigerian Demas Nwoko the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement—the first Black recipient. A prolific writer, she has penned 13 bestselling novels since Sundowners (2004), weaving tales of intrigue and identity, alongside editing White Papers, Black Marks (2000) and launching FOLIO: Journal of Contemporary African Architecture. Her literary and academic work—spanning The Architectural Review and outlets like Al Jazeera—intertwines architecture with cultural narrative, a passion she calls a “language” that “narrates, shapes, explains” (Living Cities Forum, 2024).
In 2024, Lokko’s impact was cemented with the RIBA Royal Gold Medal—making her the first African woman and second Black architect to win since 1848—presented on May 2 at RIBA’s London headquarters, alongside her inclusion in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and the BBC’s 100 Women list (BBC, December 2024). Honored with an OBE in 2023 for services to architecture and education, and earlier with the 2020 RIBA Annie Spink Award and 2021 Ada Louise Huxtable Prize, she’s lauded by RIBA President Muyiwa Oki as a “visionary agent of change” for democratizing architecture. From her tenure as dean at CCNY’s Spitzer School (2019–2020) to her current roles as a visiting professor at the Bartlett and University College Dublin, Lokko’s work—spanning Johannesburg, Accra, and beyond—redefines the field. Whether through AFI’s innovative pedagogy or her Biennale’s bold rupture of a “singular, exclusive voice” (TIME, 2024), she builds not just structures but a hopeful, inclusive future, proving architecture can speak many tongues.
17. Mae-ling Lokko (Ghana)
Mae-ling Lokko is a Ghanaian-Filipino architect and biomaterials innovator whose research redefines sustainable construction for Africa and beyond. Based at Cooper Union in New York, she holds degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and focuses on agro-waste materials—like coconut husks, cassava peels, and mycelium—to replace energy-intensive concrete. Her 2023 RIBA Annie Spink Award recognizes this pioneering work, seen in projects like the Zaatari Cooking School in Jordan, where she used upcycled materials to create a functional, eco-friendly space for refugees. Lokko’s approach marries scientific rigor with Ghanaian ingenuity, addressing global climate challenges from an African perspective.
Her installations, like Building the Material Landscape (2022), explore how waste can transform architecture—think bio-panels made with Accra’s coconut vendors, reducing landfill strain while empowering local economies. These prototypes, exhibited at MoMA and the Oslo Architecture Triennale, showcase a circular economy model that cuts carbon emissions, a pressing need in Ghana where construction booms strain resources. Lokko’s work with mycelium—fungal networks as binding agents—offers a biodegradable alternative to traditional materials, a breakthrough with potential for rural housing or urban retrofits. Her designs are both practical and visionary, bridging lab research with real-world impact.
Lokko’s influence extends through teaching and advocacy—she mentors students at Cooper Union and speaks at TEDx and UN forums, pushing architects to rethink supply chains. Her collaborations with Ghanaian farmers and her Ghanaian-Filipino heritage inform a practice that’s both local and global, inspiring a shift toward ecological design. By proving waste can build beauty, Lokko is crafting a legacy of sustainability, making her a leading voice in Africa’s green architectural future.
18. Magda Mostafa (Egypt)
Magda Mostafa is an Egyptian architect and professor at the American University in Cairo, globally renowned for her autism-inclusive design framework, ASPECTSS (Autism Spectrum Environmental Checklist for Sensory Sensitivity). With a PhD from Cairo University, she developed this methodology to craft sensory-friendly spaces—think controlled acoustics, soft lighting, and intuitive layouts—seen in projects like the Advance School for autistic children in Cairo. Her 2020 Tamayouz Excellence Award celebrates her leadership in accessibility, a field she’s elevated through research published in Open House International and ArchNet. Mostafa’s work redefines architecture as a tool for inclusion, prioritizing human experience over aesthetics alone.
Her influence spans beyond autism to broader accessibility, impacting educational and public spaces across Egypt and the Middle East. For instance, her designs address Cairo’s sensory overload—honking traffic, dense crowds—making environments welcoming for neurodiverse individuals, a growing need in a city of 20 million. Mostafa consults internationally, from Gulf hospitals to North American schools, exporting Egyptian innovation to universal challenges, while her local projects tackle Egypt’s aging infrastructure with modern upgrades. Her approach blends technical precision with empathy, ensuring spaces serve all users, not just the majority.
Mostafa’s academic role at AUC and advocacy at forums like the World Health Organization push for policy shifts—think accessibility mandates in Egypt’s building codes—reflecting her systemic vision. She mentors students on neurodiversity in design, fostering a new generation attuned to inclusion, while her talks at global conferences amplify her reach. By centering the marginalized, Mostafa is reshaping architectural excellence, leaving a legacy of spaces that heal and connect in Egypt and beyond.
19. Maliam Mdoko (Malawi)
Maliam Mdoko is a transformative force in Malawi’s architectural landscape, embodying a philosophy that transcends the mere act of building: “For me, architecture is beyond a profession, it’s a calling.” As Projects Manager at Press Trust, Malawi’s leading charitable institution, she channels this conviction into creating buildings that serve the public good—schools that nurture young minds, clinics that heal, and homes that shelter communities across the nation’s education, health, social welfare, and housing sectors. With over a decade at Press Trust since 2014, Mdoko has spearheaded numerous housing projects, completing them with a finesse honed by her earlier career and a degree in project management. Currently, she also lends her expertise as a non-executive director at Kang’ombe Investments Limited, broadening her impact in Malawi’s development sphere.
Her journey into architecture was an unexpected odyssey, born not from childhood dreams but from a serendipitous pivot at the University of Malawi’s Polytechnic. Initially drawn to medicine and engineering, Mdoko stumbled into an architectural diploma program, attempting an escape to engineering that fate denied. Yet, within her first year, the craft captured her imagination, blossoming into a passion that carried her through a full degree in architecture. Her decade at Kanjere and Associates, following an internship there, became a crucible for her leadership—ten years of dedication that saw her rise from project officer to adeptly managing construction initiatives. This period sharpened her ability to navigate complex projects, a skill she now wields at Press Trust to leave what she calls a “positive footprint” on Malawi’s landscape, serving everyone from grassroots communities to high-level decision-makers.
As the first female president of the Malawi Institute of Architects (MIA), Mdoko is a trailblazer intent on amplifying the visibility and influence of architects in her country. She approaches each day with an open mind, eager to embrace new challenges and opportunities, viewing her profession as a tool to soothe her mental capacity while solving societal needs. Her leadership at MIA is a testament to this ethos, promoting a vibrant architectural community where innovation meets purpose. “My profession has helped me meet and serve different cadres of people,” she reflects, and through her work—whether designing resilient housing or advocating for her peers—Mdoko is crafting a legacy of impact and inclusion. With the sky no longer her limit, she stands as an inspiration, proving that architecture, in her hands, is a powerful instrument for making the world a better place.
20. Mariam Issoufou Kamara (Niger)
Mariam Issoufou Kamara, born in April 1979 in Saint-Étienne, France, and raised near the ancient mud-brick city of Agadez in Niger, is a Nigerien architect whose work redefines the possibilities of design in one of the world’s harshest climates. Initially pursuing a career in tech with a bachelor’s in technical computing from Purdue University (2001) and a master’s in computer science from NYU (2004), she spent seven unfulfilling years as a software engineer before pivoting to her teenage dream of architecture. Earning a master’s in architecture from the University of Washington in 2013—where her thesis Mobile Loitering explored gender and public space in Niger—she returned to her homeland to found Atelier Masōmī in 2014, following a stint with united4design. Her designs, rooted in locally sourced materials like raw earth, cement, and recycled metal, prioritize open, equitable spaces that challenge Western architectural norms and elevate the lives of Niger’s communities.
Kamara’s portfolio is a testament to her pragmatic yet visionary approach, blending sustainability with cultural resonance. Her breakthrough project, Niamey 2000 (2016), an apartment complex co-designed with united4design, tackles Niger’s housing crisis with earth-and-cement structures that reintroduce the traditional faada—communal gatherings—via a street-facing bench, earning a 2022 Aga Khan Award shortlist. The Hikma Community Complex in Dandaji (2018), a mosque, library, and community center built with rammed earth, won dual LafargeHolcim Awards in 2017 for its fusion of secular and spiritual knowledge, cooling interiors by 10 degrees naturally. Now, as Full Professor of Architecture Heritage and Sustainability at ETH Zurich since 2022, she’s shaping projects like the Bët-bi Museum in Senegal (set for 2025), which buries its galleries beneath public spaces inspired by Serer mysticism, and the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center in Liberia, with its palm-woven, earth-brick design honoring local craft. Each project begins with months of field research, ensuring designs reflect the lived realities of their users.
Globally celebrated yet fiercely local, Kamara’s accolades—including the 2019 Prince Claus Prize, a 2018 Rolex Mentorship with David Adjaye, and a spot on The New York Times’ 15 Creative Women of Our Time—reflect her singular impact. Her firm, now spanning offices in Niamey, New York, and Zurich, has been on the AD100 list since 2021, while her writings and talks, from the 2021 Venice Biennale to a 2017 TEDx, unpack African modernism and social design. Growing up baffled by Niger’s emulation of energy-intensive Western models, she champions earth-based solutions that defy the “sustainability” industry’s costly add-ons, instead leveraging what’s available—skills, materials, heritage—to create dignity and resilience. From a stalled cultural center in coup-struck Niamey to ambitious works in Sharjah and Brazil, Kamara sees Africa as an “amazing canvas” for a second independence, one where architecture paints a future of identity and equity, brick by earthy brick.
21. May al-Ibrashy (Egypt)
May al-Ibrashy is an Egyptian conservation architect and founder of Megawra-Built Environment Collective (BEC) in Cairo, dedicated to preserving Egypt’s architectural heritage amid urban decay. With a PhD from the University of London, she’s restored sites like the Al-Khalifa Mosque in Historic Cairo—a UNESCO World Heritage area—through her Athar Lina initiative, which earned a 2022 Aga Khan Award shortlist. Her work balances preservation with modern use, turning crumbling monuments into community assets like schools or cultural centers, a vital move in a city of 20 million where space is at a premium. Al-Ibrashy’s approach roots her in Cairo’s medieval past while addressing its crowded present.
Her projects involve training local artisans in traditional techniques—lime plastering, stone carving—ensuring skills survive while revitalizing structures for tourism and housing, as seen in the Darb al-Ahmar neighborhood renewal. This participatory model empowers residents, countering gentrification with inclusive development, and her book Architectures of Heritage documents these efforts, blending scholarship with practice. Al-Ibrashy’s restorations use sustainable methods—like natural ventilation over AC—suited to Egypt’s hot climate, making heritage practical for today’s needs. Her work with Megawra also tackles Cairo’s informal settlements, bridging conservation with urban equity.
Al-Ibrashy’s influence shapes Egypt’s cultural policy through partnerships with the Ministry of Antiquities and UNESCO, advocating for community-driven preservation over top-down schemes. Her academic role at the American University in Cairo mentors students on Islamic architecture, while her talks at global heritage forums—like the World Monuments Fund—amplify her reach. By safeguarding Egypt’s past for its future, she’s a leading voice in conservation, crafting a legacy of resilience and cultural pride in one of the world’s oldest cities.
22. Melissa Jeannette Kacoutié (Côte d’Ivoire)
Melissa Jeannette Kacoutié, a visionary Ivorian architect, traces her creative roots to a childhood spent sketching, a passion she later channeled into a career after graduating from the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Returning to Abidjan, she honed her craft in local architectural agencies before founding Jeannette Studio Architecture in 2016, a firm she envisions as a vessel for poetic expression in a field she finds overly technical in Côte d’Ivoire. To Kacoutié, architecture is more than structure—it’s a multifaceted art form, a “liveable installation” that marries functionality with beauty. Her early projects focused on residential and commercial designs, but her recent forays into public installations—like the vibrant Le Bazar for Bain de Foule Studio in 2019—reveal a delight in crafting small, intricate spaces that pulse with life, such as a wooden pallet structure that shifts from restaurant to catwalk, adorned with a bold pink façade as its “identity card.”
Kacoutié’s work reflects a dialogue between her Parisian education and Ivorian heritage, navigating the influences of both to create architecture that feels both global and deeply local. Projects like Pavilion Bassam, with its façade of woven metal sheets echoing traditional palm techniques, and Maison Prévert, a house blending seamlessly into its landscape, showcase her knack for unexpected materials and irreverent curves over rigid lines. Her latest endeavor, the Caïa Beach Club in Assinie, confronts the challenge of durability in a coastal climate with concrete molded into airy, bending forms—imagined as a scaffold for nature to embrace—while Kente cloth-inspired tiles ground it in Ivorian craftsmanship. “Architecture should be experienced like an animation,” she asserts, championing the uncertainty of translating sketches into buildings that awaken something poetic in those who encounter them.
At the helm of Jeannette Studio, Kacoutié aspires to evolve Ivorian architecture by bridging rural and urban sensibilities, infusing each project with subtlety, softness, and a distinct identity that asserts its presence. She sees her practice as a product of its time, shaped by the shared experience of Ivorian architects educated abroad yet rooted in a country rich with potential. Her designs—like Le Bazar’s fluid community space or Caïa’s adaptive elegance—aim to bend and perfect the delicate balances of Côte d’Ivoire, offering innovations in craft and drawing that resonate with its cultural context. With every build, Kacoutié seeks to redefine beauty, not through predictability but through the unexpected, crafting a legacy that invites people to experience their environment anew, as both art and home.
23. Mobolaji Adeniyi (Nigeria)
Mobolaji Adeniyi Adeola, born on March 16, 1960, in London, England, to Chief Kolawole Olafimihan, a renowned obstetrician and gynecologist, and Mrs. Violet Olafimihan, is a Nigerian architect and academic whose trailblazing career has reshaped the architectural landscape of her country. Educated at Ahmadu Bello University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1980 and Master’s in Architecture in 1982, Adeniyi’s early passion for design and structure propelled her into a multifaceted career. She began as a lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, from 1982 to 1984, imparting knowledge to aspiring architects before transitioning into practice. Today, as the Chief Executive Officer and principal partner of MA and Associates, she leads with a vision that blends professional excellence with a deep commitment to societal impact, cementing her status as a pivotal figure in Nigerian architecture.
Adeniyi’s ascent to the presidency of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) marks her as a historic change-maker—she is the 30th president, the second female national president, and the first woman to lead the Oyo State chapter in the institute’s 63-year history. Her leadership champions the UNITE agenda, fostering collaboration and innovation within a profession often fragmented by tradition and competition. As a board member of ADSL and a key contributor to Architects Build Nigeria, she has steered initiatives that elevate the role of architects in national development, advocating for designs that address Nigeria’s urban challenges—think Lagos’ sprawling density or Ibadan’s cultural richness. Her tenure reflects an unwavering dedication to inclusivity, ensuring that the architectural community mirrors the diversity of the nation it serves, a legacy rooted in her early academic grounding and decades of practical experience.
Beyond her administrative triumphs, Adeniyi’s influence as an architect and leader resonates through her firm, MA and Associates, where she oversees projects that likely span residential, institutional, and commercial realms—though specifics remain less documented, her role suggests a focus on impactful, context-driven design. Her journey from a London-born scholar to a Nigerian architectural luminary embodies resilience and adaptability, qualities she brings to her presidency and mentorship of emerging professionals. Recognized as a Fellow of the NIA (FNIA) and Past National President (PNIA), Adeniyi’s instrumental work as a unifier has left an indelible mark, inspiring a new generation to build not just structures but a more collaborative, innovative future for Nigeria. Her story is one of breaking barriers and building bridges, a testament to the power of architecture as a tool for progress and unity.
24. Mpho Matsipa (South Africa)
Mpho Matsipa is a distinguished South African architect, educator, researcher, and curator whose work bridges the realms of architecture, urbanism, and cultural inquiry, with a profound focus on African spatial narratives. Based at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where she lectures at the School of Architecture and Planning, Matsipa has emerged as a leading voice in reimagining the intersections of design, geopolitics, and identity. She holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, where her research explored urban renewal in Johannesburg, reflecting her deep engagement with the socio-spatial legacies of apartheid and their ongoing resonance in contemporary African cities. Her career is marked by a commitment to amplifying Black counter-cartographies and challenging colonial frameworks through innovative architectural discourse.
Matsipa’s influence extends far beyond academia into the curatorial sphere, where she has orchestrated groundbreaking exhibitions that redefine how African urbanism and mobility are perceived globally. She curated African Mobilities: This Is Not a Refugee Camp at the Architecture Museum, Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich (2018), a project that traveled through 2020, exploring migration, displacement, and digital technology’s role in shaping African futures. Her work also graces prestigious platforms like the Venice Biennale, where she co-curated the South Africa Pavilion in 2008 and contributed an installation in 2021, alongside other notable exhibitions such as Studio-X Johannesburg (2014–2016). Currently, she serves as an associate curator for the Lubumbashi Biennale (2024) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, further cementing her role as a cultural catalyst. Her African Mobilities podcast series, supported by the Goethe Institut and Andrew Mellon Foundation, amplifies these themes through rich, accessible storytelling.
A 2022 Loeb Fellow at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and a Chancellor’s Fellow at Wits, Matsipa has taught at esteemed institutions like Columbia GSAPP, The Cooper Union, and Harvard GSD, shaping a new generation of architects with her insights on race, ecology, and spatial justice. Her writings—spanning essays, reviews, and her forthcoming manuscript on African Mobilities—probe the links between resource extraction, environmental precarity, and design, offering fresh vocabularies for understanding African landscapes. Rooted in her upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa, Matsipa’s work is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of architecture, making her a pivotal figure in the global dialogue on decolonial and sustainable futures.
25. Mugure Njendu (Kenya)
Mugure Njendu is a Kenyan architect, green building consultant, and advocate whose 17-year career champions sustainability in East Africa’s built environment. As Africa Programs Lead at the Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN), she drives decarbonization efforts across the continent, while her initiative Built for Good Africa uses storytelling—via podcasts and articles—to highlight projects like a green conference center in Nairobi or paving blocks from plastic waste. A former president of the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK, 2019–2021)—only the second woman in that role—she’s shaped Kenya’s architectural policies during a construction boom, pushing for eco-friendly codes in a nation of 50 million facing climate shifts.
Her professional journey includes designing institutional and residential projects at Gitutho Architects, her father’s firm, before pivoting to sustainability leadership—think retrofitting healthcare facilities for COVID-19 or designing post-pandemic schools with better ventilation. Njendu founded Little Einsteins East Africa in 2015, introducing STEM to over 3,000 Nairobi children through hands-on workshops, blending education with her architectural ethos. Recognized on Business Daily’s Top 40 Under 40 Women (2014, 2019) and as a Global Green Voice (2021–2022), her work with GBPN influences regional strategies, from Nairobi’s high-rises to rural classrooms, using tools like EDGE certification to ensure green standards.
Njendu’s influence merges practice, policy, and mentorship—she’s an EDGE Expert with the IFC and a council member of the International Union of Architects (UIA), amplifying Kenya’s voice globally. Her research on sustainable construction, shared at forums like the UN Climate Change Conference, offers scalable solutions for East Africa’s urbanizing cities—think Nairobi’s traffic-choked sprawl or Mombasa’s coastal erosion. By fostering a green, inclusive architectural culture, Njendu is crafting a legacy that redefines how Kenya builds, balancing environmental urgency with social impact.
26. Nadia Tromp (South Africa)
Nadia Tromp is a South African architect and founder of Ntsika Architects in Johannesburg, celebrated for her award-winning social housing designs that tackle the country’s post-apartheid housing crisis. A Wits University graduate, her project Little Eden—a compact, dignified housing complex—won the 2018 World Architecture Festival’s Completed Buildings category, showcasing her knack for turning limited space into livable, community-focused homes. Tromp’s work prioritizes affordability and social cohesion, using modular layouts and local materials like brick to create sustainable urban solutions for South Africa’s townships—think Soweto or Alexandra—where millions lack decent shelter.
Her firm’s portfolio extends to educational and public spaces, reflecting a broader commitment to spatial justice—say, schools with shaded courtyards or clinics with natural light, easing the strain of apartheid’s lingering divides. Tromp’s designs often feature communal areas and green patches, fostering interaction in Johannesburg’s dense, often isolated neighborhoods, while her use of passive cooling and water harvesting suits South Africa’s variable climate. Her hands-on collaboration with residents ensures her buildings reflect their needs—practicality over prestige—earning her praise from SAIA and features in Dezeen. This approach distinguishes her in a field where luxury often overshadows necessity.
Tromp’s influence lies in her practical impact and mentorship—she engages with local governments to push housing policies and mentors young architects, especially women, in Johannesburg’s competitive scene. Her firm’s recognition at global festivals and consistent SAIA nods highlight her technical and creative skill, while her focus on the underserved shapes South Africa’s urban renewal. By crafting spaces that uplift, Tromp embodies a new wave of architects addressing inequality, leaving a legacy of dignity and innovation in South Africa’s built environment.
27. Nana Biamah-Ofosu (Ghana)
Nana Biamah-Ofosu, a Ghanaian-British architect, writer, and educator, stands at the helm of YAA Projects, an architecture, design, and research practice that boldly excavates counter-histories, material cultures, and diasporic narratives through the lens of the built environment. Her work pulses with a mission to reframe African modernity, as seen in recent projects like Althea McNish: Colour is Mine, lauded by The Guardian as one of 2023’s best designs, and Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Power in West Africa at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, selected by ArchDaily among the top 2023 pavilions interrogating the Global South. As part of the Biennale’s curatorial research team, she shaped the main exhibition and Pinpoint, an archive spotlighting African and diaspora practitioners focused on decarbonization and decolonization. Through YAA Projects, Biamah-Ofosu crafts spaces and ideas that center peripheral identities, weaving a richer, more inclusive tapestry of architectural understanding.
Her intellectual footprint extends into academia, where she lectures with a fervor to broaden architectural discourse beyond Eurocentric norms. Currently leading a diploma unit at the Architectural Association, she has also shared her insights at Kingston University, the inaugural Venice Biennale College Architettura, and beyond, exploring themes of communality, domesticity, and identity through a decolonial lens. A key strand of her research delves into African compound housing—a spatial and material typology she believes holds lessons for future urbanisms—culminating in a forthcoming book set for release later in 2024. This inquiry recently took form in Common, Communal, Community, an exhibition in Vienna that showcases her evolving vision of housing as a communal act, blending Ghanaian traditions with contemporary needs. Her teaching and research are a clarion call to rethink how architecture is taught, infusing it with the complexity of non-European perspectives and sustainable practices.
Biamah-Ofosu’s influence ripples further through her writing and jury roles, where she probes the social, political, and cultural currents of design. A member of the RIBA Awards Working Group and Soane Medal Committee, she has judged prestigious honors like the RIBA Silver Medal, while her essays engage leading practitioners to foster an expansive discourse on the built environment. Her practice with YAA Projects—highlighted by the ArchiAfrika Pavilion at Venice—marries intelligence with contextual richness, as seen in her celebration of Althea McNish’s vibrant legacy or the interrogation of colonial power in Tropical Modernism. For Biamah-Ofosu, architecture is a living dialogue, one that speaks to geography, identity, and power, crafting a legacy that not only builds spaces but redefines the stories they tell—a testament to her Ghanaian-British roots and boundless curiosity.
28. Noella Nibakuze (Rwanda)
Noella Nibakuze is a Rwandan architect and Design Director at MASS Design Group, a global leader in socially impactful architecture, where she’s driving sustainable design in East Africa. Trained at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa, she led the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA), completed in 2021—a campus blending education with ecological stewardship, using local stone and passive ventilation. A 2023 DIVIA Award finalist, Nibakuze’s work aligns with Rwanda’s Vision 2050 goals—sustainability, urbanization—reflecting a post-genocide nation of 13 million rebuilding with purpose. Her designs prioritize local labor and materials, fostering economic growth while meeting Rwanda’s needs.
Before MASS, Nibakuze worked at Studio 4 Architects in Kigali on Vision City Estate, a major housing project showcasing her versatility across scales—think urban apartments to rural campuses. RICA’s design, with its terraced fields and low-energy buildings, serves as a model for East African educational facilities, balancing Rwanda’s hilly terrain with modern utility. Her projects often emerge from collaboration with communities, ensuring they reflect local realities—say, Kigali’s rapid growth or rural farming traditions—while pushing architectural boundaries. Her global reach includes the Lagos Infectious Disease Institute, blending Rwandan innovation with continental impact.
Nibakuze’s influence extends through mentorship at Rwanda’s School of Architecture and Built Environment, where she inspires women in STEM—crucial in a field with few female role models. Her talks at design forums and MASS’s ethos amplify her voice, advocating for architecture that serves society over ego. By championing sustainable, people-centered design, Nibakuze is a cornerstone of Rwanda’s architectural renaissance, leaving a legacy of resilience and pride in a nation rising from its past.
29. Nzinga Biegueng Mboup (Senegal)
Nzinga Biegueng Mboup is a Senegalese architect and co-founder of Worofila in Dakar, a practice specializing in bioclimatic design with raw earth and typha (a local reed). Trained in Senegal and likely abroad, she rejects Western architectural imports—concrete towers, AC reliance—for sustainable, traditional materials suited to Senegal’s hot, humid climate. Her projects, often residential or small public buildings, use mud bricks and typha insulation to reduce energy costs and environmental impact, offering a model for West African urbanism in a city of over 1 million. Mboup’s work reflects a deep respect for Senegal’s heritage—think Wolof villages—while addressing modern needs.
Worofila’s designs emerge from community collaboration—she trains artisans in earth-building techniques, ensuring her buildings are affordable and replicable, a practical response to Dakar’s housing crunch and informal sprawl. Her work has been showcased at the 2022 Dakar Biennale, highlighting her role in redefining Senegal’s architectural identity amid globalization—say, resisting the glass facades of new business districts. Mboup’s focus on passive cooling and natural ventilation counters Senegal’s energy challenges, making her spaces both ecological and economical. This approach positions her as a leader in sustainable African design, rooted in place and people.
Her influence extends through advocacy—she lectures at regional forums, pushing for a return to vernacular methods, and collaborates with peers like Mamy Tall to amplify Senegal’s green movement. Mboup’s practice inspires a shift away from colonial legacies—Dakar’s French grid—toward authentic, local expressions, influencing Senegal’s design community and beyond. By grounding her work in Senegal’s soil, she’s crafting a legacy of ecological responsibility, proving architecture can heal and sustain in West Africa’s urban future.
30. Olajumoke Adenowo (Nigeria)
Olajumoke Adenowo is a Nigerian architect and founder of AD Consulting in Lagos, dubbed “Africa’s Starchitect” by CNN for her prolific, high-profile designs. Trained at Obafemi Awolowo University and starting her career at 19, she’s completed over 100 projects—think Coca-Cola Nigeria’s headquarters, a sleek corporate icon, or the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, blending utility with grandeur. Her style fuses neo-traditional elements—like Yoruba arches—with modern luxury, serving Nigeria’s corporate elite and wealthy clients in a nation of 200 million hungry for global stature. A 2018 RIBA honorary fellow, Adenowo’s work defines Lagos’ skyline, reflecting its chaotic ambition.
Her portfolio showcases versatility—from the opulent Wings Towers to socially conscious projects like churches and schools, often incorporating sustainable features like solar power and natural ventilation suited to Nigeria’s tropical climate. Adenowo’s firm adapts global standards—say, steel frames from her US collaborations—to local realities, cutting energy costs in a power-scarce country. Beyond design, she’s authored books like Lifelines and hosts a radio show, mentoring young architects—especially women—through her platform, a rare feat in Nigeria’s patriarchal field. Her philanthropy via the Awesome Treasures Foundation supports women’s empowerment, aligning her architectural success with social impact.
Adenowo’s influence is both tangible and inspirational—recognized by Forbes and Vanguard, she’s shaped Nigeria’s architectural identity while challenging gender norms since the 1980s. Her talks at global forums like the World Economic Forum position her as a thought leader, advocating for Africa’s creative industries. By merging heritage with innovation, Adenowo’s legacy is a towering presence—literally and figuratively—in Nigeria’s design world, inspiring a generation to build with ambition and purpose.
31. Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei (Nigeria)
Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei is a Nigerian architect and co-founder of Studio Contra in Lagos with Jeffrey Adjei, offering a fresh, culturally rooted take on West African design. Trained in architecture and urbanism—likely at a top Nigerian or international school—her work synthesizes Nigeria’s traditional tectonics—like mud walls or thatch roofs—with contemporary forms, focusing on urban interiors and small-scale projects. Studio Contra’s designs reflect Lagos’ frenetic energy—over 20 million residents, endless traffic—crafting spaces that resonate with the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and dense fabric. Her practice stands out for its subtlety in a market often dominated by flashy towers.
Her projects often explore residential and commercial interiors, weaving local craftsmanship—Adire textiles, carved wood—into modern layouts that prioritize ventilation and durability in Lagos’ humid climate. This approach preserves Nigeria’s heritage—like Yoruba communal spaces—while meeting urban demands, say, boutique offices or stylish apartments for Lagos’ growing middle class. Dosekun-Adjei’s collaborative process with clients and artisans ensures her designs are functional and authentic, a counterpoint to Nigeria’s imported architectural trends—think glass facades ill-suited to the heat. Her work with Studio Contra offers a nuanced alternative, rooted in place and people.
Her influence lies in her emerging role among Nigeria’s younger architects, providing a quieter counter-narrative to icons like Olajumoke Adenowo. While less spotlighted, she’s part of a cohort redefining Nigerian design through cultural depth—think Lagos’ markets or Abuja’s planned zones—blending tradition with modernity. Dosekun-Adjei’s legacy is growing, contributing to Nigeria’s architectural evolution with a focus on identity and sustainability, poised to expand as her practice matures.
32. Patti Anahory (Cape Verde)
Patti Anahory is a Cape Verdean architect and artist whose interdisciplinary practice spans Praia and the US, exploring migration, identity, and memory in the Cape Verdean diaspora. Trained at Princeton University, she blends architecture with visual art—think installations over buildings—to map the archipelago’s socio-spatial histories, a 10-island nation shaped by its maritime past and post-colonial shifts. Her project Terra_Land—a research and exhibition piece—traces Cape Verde’s role as a crossroads, reflecting its Creole culture through abstract spatial narratives. Anahory’s work challenges traditional architecture, prioritizing ideas over bricks.
Her practice often bypasses conventional construction for conceptual interventions—exhibitions at the Dakar Biennale or collaborations with Cape Verdean poets and musicians—reimagining public spaces like Praia’s waterfront as cultural dialogues. When she does build, her designs might include small community spaces—say, a library or plaza—that honor Creole traditions like tabanka music or Morna lyrics, though her focus leans toward artistic provocation. Anahory’s Princeton-honed skills bring a global lens to Cape Verde’s 600,000 residents, offering fresh perspectives on a nation often overlooked in African design narratives. Her work bridges the physical and the ephemeral, making space a storytelling medium.
Her influence lies in her ability to fuse disciplines, inspiring Cape Verde’s cultural narrative through a diasporic lens—think Boston’s Cape Verdean communities meeting Praia’s shores. Recognized by Bomb Magazine, Anahory pushes architects to think beyond structure, influencing peers with her conceptual rigor. By centering Cape Verde’s identity, she’s crafting a legacy that redefines African architecture as art and memory, a unique contribution to the continent’s diverse design tapestry.
33. Rahel Shawl (Ethiopia)
Rahel Shawl, born in 1968 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is a visionary architect whose three-decade career has redefined architectural practice in her home country and beyond. A graduate of Addis Ababa University’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning (1991), she co-founded ABBA Architects in 1994 before establishing RAAS Architects in 2004, a firm now celebrated as one of DOMUS magazine’s 50 best architecture firms of 2020. Her portfolio is a testament to her ability to harmonize traditional Ethiopian craftsmanship with contemporary innovation, seen in projects like the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa—earning her the prestigious 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture—and the Cure Ethiopia Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital (2018), which blends hollow concrete blocks with forest connectivity (Domusweb.it). Shawl’s work spans embassies, schools, healthcare facilities, and residential designs like the SKA-1 apartment building (2019), each reflecting her commitment to context, identity, and human-centered design amidst Ethiopia’s frenetic urbanization.
Shawl’s influence extends far beyond her built works, rooted in her advocacy for equity and mentorship. In 2017, she became the first sub-Saharan African architect to receive the Loeb Fellowship at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, a milestone that fueled her abRen initiative (“together” in Amharic), an experimental platform launched that year to mentor young architects through practice-based learning (AWiB Ethiopia). Recognized as a finalist for the Royal Academy’s Dorfman Award in 2018, she has tirelessly championed women in a male-dominated field, earning the Abyssinia Award for Social Engagement and a citation in Temsalet as a role model for Ethiopian girls. Her leadership at RAAS—where she fosters a horizontal, participatory ethos—has produced landmarks like the South African Embassy (2017 AEA Best Architecture Piece Award) and the Irish Embassy (2011), an urban oasis of local stone (Raasarchitects.com). As Honorary Goodwill Ambassador for Zer Ethiopia since 2014, she amplifies education for young girls, embodying her belief that architects must lead with purpose to uplift communities.
At 57, Shawl remains a resilient force, blending her industry expertise with a passion for people and place, as evidenced by her recent international engagements—like her 2023 IASPIS Kitchen Talk in Stockholm (Konstnarsnamnden.se). Her firm’s recognition by DOMUS underscores RAAS’s global stature, with projects like the British Council Ethiopia headquarters (2010) showcasing collaborative excellence. Shawl’s philosophy—questioning why Ethiopians settle for low-quality buildings when history proves their capacity for excellence (AWiB Ethiopia, 2018)—drives her to innovate with local materials and sustainable methods, as seen in the Ethiopian Peace Support Operations complex. A mentor, speaker, and ethical leader, she inspires a new generation to design spaces that are not just functional but transformative, ensuring architecture serves as a beacon of identity, equity, and environmental harmony in Ethiopia and across Africa.
34. Rosemary Orthner (Ghana)
Rosemary Orthner is a Ghanaian-Austrian architect and co-founder of Orthner Orthner Architects (OOA) in Accra, bringing sustainable housing to Ghana’s urban centers. With degrees from Graz University of Technology, she introduced Legon City Lofts—a pioneering residential project using compressed earth blocks and solar power—addressing Ghana’s 1.8-million-unit housing shortage with eco-friendly innovation. As Austria’s Honorary Consul in Ghana, she bridges European expertise with West African needs, crafting spaces that suit Accra’s tropical climate—hot, humid, and rain-soaked. Orthner’s dual heritage fuels her mission to redefine Ghana’s urban future.
OOA’s designs prioritize affordability and resilience—think passive cooling, rainwater harvesting—countering Accra’s reliance on costly concrete imports and unreliable power grids. The Legon City Lofts, with their colorful facades and open courtyards, blend Austrian precision with Ghanaian vibrancy, empowering local labor to build sustainably. Her firm also tackles commercial and institutional projects, adapting green principles to Ghana’s growing economy—say, offices in Osu or schools in Tema. Orthner’s hands-on approach ensures her buildings reflect Ghana’s cultural energy while meeting modern demands, a practical yet visionary stance.
Her influence extends through advocacy—she collaborates with UN-Habitat and Ghanaian authorities to push sustainable building policies, amplifying her impact in a nation of 30 million. Orthner’s talks at design forums and her consular role foster cross-cultural exchange, inspiring Ghana’s design community to embrace eco-design. By tackling housing with innovation and diplomacy, she’s crafting a legacy of green, inclusive architecture, proving Ghana can build smarter for its urbanizing population.
35. Salima Naji (Morocco)
Salima Naji is a distinguished architect and anthropologist dedicated to preserving Saharan collective architectures such as ksours and collective granaries. For over two decades, she has championed participatory building projects that enhance the cultural and environmental significance of these structures. Her architectural approach prioritizes the use of raw and bio-sourced materials, ensuring that restoration and contemporary construction align with sustainable practices. Beyond hands-on work, Naji engages in extensive scientific research, participating in international action-research programs that explore the deep interconnections between societies and their environments. In recognition of her innovative contributions, she was shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in both 2013 and 2022. She is a rare figure in Moroccan rural and southern regions, where she has been based since 2008, advocating for changes in architectural practices and urban planning policies.
In 2004, Naji founded her architectural agency in Morocco, offering an alternative approach that respects traditional materials and construction methods while addressing modern needs. She has worked extensively on projects aimed at protecting oasis heritage, demonstrating how vernacular techniques can be adapted for contemporary social architecture. Her designs include maternity hospitals, cultural centers, women’s homes, and boarding schools, all of which emphasize sustainable development and community involvement. She is also deeply invested in cultural preservation, serving on the scientific committee of the Berber Museum at Jardin Majorelle since 2011. Through exhibitions, publications, and symposiums, she continues to shape discourse on heritage conservation and sustainable architecture. Her advocacy extends beyond Morocco, influencing international discussions on architecture’s role in environmental and social sustainability.
Naji is also a prolific author, with multiple works exploring Moroccan architecture and anthropology. Her publications include Greniers collectifs de l’Atlas (2006), Portes du Sud Marocain (2003), and Art et architectures berbères (2001), among others. In 2019, she published Architectures of the Common Good. For an Ethic of Preservation, reinforcing her commitment to ethical conservation. She has been widely recognized for her contributions, receiving the Holcim Prize for Sustainable Development (Africa-Middle East) in 2011, the Merit Award from the Order of Architects of Morocco in 2019, and the distinction of Knight of Arts and Letters in 2017. Her work stands as a testament to the power of architecture as a bridge between past and future, combining technical expertise with cultural sensitivity. Through her continuous efforts, Naji has reshaped the perception of preservation, proving that architectural heritage can serve as a foundation for sustainable and socially responsible development.
36. Samia Henni (Algeria)
Samia Henni is a historian and exhibition maker whose work critically examines the intersections of architecture, colonization, wars, resource extraction, and forced displacement. Through her scholarship and curatorial practice, she explores the ways built environments reflect and perpetuate histories of violence, particularly within colonial and post-colonial contexts. Her publications, including Colonial Toxicity: Rehearsing French Radioactive Architecture in the Sahara (2024) and Architecture of Counterrevolution: The French Army in Northern Algeria (2017), investigate France’s military and architectural strategies during its occupation of Algeria, uncovering their long-lasting socio-environmental consequences. Henni’s meticulous archival research, often drawing from classified or suppressed documents, sheds light on how colonial powers manipulated architecture and urban planning as tools of control. Her work also addresses gender dynamics within these spaces, considering how structural violence has disproportionately impacted marginalized communities. Through these efforts, she advocates for anticolonial archival practices and environmental justice in architectural history.
In addition to her writing, Henni has curated several groundbreaking exhibitions that bring her research into the public realm, challenging dominant narratives of architectural history. Her exhibition Discreet Violence: Architecture and the French War in Algeria deconstructed French propaganda and revealed the forced relocations orchestrated by the French army during the Algerian Revolution. More recently, Performing Colonial Toxicity (2023–24) examined France’s nuclear weapons program in the Algerian Sahara, exposing the environmental devastation and human suffering caused by decades of nuclear testing. Other projects, such as Housing Pharmacology and Archives: Secret-Défense?, interrogate the spatial politics of housing and militarization, particularly in postcolonial cities. Henni’s exhibitions have been hosted internationally at institutions such as Framer Framed in Amsterdam, the Kunsthal Aarhus in Denmark, and the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. Through these engagements, she transforms architectural history from an academic discipline into a platform for political discourse and activism.
Henni’s influence extends beyond her exhibitions and publications into academia, where she has held teaching positions at leading institutions worldwide. Currently, she is a faculty member at McGill University’s Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture and co-chairs the “Beyond France” University Seminar at Columbia University. She has previously taught at Princeton University, ETH Zurich, and Cornell University, among others, and has held prestigious fellowships, including the Albert Hirschman Chair at the Institute for Advanced Study in Marseille. Her work has been widely recognized, earning numerous awards such as the Spiro Kostof Book Award from the Society of Architectural Historians. Henni’s ongoing research continues to address the role of architecture in colonial and military histories, particularly its implications for contemporary struggles over land, displacement, and ecological destruction. By bridging rigorous historical inquiry with public engagement, she remains at the forefront of conversations about decolonization, architecture, and environmental justice.
37. Sarah Calburn (South Africa)
Sarah Calburn is a distinguished South African architect known for her innovative approach to architecture, which merges landscape and the built environment. She founded her Johannesburg-based practice in 1996 after earning a Master’s in Architecture by Research from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Prior to establishing her firm, she worked in Paris, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Melbourne, gaining international experience that informs her design philosophy. Her firm has received multiple awards and is recognized for its creative and critical engagement with both social and physical contexts. Specializing in residential architecture, her work is known for its sensitivity to site and materiality, earning international acclaim. One of her notable projects includes the design of Johannesburg’s Momo Art Gallery, a space that reflects her commitment to architectural excellence.
Beyond her practice, Sarah is an influential voice in South African architecture, advocating for the role of design in shaping urban environments. She has served on the committee of the Gauteng Institute for Architecture and was the Program Director of Architecture AZA 2010, Johannesburg’s first Architectural Biennale. This event brought together local and international architects to discuss the future of the city’s urban fabric. In 2009, she launched ‘Rapid Thought Transport: Architects re-imagine Joburg,’ a series of CPD-accredited masterclasses aimed at fostering creative urban solutions. Her passion for architecture extends to education and advocacy, particularly in response to South Africa’s developer-led urbanization, which she views as a challenge to sustainable design. Through her initiatives, she strives to re-empower architecture as a driving force in city planning and development.
Sarah’s contributions to the field extend beyond design, as she actively engages in academia, writing, and public discourse. She has taught at leading institutions such as the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Cape Town, and RMIT Melbourne, influencing the next generation of architects. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications, including Landscape 1000, the Phaidon Atlas of World Architecture, and Wallpaper magazine. She has also been a jury member for architectural competitions and university examinations, further cementing her role as a thought leader in the field. In 2010, she and architect Dustin A. Tusnovics won third prize in the Urbaninform Design Contest in Zurich for their social housing project Taking the Gap. With a career defined by innovation, education, and advocacy, Sarah Calburn continues to push the boundaries of architecture in South Africa and beyond.
38. Sarah El Battouty (Egypt)
Sarah El Battouty is a pioneering architect and sustainability expert with 18 years of experience in green and environmental building. As the founder of ECOnsult, one of Egypt’s leading environmental design and auditing firms, she has spearheaded numerous energy-saving projects, making significant contributions to sustainable development. Her work extends beyond Egypt, reaching Italy and China, where she collaborates with private sector entities and governments to implement green initiatives with social impact. In 2014, she was appointed as a senior advisor to the Egyptian president, focusing on sustainable community development and policy reform. Her efforts have led to the integration of energy and water conservation programs into Egypt’s media and education systems. Sarah has also played a key role in Egypt’s ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement and the launch of a national awareness campaign on energy and water scarcity.
Beyond her architectural practice, Sarah is an influential figure in corporate sustainability and environmental policy. She serves as the co-chair of the Corporate Impact & Sustainability Committee at the American Chamber and is a member of advisory boards at the American University in Cairo. She co-authored Egypt’s Tarsheed Rating System for Green Building and contributes to the sustainability policies of the Egyptian Stock Exchange. Her commitment to environmental economics and resource management is driven by a mission to create sustainable communities that address Egypt’s growing population and regional climate challenges. Recognized as a national expert in 2018, Sarah has trained government officials, the military, and the intelligence community on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She has also worked to integrate environmental awareness and natural heritage preservation into Egypt’s national curriculum.
As an entrepreneur, Sarah has expanded her impact by founding MuBun Sustainable Furniture, a start-up that transforms scrap waste into high-end eco-friendly furniture. This venture aligns with her broader vision of sustainability by promoting circular economy principles and reducing environmental waste. She is also one of the few women in Egypt to have led construction projects in remote areas while championing gender equity in the workplace. Under her leadership, ECOnsult ensures equal pay and maintains a workforce where 50% of employees and 100% of the board are women. Sarah believes that strong leadership and inclusivity drive societal progress, advocating for women’s empowerment through action rather than rhetoric. Through her multifaceted career, she continues to push for innovation in green architecture, sustainable development, and environmental policy.
39. Shahira Fahmy (Egypt)
Shahira Fahmy is an Egyptian architect, urbanist, and creative researcher, recognized for her contributions to architecture and design on an international scale. She founded Shahira Fahmy Architects (SFA) in Cairo in 2005, the same year she won the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Young Architect Award. Her practice has since expanded globally, winning competitions in Switzerland and London and earning her recognition as one of the “Architects Building the Arab Future” by Phaidon in 2011. Fahmy’s architectural approach is characterized by a fusion of modernist principles with cultural narratives, as seen in her notable projects such as the Delfina Foundation expansion in London and the master planning of Andermatt Swiss Alps. Beyond her architectural work, she has also engaged in product design and collaborated on exhibitions like Home in the Arab World at the 2012 London Festival of Architecture. Her work has been widely published and reviewed in esteemed publications such as The Architectural Review, Wallpaper, and The New York Times T Magazine.
In addition to her professional practice, Fahmy has a strong academic presence, having taught at Cairo University from 1997 to 2007 and served as an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation in 2014. She has been a guest speaker at prestigious institutions including Harvard, MIT, Yale, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Her academic and research excellence has been recognized with multiple postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard, including the Loeb Fellowship at the Graduate School of Design in 2015 and the Berkman Klein Fellowship at Harvard Law School in 2016. Fahmy has also participated as a jury member for international architectural competitions, including UNESCO’s design competition for the Al-Nouri Mosque Complex in Mosul in 2021. Her contributions to the field have earned her numerous accolades, including the Tamayouz Excellence Award for the Near East and North Africa in 2019 and the Green Good Design Award in 2010.
Fahmy’s influence extends beyond architecture into film and literature, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to creativity. She made her acting debut in Hong Sang-soo’s Claire’s Camera (2017), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Her architectural insights have also been documented in books such as Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide, which features two of her built projects. As a member of multiple professional organizations, including the Egyptian Engineering Syndicate and the International Community of the Red Cross in Egypt, Fahmy continues to shape architectural discourse both regionally and globally. Currently, she is involved in designing an eco-community in Mid-Cornwall, UK, focusing on sustainable and affordable housing. Splitting her time between Cairo and London, she remains at the forefront of architectural innovation, bridging traditional and contemporary design to create spaces that resonate with cultural significance and environmental consciousness.
40. Stella Mutegi (Kenya)
Stella Mutegi is a Kenyan architect, curator, and academic whose innovative spirit shines as co-founder and director of Cave_bureau, a Nairobi-based studio she established in 2014 alongside Kabage Karanja. With a pragmatic yet imaginative approach, she heads the technical department, seamlessly translating the studio’s bold ideas into tangible, built forms. Known within Cave_bureau as the “problem slayer,” Mutegi tackles design challenges with an uncanny ease, her lateral thinking and meticulous attention to detail steering the team’s geological and anthropological inquiries into architectural outcomes that defy convention. Her leadership complements a rich career that spans creative conception to project delivery, honed through years at firms like Symbion Kenya and Dimensions Architects, making her a linchpin in Kenya’s architectural evolution.
Mutegi’s work with Cave_bureau delves into the primal and profound, leading expeditions into the caves of the Great Rift Valley to uncover insights from humanity’s earliest curiosities. These journeys—part spelunking, part research—inform her studio’s mission to decode the pre- and post-colonial African city through playful yet rigorous studies. Her explorations bridge geology, anthropology, and design, resulting in projects that resonate with Kenya’s layered history and natural wonders, such as the volcanic landscapes that inspire Cave_bureau’s globally recognized installations. A qualified architect since 2009 under the Board of Registration of Architects & Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS) and a member of the Architectural Association of Kenya, Mutegi’s technical prowess is matched by her ability to weave narrative into form, reimagining urban and rural spaces with a distinctly Kenyan lens.
Educated at the University of Newcastle in Australia, Mutegi returned to Kenya to forge a career that blends global perspective with local roots, a trajectory that has now earned her international acclaim. In Spring 2025, she will step into the prestigious role of Louis I. Kahn Visiting Assistant Professor at Yale School of Architecture, a testament to her growing influence as a thinker and maker. Her academic pursuits complement her practice, where she interrogates the intersections of culture, environment, and architecture, offering fresh frameworks for understanding Africa’s built heritage. Through Cave_bureau, Mutegi is not just building structures but excavating possibilities—crafting a legacy that honors the past, engages the present, and inspires a future where architecture is as boundless as the caves she explores.
41. Sumayya Vally (South Africa)
Professor Sumayya Vally is a South African architect renowned for her innovative and research-driven approach to architecture. Born in 1990 in Pretoria’s Laudium township, she was profoundly influenced by the dynamic urban fabric of Johannesburg, which continues to shape her work. She pursued her architectural studies at the University of Pretoria and later completed her master’s at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2014. In the same year, she contributed as an assistant curator for the South African Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia. Soon after, she co-founded Counterspace, a practice dedicated to exploring hybrid identities, overlooked histories, and communal spaces through architecture and design. Her work seeks to reimagine spaces by integrating oral traditions, rituals, and cultural memory into contemporary architectural forms.
In 2020, Sumayya Vally made history as the youngest architect to be commissioned for the prestigious Serpentine Pavilion in London. Her design, unveiled in 2021, was a profound exploration of community spaces, reflecting London’s diasporic histories by abstracting elements from culturally significant neighborhoods. The pavilion incorporated fragments installed across various community hubs, a groundbreaking move that emphasized inclusivity and the decentralization of architecture. Beyond this milestone, she has engaged in numerous prestigious roles, including her appointment as an Honorary Professor of Practice at the Bartlett School of Architecture, a visiting professorship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and jury positions for global architecture awards. Her impact extends beyond traditional architecture, as she curates and directs artistic projects that challenge conventional boundaries.
Vally’s influence has grown through her artistic direction of the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, where she redefined Islamic art by integrating contemporary and historical narratives. Her commitment to decolonial approaches and amplifying marginalized voices has earned her widespread recognition, including her inclusion in the TIME100 Next list and the Emerging Architect of the Year award at the Dezeen Awards in 2023. She is also an advocate for knowledge-sharing, having shaped architectural discourse through her leadership in academic spaces and advisory roles. As a visionary in architecture, Sumayya Vally continues to push the boundaries of design, using space as a medium for storytelling, activism, and cultural preservation.
42. Tanzeem Razak (South Africa)
Tanzeem Razak is a distinguished architect and urban designer whose work is deeply rooted in the pursuit of spatial equity and social transformation. As the director and founding partner of Lemon Pebble Architects and Urban Designers in Johannesburg, she leads a creative team dedicated to shaping public spaces and housing projects that address the unique challenges of South Africa’s post-apartheid urban landscape. Razak believes in a people-centered approach to design, positioning architects as spatial translators who navigate the intersections of design, community engagement, and implementation. Her projects seek to uncover hidden narratives within contested spaces, ensuring that architecture serves as a tool for inclusion, accessibility, and sustainable urban growth. Through her work, she actively challenges traditional notions of urban planning, advocating for a more just and equitable built environment.
Razak’s academic background reflects her dedication to architectural excellence and urban regeneration. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of the Witwatersrand and later pursued a Master’s degree in Human Settlements at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, graduating magna cum laude. Her expertise extends beyond practice into academia, where she has lectured at institutions such as the University of Cape Town and the University of the Witwatersrand. Additionally, she serves as a thesis examiner at several universities, reinforcing her commitment to mentoring the next generation of architects and urban designers. Razak’s scholarly and professional contributions emphasize the importance of design in addressing socioeconomic disparities, particularly in under-resourced communities.
Beyond her architectural practice and teaching, Razak’s influence extends to the global stage. She is a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity, a testament to her dedication to fostering inclusive urban spaces and equitable access to resources. She was also invited to participate in the prestigious 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, further cementing her role as a thought leader in contemporary urban design. Her recent projects, including the New Link Building for the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, demonstrate her ability to blend architectural innovation with social impact. As an avid traveler and city enthusiast, Razak continuously seeks to expand her knowledge and experiences, embracing diverse perspectives that inform her approach to spatial justice.
43. Tara-Aude Koffi (Côte d’Ivoire)
Tara-Aude Koffi, born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is an emerging architect whose journey reflects a deep commitment to redefining contemporary African architecture. After graduating with a degree in architecture from the École Spéciale d’Architecture de Paris in 2019—where she ranked among the top 10% of her class (LinkedIn, Tara-Aude Koffi)—she honed her skills at French and Ivorian firms, including a stint with Abidjan-based Koffi & Diabaté Architectes. Yet, driven by a desire to root her practice in her cultural heritage, she co-founded Atelier Inhyah in 2020 with her Chadian classmate Assarah Adoum. Settling in Abidjan, a city she calls a “sub-Saharan hub for architecture” despite its urban challenges (Wallpaper, 2022), Koffi envisioned a studio that marries modern innovation with West African identity. Her early career reflects a blend of global exposure and local passion, shaped by her bilingual upbringing in French and English and her experiences navigating Paris’s rigorous architectural scene.
Atelier Inhyah, under Koffi’s co-leadership, has quickly gained attention for its ethos of “architecture that answers to its time and place.” The studio’s portfolio spans residential villas, commercial spaces, and a standout project: a series of eco-lodges unveiled in 2024 for a private client near Grand-Bassam, featuring Nubian vaults and earth-based thermal designs that adapt to Ivory Coast’s humid climate (Atelierinhyah.com). Koffi emphasizes local materials—like laterite and bamboo—and collaborates with artisans to craft a sustainable ecosystem, including a 2023 home accessories line that supports Abidjan’s craftspeople (Design Indaba, 2023). Her approach challenges the region’s reliance on Western architectural imports, which she argues stifle creativity and disconnect from context. A vocal advocate for vernacular techniques, Koffi draws inspiration from historical African forms—such as Burkina Faso’s mud-brick traditions—infusing them with contemporary flair to create spaces that feel both timeless and forward-looking.
Koffi’s mission extends beyond design to education and equity, addressing Abidjan’s chaotic construction landscape, where unregulated building by non-qualified practitioners often flouts safety codes (ArchDaily, 2024). “We must deconstruct the idea that architects are inaccessible,” she asserts, pushing for awareness of professional expertise while tackling the gender barriers she and Adoum face as women in a male-dominated field (Wallpaper, 2022). In 2024, Inhyah launched a workshop series with École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Côte d’Ivoire to mentor young architects on local techniques, a step toward their dream of designing a sustainable Ivorian city (Africa Architecture Network). Recognized as part of West Africa’s “dynamic new generation” of studios, Koffi’s work—highlighted at the 2023 Dakar Biennale with a conceptual earth pavilion—positions her as a rising voice, tirelessly advocating for an architecture that honors African ingenuity, empowers communities, and reshapes urban futures (Senegal Cultural Forum). At 28, she stands poised to lead this charge, proving that innovation thrives where roots run deep.
44. Tatu Gatere (Kenya)
Tatu Gatere is a Kenyan architect, entrepreneur, and visionary force as the Founder and CEO of Buildher, an organization she launched in 2018 to tackle Kenya’s skilled labor shortage while empowering low-income women. With over 15 years of experience in the built environment, Gatere fuses design, development, and social impact to craft inclusive, sustainable solutions that reshape urban landscapes. At Buildher, she has pioneered initiatives like the Buildher Shop—a sustainable furniture business that doubles as a training ground—and the Buildher Fundi Desk, a platform connecting employers with highly skilled tradeswomen in carpentry, painting, tiling, and joinery. Her mission is clear: to equip women with accredited construction skills, fostering financial prosperity, challenging male-dominated norms, and promoting gender equity in an industry long overdue for change.
Gatere’s strategic vision extends beyond training; she’s architecting systems change with a focus on scalability and community upliftment. Since its inception, Buildher has empowered women across Kenya to contribute to urban development, creating cities that are safe, resilient, and inclusive—built with women, for women, by women. The Buildher Shop not only generates income but provides hands-on experience, while the Fundi Desk bridges the gap between skilled tradeswomen and job opportunities, ensuring their talents find a market. Her work has earned her global acclaim, from inclusion in the Royal Institute of British Architects’ 100 Women Architects in Practice to Dezeen Magazine’s list of top women architects and designers, alongside being named one of Okay Africa’s 100 Women of Excellence in 2020. In 2024, her selection for the Clinton Global Initiative Greenhouse underscored her role as a social entrepreneur scaling solutions to systemic challenges.
Beyond her professional triumphs, Gatere’s impact is deeply personal—she aims to transform not just the economic lives of the women she trains but also the futures of their children, breaking cycles of poverty with every hammer swung and tile laid. Her journey reflects a rare blend of pragmatism and warmth, earning her praise as a “powerhouse” and one of the “kindest, warmest human beings” in her field. From Nairobi’s bustling workshops to international stages, Gatere is redefining what it means to build, proving that architecture is as much about people as it is about structures. Her legacy with Buildher is a testament to the power of empowerment, crafting a Kenya where women don’t just inhabit cities—they help shape them, one skilled hand at a time.
45. Thandi Loewenson (Zimbabwe)
Thandi Loewenson, born in 1989 in Harare, Zimbabwe, is an architectural designer and researcher whose innovative practice harnesses design, fiction, and performance to challenge extractive systems and ignite emancipatory possibilities. Raised in a post-independence era, she pursued a PhD in Architectural Design at The Bartlett, UCL, completed in 2020 with no corrections—examined by luminaries Kathryn Yusoff and Lesley Lokko—where she developed a “weird and tender” architectural approach. Her doctoral thesis, A Weird-Tender (2019), explored Lusaka’s urban development through a speculative lens inspired by the Zambian Space Program, collaborating with the Lusaka City Council and Chunga Waste Recycler’s Association to reimagine waste pickers as state partners, countering privatization threats at the Chunga Landfill (UCL Discovery). Now a Senior Tutor at the Royal College of Art and a Visiting Professor at Aarhus School of Architecture, Loewenson’s work spans graphite drawings, films, and performances that probe the intersections of land, air, and liberation, as seen in her 2023 Venice Biennale installation The Uhuru Catalogues, which earned a Special Mention for its militant material storytelling (La Biennale di Venezia).
Loewenson’s career is marked by a fierce commitment to equity and collective action, evident in her co-founding of BREAK//LINE at The Bartlett in 2018—a radical collective resisting capital’s overreach and inequality in architectural education (Thandiloewenson.com). Her 2024 Harvard GSD Wheelwright Prize-winning project, Black Papers: Beyond the Politics of Land, Towards African Policies of Earth & Air, funded with $100,000, expands this ethos across seven African nations, weaving a new framework of “earth and air entanglement” to confront racialized exploitation from mineshafts to the ionosphere (ArchDaily, 2024). Works like BLACKLIGHT (2024) at RIBA—overlaying colonial mining legacies in Kabwe, Zambia, with graphite drawings—excavate architecture’s complicity in ecological and social harm, while Mhondoro Marauders (2023) blends sound and spirit to reimagine African space programs beyond Western tech norms (Royal College of Art). A contributor to EQUINET and co-curator of Race, Space & Architecture with Huda Tayob and Suzi Hall, she bridges policy, community, and art to provoke systemic change.
At 36, Loewenson’s influence reverberates globally, from her 2023 Black Digital South Artist Residency at the University of Johannesburg to her Whisper Network Intelsat 502 film (2021) tracing Zimbabwean resistance technologies (Transmediale). Her sonic explorations, like Chitekete and Other Love Songs (2022) on Soundcloud, fuse Zimbabwean music with temporal ruptures, while performances such as Ye Olde Performance with Rosa-Johan Uddoh (2023) at Somerset House push architectural storytelling into public realms. Recognized with an Honorable Mention from the Princeton | Places Urban Imagination Prize (2020) and featured in The Guardian for her RIBA exhibit, Loewenson’s practice—spanning the “weird, tender, earthly, and airborne”—redefines architecture as a liberatory act. Whether drawing with graphite’s reflective sheen or hosting the Mhondoro Marauders Show, she invites us to feel for “other, possible worlds,” making her a vital voice in reimagining Africa’s spatial futures (Worldarchitecture.org, 2024).
46. Tosin Oshinowo (Nigeria)
Tosin Oshinowo, a Lagos-based Nigerian architect and designer, is a visionary whose work transcends the mere creation of buildings, weaving together Yoruba traditions, global design languages, and a deep commitment to equity and sustainability. As the founder and principal of Oshinowo Studio (formerly cmDesign Atelier) since 2013, she has shaped Lagos’ architectural landscape with projects like the Maryland Mall and airy beach houses that dot the city’s oceanic coast, blending modern aesthetics with a respect for nature and history. Her practice extends beyond physical spaces into a broader vision of urbanism, exemplified by her collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme to design a new community in Northeast Nigeria for a village displaced by Boko Haram—a testament to her belief that architecture can rebuild lives and futures. Oshinowo’s designs are a dialogue between Africa’s past and its potential, crafting a contemporary language that prioritizes inclusivity and resilience.
Before launching her studio, Oshinowo honed her craft at prestigious firms like Skidmore Owings & Merrill in London and the Office of Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, contributing to ambitious proposals like the 4th Mainland Bridge in 2008. Returning to Lagos, she worked at James Cubitt Architects, leading significant projects such as the master plan and headquarters for Nigeria LNG in Port Harcourt. Her creative reach extends to product design with Ile-Ila (House of Lines), a luxury chair brand launched in 2017, handmade in Lagos and celebrated globally in outlets like The Financial Times and Elle Decor for its fusion of Yoruba heritage and modern elegance. Her conceptual explorations, like her 2020 partnership with Lexus for Design Miami, and curatorial roles—co-curating the 2019 Lagos Biennial and the 2023 Sharjah Architecture Triennial, The Beauty of Impermanence—underscore her passion for African innovation, interrogating urbanism, identity, and adaptability on a world stage.
Oshinowo’s intellectual and professional stature is bolstered by an impressive academic journey—holding degrees from Kingston College, University College London, the Architectural Association, and IE University in Madrid—and her upcoming 2025 Loeb Fellowship at Harvard. A registered architect with the Nigerian Institute of Architects and the Royal Institute of British Architects, she has garnered accolades like the 2017 City People Real Estate Architect of the Year and a spot on Dezeen’s 2024 list of the 50 most powerful women in architecture. Her prolific writing, featured in the 2021 and 2023 Venice Biennale publications, Omenka Online, and her 2017 TEDxPortHarcourt talk, amplifies her insights into African modernism and socially responsive design. Through her studio, designs, and words, Oshinowo is not just building spaces but shaping a narrative of equity and possibility, cementing her legacy as a transformative force in Nigerian and global architecture.
47. Tuliza Sindi (South Africa)
Tuliza Sindi is a South African architect, educator, researcher, and curator whose work challenges conventional understandings of land, property, and spatial politics. She founded Unit 19, a graduate design-research studio at the University of Johannesburg’s Graduate School of Architecture (2020-2022), fostering innovative design methodologies. Currently, she is the Ann Kalla Professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Architecture (2023-2025), where she also serves as Curator of Public Programs and Director of Publications. Her work in architectural education extends internationally, having lectured and reviewed at institutions such as Columbia University and Iowa State University, U.S., the University of Sheffield, U.K. and the International Program in Design and Architecture (INDA), Thailand.
In 2022, Sindi co-founded the cross-disciplinary collective room19isaFactory., that’s building an intellectual and practice vocabulary around what they term “Unreasonable Architecture”—a practice that retires spatial practices rooted in frameworks of modern reason and chronopolitics, to determine new modes of society-making through alternative cosmologies and knowledge systems. The collective’s projects include installations in Kudzanai Chiurai’s The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember, Johannesburg, the Foundation for Contemporary Art (FCA) building in Accra, Ghana, and the Malmö Konsthall,Sweden. Her editorial contributions are equally impactful, with her forthcoming book Inventory of Unreasonable Wallmaking (2025) and co-editorship of iLiso Ekapa magazine’s fourth issue, Collusions: Conversations with Architecture.
Sindi’s influence extends beyond academia and practice into curation and advocacy. She co-curated the architectural exhibition for the Saison Africa 2020 Festival in Bordeaux, France, leading to the creation of the : her(e); otherwise platform, later supported by a Graham Foundation grant. Recognized internationally, she was featured on RebelARCHITETTE’s Women Architects World Map and has contributed to Architectural Guide: Sub-Saharan Africa_The Architect’s Set. Through her work, Sindi continues to shape critical conversations on architecture’s role in decoloniality and alternative spatial imaginaries.
48. Valerie Mavoungou Rodriguez (Republic of Congo)
Valérie Mavoungou Rodriguez, a Congolese-Ukrainian architect, is the visionary founder of l’Atelier Tropical, a practice she established in 2016 to champion sustainable design across Africa’s tropical regions. Graduating from the Paris Belleville National School of Architecture in 2012 with a Master’s in Architecture and HMONP certification, she enriched her European training with studies in Asian institutions like Tokyo’s Shibaura Institute of Technology, Cambodia’s École Française d’Extrême-Orient, and South Korea’s Kyung Hee Dae University, focusing on sustainable construction for humid tropical climates. Raised in Sub-Saharan Africa amidst the lush Congo River basin, Mavoungou’s dual heritage and lived experiences fuel her commitment to ecological architecture that honors the continent’s biodiversity. Her practice, operating from Congo and Mozambique, melds modern aesthetics with local building traditions, crafting spaces that resonate with their environments while meeting international standards.
At l’Atelier Tropical, Mavoungou leads a pan-African mission to design climate-sensitive projects that celebrate both vernacular techniques and contemporary lines, as exemplified by the Eco-lodge Kunda in Congo’s Conkouati-Douli National Park. Completed in 2017, this series of bioclimatic cabins—built from durable Niové redwood, hand-cut and treated on-site with linseed oil—offers a decarbonized retreat amidst a UNESCO-recognized coastal ecosystem, blending natural ventilation and solar lighting with spectacular Atlantic views. Her approach rejects the “never-ending importation” of industrial solutions from the Global North, instead collaborating with local craftspeople to create furniture and structures that reflect African ingenuity. Working across Central, West, East, and Southern Africa with seasoned partners, she oversees every phase—from conception and coordination to material sourcing and construction—delivering tailored, resilient designs that preserve vital carbon reservoirs and wildlife habitats.
Inspired by tropical modernism, Mavoungou advocates for bioclimatic architecture that fuses traditional crafts with sleek, temperature-tuned forms, a vision that earned her a spot in Wallpaper’s 2023 Architects’ Directory as a rising global talent. Reflecting on her childhood, she recalls buildings ill-suited to Congo’s humid, verdant landscape, sparking her resolve to “do better” for Africa’s tropical belt. Whether designing residential works or eco-lodges, she bridges her Parisian training and Asian insights with a deep-rooted African perspective, creating architecture that’s both charming and effective for its climate and people. Her dynamic practice not only responds to environmental challenges but also redefines modernity in Africa, proving that with limited resources, sustainable solutions can stand strong—offering a model of design that’s as vibrant and resilient as the ecosystems it seeks to protect.
49. Victoria Marwa Heilman (Tanzania)
Dr. Victoria Marwa Heilman, born on February 19, 1973, in Tanzania’s Mwanza Region, is a pioneering architect whose journey from academia to grassroots impact has reshaped sustainable design in East Africa. Educated at the University of Dar es Salaam (BArch), the Catholic University of America (MArch, via a 2004 Ford Foundation IFP Fellowship), and the University of Stuttgart (PhD, 2016), she spent 17 years (2001–2018) teaching at Ardhi University’s School of Architecture and Design in Dar es Salaam, where her class in 1997 stood out for its four female students among 34—an anomaly in a male-dominated field. In 2012, while still an educator, she founded VK Green Architects Ltd., later rebranded as Alama Architecture in 2020 to reflect a Swahili-rooted identity fused with modern ingenuity. Her firm’s projects, like a seven-story National Audit office in Mwanza designed with passive shading to cut energy costs, showcase her commitment to sustainable, community-driven architecture (Archinect, 2019).
In 2018, Heilman left academia to focus on Alama Architecture and her nonprofit, Tanzania Women Architects for Humanity (TAWAH), which she co-founded in 2010 after her transformative work with Habitat for Humanity in the U.S. and Tanzania sparked a passion for “people’s architecture” (Disrupt Mag, 2024). As TAWAH’s Executive Director since 2023, she has led initiatives like the Mhaga Village project in Kisarawe District, empowering women through brick-making and construction apprenticeships to build homes for the elderly—work that earned her a 2022 SDG Innovation Champion title for Sustainable Cities and Communities (Alamaarchitecture.co.tz). A registered architect with the Architects Association of Tanzania (AAT) and a Tanzania Green Building Council board member, she advocates for green building codes in Tanzania, inspired by her 2016 Eisenhower Fellowship, which expanded TAWAH’s reach to marginalized groups like the Maasai (Eisenhower Fellowships, 2018). Her designs, often using local materials, reflect a philosophy of “leaving no one behind,” echoing Tanzania’s Ujamaa ethos.
Heilman’s influence transcends her built works, earning her global recognition as one of Africans Column’s 50 Influential African Women Architects in 2024 and a feature in 100 Women: Architects in Practice (2024). A 2020 Mama Hope Global Advocate, she mentors young women through TAWAH’s Women in Construction program, launched in 2019, addressing gender barriers she faced—like pitching to all-male panels (Studiohannahwood.com, 2021). Her publications, including “Stakeholders Conceptualization of Sustainable Design and Construction in Tanzania” (2015), underscore her research-driven approach, while projects like the Montessori Simba Vision School in Arusha (nearing completion in 2025) highlight her ongoing commitment to education and sustainability (Montessori-ami.org). Married and a mother, Heilman credits her family’s support for balancing her roles, proving architecture can be a tool for equity, hope, and environmental harmony in Tanzania’s rapidly urbanizing landscape.
50. Zineb Ajebbar (Morocco)
Zineb Ajebbar, a Moroccan architect with over 15 years of experience, is the visionary founder of ZArchitecture Studio in Rabat, a practice she established in 2021 to weave together sustainability, tradition, and modernity. Trained at the National School of Architecture and Landscape in Lille, France, with further studies at La Sapienza in Rome, Italy, she brings a global perspective to her work, tempered by a profound respect for Morocco’s architectural heritage. For Ajebbar, architecture is an act of modesty—a delicate balance of creativity and functionality where the architect serves as both conductor and visionary, guiding ideas from sketch to structure. Her studio’s portfolio, spanning hotels, residential projects, and public spaces, reflects this ethos, with designs like the Jacques Majorelle School in Benguerir—an award-winning project from the 2024 Young Moroccan Architecture Awards—delivered in just six months, showcasing climate-responsive patios and local stone that echo Morocco’s timeless craftsmanship.
At the heart of ZArchitecture Studio lies a commitment to creating spaces that resonate with their environment and honor ancestral know-how, reimagined for contemporary needs. Projects like The Oberoi Hotel Marrakech, designed with Collier Studio, meld modern elegance with artisanal touches, while the Lycée Français International de Benguérir integrates functionality with Moroccan spatial traditions. Ajebbar’s approach is deeply collaborative—listening to clients, context, and constraints forms the bedrock of her process, ensuring each design, from the dynamic Workstudio co-working space in Rabat to the serene Villa Bouskoura near Casablanca, carries a soulful connection to its surroundings. Her use of local materials and techniques not only bridges heritage and innovation but also forges bonds between people and the stories embedded in their spaces, a philosophy that earned her recognition among Morocco’s emerging architectural talents.
Supported by a talented team, including Manale Adnane and Hajar Mouflih, Ajebbar fosters a studio environment where innovation thrives alongside precision. Adnane, a top graduate from Euromed University of Fes and UMONS in Belgium, infuses human-centered design into the studio’s work, while Mouflih, with her focus on sustainable, earth-based solutions inspired by the Atlas Mountains, ensures technical excellence. Together, they bring Ajebbar’s vision to life in projects like the Renovation of the Massimo Dutti store in Casablanca and the Libyan Embassy, which reflect cultural identities with contemporary flair. For Ajebbar, every building is a meaningful space—an opportunity to inspire, connect, and harmonize Morocco’s past with its future—crafting a legacy that stands as both a tribute to humility and a bold step forward in North African architecture.
Conclusion
As we close this 2025 Edition of 50 Influential African Women Architects, we stand in awe of the tapestry these women have woven—a rich mosaic of innovation, heritage, and hope stretching across Africa’s vast expanse. From the earth-toned restorations of Salima Naji in Morocco’s ksour to the futuristic visions of Sumayya Vally in Johannesburg’s urban heart, their contributions are as varied as the continent itself, yet united by a shared thread of excellence. They have not only built structures but also bridges—between past and future, tradition and progress, community and possibility—proving that architecture is as much about people as it is about place. Their hands have shaped skylines and lives, leaving an imprint that will endure for generations.
This celebration is more than a list; it is a clarion call to recognize and amplify the voices of African women architects who, despite the odds, continue to redefine their craft with boldness and beauty. At Africans Column, we pledge to return each year, to unearth new stories and honor those who push boundaries in quiet corners and bustling cities alike. These women remind us that architecture is a living art—one that breathes through the communities it serves and thrives in the resilience of those who dare to dream in concrete, steel, and soil. Their triumphs are Africa’s triumphs, a radiant legacy illuminating the path forward.
So here, on the cusp of a new season, we raise a toast to these 50 luminaries—pioneers, dreamers, and builders of tomorrow. May their work inspire a world that sees them fully, celebrates them fiercely, and builds alongside them with the same passion they bring to every line they draw. The 2025 Edition is not an endpoint but a milestone in an ongoing journey—one we at Africans Column are privileged to witness and share. To these architects, we say: your brilliance is our pride, your vision our future, and your story our song.
