Tata Fu

3rd Prize Winner Inspired by the cultures of Togo and Benin, West Africa. What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa? I participated in this competition because I am a young architect trained in Africa and who has always been lead to think about the traditional African architecture. The development of local architecture has always been a major concern in my training and my career. What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype? The most interesting was certainly the search for elements of character, that are traditional to the architecture of North Benin. Through my research, I was able to better understand the importance of local materials in local African architecture. Why do you believe African homeowners will be interested in building a home such as the one you have submitted today? African builders will be interested in our proposal for the following reasons: The use of local materials. The local architectural identity. The low cost of realization. Do you believe young African designers will create outstanding examples of modern African architecture if they were exposed to such concepts during their university curriculum? Yes I seriously think that, like me, many other young African architects will be happy to reflect on the modernization of traditional African architecture