What Kéré Architecture does

Kéré Architecture is a Berlin-based architecture practice founded in 2005 by Francis Kéré, operating as Kéré Architecture GmbH and Studio Francis Kéré GmbH. The firm operates as a design-led professional services practice, with a core team of more than 35 architects and designers in Berlin supported by two core staff in Burkina Faso and a network of independent craftsmen on project sites. Its portfolio spans civic, educational, cultural, and healthcare buildings across four continents, including the National Assembly of Burkina Faso, schools in Gando, the Serpentine Pavilion, the Sarbalé Ke installation at Coachella, and the Musée National du Burkina Faso.

The firm has developed a set of construction and design techniques tailored to low-resource, hot-climate contexts, including in-situ clay wall casting, passive cooling, double-layer facades, and the use of locally sourced materials such as laterite, clay, and timber. These techniques are paired with a community-driven design process conducted in collaboration with the Kéré Foundation e.V. and local stakeholders. Its revenue model is project-based professional services, with fees tied to individual architectural commissions and exhibition or installation design engagements, compensated by governmental, cultural, educational, and NGO clients on a contract-by-contract basis. Distribution is reputation-driven and event-driven rather than sales-driven, with major awards (Pritzker 2022, Praemium Imperiale 2023, Aga Khan Award 2004) and high-profile event commissions generating direct inbound demand from governments, museums, and cultural institutions.

Name

Kéré Architecture

Legal name

Kéré Architecture GmbH

Website

https://kerearchitecture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kéré Architecture is a Berlin-based architecture practice founded in 2005 by Pritzker laureate Francis Kéré, delivering civic, educational, cultural, and healthcare buildings across four continents via project-based commissions funded by governments, museums, and NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable architecture
• Architectural design
• Civic infrastructure
• Community architecture
• Cultural building design

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design and Project Commissions: Kéré Architecture generates revenue through direct commissions for architectural design services from government clients, cultural institutions, nonprofits, and private clients. Projects range from civic infrastructure (parliaments, schools, healthcare centers) to temporary installations and product/interior design.
2. Exhibition and Installation Design: Revenue is also earned through temporary pavilion and installation commissions, such as the Serpentine Pavilion (2017) and Coachella's Sarbalé Ke (2019), which are commissioned by cultural organizations and festival promoters.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kéré Architecture is a Berlin-based architectural practice that designs sustainable buildings using local materials, particularly clay and earth, with a focus on civic, cultural, educational, and community-driven projects across Africa, Europe, and North America. The firm provides full architectural services — concept design, technical design, construction documentation, and supervision — for institutional, governmental, and nonprofit clients, often employing local labor and vernacular construction techniques.

Product overview

Kéré Architecture is a full-service architectural and design practice founded by Francis Kéré in 2005, operating as a single unified practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The portfolio spans a wide spectrum from civic infrastructure (schools, healthcare centers, national assembly buildings) to temporary installations (Serpentine Pavilion, Colorscape, Sarbalé Ke) and permanent installations (Xylem at Tippet Rise). Projects range from concept to execution across diverse geographies in Africa, Europe, and North America. Key building projects include Gando Primary School, Naaba Belem Goumma Secondary School, Lycée Schorge, Burkina Institute of Technology, Léo Surgical Clinic, and Ineza Clinic in Burundi. Notable temporary installations include the 2017 Serpentine Pavilion, Colorscape at Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Sarbalé Ke at Coachella. The practice is supported by its affiliated non-profit, Kéré Foundation e.V., which pursues community projects in Gando.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-scope architectural services including concept design, schematic and technical design, construction documentation, and site supervision for civic, cultural, educational, and community buildings. Delivered for governmental, institutional, and nonprofit clients across Africa, Europe, and North America.
• Master Planning and Urban Design Master planning and urban design services for civic precincts, cultural districts, and community-scale developments, often paired with sustainable architecture commissions.
• Sustainable Construction Consulting Consulting services focused on climate-responsive construction techniques, including earth/clay building methods, passive cooling, and the integration of local labor and materials into project delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gando Primary School (2004) awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, garnering critical acclaim from career outset
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• Kéré Foundation e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Established in 2005 alongside the founding of the practice, the Kéré Foundation e.V. is a nonprofit organization that pursues community-driven infrastructure projects in Gando, Burkina Faso. Since their establishment, Kéré Architecture and the Foundation have worked closely on several projects, with the Foundation committed to providing high-quality infrastructure focused on health, education, and the environment, created in direct collaboration with the community.
• Operieren in Afrika e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA German nonprofit organization dedicated to providing surgical and medical assistance in Africa. The organization commissioned Kéré Architecture to design the Léo Surgical Clinic and Health Centre (2014) and subsequently the Léo Doctors' Housing (2016-2018) to accommodate volunteer medical staff. The ongoing collaboration focuses on establishing knowledge exchange between visiting medical specialists and local doctors.
• Stern Stewart Institute & FriendscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing successful collaboration on the Lycée Schorge Secondary School, the Stern Stewart Institute commissioned Kéré Architecture to design the Burkina Institute of Technology (BIT), a new educational facility allowing high school graduates to continue their education. The institute expanded the existing campus in Koudougou, Burkina Faso.
• Philadelphia Museum of ArtkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Kéré Architecture to create the Colorscape installation (2016) as part of the Creative Africa series, supporting the monographic exhibition The Architecture of Francis Kéré: Building for Community. The Creative Africa series was supported by grants from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and other donors.
• University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Architecture StudentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Colorscape installation (2016) by contributing sound recordings for the Sounds of the Village audio component.
• Goldenvoice (Los Angeles, California)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival promoter that commissioned Kéré Architecture to create the Sarbalé Ke installation for the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Following the festival, the installation was relocated to serve as a permanent public gathering pavilion in the East Coachella Valley.
• UNESCOkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO and Kéré Architecture launched the world's first Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects. Francis Kéré was commissioned to design UNESCO's first virtual museum dedicated to addressing the global issue of stolen cultural artifacts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Large global architecture firm with deep civic/museum portfolio (Reichstag, Apple Park) and Norman Foster Foundation masterclass collaboration with Kéré; major competitor for large institutional commissions.
• SANAA (Sejima + Nishizawa): 2010 Pritzker Prize laureates operating a similarly sized global boutique practice with a comparable museum and civic portfolio (Louvre-Lens, New Museum NYC).

Direct peers

• Studio Gang: Jeanne Gang's Chicago-based practice is a similarly sized, mission-driven boutique firm with a strong civic/cultural portfolio and emphasis on sustainability and community engagement.
• David Chipperfield Architects: 2023 Pritzker Prize laureate with a similar museum-focused portfolio (Neues Museum Berlin, Royal Academy renovation) and comparable firm size operating across European cultural commissions.
• ELEMENTAL (Alejandro Aravena): 2016 Pritzker Prize laureate Alejandro Aravena's practice focuses on social-impact architecture for underserved communities, similar to Kéré's mission-driven work in Burkina Faso and West Africa.
• Studio Mumbai: Bijoy Jain's Mumbai-based practice shares Kéré's emphasis on local materials, traditional craftsmanship, and participatory construction methods in a developing-region context.
• MASS Design Group: Non-profit architecture practice focused on built work for underserved communities, particularly healthcare and education in Africa, with a similar mission-driven, social-impact model.
• Shigeru Ban Architects: Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect whose humanitarian and disaster-relief architecture (paper tubes, modular shelters) parallels Kéré's community-driven sustainable practice in Africa and developing regions.

Emerging players

• Heatherwick Studio: London-based studio operating across architecture, design, and public installations with a similarly material-driven, sculptural approach and comparable firm scale/tier.
• Assemble (UK): Turner Prize-winning collective working at the intersection of architecture, community participation, and material experimentation, with a similar values-driven approach to urban regeneration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fuergando
• Facebookfacebook.com/KereArchitecture
• Instagraminstagram.com/kerearchitecture/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kéré Architecture