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AIA Virginia > Professional Development News > Francis Kéré announced as ArchEx Keynote Speaker
Duitsland, Deutschland, Germany, Berlin, Berlijn, 22.1.2017. Architekt Francis Kéré. Foto: Erik-Jan Ouwerkerk

AIA Virginia is excited to announce that Francis Kere, Hon. FAIA, will be our 2018 ArchEx Keynote Speaker. Known for deftly balancing the tension between traditional building practices and innovation,Kere is an award-winning architect based in Berlin. He’s a well-known TED presenter and was a keynote speaker at the national convention in 2017, earning rave reviews.

2017 Serpertine Pavillion © Iwan Baan

He’s founder and principal of Kéré Architecture. Born in the village of Gando in Burkina Faso, he was the first child in his village to be sent to school. Since becoming an architect, he has designed internationally recognized projects in Burkina Faso, Mali, and China, including the widely celebrated 2017 Serpentine Pavilion. He is a tenured professor at Harvard University and founder of the Kéré Foundation.
From the physical tension, to spatial tension, to the tension between creative vision and practical restrictions, design is about finding the ideal balance between opposing forces. At Architecture Exchange East 2018, we’ll be exploring how tension can make – or break – design.

We hope to see you on Nov. 7-9, 2018 at ArchEx.