Christian Benimana

Exploration question

How can we design and build to improve child health outcomes during the critical phase of early childhood, which spans the often-overlooked period from when a child is born until they are eligible to enrol in education?

Christian is a Rwandan architect, leader, and advocate for design as a catalyst for social change. He currently serves as Co-Executive Director and Senior Principal at MASS Design where he has been involved in landmark projects.

His work aims to inspire a new paradigm for African design, one that bridges innovation, sustainability, and social impact. In 2023, Christian co-curated the Afritect – ijambo rirarema Exhibition at the Venice Biennale Architettura. He is also the Founding Director of the African Design Centre (ADC), a groundbreaking field-based apprenticeship programme that trains and empowers young architects and designers.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Tongji University in Shanghai. He previously taught at the former Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), was named a 2017 Quartz Africa Innovator and delivered a powerful TED Talk titled “The Next Generation of African Architects” at the 2017 TED Global Conference.