Deadline: 13-Jul-2025
The African Design Centre Fellowship seeks emerging design leaders with demonstrated commitment to advancing social justice and environmental responsibility through their work, deeply rooted in African heritage.
The ADC Fellowship is a twelve-month hands-on residency program in Kigali, Rwanda, for nationals of an African country. This program is designed to foster and incubate future African architects and designers by imparting essential tools, mentorship, and resources. The objective is to empower Fellows to develop culturally grounded and community-driven design solutions that address the continent’s significant infrastructure challenges, while concurrently preserving and integrating Africa’s architectural heritage.
Focus Areas
- Ideal candidates seek to participate in the movement that will define how locally driven, design-based interventions can deliver transformational change specifically in three areas of focus:
- Maternal & Newborn Health – addresses foundational health and dignity through dignified spaces for care, growth, and resilience from birth onward.
- Expanding Opportunities – expands social and economic opportunity by designing spaces that cultivate innovation, skills, and local enterprise.
- Building a Climate-Positive Future – reimagines development as a catalyst for climate-positive growth—advancing ecological stewardship and community well-being to ensure that people and nature thrive together.
Benefits
- Conduct Research: Undertake culturally rooted design research exploring indigenous knowledge systems, vernacular architecture, and urban patterns.
- Pilot Projects: Engage in community-based design projects within the designated focus areas.
- Disseminate Knowledge: Publish reflective pieces to share insights gained during the Fellowship.
Duration
- The fellowship is a two-year commitment with required residency and work in Kigali, Rwanda, the first year.
- In-Person Fellowship and residency in Kigali, Rwanda: September 2025 – August 2026
- ADC Fellowship Network and Community of Practice: September 2026 – August 2027
Work Streams
- Research: Investigate how failures of space and design exacerbate the root causes of inequitable development, gaps in healthcare access, climate vulnerability, and barriers to education and economic opportunity across the African continent. Define how locally driven, design-based interventions can deliver transformational change.
- Catalyst Projects: Pilot high-impact, proof-of-concept projects — including maternal health facilities, innovation hubs, conservation infrastructure, and education campuses — that demonstrate scalable, community-centered design solutions for Africa’s most urgent challenges.
- Systems Change: Advance a new generation of African design leaders through the African Design Centre (ADC) Fellowship and mentorship programs.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be nationals of an African country, 35 years of age or below.
- Applicants must be built-environment professionals and hold a degree in architecture, urban design, landscape, engineering, or a related field.
- Applicants must be able to relocate to Kigali, Rwanda, from September 2025 to August 2026.
Application Requirements
- The application is a three-stage selection process:
- Stage 1: Expression of interests. Eligible candidates will be asked to submit resumes/CVs, references, portfolio, and a statement of alignment.
- Stage 2: Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to submit pre-fellowship essays and confirm availability to fully participate in the Fellowship activities.
- Stage 3: Candidates with successful essays will participate in interviews.
For more information, visit MASS Design Group.