The Balouo Salo Non-Profit Organisation has launched the 2025 edition of the Kaira Looro Architecture Competition for Nursery Schools in the rural areas of southern Senegal, a country in western Sub-Saharan Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Mauritania, Mali, Gambia and Guinea.

The 2025 edition of the Kaira Looro Competition invites architects, students, designers, engineers, and young professionals from around the world to design an architectural model for a Nursery School in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. 

As the organization explained, the objective is to create a safe and inclusive environment that promotes children's well-being and development.

The competition will select 3 winners, 2 Honourable Mentions, 10 Special Mentions, 35 Finalists, and 4 Internship Awards. The Internship Awards will include top architectural offices: Kengo Kuma & Associates in Tokyo, Benedetta Tagliabue EMBT in Barcelona, Amanda Levete Architects in London, and SBGA | Blengini Ghirardelli in Milan.

World Architecture Community is official media partner of the 2025 edition of Kaira Looro Competition and will share the winners of the competition once the competition is closed.

"The lack of quality educational facilities in many rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa poses a significant barrier to children's development," said the Balouo Salo Non-Profit Organisation.

"Education plays a crucial role in nurturing cognitive skills, emotional growth, and social abilities, preparing them to face life’s challenges with resilience and creativity." 

"However, in many of these regions, children are deprived of these fundamental opportunities due to the absence of safe and stimulating environments," the organization added.

Young professionals and students throughout the world will have the chance to influence the direction of education in Sub-Saharan Africa with this new initiative. In addition to being a creative challenge, this is an opportunity to help leave a legacy of sustainability, innovation, and community empowerment.

Furthermore, Kaira Looro is the only competition with no profit-oriented objectives. 

All proceeds will entirely be donated to the humanitarian organization Balouo Salo, which is dedicated to improving access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure in these disadvantaged regions. 

"By participating, entrants will also become witnesses to tangible change driven by solidarity," the organization continued.

The 2025 edition invites participants to provide creative, affordable, and environmentally friendly solutions that combine learning, interacting with others, playing, and exploring in a single area. 

The use of regional resources, environmentally friendly building techniques, and community involvement in the construction process should be the main goals of proposals. 

In addition to being a lively and friendly environment for children, the completed project should be a model of sustainable development and a point of reference for the neighborhood.

Participants must also consider the challenges of building in rural areas, where the lack of skilled labor and heavy machinery can pose significant obstacles. 

The Nursery School should cover a maximum area of 650 square meters and include classrooms, offices, educational and play areas, a medical room, a dining hall, storage, and sanitary facilities. All this should be achieved through a unique and innovative design that represents excellence in this educational field.

As per tradition, the competition also aims to launch young architectural talents into the international arena by awarding prestigious prizes and professional growth opportunities. 

Some of the most significant awards include: the first prize winner will receive a cash of €5,000, with an internship at Kengo Kuma & Associates (Japan), and the realization of the project as a humanitarian initiative.

The Second Prize winner will receive a cash of €2,000, with an internship at one of Benedetta Tagliabue EMBT (Spain), Amanda Levete Architects (London), or SBGA Blengini Ghirardelli (Milan).

The Third Prize winner will receive a cash of €1,000, with an internship at one of EMBT (Spain), ALA (London), or SBGA Blengini Ghirardelli (Milan).

The competition also recognizes special and honourable mentions, as well as 35 finalists. All awarded projects will gain international visibility and be published in prestigious architectural journals and the competition’s official book.

The jury of Kaira Looro is made up of some of the world’s most renowned and award-winning architects worldwide, such as Kengo Kuma (Kengo Kuma & Associates), Benedetta Tagliabue (Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects), Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, Ramón (RCR Arquitectes), Mario Cucinella (Mario Cucinella Architects), David Adjaye (Adjaye Associates), Amanda Levete (Amanda Levete Architects), Manuel Aires Mateus (Aires Mateus Architects), Giancarlo Mazzanti (El Equipo Mazzanti), Agostino Ghirardelli (SBGA | Blengini Ghirardelli), Raul Pantaleo (TAM Associati), Emmanuelle Moureaux (Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture + Design), Saad El Kabbaj, Driss Kettani, Mohamed Amine Siana.

First prize winner for the Maternity Centre Facility Competition, Bao Gia Luong from Vietnam. Image © Bao Gia Luong, courtesy of Balouosalo

Early registrations will open on January 10, 2025

Early registrations will open on January 10 and will be made until February 28, 2025. Regular registrations will open from March 1 to April 9, 2025, while late registrations will be made from April 10 to May 15, 2025. 

Project submission deadline will end on June 10, 2025. Jury evaluations will take place between June 23 and June 29, 2025. 

The organizaton plans to announce winners on July 8, 2025. 

The competition guidelines can be accessed from here: EN_Kaira Looro 2025.pdf. 

The competition brief can be accessed from here. Registrations can be made through this page. 

All images © Balouosalo.

> via Kaira Looro Competition 

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