February 8, 2023

2023 Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal, Francis Kéré

PRESS RELEASE

Francis Kéré to receive the Tau Sigma Delta
2023 Gold Medal

Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts along with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture are pleased to announce Francis Kéré as the recipient of the 2023 Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal.

The Tau Sigma Delta (TSD) Gold Medal is awarded by the Grand Chapter to a professional with a record of high distinction in design in the field of Architecture, Landscape Architecture or the Allied Arts. The award will be presented at the ACSA’s 111th Annual Meeting to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, March 30-April 1, 2023. The presentation of the TSD Gold Medal along with the conference closing keynote will take place on Saturday, April 1st at the Washington University in St. Louis, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.

Francis Kéré is an internationally renowned Burkinabè architect and the 2022 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He is recognized for his pioneering approach to design and sustainable modes of construction. His vocation to become an architect comes from a personal commitment to serve the community he grew up in, and a belief in the transformative potential of beauty.

In 2004, his very first building – the Gando Primary School, which he designed, raised funds for and realized in collaboration with the residents of his hometown while still a student at the Technical University of Berlin – was awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, garnering him critical acclaim from the outset of his career. In 2005 he founded his architectural practice, Kéré Architecture GmbH, as well as the Kéré Foundation e.V., a non-profit organization that pursues projects in Gando.

Since then, Kéré has gone on to become one of the world’s most distinguished contemporary architects, with a vision that is at once utopian and pragmatic. Inspired by the particularities of each project’s locality and its social tapestry, he and his team work on projects across four continents. These include his designs for the Burkina Faso National Assembly, the Lycée Schorge Secondary School, the Léo Surgical Clinic and Health Centre, the 2017 Serpentine Pavilion and Xylem, the recently opened pavilion for the Tippet Rise Art Centre.

About Tau Sigma Delta
The Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts is the only national honor society for architecture and design majors that is accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies.

The Society recognizes intellectual achievement, effort and initiative as well as leadership and character. This prize of membership acknowledges undergraduate and graduate students who attain high scholastic standing in their field. For more information, visit www.tausigmadelta.org.

About ACSA
The mission of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture is to lead architectural education and research. Founded in 1912 by 10 charter members, ACSA is an international association of architecture schools preparing future architects, designers, and change agents. Our full members include all of the accredited professional degree programs in the United States and Canada, as well as international schools and 2two- and four4-year programs. Together ACSA schools represent some 7,000 faculty educating more than 40,000 students.

ACSA seeks to empower faculty and schools to educate increasingly diverse students, expand disciplinary impacts, and create knowledge for the advancement of architecture. For more information, visit www.acsa-arch.org.

About Washington University in St. Louis
The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis is a leader in architecture, art, and design education. We are advancing our fields through innovative research and creative practice, excellence in teaching, a world-class university art museum, and a deep commitment to addressing the social and environmental challenges of our time. Through the work of our students, faculty, and alumni, we are striving to create a more just, sustainable, humane, and beautiful world. For more information, visit www.samfoxschool.wustl.edu.

Questions

Heather Albarazi
Digital Marketing & Communications Manager
202-785-2324
halbarazi@acsa-arch.org