ABSTRACT
Cameroonian architect Caroline Barla believes that an architect’s ‘primary mission is to guide the art of living’. Since establishing her Douala-based studio, Barla has created numerous homes, apartments, schools, villas and hotels across the city. Aesthetically, Barla Barla Architectes’ work combines contemporary and traditional African motifs, aiming to build upon Cameroon’s architectural heritage. One of a handful of women architects in Republic of the Congo, Valérie Mavoungou is the founder of the Pointe-Noire-based studio Atelier Tropical. Mavoungou aims to discover and create architecture that has its roots in Congo and central Africa but is modern and appropriate for a rapidly urbanising country. Nascimento’s approach to architecture is largely collaborative, working with a range of professionals from artists, designers, writers and filmmakers to other architects and engineers, as well as clients and institutions. Ndiaye acknowledges the important role architects can play in creating more sustainable futures.
