Architecture as Territory

As an Architectural Designer at Dameron Architecture, I undertook extensive research on behalf of the firm to contextualize and inform the design of the Kijana Global Innovation School near Butere, Kenya. Through GIS software, historical research, and projected climate conditions, I developed a series of mappings that reveal the local and regional conditions that make the Kakamega region what it is today.

These mappings inform aspects of the building’s design and connection to local landscape. The library functions not only as an essential component of the campus, but also as a thermal regulator, water collection vessel, and educational tool for water management and agriculture: blending the boundary between architecture, landscape, and territory. Currently in construction, the project seeks to collect and store enough rainwater to irrigate all of the campus’ agricultural production while providing the excess to neighboring subsistence farms.