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The Africa International Design Awards (AIDA Awards) appointed Christian Benimana as Head of the Jury for its 2027 edition. The Rwandan architect, Co-Executive Director and Senior Principal at MASS, will lead the international panel recognising design rooted in African cultures, communities and contexts across Spatial, Product, Fashion and Communication Design.
Benimana succeeds Bibi Seck, multidisciplinary designer and co-founder of Birsel + Seck and Dakar’s STUDIO QUATORZEROHUIT, who chaired the inaugural edition and continues as a jury member. Based between Dakar, Paris and New York City, Seck has designed for Renault, Herman Miller, Moroso and IKEA. Benimana’s appointment reflects the AIDA Awards’ commitment to recognising accomplished design and supporting the next generation of African architects and designers.
Based in Kigali, Benimana leads MASS’s Africa Studio. Since joining the practice in 2010 as a Design Fellow, he has taken on design, operational and administrative leadership responsibilities, overseeing projects across Africa. His portfolio includes the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture, the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the African Leadership University, Ruhehe Primary School and the Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and eHealth. Working across education, conservation and healthcare, these projects respond to specific community needs while addressing wider questions about resources, access and the responsibilities of architectural practice.
Alongside his work at MASS, Benimana is the Founding Director of the African Design Centre, a field-based apprenticeship programme that prepares emerging architects and designers to create a more equitable and sustainable built environment. Its emphasis on learning through practice reflects his commitment to developing design leadership within the continent.
He brought that ambition to an international audience through his 2017 TEDGlobal talk, “The Next Generation of African Architects”, which has attracted more than one million views. In 2023, he co-curated Afritect – ijambo rirarema at the Venice Architecture Biennale, presented under the theme “The Laboratory of the Future”. As Head of the AIDA Awards Jury, Benimana will evaluate submissions and help validate the final selection for the programme’s grand prizes, including Designer of the Year, Independent Designer of the Year and Emerging Designer of the Year.
“I decided to join the AIDA Awards jury because I am convinced that we must invest in the next generation of architects and designers on the continent. The Awards play an important role in highlighting examples where design excellence has demonstrated what is possible, while paving the way for the development of design leadership. This is something our community of architects and designers needs.”
Christian Benimana Head of the Jury, AIDA Awards 2027
The inaugural AIDA Awards received more than 300 projects from 40 countries, including 24 African nations. Supporting emerging talent remains a practical part of the programme. Alongside dedicated entry options for independent designers and students, AIDA Awards works with design and architecture schools across the continent to support participation and offer complimentary entries to young graduates.
Entries are open to African designers working on the continent and across the diaspora, as well as international designers whose projects have been developed or realised in Africa. All submissions must demonstrate a clear and meaningful connection to the continent. The 10% extended early bird discount is available until 15 November 2026, and the programme closes on 14 March 2027. Jury evaluation is scheduled for March, with winners announced in April. The AIDA Awards programme is organised by 3C Awards in collaboration with Africa Design School in Cotonou, Benin, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting African design talent and strengthening its international visibility.
Full details on eligibility, categories, fees and submissions are available at africainternationaldesignawards.com.
About Christian Benimana
Christian Benimana is Co-Executive Director and Senior Principal at MASS, where he leads the Africa Studio from Kigali, Rwanda. He is also the Founding Director of the African Design Centre. A graduate of Tongji University’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning in Shanghai, he has taught at the former Kigali Institute of Science and Technology and served as Secretary General of the East Africa Institute of Architects. His publications include “An African Theory of Architecture” in the Architectural Guide to Sub-Saharan Africa and “Re-Thinking the Future of African Cities” in The African Perspective Magazine. He was named a Quartz Africa Innovator in 2017.
About the Africa International Design Awards
The Africa International Design Awards (AIDA) celebrates the quality and diversity of design rooted in African cultures, communities and contexts. The programme recognises professional and emerging talent across four disciplines: Spatial Design, Product Design, Fashion Design and Communication Design. Developed by 3C Awards in collaboration with Africa Design School in Cotonou, Benin, AIDA provides an international platform for African design and encourages exchange between practitioners, educators and the wider creative community.
africainternationaldesignawards.com
About Africa Design School
Africa Design School is a design school that trains designers to international standards, empowering them to make Africa shine on the global stage.
Initiated by the École de Design de Nantes Atlantique and supported by the Sèmè City Development Agency, the school opened its doors in 2019 in Cotonou with the mission of training designers across Africa. The school was created to address the challenges faced by businesses, public services, and startups on the continent, which must adapt to new paradigms of creation, digital culture, sustainable cities, and user experience. To achieve this, Africa Design School has established a strong pedagogical model and a comprehensive curriculum.
About 3C Awards
3C Awards promote architecture and design internationally through programmes recognising professional and emerging talent. Its awards cover architecture, interiors, lighting, furniture, sport and footwear design, connecting creative communities and bringing their work to international audiences. 3C Awards is operated by Three C Group GmbH, a Swiss-registered company based in Baar, Switzerland.
