"Africa’s future hinges on one question: are we shaping the minds today who will shape the continent tomorrow?"
Christian Benimana is a Rwandan architect, leader, and advocate for design as a catalyst for social change. He joined MASS Design Group in 2010 as a Global Health Corps Design Fellow and has since risen to serve as Co-Executive Director and Senior Principal at the firm. Over his tenure, Christian has led critical operational and administrative initiatives while overseeing transformative design and construction projects across Africa.
Based in MASS Design Group's Rwanda office, Christian's significant portfolio includes landmark projects such as the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture, the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the African Leadership University, the Ruhehe Primary School, and the Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and eHealth.
A passionate advocate for empowering the next generation of African architects, Christian delivered a powerful TED Talk titled "The Next Generation of African Architects" at the 2017 TED Global Conference. The talk has since garnered over 1 million views, inspiring global audiences with his vision for Africa's potential to lead the future of design and architecture.
In 2023, Christian co-curated the Afritect - ijambo rirarema Exhibition at the Venice Biennale Architettura, aligning with the theme "The Laboratory of the Future". The exhibition showcased Africa's role as a hub for architectural experimentation and innovation, presenting design solutions that address pressing global challenges through sustainability, equity, and creativity.
Christian is also the Founding Director of the African Design Centre (ADC), a groundbreaking field-based apprenticeship program that trains and empowers young architects and designers to create a more equitable, just, and sustainable built environment. The ADC stands as a tangible realization of Christian's commitment to nurturing the next generation of African design leaders.
Recognized for his contributions to architecture and design innovation, Christian was named a 2017 Quartz Africa Innovator and is celebrated as one of the architects championing Afrofuturism. An influential voice in the industry, he has authored key works such as "An African Theory of Architecture" in the Architectural Guide to Sub-Saharan Africa (DOM Publishers) and "Re-Thinking the Future of African Cities" in The African Perspective Magazine.
Christian's academic contributions include teaching at the former Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), where he sought to instill socially-conscious design principles in emerging architects. He also served as Secretary General of the East Africa Institute of Architects.
Christian holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the School of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP) at Tongji University in Shanghai, China. His work continues to inspire a new paradigm for African design, one that bridges innovation, sustainability, and social impact.