Christian Benimana to Lead the AIDA Awards 2027 Jury

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.

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.