Leighton Beaman's work
Posted
by
Marisa LaFalce
In Human Centered Design

Leighton Beaman, associate professor of practice in the Department of Human Centered Design, has won two international awards for the design of a learning and sports center in Rwanda. The center, designed and built by Beaman’s nonprofit General Architecture Collaborative (GAC), where Beaman is a founding principal, won two Archetizer A+ awards in the “Architecture for Good” and “Architecture for Communities” categories.

A jury selected the Masoro Learning and Sports Center from a field of more than 5,000 entries from over 100 countries, including many innovative projects designed by multi-national firms seeking to address the complex challenges facing today’s world. The center also earned a Design Award for Excellence, selected from a large pool of U.S. firms, awarded by the Society of American Registered Architects New York Council 2022.

“As part of GAC we are pleased to receive the awards, not for the accolades, but for the notoriety it gives to our projects. We hope that this will generate interest and support so that we can continue our work in East Africa and other parts of the globe,” said Beaman.

What makes GAC unique is the cooperative, community-based role the firm plays by truly engaging users in all phases of the project from design and fundraising to construction and operations. The center began as a small flat space among rolling hills in Masoro, Rwanda where community-members gathered to play soccer. For two years GAC worked with the community to identify needs and develop a vision for the center. They partnered with other nonprofits with specific expertise in sports and education.

Working on site in Rwanda
Leighton Beaman

Construction in progress. GAC raised construction funds and hired and trained residents to build the center.

While a needs-analysis is essential to good design projects, what makes GAC unique is the partnerships that followed. After the design phase was complete, GAC raised construction funds and hired and trained residents to build the center. The construction team was composed of 54% women, a rarity in Rwanda where there are few opportunities for women in these fields. Architects and engineers affiliated with GAC understand evidence-based practices, but they also recognize that there are design nuances and construction techniques that adapt best to the topography and resources of the area. For example, they utilized local bricks developed for locations like Masoro with high seismic activity. Beaman credits this reciprocal relationship of individuals sharing local trades and materials and GAC incorporating those with best practices for the building’s success. Once construction was complete, GAC worked with community-members to articulate center expectations and helped to train individuals to effectively manage and operate the center.

Beaman has always had an interest in the community aspects of building. An early professional experience led Beaman to design and build a project together with a small group. The joint effort provided a sense of community and ownership for the structure.

As a trained architect, Beaman’s experiences have cultivated his interest in designing building systems that do not require a high level of skill or training. His goal it to take intuitive ways of making and incorporate those into installations that create a catalyst for community involvement. It is this strong human-centered aspect that makes his teaching and research a natural fit for the Department of Human Centered Design. This same vision has created a successful community center and what Beaman hopes will be future projects not only by GAC but a shifting paradigm of what modern architecture might look like.

Today the Learning and Sports Center is an award winning, vibrant community space that features a library, classrooms, technology education rooms, indoor exercise spaces, community and teaching gardens, outdoor theaters, event seating, a basketball court and yes, a soccer field.