Kevin Kimwelle

Kevin Kimwelle’s architectural studies and professional experience span from Kenya to South Africa with global collaborations in Africa, the USA, Germany, and India. His research focuses on creating high-impact community development with an emphasis on the use of alternative design (materials & technology) technology as an agent towards socioeconomic and environmental change. Kimwelle’s innovative work responds to the urgency of the environmental crisis while engaging business, practice, academia, and active citizens and local municipalities for holistic application.

He was a finalist for the 2017 Design Indaba’s MBOISA (Most Beautiful Object in South Africa). He was the 2018 SAPOA Winner for the Overall Most Transformative Project in South Africa. He won the 2019 SAIA-EC Regional Award followed by the 2023 Regional Commendation to 2024 nationals. He has been featured numerous times in news articles such as The Guardian, Mail & Guardian, SABC television, Deutsche Welle Television, MNet’s Carte Blanche, etc. He has also been featured in architectural magazines such as Architectural Record (New York), Metropolis Magazine (New York), to name a few.

He has participated in several global movements such as the 2023 Copenhagen Film Festival for UIA (International Union of Architects) under UNSDG Leave No One Behind, 2030 Agenda. He also took part in the Creative Climate Coalition 2022 Climate Change Conference COP27 in Egypt.

Presently, Kimwelle is a Bauhaus Earth Fellow (Berlin), further advancing his expertise in building materials and technology.