YALI Regional Leadership Center - East Africa

DLR Group

Recognitions: 2017 AIA Iowa Design Award , People's Choice Award 2019

Project Description

DLR Group and MASS Design Group alongside Deloitte Consulting partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development to design the Nairobi Regional Leadership Center. The Center is part of President Barrack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The Nairobi Regional Leadership Center is striving to “improve the quality and availability of leadership training programs and professional development opportunities” for African leaders by “engaging young leaders from a wide range of organizations and backgrounds with a diversity of experiences.” DLR Group and MASS designed the dynamic new Regional Center as part of the Chandaria Business incubation and Innovation center building at Kenyatta University. The design is inspired by the idea that leaders continuously grapple with the ideas of relevance and balance. The design concept explores the intersection of modern technology with traditional, indigenous materials and vernacular to create a collaborative learning environment that supports the active-learning approaches necessary to prepare students for today’s demanding work environments.