Architectural entrepreneur Gilbert BalindaSet on making his mark on the continent, Gilbert Balinda is a Rwandan-Belgian architect whose career has spanned Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Currently based at the Media Mill creative hub in Milpark, Johannesburg, Balinda has worked on projects including Freedom Park, the Mandela Capture Site in Howick and the Taung World Heritage site. Architectural entrepreneur Gilbert Balinda He aims to ensure that cultural context, collective memory, and the human connection remain central to his work. We chatted to Balinda to find out more about his journey as an architect thus far, his creative process, and from where he draws inspiration for his work. Were you always passionate about architecture - would you say it's your calling?Gilbert Balinda: I wanted to be a marine biologist or a veterinarian as a kid. I just loved animals. Architecture came later on when I finished high school in Belgium. It seemed a perfect choice because it combined art and science, and I could not make up my mind to choose just one side. So I jumped into architecture and have never regretted it ever since. But sometimes, I think it would have been less complicated to study animals than to design the human habitat. Where does your passion for the field stem from?Balinda: Several things feed my passion, but mainly the idea that we can create something from nothing and participate in making our cities for a better future fascinates me every day. Balinda: At the start of a project, I like to have conversations on certain topics unrelated to architecture with a client or with my team. I find those moments of deep discussion critical to assessing the context of the client and the project. Those are important to understanding or creating an architectural vision. The concept phase is delightful because the project does not need to be constrained in solving all the issues immediately. It is a time of creative exploration that often leads me to read books on different topics and look at other disciplines and forms of art. It is also the moment where you can start creating the narrative of your project and defining the impact you want to make. Of course, not all projects are the same so the process might vary and the ideas may take more time to mature. Your career has thus far taken you across continents. How would you say this professional and life experience has affected your work?Balinda: Growing in different countries and continents gave me the ability to adapt quickly to a foreign context. But it has also caused me to be periodically restless and impatient. I always want to move fast and go to the next thing, which is not always positive. Multiculturalism tends to open up a new way of thinking which is neither planned nor defined. We find ways to navigate complexities by looking at things from a different perspective.So I would say that my experiences make me ask more questions. I try to leave more room for different interpretations and be less prescriptive. Why is the preservation of Africa's cultural heritage so central to your work?Balinda: Cultural preservation is not only crucial for humankind. It is essential to the transmission of knowledge to future generations. Without preservation, we fail as a people and as a society. |