Meet Cameroonian architect Hermann Kamte

DW (English)

Hermann Kamte combines art, technology, and sustainability. His functional buildings reflect the cultural diversity of its surroundings. The Cameroonian architect is regarded as pioneering the future.

Transcript

00:00All he knew growing up was that he wanted to be a builder.

00:04Not an architect, not an engineer, simply a builder of great things.

00:11Let's find out how Haman Kamte philosophizes the history and identity of African buildings while building.

00:19Africa is a big continent with more than 2,000 cultures. I don't believe that there's African architecture.

00:35I think that in Africa there's several architecture because architecture is related to many things, the site, the population and the culture.

00:47Haman's projects combine art, technology and sustainability.

00:52His buildings are functional and reflect the cultural diversity of his immediate surroundings.

01:00His designs are regarded as pioneering innovation for the future.

01:05In the range of what he's doing locally, we can be proud.

01:09And you have visited the site, you can show that we try to integrate some local material as wood

01:15and a lot of lighting. If you are traveling across the project, we see that there's more window.

01:22Because the construction sector contributes significantly to the global CO2 emissions,

01:27his team strives to optimize the use of natural resources such as light, wind and water for each project.

01:36Environmental sustainability is a must while using highly efficient technologies to reduce operating costs and energy.

01:46We make a skylight to bring light inside the place. You know, we can be inside but also feel like outside.

01:54We provide this, you know, that architecture is to provide emotion and I think that people are very, very proud.

02:00Award-winning architect, businessman, sustainability ambassador, speaker and thought leader in the world of architecture.

02:09Haman Kamte has already achieved remarkable things at a young age.

02:14The son of an engineer, he grew up in Yeonde.

02:18Did that give him a head start over his classmates?

02:22The first idea for me was not to become an architect. I like art, I like, but not directly to become architect.

02:28And my father is the one who decided to make my inscription for the competition to the AMO, the School of Architecture.

02:38AMO, it is a scholarship held by government. Only the first are admitted.

02:48And this year, in architecture, they decided to take only five persons. And I was a sixth on the list.

02:58And finally, one of the awarded decided to make the study in architecture in Italy.

03:06And the school scored me to complete this place. That's how I reached the AMO.

03:11Even though his start did not go as expected and his fellow students seemed to be on course for success

03:18with their premium studies abroad, Haman's willingness to push the boundaries of architectural creativity

03:26and his participation in numerous competitions, many of which he already won as a student.

03:34However, putting his theories into practice brought further challenges.

03:39When I was in school, my goal was to be amongst the best architects across the world.

03:44I started making competitions very early at school. I was in the third year when I made my first

03:50international competition by myself. And I remember that I was making my license, my bachelor degree,

04:00at the same time. And I also made the two other competitions. And what gave me a motivation is because

04:07for the two competitions, I was among the shortlist. That's what I say that, ah, I can make something,

04:15I can be in competition with the better around the world.

04:18Over the past 10 years, his office has designed schools, museums and residential projects.

04:27How does he counter his perpetual challenge to constantly innovate and explore how his architecture

04:34can adapt to changing needs? You have to stay in contact with technology, with people, with the

04:41society, with trend. But an architect doesn't have to be influenced by trend because downtime trend

04:48doesn't, is not innovation. It is not progress. It is not substantially to be used instead into a project.

04:59Herman Kamte will continue to shape the architectural identity history of the continent. His work shows how

05:08important it is that our identity includes our environment and Herman will continue to build, innovate and create.

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