African Design Centre Fellowship 2025 – Fully Funded 2-Year Program for Emerging African Architects and Designers

Overview

MASS Design Group has relaunched the African Design Centre (ADC) Fellowship, a transformative two-year fellowship focused on empowering emerging African design leaders. The first year of this fully funded hands-on residency takes place in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 2025 to August 2026, followed by a remote second year of mentorship and knowledge sharing.

Funded by the Mellon Foundation and the Cravens Foundation, the fellowship fosters African-led architectural innovation grounded in indigenous knowledge, community-based design, and sustainable development.

Fellowship Focus Areas

Fellows will engage with high-impact design and research within three thematic areas:

• Maternal & Newborn Health: Create dignified spaces for care and early growth.

• Expanding Opportunities: Design environments that enhance innovation, local skills, and enterprise.

• Building a Climate-Positive Future: Promote ecological stewardship and resilience through climate-aware design.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must be a national of an African country

• Must be 35 years or younger

• Must have a degree in architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, engineering, or a related built-environment field

• Must be able to relocate to Kigali, Rwanda, from September 2025 to August 2026

Fellowship Benefits

• Paid 12-month residency in Kigali

• Ongoing mentorship from MASS Design professionals and design experts

• Access to pilot projects, design research, and community-based work

• Opportunities to publish and disseminate findings

• Second-year mentorship support for research or personal initiatives

Fellowship Timeline

• In-person Residency: September 2025 – August 2026 (in Kigali, Rwanda)

• Remote Mentorship & Community Practice: September 2026 – August 2027