CPDI Africa — the Community Planning & Design Initiative Africa — describes its mission as developing new design languages for Africa and the diaspora. Its 2026 International Design Competition puts that mission into practice.
Entrants are asked to work from the organisation’s “5 Elements of African-Centered Architecture” and to develop contemporary prototypes that combine indigenous architectural principles, climate responsiveness and modern living standards, with African cultural identity at the centre of the built environment.
The question is larger than any single competition: can the continent’s architecture be modern without being imported? Winning entries, according to the organiser, can lead to design-build opportunities and publication. Competition entries are not AMA projects; AMA WORLD reports on them as part of the wider conversation.
