About

Active Social Architecture

ASA, short for Active Social Architecture, represents the firm's belief and commitment to the social value of architecture. The international practice, based in Kigali, Rwanda, was established in 2012 by two European architects and scholars, Tomà Berlanda and Nerea Amorós Elorduy.
As of 2021, ASA is operative in all East African Countries and Europe, with a variety of clients and a wide range of stakeholders. Among them are organizations such as local and international NGO's, social enterprises, UN agencies focused on both local and global communities. ASA works in close collaboration with all of them to achieve quality and excellence in architecture and design, concentrating on elements that improve people's livelihoods, strengthen and empower communities and their sense of identity. The ensuing process is a constant interaction of stakeholders’ participation, architectural practice and research.   
 
Our team is dedicated to the highest standards of sustainable design, that we consider as a tool to empower communities, to be resilient to climate change, and economically efficient. To us, the measure of success of our projects comes in their benefit to their primary users, as well as their value to the whole community and impact on the surrounding context as a means to empower, enrich and enhance lives. Good design balances originality and beauty with sustainability, durability and functionality.
 
​ As in any project we undertake, it is our primary goal to create inspiring, comfortable and functional spaces that are tailored to each specific context, the users’ needs and their expectations, and the overall budget. As one of the fundamentals of sustainable design, we are always keen on exploring locally sourced materials and the most appropriate environmental approach, minding the carbon footprint and embodied energy levels during design, implementation and final intervention. Research, by design and on the field, is the base for our projects development, whereby typologies, craftmanship and innovative compositions are explored to enrich the user’s experience.
We have the ambition to apply a holistic approach to each design process, operating in close collaboration with local authorities, engineers, and field specialists to look at the project with a 360° perspective. This applies to categories such as community participatory design, budget maximization, climate-sensitive design, socially and environmentally sensitive placement of building and services, use of passive systems, and interior comfort.

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KN 7 ave
Kiyovu
Kigali, Rwanda


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