Selection of Urban and Architectural Design Consultant organisation to undertake Urban Planning, Infrastructure and Architectural Design Services

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), on behalf of Rwanda’s Green Fund (FONERWA), KfW Development Bank and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is pleased to announce the launch of an International Design Competition for the proposed Green City Kigali development in Rwanda’s capital. 

Green City Kigali is a sustainable urban development project spearheaded by Rwanda’s Green Fund (FONERWA), with the financial support of the German Development Cooperation through KfW Development Bank, to undertake a feasibility study and masterplan competition for the 600 hectare Kinyinya Hill area of Kigali together with funding towards the construction of a first affordable housing pilot within the designated project area of 18 hectares. Funding for the construction phase of the pilot phase has been secured.

Rwanda’s Green Fund (FONERWA) has commissioned Sweco, one of Europe’s leading engineering and architecture consultancy companies, to carry out a feasibility study of the ambitious urban development project. The feasibility study plays a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for the implementation of the Green City Kigali and the future construction of the envisaged pilot development.

As stated in the project brief, Green City Kigali seeks to address the three main challenges faced by the housing market in Kigali – housing affordability, housing supply and urban sprawl as a consequence of hilly terrain, population increase and current patterns of low-density development. The ambition is for Green City Kigali to become a transformative project, which by linking affordable housing with climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, will help establish new standards for sustainable urban development that can be replicated elsewhere in Rwanda and beyond. The aim is to create a compact, mixed-use development with a pedestrian focus that will provide its residents with public open space, neighbourhood facilities and local employment opportunities to encourage an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable community. 

Through the design competition, the selection process is seeking to appoint an experienced and suitably qualified Urban and Architectural Design Consultant organisation (and their assembled multi-disciplinary sub-consultant team) to further develop their masterplan proposals for the 600ha Kinyinya Hill area, together with a detailed masterplan and associated construction stage information for the pilot   development.

In the first instance, applications are invited in accordance with the requirements set out in a Prequalification Document. A Memorandum of Information (MoI) document providing background to the Green City Kigali project, selection process and details of how to obtain the Prequalification documentation is available from www.architecture.com/Competitions. Further information on the Green City Kigali in general is available at www.greencitykigali.org.

A maximum of five applicant teams will be short-listed and invited to participate in the design competition and tender phase. Each short-listed team that makes a design submission and complies with the tender requirements will receive an honorarium payment of Euro €50,000 as a contribution towards the cost of visiting the site, preparing the masterplan proposals and presenting these to the Adjudication Panel at a clarification interview to be held in Kigali.

The deadline for receipt of Prequalification returns is 14.00hrs (GMT) on Wednesday 18 December 2019.


Notes to editors:

Rwanda’s Green Fund FONERWA is a ground-breaking environment and climate change investment fund. It is the engine of green growth in Rwanda and serves as an example for what’s possible – in Africa and around the world. The fund invests in the best public and private projects that have the potential for transformative change and that align with Rwanda’s commitment to building a strong green economy.

Learn more: www.fonerwa.org

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) develops the guidelines and the fundamental concepts of German development policy. Within this framework, the BMZ commissions the implementing organisations, such as KfW Development Bank; with the concrete realisation of the policy and thus the execution of development projects and programs.

Learn more: https://www.bmz.de/en/index.html

Working on behalf of the German Federal Government as part of the German Development Cooperation with developing countries and emerging economies, the KfW Development Bank promotes development programmes in Africa, Asia, Latin America and South East Europe. In this regard, the development bank finances investments and reform initiatives in a wide variety of sectors, including health, education, water supply, energy, rural development and financial systems development.

Learn more: https://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/International-financing/KfW-Entwicklungsbank/

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global fund created to support the efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenges of climate change. The GCF helps developing countries to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to help vulnerable societies adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

Learn more: www.greenclimate.fund

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment.  Architecture.com.  Follow @RIBA on Twitter for regular updates www.twitter.com/RIBA

For further details about the Green City Kigali project please visit:  www.greencitykigali.org