Kounkuey Design Initiative

11/15/2022

Check out this great article in the Desert Sun about heat, shade, and public transportation in the unincorperated areas of the Eastern Coachella Valley. Our Community Associate, Christian Rodriguez, talks about how our work around our Oasis Shade Structure fits into this bigger conversation about heat and transportation equity in the area.

A recent month-long demonstration in Oasis showed how a bus shelter could provide shade in the community.

11/09/2022

Three of our team members will be participating in panels at the ASLA Conference this weekend in San Fransisco. Swipe through the pictures to see what they will be talking about. See you there!

11/01/2022

Check out our Día de los Mu***os engagements that happened this weekend! Our LA team headed out to Wichita, KS and Pacoima, CA to gather community feedback, play games, and eat good food.

09/07/2022

We are thrilled to share that Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) was selected as the winner of this year’s National Design Award for Landscape Architecture. Conferred by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the annual awards program recognizes designers with the innovation and impact to change the world.

As Chelina Odbert, KDI’s Founding Principal and CEO said on the occasion of the award, “Designers have the power and responsibility to undo the many inequities in the built environment that stand in the way of truly inclusive communities. This award promises to shine a light on the capacity of design to work across scales to make places that are at once beautiful, healthy, and just.”

We thank the Cooper Hewitt and the members of the jury:
Cheryl Barton, Marlon Blackwell, Travis Fitch, Rick Griffith, Christina Kim, Susana Rodríguez de Tembleque, and Raja Schaar

We also recognize the awardees in other categories:
Nader Tehrani, Design Visionary
WEDEW by David Hertz, Climate Action
Emily Adams Bode, Emerging Designer
Rural Studio, Architecture / Interior Design
Giorgia Lupi, Communication Design
Felecia Davis, Digital Design
W***y Chavarria, Fashion Design
CW&T, Product Design

KDI will accept this award on September 21 in New York City. Please stay tuned for updates along the way!

03/16/2022

In honor of International Women's Month, KDI recognizes Victoria Wamboi, a KPSP member who describes herself as a "Super Woman”.

As she commemorates , she challenges her fellow women to step up and take on more societal responsibilities.

01/14/2022

KDI is hiring for several positions, in both our Nairobi and LA offices! Read about the available roles here:

10/13/2021

In 2011, when KDI started working in the Eastern Coachella Valley, there was a single playground, inaccessible to most residents. Today, through over a decade of sustained collaboration with community members, the valley supports a vibrant, growing network of parks and public spaces.

Last week, our work on one of these projects—Nuestro Lugar, a 5-acre park on the banks of the Salton Sea—was honored by ASLA with a merit award for general design. We’re deeply grateful to The California Endowment , Desert Recreation District , KDI staff, and the entire North Shore community for making this possible.

KDI was also named the inaugural recipient of the Equitable Communities Champion Award, in recognition of our longstanding commitment to social and environmental justice in Southern California. You can read more about KDI’s work, as well as the impressive accomplishments of our fellow awardees, here: https://socal-asla.org/2021-design-awards/

10/01/2021

KDI is hiring! For more information on the Landscape Design Associate position, head to https://www.kounkuey.org/jobs

08/27/2021

Art 43 of the 2010 guarantees the right of every person to access clean and safe water in adequate amounts. However, across Nairobi's informal settlements severe problems with the supply and the quality of water are common. Many residents only get water a few days per week and often have to buy water from unsafe and potentially contaminated sources at very high prices compared to affluent neighbourhoods. A study by our partners Muungano wa Wanavijiji in Mukuru showed that residents tend to pay nearly 4 times more for water when compared with formally housed middle and upper income-class residents. At KDI, we call upon the government to take action to address this issue and to work on improved access to safe and clean water for all especially in the fight against where enhanced hygiene is a major factor.

08/26/2021

How can leaders in East Africa come together to meet the threat of climate change? Join KDI Research Director Vera Bukachi, , and tomorrow for a conversation on building climate resilience in the region:

This event is part of the preparatory dialogues to mark the UK’s presidency of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021. The aim of the event is to bring a range of different stakeholders together to showcase ongoing adaptation and resili...

08/26/2021

Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed several fire outbreaks in . Reasons for such are diverse, however, the community shares that links between the fire outbreaks and recent development activities in Kibera and around Kibera exist which have tampered with electricity and water supply. In addition, it is the dry season leaving structures highly flammable. The community is often the first responder to the fires which is why reliable access to water is imperative!