Yosef Bereded’s architectural career took flight three decades ago with ‘a napkin sketch’ of a Lalibela-inspired evangelical church according to him. He was a graduating student working on his thesis project with the support of the advisor assigned to him.
“The church administration had no plan to build a church at the time. But the concept design convinced them to consider building such a church and they suddenly started raising funds to realize that concept design,” Yosef told The Reporter Magazine.
Since then, he has become one of the prominent figures in Ethiopian architecture, leading his firm, Abba Architects Plc, to success. Yosef’s firm has undertaken numerous landmark design projects, including the Netherlands and Indian embassies in Addis Ababa, Hope University College, and Gullele Botanical Gardens, among many others. It was also involved in various public and government projects including Adwa Museum, Abrehot Library, Gorgora Resort Project, Amhara Regional State Convention and Parliament Building, and the renovation of Menelik II Palace (landscape), which houses the Office of the Prime Minister.
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Some among these works have won international awards including the prestigious Aga Khan Award. While many commend the firm’s ability to deliver, it is not without its critics. Some accuse Abba Architects of operating outside ethical guidelines when it comes to project acquisition. The Reporter Magazine’s Bewket Abebe sat down with the CEO, Yosef Bereded, to hear more. EXCERPTS:
With a quarter-century of experience in local architecture, what are the hallmarks of Abba Architects Plc’s work? Could you highlight your firm’s major architectural achievement?
Since our establishment, we have tried to get inspiration from Ethiopian traditions. Ethiopia, as we all know it, has a very long heritage in architecture starting from the oldest structures of Yeha temple and Axum, Lalibela, Gonder castle, the Harar wall, and the list goes on. We also have the vernacular architecture of the Sidamo, Gurage and Anuak houses. Generally speaking, we have a huge variety of architecture. We have a large diversity of architectural heritage.
Abba Architects, from the very beginning, focused on Ethiopian architecture instead of adopting the western architecture. We tried our best for our design works to be inspired by local architectural concepts. Ethiopian architecture back then was characterized by sustainability. We drew inspiration from the architectural sustainability of the past for our work.
Tell us about some of the standout works involving Abba in design and its other services.
We have been involved in a number of big projects in Ethiopia. Every design we do is well researched and done carefully. But when you win an award for a particular project, you tend to regard it as your best work. In this case, there are works that we won international awards for, like the prestigious Aga Khan award. We won the award for the Netherlands embassy design we did together with De Architectengroep, a Dutch firm. The Amhara Convention Center Complex was also another. We were awarded for it by the Ethiopian Association of Architects for outstanding architecture.
The Indian Embassy project was another big project that we won. It was an international competition. To mention the most recent one, we designed the Abrehot Library. It is a very unique project for us. Plus, we had to rush to do it within a single week. It was during COVID time.
And you delivered within a week?
Sure. We did. And we are proud of that.
Can you share with us the selection process that led to your firm winning the project?
We were invited by the Office of the Prime Minister to submit our proposal. They were impressed with our previous projects, particularly the design of the Indian Embassy in Addis Ababa. It was beyond their expectations to find such a capacity locally. They decided to give the project to us. We were excited to be chosen not by anything but by merit.
Many architects in the local industry do struggle to secure projects whereas Abba has secured a number of huge projects in the last five years alone. What do you think contributed to this success?
I think the strongest part we have is our philosophy in design. People think when you build a building like Abrehot Library, the cost will skyrocket. No, that is not true. Maybe when you allocate 10 percent more budget, you get the best quality building. If you fail to do that, you get the creepy one. We do not compromise quality for lower costs. That is one of our values.
Is it true that you did the Abrehot Library design for free?
Yes. That is true.
Could you please share the story behind how a project of this scale could be offered pro bono?
As I said, we were invited by the Prime Minister’s office. We were asked to do it as a contribution and we were very happy to do that. So we came up with the design. Then it was put out to tender.
Although we have the capacity to do that and could have benefited from taking the whole project, we refrained from doing so. This project is a landmark project so it deserves not to be stained with any bad publicity. So we said we will step back. Then Geometra Luigi Varnero Impresa Costruzioni PLC picked ZIAS Design International PLC.
The two won the project. But then Varnero came to us and said ‘you are the ones who initiated the idea’ and there were in fact a lot of complex things we had introduced there. So they said ‘take the architectural side, the landscape side and lighting and do it’. But it was not such a big share. We could have benefited from a bigger share, financially.
Can we then say it was pro bono?
The concept was free. By the way, we did the same thing for the Adwa Museum. We did the concept for free.
Is it feasible for a private firm like yours to design two giant projects pro bono?
Abrehot was one. That was okay. It is not unethical in my opinion. Especially when I now see the result; about 16 thousand students being served by the Library each day, it gives me much pleasure. But to be honest, in the case of Adwa Museum, I initially resisted; as it was costly and I did not want it to be taken as a culture. But, there are times that you can make such decisions.
People in your industry are curious that such an approach could easily lead to unethical practices, particularly regarding project acquisition. How does your firm address these concerns?
I am in the same club. I understand at times there can be offices doing projects for free and once they get the project they call to await under-table deals with contractors and embezzle. Our case is quite different.
What makes it different?
It is because I was not involved in the process. I was not a consultant. Even if I was paid later, I was not the bigger beneficiary. I was not signing any papers. The only involvement I had was in making sure that my design was done the way I wanted. That was the thing. After all, you may sometimes be asked by a client to do a proposal for free. I do not think that is unethical. Of course you cannot do it every other week as it takes a lot of creative energy.
When we did the Adwa Museum, we dealt with a strong concept, which I am glad I contributed to. Also partly because I worked on the master plan; a lot of detailed plans for the city back then during the first four years of my career. Unfortunately, we do not have detailed plans being done now.
Normally if you go to big cities like Paris, Lyon, etc. everything looks orderly. It is because of a detailed master plan including color, materials, height, and everything. That did not happen by accident. Somebody sat down and did that. In our case, if you take Bole Road for instance, it is chaotic, not orderly. We need that.
I worked on the city’s detailed plans, from Meskel Square to Arat Kilo as well as the Kazanchis area. That included the place where the Library is placed. As a result, I thought it was right to contribute to the city.
Given such practices tend to violate the ethical standards outlined by the Ethiopian Architects Association, to which you belong, and international standards, how do you deal with it?
Yes, from an ethical point of view, you should not do designs for free because you may minimize the value of the design. But in our current situation, architects are not paid what they deserve. Even in the case of the Amhara Convention Project, we were paid but it barely covered even our expenses. I paid much more than what I was paid. Three, four times.
In Ethiopia during the time of the emperor, there was a standard fee of eight percent of the project cost for architects. During the time of the Dergue, it became five percent. During the era of the EPRDF, no standard was set. What happened as a result was an ambiguity about the role of design. There are five different stages of design. A concept design; like the one I came up with within a week. It is an important part but you can do it quickly. Then there is schematic design, which incorporates details like the dimension of the doors and windows, elevators, the fire escape, etc. Then you go to the preliminary stage; at this stage we have the structure, the electrical, and the sanitary, among others. After that, there is the tender: aluminum and glass. You even specify the type of the master key at this stage, the number of lights, etc. This stage is where you define everything. The final one is a working drawing i.e. the construction drawing. At this stage everything is specified in a bill of quantity so the contractor has to follow exactly what you have drawn. Out of these five stages, some may work on the first stages. If they go further, they go to the preliminary or schematic stages. Then when we present our design fee; they say ‘oh, your price is very high’. Unless the government comes up with a standard, it will endanger the construction industry in Ethiopia.
I had the privilege to get RIBA affiliate membership, a Royal Institute of British Architects license. The affiliate membership gives you the room to play internationally. I was doing a project with the British Council and I was traveling back and forth to London. I sat for a very long interview, about four hours. They asked me all about the design process I follow. I had to make a presentation. I was handling a very big project in England. Nobody would let me get anywhere near this project at the age I was then (it happened some twenty years ago).
The question, however, is about the ethical implications of providing design work for free.
Yes. That is why I am raising these things. As I said, they asked me those questions. The last question they asked me was about ethics. For this question, I did not know what to prepare. Some other people from Africa may have even been offended at the question. So now we are going into uncharted territory. They asked how much I charge. I just burst into laughter. I never expected that question. In Britain, that is ethics. If you don’t charge the right amount, your license would be revoked. If you ask in our case, if that applies not only to my office but also the offices of all us architects, we would have been stripped of our licenses for not charging the right amount. In their case, their association is very strong and a minimum charge is set. You can charge above the standard but not below.
Coming to the Library project, there was a belief that Ethiopians cannot do it, and only architects from China, from Italy, Dubai, or somewhere in Europe. I just wanted to show the Ethiopian government that we have the capacity here. We can produce that quality. But to do that, enough budget has to be allocated. I wanted to use that as a mechanism to create that possibility. We had a session with the architects association, with 100 architects present. The design was of an international design. My colleagues liked it. And what I asked the association members was that let us [all of us] use this as an opportunity to show the government and ask to be paid the right amount. But nobody could see the vision. If we cannot show what we do today, tomorrow all Ethiopians will be out of business. How much do you think brokers are paid? Two percent from the buyer and another two percent from the seller. Brokers do nothing but they are paid four percent. No one has a problem when they pay four percent to brokers. But when an architect asks for a total of two percent, people resist.
Did that strategy work out? Did you manage to pull it off?
It at least enlightened officials. It worked in two ways. One, the association had to work very hard in coining this thing. In Djibouti or Kenya, five percent is a normal charge. But here we charge around 0.5 percent. We are not an island in the world. It costs you money.
Can you share your experiences working with international architecture firms? What types of projects have you collaborated on, and how does this partnership dynamic function?
We have done different projects with international firms. I think the main thing is from our side you have to elevate the standard. You cannot compromise the standard. In terms of payments, such projects pay well. There are projects where we were paid good standards. We got paid up to a percent in Euro for architecture only in the case of the Gullele Botanical Gardens, for instance. That is why I was able to do projects for free or for a lower price. Otherwise, we would not have survived. Those international firms we partnered with are excited about our ideas. We offer extensive research about Ethiopian architecture which they do not have any knowledge about. For the Gullele Botanical Gardens, we partnered with a Belgium firm. In that project we won the LEED GOLD level certificate, which is a prestigious award in the industry.
When we work with international partners, we work on equal terms. Luckily, I have personally had the exposure to work with international firms and high performers in the industry since the beginning. The first project I did was an international evangelical church in Sarbet. I did it with a Scottish designer who was my teacher at the university. The church had no plans to build a church. He was advising me on my thesis on Ethiopian architecture. One day on a napkin in a restaurant we said ‘what if we design a church like Lalibela with Lalibela cross?’. We started the sketch and did the design in watercolor. But then the church got attracted to the idea and raised funds. Even if the church is a protestant church, the original idea was the design of the Lalibela church. That was my first experience working with international experts. That way, it continued and I managed to work with various international experts and big names in the industry.
What is the guiding philosophy behind your firm’s designs?
As Ethiopians, we had a tradition of that wonderful architecture. But suddenly then it had all gone and a gap was created in modern time.
What we do here at Abba is filling that gap by merging the ancient tradition with modern technology.
Plus, as an architect, I believe whenever I do any design I do not solely rely on my thoughts. I mean even when you design your own house you have to consult and consider the thoughts of your wife and children. But when it comes to public buildings, I have to seriously consider what people think and whether the building lasts generations to come. Those ideas give a fresh look at the design.
When engaging with a client for a design project, how do you balance their preferences and the underlying narrative of the design?
Louis Khan is a famous American architect. He said fifty percent of the success of a project is of the client.
If you are lucky, a client who is aware, willing to go off the grid to venture new things and to experience, it is a plus. In our case, the project of the Dutch embassy is a good example. The Dutch government wanted to make their architecture a statement. So, they did not want to build embassies everywhere. They chose important countries that have good relations with them. Ethiopia happened to be one. So they wanted to make a landmark architectural piece. We came up with this idea. But at the beginning everybody, including the ambassador, was not very keen about this building. It was kind of weird to them at the time; part of it was buried in the ground, the color was somewhat red and they were scared. It was quite different from any embassy they knew. It was only when we won the Aga Khan award and the international media gave huge coverage that they suddenly started to be appreciative. Sometimes, what you do might not be appreciated right away. Your client has to be willing to take the risk and see the vision. There was even a temptation to change it during construction. But the Ministry prevented it.
Some critics argue that the Adwa Museum Project failed to integrate with the existing historical site, leading to the complete demolition of the area. This development represents a significant departure from the city’s heritage. As an architect involved in the project’s design, what is your perspective on this criticism?
I would say the reverse. For instance, the Mebrat Hail and the Degol Squares are curved. I did it purposely in a way that they read each other. Yes the building represents not only Addis’s story, it is Ethiopian and African. It should be dignified. But it cannot be out of context. The way I designed it is in a way it resembles each respective area.
I had a philosophy from the beginning mainly adopted from my mentor Thomas Loyed i.e ‘Acupuncture not surgery’. I applied that even while working on the master plan back then.
But in this particular case, I was not involved after delivering the concept design. I do not have much to say.
