Dakar is experiencing a major building boom. It's obvious when you
walk the streets of some of the up-and-coming suburbs, such as Le
Plateau, Ouakam, Point E or les Mamelles. Whole neighbourhoods have
turned into construction sites and buildings are mushrooming every
week.

Yet, surprisingly, only six per cent of all new constructions
are designed by architects, a startling fact that did not escape
Abdou Sene, a young and talented Dakar-born architect who studied
and spent part of his working life abroad before returning to new
opportunities at home.

After his baccalaureate, Abdou devoted all his time to music,
hoping to make a name in this competitive industry but he soon
found out he wouldn't make a living out of his passion. So he
decided to return to university to study architecture, a "truly
creative and multidisciplinary" profession.

At the age of 22, after having successfully passed a competitive
entry examination at the Ecole d'Architecture de Marseille-Luminy,
Abdou left for Southern France with a heavy heart and the firm
intention of coming back to Dakar the day after his graduation.

Leaving his family and wide circle of friends behind was
particularly difficult. "When I arrived in Marseille, I said to
myself: cheer up, you only have six years to go!"

But soon, things looked up as Abdou met Marlène
Chaussé, a fellow student at the School of Architecture in
Marseille, who was later to become his wife.

After three years in Marseille, the couple began to feel
penned-in and started making enquiries about the possibilities of
furthering their architectural studies in a "truly international
city with abundant social and cultural life."

The couple finally settled for London, a city where, according
to Abdou "only talent matters and where one's creativity can
blossom in a truly multicultural environment."

After graduating from the South Bank University and the London
Metropolitan University, Abdou quickly found employment in two of
the United Kingdom's leading architectural firms, Norman Foster and
Partners and Wilkinson Eyre Architects. Here, he worked on projects
which included the regeneration of Trafalgar Square, one of
London's most famous landmarks.

Encouraged by their stimulating working environments and
convinced that they could capitalize on their newly acquired
experience, Abdou and Marlène decided to set up Senestudio,
an international architecture and design practice based in
London.

Success came quickly as their first project, a house built in a
newly developed residential area of Dakar, was selected among 300
others in an international architectural contest and featured in
the prestigious 2005 Bauwelt publication.

"Rather than imposing a foreign style, we designed the house
around the way people live, using local construction methods to
better manage the climate," says Abdou, adding that hospitality
continues to play a significant part in Senegalese culture. "The
house was designed around the many and varied social events using
cement blocks, cast and cured on site to control costs and
perforated aluminium panels to provide privacy and maintain natural
ventilation."

Abdou's wish to settle in his hometown and Marlène's
desire to discover more of her husband's home country grew with the
couple's regular visits to Dakar. "Taking the decision to return to
Senegal was not easy," says Abdou. "But Marlène and I
thought it would be easier to do so before our workload in London
became heavier than in Dakar." With the arrival of their first
child, the couple also felt it would be difficult for them to find
a balance between their professional and family life in London. "We
saw many colleagues make enormous personal sacrifices we weren't
ready to make."

In August 2007, the family settled in Dakar and a few weeks
later, the Senestudio was relocated in Senegal's capital.

Abdou joined the 200 or so strong chamber of Senegalese
architects to support the re-opening of the school of architects in
Dakar, which used to draw talent from all over West Africa but had
to close its doors in 1989.

"The fact that Senegal no longer has a school of architecture
partly explains why so many young and talented students decide to
leave the continent to study abroad with many never returning
because they feel they have fewer professional prospects at
home."

Abdou feels his return and professional investment can usefully
contribute to the renaissance of architecture in Senegal. "I want
children to say: ‘I want to be an architect when I grow up'
and I want young Senegalese to understand that they can find
successful employment in this field of activity." The future of
building design in West Africa looks promising.