The story
A new campus that carries a history of refuge forward.
Gisimba Memorial Center holds an extraordinary history: during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the original site became a place of refuge. Today the organization continues to work with young people, and its new-campus proposal must expand that work without turning history into a backdrop. Journeyman International developed a master plan for education, trauma-informed therapy, community support, and everyday youth programs in purpose-built spaces. The design seeks a careful balance between privacy and connection—quiet settings for counseling, flexible rooms for learning, outdoor areas for play and gathering, and circulation that feels clear and safe.
The new campus is intended to complement the original site and preserve its significance rather than erase or imitate it. The archive documents planning and design proposals, not a completed expansion. Its architectural responsibility is both practical and memorial: give current programs the space they need while carrying forward a legacy defined by protection, courage, and care.