This wide-eyed lad from Addis Ababa has fire in his belly to make it big in life and wants to bring newer perspective to architecture. His attributes are many that include punctuality as he hates procrastination; burning midnight oil and working hard to complete assignments and tasks at hands was part of his well-organized study plans that enabled him to gain 3.98 CGPA and bagged second position in the merit list.


Kaleab Wendimu, a graduate in Architecture & Urban Planning basking in the success of his achievement hails from Addis Ababa and completed Grade 12 from St. Raguel Church Secondary and Preparatory School, wherein he was top-scorer and from the scratch was interested in drawing and designs.

He adds, I was happy to pursue Architecture as it gives me an immense pleasure; whenever I see well-designed buildings, it thrills me. In the course of 5-yearlong study, we were fully busy; it’s here I became punctual, worked hard and gained communication skills for without which we can’t make any headway.

On area of interest, he said, professionally architecture is a vast field; it’s all about designing, then comes civil, electrical and mechanical engineering, and in future, I would be designing high-rise building, façade, interiors and building as a whole and building material and construction was the subject close to my heart.

Ruing present scenario, he said, in Ethiopia Architects doesn’t get their due and structures designed here isn’t up to the mark, hence, there is lot to be done. Therefore, I want to be a teacher and at the same time imbibe finer nuances of the field by being a professional and bring new perspective to students, he said.

On lacuna in teaching-learning process, he said, AMU needs quality staff, there are few experienced one but some are quite callow that don’t make the entire process well-balanced.

He agreed architecture being soul of a structure owes 70% responsibility to ensure durability, esthetics interiors and clients’ satisfaction; other aspects such as sanitary, electro-mechanical fixtures, etc. further contributes to its longevity. The structural and installation failures can’t be attributed to architecture, for it’s civil engineers, who design how things will go under the given space and needs of clients, he stresses.    

His father, Wendimu Tariku, a businessman often runs from place to place to earn his livelihood, mother Emawayesh Mekonen is a housewife; his younger brother is pursuing electrical engineering at Adama Science & Technology University; while only sister and youngest brother are still in school.

To forthcoming graduates, he said, your subjects might be tough, but it does depend as to how you organize yourself. Read a lot, search, research and be good communicator; learn things in which you are not good at and exploit opportunities to your best so that road ahead will not be tough but achievable!

Attributing credit of his success to his God Almighty, dotting parents, able AMU teachers and others, he said, I unwind myself by listening religious music; I also help poor by extending assistance in different ways that makes me exceedingly happy, he sums up. 

(Corporate Communication Directorate)