Cheetah Conservation Fund & SDI Architecture Break Ground on Cheetah Sanctuary and Education Center

SDI Architecture breaks ground on the cheetah reserve and education center in Somaliland.

Building a Future for Cheetahs: SDI Architecture and CCF Partner on a New Education Complex in Somaliland, Advancing Conservation Through Innovative Design.

We're not just building an Educational Complex–we're creating a lifeline for communities who are living on the lands with cheetahs.”

— Prasanna Lachagari

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS , UNITED STATES, February 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), supported by the Royal Commission for AlUla, is building a new Cheetah Education and Training Center at their second African outpost, in

Somaliland. The design and architecture are spearheaded by Boston’s SDI Architecture Design Director and Partner, Prasanna Lachagari, who is integrating ecological preservation with innovative architecture.

Construction of the Complex has already begun, with foundations laid with the first phase to be completed within six months. As construction progresses, Detour Habitats and SDI Architecture invite wildlife enthusiasts, conservationists, and the global community to support this vital initiative.

The Education Complex project has been spearheaded by Prasanna, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and newly appointed UN representative to the NGO Women Against Mutilation (WAM). Prasanna’s architecture and design work has focused largely on the role of architecture on social impact, sustainable and climate-responsive architecture, and emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration.

Featuring classrooms and separate dormitories, Prasanna designed the Complex to provide a space for an immersive learning experience for the conservation efforts of the cheetah sanctuary.

“We're not just building an Educational Complex–we're creating a lifeline for communities who are living on the lands with cheetahs,” said Prasanna, whose passion for nonprofit and design-for-good initiatives has been the driving force behind the project. “Working with Dr. Marker is an honor. Her expertise in cheetah conservation and human-wildlife conflict resolution is unparalleled and a constant inspiration. We’re committed to making a real difference together.”

Started in Namibia by Dr. Laurie Marker, CCF is an international organization dedicated to saving cheetahs. Dr. Marker moved to Africa in 1990 to develop CCF’s first international cheetah research & education center in Namibia on a 156,000-acre private wildlife reserve. In 2022, she set up the second Center in Somaliland to care for over 90 cheetahs confiscated from the illegal wildlife pet trade.

As founder of CCF, Dr. Marker has restored thousands of acres of Namibian farmland, introduced the concept of livestock guarding dogs to Africa, established a training program to enhance the livelihoods of rural residents, and regularly consults with government officials on issues surrounding the illegal pet trade.

Dr. Marker collaborated with Detour Habitats and SDI Architecture, merging conservation and design to construct the state-of-the-art Education Complex at CCF’s Rescue and Conservation Center, where the cheetah sub-species was just uplisted to Endangered by the IUCN.

To make this sanctuary a reality, SDI Architecture is tackling unique design challenges posed by Somaliland's extreme climate, including hurricane-force winds and the need for sustainable, passive cooling systems.

"The Cheetah Rescue and Conservation Centre in Somaliland, which currently has a veterinary clinic, critical cheetah cub care area, and staff housing has been a crucial step in our ongoing efforts to protect cheetahs across Africa," adds Dr. Marker. "By adding the Education and Training Complex will allow us to train rangers, communities, farmers and youth. By expanding our successful Namibian model to Somaliland, we're creating new–and very much needed–opportunities for cheetah conservation and community engagement."