The UNESCO Courier - Current Issue

The energy-intensive building sector alone accounts for 39 per cent of global carbon emissions. In light of this, a fundamental transformation is the only option for the sector to become eco-responsible. Innovative technologies, the role of recycling in the built environment, the use of natural materials, and construction techniques adapted to local conditions are some of the paths to be explored in the quest for more sustainable architecture.

The reign of all-concrete construction has tended to overshadow the merits of vernacular architecture. In recent years, visionary architects have been drawing on traditional know-how to design buildings that are naturally resistant to climate change.

In 2022, heavy monsoon rainfall left a large part of the population homeless in southern Pakistan. Yasmeen Lari, a world-renowned architect, has designed new houses that are flood- and earthquake-resistant while still incorporating traditional bamboo and mud construction techniques.

In the Austrian capital, green roofs have been flourishing on the tops of buildings for years, acting as islands of coolness on hot days and helping to reduce carbon emissions.

Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou is a Togolese architect and anthropologist. To help residents think about and build the intelligent, sustainable city of his dreams, he has created L’Africaine d’architecture, a platform for research and experimentation open to everyone. Through his projects, he advocates for a city inspired by traditional African habitats that fit into their environment and use local resources.

Repurposing an old building is always more sustainable than demolishing it. Using a tectonic approach to architecture allows buildings to be rehabilitated in a way that respects their original structure, while improving their energy performance and meeting the needs of their occupants.

To be sustainable, a city of tomorrow must be more inclusive and accessible, says Nyasha Harper-Michon, an architect based in the Netherlands. She is striving to get the message across to the construction industry and young architects. Social media plays a key role in her strategy.

From 3D-printed houses to prefabricated skyscrapers and the use of digital twins, cutting-edge technology holds promises for building at a lower cost and in a more sustainable manner.

Could brine waste from seawater desalination plants offer an alternative to cement? This solution is put forward by Wale Al Awar who advocates for eco-responsible architecture.

Wang Shu, a winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize, revisits Chinese architecture by combining recycled materials with traditional craftmanship. As the founder of Amateur Architecture Studio he strives to design projects that integrate harmoniously with their environment.

Act as if it is impossible to fail could be the mantra of Thandiwe Muriu. It is one of the African proverbs that she has matched to her photos in the series Camo (for “camouflage”); in this way the Nairobi-born photographer adds a dimension to her images, creating a dialogue with the collective memory of her country.

Off the coast of the island of Gorée – a symbol of human exploitation – African researchers are carrying out underwater explorations to locate and identify the wrecks of slave ships. Their mission is not only to document the history of the transatlantic slave trade, but also to approach it from a different perspective.

Born in the Mexican state of Veracruz, the poet Judith Santopietro now lives between her homeland and the United States. The experience of migration, a core element in her personal history, is central to her work. It is also key to the writing workshops she runs for migrant women living in the United States. Written in Spanish, her mother tongue, her texts borrow from Nahuatl, Quechua and Aymara, not only in sound but also in their vision of the world. She has published Palabras de Agua (2010) [Words of Water] and Tiawanaku. Poemas de la madre Coqa [Tiawanaku. Poems from the Mother Coqa] (2019).