Designing more sustainable structures is not about deciding what is good or bad, but making more carefully considered design decisions, says architect Diébédo Francis Kéré.
The Burkinabe architect told Dezeen that facing the climate crisis in the next decade would be a challenge that requires major reform in the architecture and design industry.
"People will block if you start with strong criticism but at the same time we have to be radical," he told Dezeen. "We have to change our behaviour radically."
The Tippet Rise Art Center pavilion in Montana, USA, provides an example of the necessary material "balance", including a concrete base and logs made from dead trees
However, Kéré does not believe it is right to rule out certain materials, such as concrete, due to their environmental impact. Rather, he advocates taking a more balanced approach. "We have to be careful not to condemn, but to find a way to the best solution," he said. "It is so important to always try to find a proper balance to it and not to segment those that are bad and those that are good."
"In my own work, I will always use concrete where it's needed structurally," he added. "If timber is a solution, then oh I grab it."

The architect, who founded his practice Kéré Architecture in Berlin, said he aims to make his buildings more environmentally friendly through measures such as using locally and readily available materials and desi...