A return to traditional materials and construction techniques could help eliminate carbon emissions, says Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari, who has built more than 45,000 homes from mud, lime and bamboo.
Designed for victims of natural disasters in Pakistan, the homes, built since 2005, form "the world's largest zero-carbon shelter programme," according to the RIBA.
"You're building something that's really affordable but at the same time there are no carbon emissions," Lari told Dezeen.
"There are lots of ancient wisdoms and techniques that have been used over the years but I can't imagine most so-called starchitects would even look at them."
"We have to rethink everything"
Lari, who became the first woman to qualify as an architect in Pakistan in 1963, was responsible for designing some of the country's landmark commercial buildings such as the Finance and Trade Centre and the Pakistan State Oil House. But since she retired and closed her practice in 2000, Lari has been advocating for a different kind of "barefoot social architecture", which uplifts impoverished communities while treading lightly on the planet.
This involves substituting expensive, emissions-intensive materials such as concrete and steel, which need to be transported to site, with local ingredients that are low-carbon, low-cost and have been used in vernacular constructions for thousands of years.
Yasmeen Lari (top) has used mud, lime and bamboo to create t...