Courier

T H E U N E S CO

January-March 2024

Future building
Towards
a sustainable
habitat

• Bamboo
houses mitigate
the effects of
climate change
in Pakistan

• Vienna’s
rooftop gardens

• Interview with
Sénamé Koffi
Agbodjinou,
Togolese
architect and
anthropologist

OUR GUEST
Judith
Santopietro,
Mexican poet
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2024 • n° 1 • Published since 1948

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 Courier
T H E UNE SCO

Editorial

Contents Architecture is an expression of the way we want to

live and engages our future. It is thus at the heart
of contemporary issues – in particular sustainable
development.

4 WIDE ANGLE

Future building
One figure sums up the scale of the challenge:
the building sector – including construction and
energy consumption – represents 39% of global
CO2 emissions. This illustrates the urgent need to
lead a “green revolution” in architecture, not only
Architects and urban planners
to preserve our planet, but also to make it a more
at the forefront. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. .. 4
Henrik Schoenefeldt
pleasant place to live.
There is not just one way to achieve this: adapting
The vernacular’s return to favour .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. . 8
Leïla el-Wakil
to the specificities of climate, transforming existing
buildings and their uses, or choosing sustainable and
Bamboo houses mitigate the effects non-polluting materials are all options for architects,
of climate change in Pakistan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 11 urban planners, engineers and decision makers. In
Zofeen T. Ebrahim this new and exciting issue of The UNESCO Courier,
you will find inspiring and promising initiatives
Vienna’s rooftop gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 14 which have been boldly and creatively explored.
Barbara Hallmann
The idea of an alternative to “all-concrete” is cer­
“Today’s African city is the product tainly not new. Certain techniques, like the skills
of a rupture with nature”.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 16 involved in the conservation of wooden architecture
An interview with Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou
in Japan, inscribed as humanity’s intangible cultural
Retrofitting existing buildings: heritage, are still practiced today. Through initiatives
the added value. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 18 such as the World Heritage earthen architecture
Natalie Mossin and Henriette Ejstrup programme, UNESCO is promoting and preserving
other traditional knowledge, particularly in Africa.
Nyasha Harper-Michon,
a constructive woman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 21 In the 1950s, visionary architects already practiced
Anuliina Savolainen what was not yet called “sustainable architecture”,
such as Hassan Fathy and his New Gourna village at
The archi-tech generation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 24 Luxor, designed with local materials. In 1960s India,
Saili Sawantt Laurie Baker invented low-cost, environmentally-
Solving a concrete issue with salt in Dubai.. .. .. . 26 friendly construction.
Katy Gillett Since then, the innovations are multiplying: a
“The sustainable architecture ‘system’ wooden tower in Norway, Rio de Janeiro’s museum
has developed into a movement”. . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 28 of tomorrow with its systems of solar energy control
An interview with Wang Shu and water recycling systems, and even a modular
building accessible to everyone in Canada, to name
but a few.

30 ZOOM
Thandiwe Muriu, fairy of optical illusions. . . .. .. . 30
But the climate emergency urges us to go further and
faster, to create a global architecture model that is
more sustainable and inclusive. Architecture is not

40 IDEAS
A deep dive into the transatlantic
slave trade.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .. 40
limited to designing structures in wood, stone or
glass; it is the reflection of our societies as well as
our aspirations to build a better world.
Madick Gueye In an interview with the Courier, German-Burkinabé
architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, winner of the Pritzker

44 OUR GUEST
“You can rebuild yourself through writing”... .. . 44
An interview with Judith Santopietro
Architecture Prize and entrusted by UNESCO with
the design of its future Virtual Museum of Stolen
Cultural Property, says he wants to “work with nature
and not against it”. What if this were to become the
watchword of the profession?

48 IN DEPTH
Africa: the next world leader in fashion?.. . . . . .. .. 48
Audrey Azoulay
Director-General of UNESCO
WIDE ANGLE
Situated in Abu Dhabi
(the United Arab

Future
Emirates), the Masdar
Institute, designed
by British architect
Norman Foster, is part
of the experimental

building
eco-city of Masdar
(meaning “source” in
Arabic) – a pioneer in the
fields of renewable energy,
clean transportation, and
waste management.

© Roland Halbe
 Henrik Schoenefeldt
Professor for Sustainability
in Architectural Heritage
The energy-intensive building sector alone accounts at University of Kent
School of Architecture
for 39 per cent of global carbon emissions. In light and Planning (United
Kingdom). Since 2016
of this, a fundamental transformation is the only he has been seconded to
the UK Parliament to lead
option for the sector to become eco-responsible. a large research project
on the restoration of
Innovative technologies, the role of recycling in the the Palace of Westminster.
built environment, the use of natural materials, and His publications include
the book, Rebuilding the
construction techniques adapted to local conditions Houses of Parliament:
David Boswell Reid
are some of the paths to be explored in the quest and Disruptive
Environmentalism (2020).
for more sustainable architecture.

P
Published in 1987, a report But a sustainable built environment calls Climate-conscious
called Our Common Future was a also for wider cultural changes, such as innovations
turning point. In this document, updating the curricula of students and
the World Commission on requiring established practitioners and The idea of sustainable architecture
Environment and Development academics to acquire new skills and is strongly associated with certain
summarized the findings of a four-year knowledge. technologies, such as heat pumps, solar
inquiry into the concept of sustainable The construction, operation and collectors and photovoltaic panels.
development. The role of the built maintenance of buildings are energy and Yet the transition towards sustainable
environment in achieving sustainable resource-intensive activities. According to design also involves embracing more
development is only briefly noted the World Green Building Council, the built climate-conscious approaches to
in this historic document. However, environment accounts for 39 per cent of architectural design and urbanism.
the building sector is at the centre global carbon emissions, 28 of which are These “passive design” approaches look
of questions surrounding climate associated with the energy required for at how fundamental decisions, such
resilience, public health, safety, thermal the so-called “building operations” alone as orientation or the intelligent use of
comfort, and energy affordability. – such as heating, cooling, ventilation and glazing and shading, can help to adapt
Sustainable development is not a lighting. The carbon emissions associated buildings better to the local climate.
set concept; it evolves over time. In the with construction account for the They can help reduce, and at times
1970s, the oil crisis gave an incentive to remaining 11 per cent. As a result, much eliminate, the reliance on heating and
experiment with alternatives to fossil of the responsibility for humanity’s ability cooling systems.
fuels. Today, climate change is our to live within the limits of our biosphere The principles of passive design
most pressing concern. It has become is held by engineers, architects, planners, are not new. Their use is evident in the
a fundamental driver of change, namely and other professions involved in the design of traditional architecture and
in architecture where it has incentivized design, management, and construction mentioned in ancient literature. The
significant technological development. of buildings. famous Greek philosopher Socrates
wrote about the relationship between
climate and the shape and orientation
of buildings, whereas Vitrivius, an
architect of Ancient Rome, gave
A UNESCO Chair of Earthen detailed guidance on building design
for different climates.
Architecture Today, modern technologies facilitate
the revival of ancient climate-responsive
The UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture, Building design tradition. One example of passive
Cultures and Sustainable Development was inaugurated design is the German PassivHaus
in October 1998 at the Grenoble National School of standard, which focuses on optimizing
Architecture in France. Its aim is to promote the use of earth energy efficiency through air tightness,
and local resources for housing and heritage, by encouraging high levels of thermal insulation and
the dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge the use of triple-glazed windows.
relating to this form of architecture throughout the world. The PassivHaus also utilizes “active”
techniques of mechanical ventilation 

Architects and urban planners at the forefront  | 5

 WIDE ANGLE

and heat recovery – indeed, a sustainable provided with external shading or processing of raw materials as well
building is rarely purely passive. Most special glazing designed to reduce as transportation. Some of the most
practices incorporate active systems for the admission of solar radiation, their carbon intensive materials are steel,
ventilation, heating, cooling, as well as demand for mechanical cooling is high. reinforced concrete and brick. The
renewable energy generation. Yet alternative models of development cement industry accounts for around
In hot climates, on the other hand, are also being explored in the Arabian 8 per cent of global carbon emissions;
the primary concern is to prevent heat Peninsula. Masdar, a new city in Abu the construction sector, with its
from entering and to reduce mechanical Dhabi that has been under construction appetite for reinforced concrete, is one
air conditioning use. Traditional design since 2008, represents an attempt to of its biggest consumers.
for hot climates can be observed in design a modern city that draws on
historic cities of the Middle East and the traditional principles of climate design
northern parts of Africa, such as Fez in while incorporating renewable energy
Morocco and Aleppo in Syria. They are technologies.
characterized by thick walls with small Reducing
openings as well as shaded courtyards The hidden emissions material
and streets. In the 16th-century city of of materials
Shibam in Yemen the same principles consumption
have been applied to tall buildings. Although building operations account
These features are in sharp contrast for the majority of the sector’s carbon is key to
to the architecture and urbanism of emissions, the carbon footprint of sustainability
modern desert cities such as Dubai the construction of buildings is not
in the United Arab Emirates and insubstantial. “Embodied carbon” of
Doha in Qatar, which are dominated a building refers to the emissions
by modern skyscrapers. Even when generated during the extraction and Embodied carbon can be reduced
in many ways, including more efficient
use of materials, decarbonizing
production, and utilizing alternative,
© Roland Halbe

low-carbon materials. The latter

has led to an increase in interest
in natural resources. These include
plant-based materials, such as timber
or reed, and locally sourced earth-
based construction techniques, such
as rammed earth, compressed earth
blocks, or sun-dried clay bricks. In 2021
a Swedish firm introduced a method
for fabricating low-carbon steel using
hydrogen produced with renewable
electricity.
Recent projects around the world
have demonstrated that the use of
engineered timber can help reduce the
reliance on steel and concrete in high-
rise buildings, such as the 85.4 metre-
tall Mjøstårnet tower in Brumunddal,
Norway, constructed using glue-
laminated and cross-laminated timber.

From a linear to
circular economy
Reduction in material consumption is
another key goal towards sustainability.
Toward this end, we need to move
from a linear economy, where building
materials are used and discarded, to
The R128 house in Stuttgart, Germany, is an experimental single-family residence designed a circular economy where they are
by German architect Werner Sobek in 2000. Almost completely recyclable, it uses no fossil fuel reused and recycled. In the circular
energy and emits no greenhouse gases. economy the materials released during

6 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © Iwan Baan
The Center for Development Studies (1973) in Trivandrum, southern India, was designed by Laurie Baker, one of the pioneers of low-cost
environmentally sustainable architecture.

demolition are not treated as waste but Reuse rather Many projects in Europe and North
as resources. This calls for construction than destroy America tend to involve technologically
systems that are designed to be easily complex and expensive solutions, but
disassembled for reuse. Adaptive reuse offers a means to avoid the underlying principles of sustainable
Timber-framed buildings of England, demolition, but also the opportunity design are universal and can be adapted
Malaysia, China or Japan are traditional to reduce energy consumption to different socio-economic and climatic
examples of demountable structures. through retrofit. Much care is given to contexts. In the 20th century, Laurie
In contemporary architecture, projects preservation of historically significant Baker (1917-2007) in India and Hassan
range from “220 Terminal Avenue”, a buildings, yet the majority of buildings Fathy (1900-1989) in Egypt explored
40-unit modular temporary housing are regarded as historically insignificant. the revival of traditional construction
building opened in 2017 in Vancouver, Many of them undergo demolition to achieve affordable, climate-adapted
Canada, to demountable arenas used for after only 30 to 50 years. The global housing. More recently the Burkinabé-
major sports events. Another illustration environmental crisis, however, forces us German architect Diébédo Francis Kéré
of a demountable structure is the to question this practice. The question and the Pakistani architect Yasmeen Lari
Loblolly House by American firm Kieran arises whether “climate significance” have returned to principles of vernacular
Timberlake – a hybrid house made up should be introduced as a new criterion architecture to formulate a language of
of prefabricated components that can for protection, alongside cultural or sustainable architecture for the global
be assembled and disassembled on site historical significance. South.
using simple hand tools. In France the architects Anne By drawing on fundamental building
Sustainable practice also implicates Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal have physics, the rising vernacular trend
responsibility for the long-term demonstrated how the renewal of post- suggests that sustainable architecture is
stewardship of buildings and their war social housing blocks can offer neither dependent on complex technical
materials, encompassing the creation, alternative scenarios to demolition. solutions nor an unattainable goal reliant
operation, maintenance and renewal In Freiburg, Germany, the Bugginger on future technological inventions. Sus­
over generations. This also relates to the Strasse 50 retrofit project of a 16-storey tainability requires designers to be
retention and adaptive re-use of existing tower block from the 1960s reduced its resourceful in making intelligent use of
buildings, highlighting the intersection heating energy consumption by 80 per the plethora of existing and emergent
between sustainable development and cent. technologies and principles.
architectural conservation.

Architects and urban planners at the forefront  | 7

 WIDE ANGLE Leïla el-Wakil
Egyptian-Swiss art
historian and architect,

The vernacular’s she taught at the

University of Geneva’s
Faculty of Humanities and

return to favour Institute of Architecture

until recently. She is
the editor of Hassan
Fathy dans son temps
(2013) [Hassan Fathi:
The reign of all-concrete construction has tended An Architectural Life],
a collective work translated
to overshadow the merits of vernacular architecture. into English in 2018.

In recent years, visionary architects have been drawing

on traditional know-how to design buildings that are
naturally resistant to climate change.

I
n 1964, an exhibition at New York’s

© UNESCO / A.Wolf
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
marked its era. Titled Architecture
without architects, it featured a
photographic compilation of vernacular
buildings collected from all over the
world, bearing witness to a collective
know-how, localized and passed
down through use. The exhibition,
organized by Austrian-American writer
and architect Bernard Rudofsky, fully
rehabilitated architecture without an
architect. The exhibition’s success is
sufficient proof of the interest in this
theme: Architecture without architects
toured eighty museums around the
world for eleven years.
From the mud houses of the Dogons
in Mali to the dry-stone constructions
of Italy’s Cinque Terre region, both
UNESCO World Heritage sites; from
Finnish wooden mökki to troglodyte
houses, vernacular architecture is
everywhere. This type of construction is
renowned for the skill of its craftsmen,
the simplicity of its means, its respect
for the environment and the common
sense of its genius.
Rudofsky’s contribution did not
only put the spotlight on vernacular
construction, it also fer tilized
architectural thought and creation
worldwide. Architects such as Finland’s
Alvar Aalto, India’s Charles Correa and Sri
Lanka’s Geoffrey Bawa drew inspiration
from the traditions of their homelands.

Mud houses built on the face of the cliff in Bandiagara, Land of the Dogons (Mali),
added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1989.

8 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © American University in Cairo
The hell of reinforced
concrete
A champion of architecture without
architects, Hassan Fathy from Egypt
made a name for himself worldwide
with the publication of his book,
Architecture for the Poor, An experiment
in Rural Egypt (1969), a thrilling
account of the construction of New
Gourna, a model village on the west
bank of Luxor. A fervent adept of his
country’s ancestral skills, he claimed to
be a descendant of the female pharaoh
Hatshepsut, a prolific builder, when he
revived the use of mud bricks, a poor
material that encouraged people to
build their own homes in the villages
of Upper Egypt.
In a satirical play titled The Hell
of Reinforced Concrete (1964), he
describes the globalization of
architecture and urban planning. In it,
he also denounced the inappropriate
use of reinforced concrete in the
extreme climate of the Sahara, which
turned the new town of Baris into
an unlivable furnace. In contrast, he
praises the old village of mud houses,
clustered along narrow covered alleys, A 1946 plan of the New Gourna village settlement on the west bank of the Nile River,
which protect the inhabitants from designed by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy.
the heat and sandstorms. For Fathy, a
return to the teachings of tradition is
essential. combination of the moucharabieh catcher”, makes it possible to cool and
Thick earth or stone walls provide (projecting window with carved ventilate house interiors naturally,
better thermal insulation than wooden latticework) and the malqaf infinitely better and at lower energy cost
thin reinforced concrete walls. The (called badgir in Iran), literally “wind than air conditioning. 

The heritage of earthen architecture

The UNESCO World Heritage Earthen as rehabilitation activities in Djenné, Mali,
Architecture Programme (WHEAP) was and the safeguarding of New Gourna Village
established in 2007 to improve the state of in Egypt, and conducted capacity building,
conservation and management of earthen research and development activities. The World
architecture sites worldwide. An inventory Heritage Centre continues to cooperate with
made in 2012 revealed that more than 150 World the programme’s key partner, the International
Heritage properties were totally or partially Centre on Earthen Architecture (CRAterre), in
built with earth – ranging from mosques and identifying, conserving and managing earthen
palaces to historic city centres and cultural architecture. A research laboratory based in
landscapes – representing over 10 per cent of all Grenoble, France, CRAterre disseminates
properties listed. knowledge and know-how about raw earthen
construction worldwide.
During its ten years of existence the
programme carried out pilot projects, such

The vernacular’s return to favour   | 9

 WIDE ANGLE

Hassan Fathy was inspired by the very

layout of the introverted Arab-Muslim
house, structured around its interior Bamboo constructions combined
courtyards and gardens, to create
remarkable holiday homes along the with contemporary principles
Saqqara road south of Cairo, such as Mit
Rihan, which illustrate his conception
create lightweight, durable
of appropriate architecture. In 1980, he structures
was awarded the Aga Khan Prize for his
life’s work, and set an example for many
other architects in the region, including

© Voll Arkitekter AS / Ricardo Foto

Ramses Wissa Wassef, Abdel Wahid
el-Wakil and Omar el Farouk.
As of the 1960s, experiments in
returning to raw earth technology
spread from the Maghreb to the
Mashreq. They culminated in the
creation of associations such as The
Nubian Vault, which provides the most
destitute in sub-Saharan Africa with
mud houses, giving people back the
possibility of building their own homes.
This enthusiasm for raw earth
has spread far beyond the region’s
borders. Founded in 1979, CRAterre, a
laboratory based in Grenoble (France),
has demonstrated Western interest in
this technology. It has contributed to its
expansion worldwide.

Bamboo framework
Today, there are many devotees of raw
earth in its traditional forms, such as
Anna Heringer, whose egg-shaped raw
earth structure built for the 2016 Venice
Biennale evokes the thatched mud huts
found in Maharashtra, in central western
India. Young firms, such as Terrabloc in
Geneva, have developed stabilized earth
blocks with a percentage of cement
that allows them to comply with Swiss Inaugurated in Brumunddal (Norway) in 2019, Mjøstårnet (“the tower of Lake Mjøsa”)
standards by improving earth’s strength is one of the world’s tallest timber buildings, standing over 85 metres high.
and durability.
Other types of material, such as
wood, have sparked a similar resurgence combines his bamboo constructions use of biosourced materials drawn from
in interest. This is hardly surprising, with contemporary principles to create the local environment; recourse to low-
given that a wooden building is able lightweight, durable structures, such tech and artisanal skills; common sense
to capture carbon dioxide. Major firms as the “nameless” church in Cartagena linked to careful observation of the
are returning to this material, and even (Colombia). Others have followed suit. genius loci and old buildings.
high-rise buildings are springing up. The current shift in focus is Even more radical, though it may
In 2019, Øystein Elgsaas erected an making professionals take a more seem less creative, is the culture of
18-storey wooden tower in Brumunddal, responsible approach to the question re-use that needs to be relearned today.
Norway. of architectural design and its In order to avoid wasting resources,
Traditional bamboo frameworks materialization. All the lessons of the unthinkable in the past, it is not only
from Asia and Latin America are also past are worth re-examining from a materials but most of all existing
increasingly popular. Colombian sustainability perspective: the science of buildings that must continue to be used,
designer Simón Vélez, who vaunts siting and orientation to take advantage by adapting them to new purposes and
the merits of this “vegetal steel”, of sunlight and prevailing winds; the new needs.

10 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 Zofeen T. Ebrahim
Pakistani journalist

Bamboo houses
mitigate the effects of
climate change in Pakistan
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.

© Zofeen T. Ebrahim
No more leaky roofs for me,”
remarks 22-year-old Devi when
asked what she liked best
about her new house. Like most of the
inhabitants of the village of Akhund Jo
Khoo situated in Sindh province, some
200 kilometres from the port city of
Karachi, Devi lost everything in 2022 in
the torrential rains that swept through
the region.
Having lived under a tattered tent
with her two sons, aged seven and eight,
for almost a year, she recently moved
into a new chaunra, a traditional one-
roomed house of this desert region. She
is not alone. Sadqa Pakistan, a Pakistani
social enterprise has built more than
70 homes in her village.
Pakistan witnessed its most
devastating monsoons between June
and September 2022, resulting in floods
that submerged a third of the country

These houses
will not collapse,
not by wind,
rain or quake
Devi and her two sons standing outside their house, which was built by social enterprise 
Sadqa in the village of Akhund Jo Khoo in Sindh province (Pakistan).

Bamboo houses mitigate the effects of climate change in Pakistan  | 11

 WIDE ANGLE

and affected 33 million people. The Yasmeen Lari: “Starchitect”

Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) turned humanitarian
carried out by the government estimated
the total damage at US$14.9 billion, and The first female architect of Pakistan, Yasmeen Lari is an
economic losses at about US$15.2 billion. architectural historian and humanitarian architect. Born
In the hardest-hit province of Sindh, in 1941, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University
home to 50 million residents, up to two (United Kingdom). Her architectural firm designed some
million houses were damaged, 75 per of the most iconic projects in Pakistan during the second
cent of which were mud houses. half of the 20th century. Today she is best known for her
involvement in the intersection of architecture and social
Flood-resistant justice.
houses
In 2023 Lari received the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute
Like her old home, the new chaunra of British Architects (RIBA). The prestigious award is given
Devi is living in is also made of mud in recognition of a lifetime’s work to a person or group
and bamboo. But the new house is of people who have had a significant influence on the
much more resistant than the old advancement of architecture.
one. Yasmeen Lari, the world-famous Yasmeen Lari is also involved in heritage conservation,
architect behind these houses, has notably as a UNESCO consultant. She has for example
combined indigenous knowledge with conserved structures at Makli and the Lahore Fort, two
science and engineering to make them Pakistani sites inscribed on the World Heritage list.
flood-proof.
The elevated structure of the houses
prevents water from penetrating inside
in the event of flooding. The bamboos
used are cured to make them termite- Lari has also developed a mud- and “These will not collapse, not by wind,
proof and the earth used for the walls lime-plaster stove that counters the rain or quake,” says the octogenarian
is strengthened by adding lime and rice negative health and environmental architect. Her organization, the Heritage
husk. The roof made of bamboo and effects of cooking with open fires. Her Foundation of Pakistan, has been
covered with reed matting, finished with eco-alternative is fueled by agricultural working on humanitarian architecture,
layers of thatch allows movement of air waste like cow dung or sawdust building disaster-resilient homes to
and keeps the interior cool. The steep bricks, substantially reducing firewood mitigate the effects of climate change
conical roof keeps the interior protected consumption. for two decades now. It has built up to
from rainwater ingress. 10,000 homes since 2022.
© Zofeen T. Ebrahim

A young artisan learning to build the conical-shaped roof of The inside of the octagonal roof of the chaunra, made of bamboo
a chaunra (one-room house) in Bhoriyoon village in Pakistan. and thatch.

12 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © Zofeen T. Ebrahim
Zero-waste village
These homes are also easy to repair
and replace. Their materials can be
easily transported and reused if a
household decides to move. “Most
importantly, Yasmeen Lari is involving
the rural communities in the process
so there is a sense of ownership,”
says Hira Zuberi, a Karachi-based
independent architect.
But building homes for the poor
is not enough to take them out of
the vortex of poverty. “There is a
huge potential among the people
living on the margins. When they get
trained, they become economically
empowered,” Lari stresses. Her aim is
to reduce dependence on charity and
dole-outs.
Beyond providing decent housing
for disaster victims, Lari aims to create
a virtuous circle. One example is the The mud and lime-plaster stoves designed by Yasmeen Lari are less damaging to
zero-waste system she has developed the environment and health than open-fire stoves.
in Pono, a village in Sindh’s district of
Tando Allah Yar. The villagers have built
energy-efficient mud stoves, a shared
toilet between two families, a solar A thousand new homes Local training
panel between twelve households
and a hand pump between eight “We wanted to provide shelter for Training plays a key role in such
families, all built within a budget of the homeless villagers, so we started projects. Sadqa Pakistan is following
43,000 Pakistani Rupees (US$150.85). looking up low-cost housing designs. Lari’s pattern of imparting knowledge
“They have started growing their own Lari’s was not only the cheapest, it was through a local training initiative.
vegetables. They are keeping chickens. also the nicest,” Dr Asad Ali, the founder Jaman Rai, an 18-year-old student, was
The waste from the toilet is turned into of Sadqa Pakistan, says. A pediatrician among the six men who went to Thatta
compost.” and infectious disease specialist at the to get a five-day, hands-on training at
Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Lari’s Heritage Foundation of Pakistan’s
he has been working on solving chronic training centre at Makli. After their
malnutrition among rural communities return, they set up their own training
in Matiari. centre in the village of Bhoriyoon. “A
So far, 550 homes have been built domino effect has started,” says Rai. “We
Transmitting in nearly 35 villages by the enterprise, have trained nearly five dozen men and
knowledge with another 60 to be built by the end several of them have set up their own
of 2023. Sadqa Pakistan also provides a practice.”
to local washroom to be shared between three Rai, now a master trainer himself,
populations households and energy-efficient stoves makes a decent living of 30,000 Rupees
modeled after Lari’s. (US$105) per month. The first house he
helps reduce Although the project is funded by built after the training was his own, to
donations, the residents participate in replace the one that had washed away
their dependence the process. Devi provided the workers in the floods. Having now built nearly
on charity and with earth from within the village sixty houses, Rai firmly believes these
for them to mix the plaster. With that will stay put in the strongest of gusts
dole-outs plaster she coated the walls made of and in the most ferocious of rains.
straw matting. “Once the structure is
put up, the homeowners help plaster
the exterior and interior walls,” explains
Dr Umrani, a volunteer.

Bamboo houses mitigate the effects of climate change in Pakistan  | 13

 WIDE ANGLE Barbara Hallmann
Journalist in Havelberg,
Germany

Vienna’s rooftop
gardens
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.

A
t 34-38 Kegelgasse, in Vienna’s cities there is not enough space to the capital, where some rooftops now
3rd district, stands one of create new parks and gardens. In order have vegetable gardens. Mike Graner,
the city’s architectural curio­ to absorb a growing population and its founder, is convinced that, in the
sities. Built in the 1980s by avoid covering over any more open long term, these initiatives can help to
Friedensreich Hundertwasser and surfaces, cities are effectively forced to change attitudes. “When residents grow
adorned with odd, coloured shapes, become more dense. their own fruit and vegetables, they are
this building has become a source confronted daily with the challenges of
of inspiration for generations of eco­ horticultural production and the effects
logically-minded architects. Standing of climate change,” he explains.
right next to a glass building, this quirky These suspended green surfaces also
house is an oasis of green, with no fewer
More than just have benefits for the buildings – the
than 250 trees and shrubs growing on a fad, green plants help to stabilize temperatures,
its roof and balconies. thus protecting the roof and extending
Hundertwasserhaus may be the most roofs meet its lifespan. A study carried out by the
emblematic of Vienna’s roof-garden a genuine need city of Vienna authorities shows that a
buildings, but it is by no means the only green roof, if it meets current technical
one. Hanging gardens have been on the standards, is ultimately less expensive
increase here for several decades now. than a roof covered in gravel.
A 2011 survey by the city authorities Today’s buildings are almost always
identified almost 1,070 hectares of made of materials that absorb and Habitat for insects
roof space suitable for a garden. At retain heat, such as concrete, while their
the time, almost one in four of these height means that they cannot benefit These benefits are even greater when
spaces had already been planted, and from the natural shade of trees. The solar panels are installed on the roofs of
projects continue to flourish. A Swedish heat given off by air conditioners, traffic, buildings. “It’s not a matter of whether
furniture shop recently opened a public and industry all help to turn cities into to install solar panels or plant a roof
roof garden at its city centre branch. veritable furnaces when temperatures garden. By combining the two, you
Meanwhile, a luxury department store is peak. produce low-carbon energy and benefit
soon to inaugurate a new building with That’s why roofs are becoming from the cooling effects of the plants,”
a 900-square-metre garden on its roof. increasingly popular in the face of explains Irene Zluwa, a member of staff
climate warming. A study carried out at the GrünStattGrau Research and
in Vienna in 2018 showed that if all flat Innovation laboratory in Vienna, with a
Hanging vegetable roofs were planted and sloping roofs Ph.D in soil cultivation.
garden covered with reflective materials, the The roof garden generates energy,
number of heatwave days in the city acts as a water reservoir, improves air
These suspended spaces are more than centre could be reduced by almost quality and reduces noise. Properly
just a passing fad – they also meet a 30 per cent. maintained, it can even create a
genuine need. The benefits of green The Operation Grüner Daumen habitat for certain species of insect.
spaces are well known and documented, association has been working for over The building’s residents also benefit.
providing important islands of coolness ten years to encourage urban gardening, “A solar-panelled roof protects the
in summer while helping to reduce particularly in the Mariahilf district, garden from the sun, wind and rain.
carbon dioxide emissions. But in major one of the most densely populated in It’s more pleasant and the garden can

14 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © Paul Bauer

The Hundertwasserhaus built in Vienna in the 1980s by Friedensreich Hundertwasser,

hosts on its roof no fewer than 250 trees and shrubs.

be enjoyed for longer in the year,” says installed its garden on the roof of a car Despite these obstacles, roof gardens
Irene Zluwa. park owned by the city of Vienna. “In are gaining ground around the world.
But there are a number of obstacles this case, the council welcomed the Sites such as Greenroofs, which list
to the widespread use of these hanging initiative. But private landlords are much new projects, bear witness to this. Irene
gardens. While private individuals can more cautious about projects of this Zluwa remains optimistic about their
do as they please with the roof of their kind, which are technically complex and development. “The number of projects
house, the situation is more complex not very lucrative,” he laments. “Most is increasing, which makes it easier
when it comes to using an area on property developers prefer to reserve to share experiences and encourages
top of a building belonging to a third the top floor for housing, to make it others to take the plunge.”
party. Mike Graner’s association has more profitable,” confirms Irene Zluwa.

Vienna’s rooftop gardens   | 15

 WIDE ANGLE Interview by
Laetitia Kaci
UNESCO

Sénamé Koffi
Agbodjinou:
“Today’s African city is the product
of a rupture with nature”
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.

What are the specific characteristics bush ecosystem into which the village But it’s not about caricaturing
of African urban planning today? was integrated. vernacular architecture or duplicating
Over the next few years, Africa’s the village model. The solution is not to
The African city is not an extension of the urban population is set to triple. If the reproduce the old, but to mobilize local
village, but the product of a rupture with city is to become a more peaceful place resources, drawing also on the latest
nature. Cities were built on the Western to live, it needs to rediscover its link with technological developments.
model, with concrete, metal and glass. nature, drawing inspiration from ancient
For a long time, workers went there to approaches. Traditional building methods, Is it possible to reconcile tradition
earn their living. In the evenings, they which had to work in harmony with the and new technologies?
would return home to their families, immediate environment, cultivated a
their collective living spaces and the more organic connection with nature. It is possible, provided you work with
African professionals living in Africa.
Today, we tend to take our inspiration
from “smart cities”, which are based on
© Yves Regaldi

technologies developed in California’s

Silicon Valley. But the engineers who work
there are not familiar with our reality.
That’s why I’m proposing the
creation of innovation laboratories in
African villages based on a model I call
“initiation enclosures”, i.e. entirely open
places where the younger generations
are trained in digital tools and work

A takienta mud house and granary

for storing cereals in the village of Warengo,
in northern Togo. Koutammakou, the land
of the Barammariba, was inscribed on
the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.

16 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

© Lucille Reyboz

for festivities and big celebrations, and

it’s the social glue that holds the village
together.

Why did you feel the need to study

anthropology in addition
to architecture?

Architecture is a projection on the ground

of what we imagine a society to be.
According to the collective imagination,
a little earth and straw is all you need
to build an African building. But this is
a vision that focuses on appearances
alone. To understand how life is
organized within a habitat, it is essential
Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou (front right) on the Tammari school construction site in 2006. to understand the structures of social
The school was built using local raw earth construction techniques. organization. Anthropology should play
a more important role in architectural
studies. This would make it possible
together. This would enable young using materials that stand the test of to take account of the realities on the
people in the same environment to grasp time without deteriorating, but about ground and avoid many blunders.
contemporary issues and build African creating architecture that can be
cities that are better adapted to people renewed endlessly.
and the environment. Traditional African building materials,
such as rammed earth, quickly show
What is your definition of sustainable their limitations when viewed solely Sustainability
architecture? from the point of view of their resistance is about creating
over time. But an earthen house or
I find the concept too influenced by a mosque is not meant to last forever. an architecture
modern, Western vision. Many people Every year, the inhabitants get together
confuse sustainable with permanent and redo the plastering. It’s also what
that can be
or solid. Sustainability is not just about binds the villagers together. It’s a time renewed endlessly
© L’Africaine d’architecture

An architectural presentation of Maison Gbébé, an international living cultural heritage centre in Agouegan, southern Togo.
Project management: Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou.

Sénamé Koffi Agbodjinou: “Today’s African city is the product of a rupture with nature”  | 17
 WIDE ANGLE

Retrofitting existing
buildings: the added value
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.

Natalie Mossin tendency of adding more square metres to family houses.

The building was insulated, old windows were replaced with
Head of Institute at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – energy efficient ones, and original details were preserved or
Institute of Architecture and Technology, she served as President repurposed when possible. Restoring the original architecture
for the UIA World Congress of Architects 2023. She has authored by subtraction, rather than addition, resulted in an optimized
and edited articles and books including An Architecture home with a better indoor climate and lower energy
Guide to the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals. consumption.
This is an example of the application of the theoretical field
Henriette Ejstrup of tectonics in renovation and restoration. A tectonic approach
begins with the structural design of a building but takes into
Assistant professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts account its material and immaterial dimensions as well. A
– Institute of Architecture and Technology, she is educated as building’s architecture and history are seen as a meaningful
an architect specializing in restoration and conservation and contribution to society, collective memory and everyday
has a Ph.D from the Center for Industrialized Architecture. life. Analyzing and understanding the historic intentions

O
of a building enables architects to
n the outskirts of Aarhus, a transform it in accordance with its original
port city on the east coast constructional principles and its layers of
of the Danish peninsula, cultural meaning.
lies a small single-family According to
house from the 1960s. Its architectural the tectonic A call for change
features draw on a local functional
tradition, defined by yellow brick walls, approach, In July 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark,
large areas of glazing and a gable the UIA World Congress of Architects
roof with eaves. The building was
the identity concluded with the presentation of the
among the first big-scale prefabricated of a place is “Copenhagen Lessons” consisting of ten
housing produced in Denmark for the principles of conduct needed for the
rising middle-class, serving a post-
as important as built environment to reach for the United
Second World War generation who materials and Nations 17 Sustainable Development
built and owned their own houses in Goals. Among them, lesson three states
the suburbs. Perceived as ordinary, construction that “existing built structures must always
their typology has not been subjected methods be reused first”. This principle aligns with
to heritage protection. the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
As the houses welcome a new Change (IPCC) report on the climate
generation of owners, many of them are crisis mitigation potential of retrofitting
extensively renovated and gutted of their original features. existing buildings in the western world.
In this case, the new owners of the house wanted energy Adaptive reuse, renovation and reconstruction as well as
optimization. CJ Arkitekter, a Danish company, suggested rebuilding offer broad fields of alternatives to the demolishing
removing a recent 18-square-metre extension and restoring of existing buildings that fail to deliver to current needs. After
the original floor plan and facades, contradicting a general decades marked by a rapid rate of demolition and construction,

18 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

© Philippe Ruault

The transformation of three buildings in the Grand Parc housing complex in Bordeaux (France) by Lacaton & Vassal, Druot, Hutin in 2017.
The apartment blocks dating back to the 1960s were upgraded with winter gardens.

the emergence of transformative new technologies and the Second World War. Unfortunately, the construction
global reckoning with environmental urgency, proponents of techniques of the time had multiple negative consequences
heritage practice are backed by a number of arguments. for the indoor climate and viability of the constructions,
resulting in social pressure and stigma in many of these
A costly strategy housing areas.
The architects in charge of the project created a strategy
Over the past 20 years, around 150,000 housing units have based on respecting residents’ appreciation of an otherwise
been demolished in France, with the aim of overlooked building. Big balconies with sliding doors and
replacing worn-down modernist projects reflective, insulating curtains, known as the winter gardens,
with contemporary ones. This is a costly were added to the building’s south façade, therefore
strategy with a significant environmental extending the living room area of each flat. The northern
impact. In comparison, improving the façade was insulated to provide the existing
pre-existing architecture can bring structure with an improved energy
significant environmental and performance.
economic benefits. The Grand In this case, adaptive reuse
Parc case from Bordeaux, was done on the basis of
France, shows how adaptive the analysis of the 
reuse was achieved by ©L
aca
analyzing the existing ton
&V
ass
structure, its problems, the al -
Dru
ot
original intentions, as well as the -H
uti
n
people occupying it.
The Grand Parc is a mass housing complex
characteristic of 20th century architecture, a concrete The floor plan
of the Grand Parc
construction erected at scale and vilified as the symbol of
transformation project
social challenges. Such modernistic apartment buildings
in Bordeaux (France).
were originally built to address housing shortages after

Retrofitting existing buildings: the added value  | 19

 © Philippe Ruault
WIDE ANGLE

The Grand Parc project illustrates how an overlooked structure can be transformed into comfortable and energy-efficient housing.
This transformation cost three times less than demolishing the old building and constructing a new one.

existing structure, its problems and original intentions, as Rebuilding history

well as the community inhabiting it, solving this with passive
energy approaches and modern technologies. The approach Another example comes from the German capital of Berlin,
consisted of working with the strengths of the structure while where the Kapelle der Versöhnung was built in 2000 as part
improving its performance and real estate value. of a larger memorial complex. The chapel narrates the history
of a 19th-century church that was situated in the borderland
between east and west when the Berlin Wall was raised. It
stood unused until 1985 when it was demolished. When the
© Philippe Ruault

Wall fell, only rubble remained.

Longing to rebuild a united city, the modus operandi of
the Berliners was to remove as much evidence as possible
of the division of Berlin, but the parish decided to reuse the
rubble. A rammed earth chapel was rebuilt on the site. Red
brick rubble from the old church was used as an aggregate
for the earth construction. In this way, the parish was able to
deliberately use the tectonics of the new building to take back
the ownership of history and narrate the complex story of a
societal trauma.
These examples of retrofitting have in common that the
initial assessment was based on the tectonics of the building
by linking design, materials, construction methods and
structural logic with a sense of place, purpose and identity.
Not only is this approach more sustainable, but it also enables
architects to enhance the tangible and intangible values of a
building and the community it is situated in.
A building can thus be transformed in accordance with
its original construction principles and its layers of cultural
The addition of winter gardens and balconies provides each meaning. This approach has the power to bring out the
apartment with more light, an extended living space, and meaningful contribution of a building to society, to the
a panoramic view of the city of Bordeaux (France). collective memory and to everyday life.

20 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 Anuliina Savolainen
UNESCO

Nyasha Harper-Michon,
a constructive woman
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.

S
ometimes inventing a new

© UNESCO / Anuliina Savolainen

world order requires unearthing
the foundations of the old one.
For Nyasha Harper-Michon, an
Amsterdam-based architect, this led to
her breakup with a certain man.
They don’t have much in common.
On a top shelf designed for this
1.80-meter-tall man, she could barely
reach a jar. Where he maintains a
regular pattern of daily commuting to
work, her workplace and schedule vary
from day to day. To move around in the
city, he drives a car whereas she cycles
or uses public transportation. In short,
their needs and uses of the city are very
different.
Nevertheless, the city, its housing
and urban spaces were tailor-made for
him. “He’s the Reference Man. I have
designed for him many times, that’s
what we learn to do in architecture
school. He is used as the standard,
the archetype of the average person
for whom everything is designed: our
houses, our cities, the size of our streets,
the chairs that we sit on, even our
mugs,” she says. “Designing solely for
this guy creates a very exclusive world:
it excludes those who do not resemble
him, like women, older people and
people with disabilities.”
And yet, it took her a while to wake
up and realize how incompatible
they were. “See how ubiquitous and
pervasive it is, that even I myself could
have been so blind to it!” she exclaims.
This realization profoundly changed her
approach to architecture. Nyasha Harper-Michon in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) in 2023. 

Nyasha Harper-Michon, a constructive woman   | 21

 WIDE ANGLE

An activist-architect manager for UNStudio, an architectural

design practice based in Amsterdam,
At an early age, Nyasha Harper-Michon she liaises with real estate and building
already knew she wanted to become an industry actors on creating social and
architect. She was born in 1993 in Paris, environmental value in the building
France, to a family of Trinidadian origin. realm. In parallel, she teaches in two
Later, she studied architecture in Paris Dutch universities.
and Amsterdam. She is also a sought-after public
However, in her studies and early speaker and influencer. Her calling takes
practice, she felt a growing disconnect her from local WomenMakeTheCity
between what she was learning and movement meetings to global
what she thought architecture could venues, such as the World Congress of
be. “I guess it’s a bit of a mixture Architects in Copenhagen, Denmark, in
between my multicultural background July 2023.
and my millennial purpose-seeking
mindset,” she ponders, “I started
to feel that architecture could do
so much more to create a more
regenerative, inclusive and net-zero
built environment to live, work, be in.”
In other words, an environment where Houses and cities
everybody belongs.
Her vocation remains intact, but designed for
instead of building houses she now the reference
practices her profession in another way.
She has become an “archtivist”: a term man exclude all
coined by her for architects and design
professionals driving environmental
those who do not
and social reform to foster positive resemble him The event’s theme, “Sustainable
changes. As a strategic development futures: leave no one behind”, itself
emphasizes a change in attitude within
the industry towards more inclusive
architecture. For Harper-Michon, the
climate crisis and social inequality are
Barcelona, new World Capital inextricably intertwined.
“When talking about sustainability
of Architecture for 2026 we like to think of the environmental
aspects first: things like energy efficiency
The city of Barcelona (Spain) has been designated or carbon emissions are measurable and
World Capital of Architecture for 2026 by the Director- easier to grasp and tackle. The social
General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on the basis of aspects are much harder to quantify. But
a recommendation by the joint UNESCO-UIA Committee, you can’t really tackle the climate crisis if
chaired by the French architect Dominique Perrault. you ignore this dimension.”
In 2018, UNESCO and the UIA (International Union
of Architects) launched the “World Capitals of Architecture” The oasis of green
initiative to highlight the key role of architecture, city
Change can sometimes be achieved
planning and culture in urban identity and sustainable
through very concrete actions. Installing
urban development. Every three years, UNESCO designates
benches, for example, encourages the
the host cities of the UIA World Congress as World Capitals
elderly or people with reduced mobility
of Architecture.
to go outside instead of staying at
The designated city becomes a global forum at the forefront home, because a bench allows them
of discussions on contemporary urban planning to take a rest. Another example: green
and architectural issues, as well as the world’s most areas reduce summer heat in cities and
pressing challenges. After Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2020 increase residents’ well-being. But it will
and Copenhagen (Denmark) in 2023, Barcelona is the third only work if the change is equal.
city to receive this title. “We know that affluent neigh­
bourhoods tend to be greener than
lower-income ones. But we cannot have

22 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © Boris Séméniako for The UNESCO Courier
of cycle paths. Yet this wasn’t always
the case. It wasn’t until the 1970s that
the city began investing in cycling
If used wisely, social media can be infrastructure due to the high death
a powerful tool for shaking things up rates of cyclists and pedestrians. It took
a lot of protests and forty years of urban
planning and policy work to create the
Amsterdam we know today.
green areas for our affluent citizens networks extensively to reach out to Therefore, patience and perseverance
only,” she stresses. “Green policies young people, who are often very are essential virtues. This is something
have to be coupled with initiatives of concerned about the future. Nyasha Nyasha Harper-Michon tells young
affordable housing, inclusionary zoning Harper-Michon observes this among her architects, whose urge for instant
and the like. By thinking holistically, we students. “There’s a lot of anxiety, and at gratification and the need to question
can create both natural and socially such a young age. It’s worrying, but it established practices often collides with
inclusive neighbourhoods.” can also motivate them to take action.” the slow pace of construction processes.
Nyasha Harper-Michon has been Social networks can be an effective “Buildings built today were designed
directly involved in implementing tool to raise awareness among youth. five-ten years ago, so the impact of
such ideas through her work with the Harper-Michon sees social media, the new ways of doing things are not
Amsterdam municipality on urban despite its downsides, as a part of immediately visible. But we need to be
planning in Zuid Oost, a borough the solution: it can be used to share patient!”
undergoing urban renewal. “It’s an knowledge and to create a sense of The first tip she gives aspiring
area grappling with friction between community. “If used wisely, social “archtivists” is to open their eyes. “Think
the community and municipal media can be a powerful tool for of how you experience the city and share
urban endeavours amid ongoing shaking things up and influencing this with others. You’ll realize that we all
gentrification. Those shaping the plans decision-making.” experience the same space in different
often lacked intimate knowledge of the Change, however, is generally a ways. Showing the example by biking to
community, so it is also about trying to slow process in urban planning. A city class or work or making a nice garden in
build connections and create common cannot be transformed overnight. front of your house can already make a
ground,” she explains. Today Amsterdam is considered one of difference. Or you can take it further and
In her efforts to advocate for a more Europe’s most sustainable cities with lead a group, or even go into politics.
open city, the architect uses social its “green” buildings and wide network Everyone has their path.”

Nyasha Harper-Michon, a constructive woman   | 23

 WIDE ANGLE

The archi-tech generation

Saili Sawantt,
Journalist based in
From 3D-printed houses to prefabricated skyscrapers Mumbai, India

and the use of digital twins, cutting-edge technology

holds promises for building at a lower cost and
in a more sustainable manner.

Generative design Mimicking reality with a digital twin

Generative design, assisted by artificial intelligence (AI), A digital twin is a 3D visual replica of a physical building.
refers to an approach in architecture where algorithms It gives architects access to an evolving model, allowing
are used to generate multiple design alternatives. For them to test their ideas in the virtual environment.
architects, this means that AI becomes their partner in Digital twins can compare the digital model with the
the design process, offering the ability to quickly evaluate real structure over time. The technology also assists in
various building layouts that are aesthetic and functional. choosing materials and processes that reduce the carbon
By setting certain parameters like maximizing natural footprint of the building over its lifecycle. Although this
light, enhancing airflow, or minimizing material use, these technology itself requires considerable amounts of
algorithms can put forward more sustainable solutions. energy, its use can reduce a building’s energy usage by
For architects, AI can be an invaluable tool, provided a significant percentage. For instance, by using a digital
they possess solid decision-making skills to avoid being twin, Dutch architects were able to reduce the Hague
overwhelmed by the many possibilities it offers. City Hall’s energy consumption by 39 per cent.

operable window Daylighting and

fresh
thermodynamic
air modelling
adjustable summer A well-analyzed daylighting strategy
sunshading
can significantly reduce electricity
consumption. Various tools and
software exist to help architects
refl harness natural light, which benefits
ecte
d lig occupants’ health and reduces peak
ht
electricity demand, particularly during
hot summers. From the positioning of
the walls to the type of windows, the
aim is to optimize the use of daylight
ion

winter
ect

in buildings.
refl

r
deflecto
wind
A daylight redirection device in an
administrative building in Groningen
vis
ual

(the Netherlands).
© UNStudio

bar
rier

24 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © ICON, Lennar

3D printing and robotics

In Alcobendas, Spain, the first-ever
3D-printed pedestrian bridge by The
Institute for Advanced Architecture
of Catalonia made headlines in 2017.
Automation opens up opportunities
for experimenting with new materials,
aesthetics and forms. 3D-printed
buildings can be affordable, flexible,
and climate-resilient. Although the
technology still widely relies on carbon-
intensive concrete, 40 per cent reduction
in materials is among the promises of
3D-printing in construction. Moreover,
the technology can cater to rapid
urbanization. For instance, in 2022
Denmark-based company Power2Build
completed Africa’s largest 3D-printed
building in Angola, a 140 m2 residential The largest automated 3D construction project in the world is currently underway
structure, in just 30 hours. in Georgetown, Texas (United States): a neighbourhood of a hundred houses.

Modular construction manufacturing completed or partially LEGO-like blocks assembled at the site.
completed parts in a factory with the But modular construction doesn’t have
“Building in batches”, or modular help of digital tools and modelling to be limited to huge structures. The
construction, reduces a significant methods. The process can be mind- ModSkool school in Delhi, India, made
amount of construction time and errors, blowingly fast. In 2015, a 57-storey with indigenous materials, is designed
bringing down over-consumption skyscraper was constructed in a mere to be rapidly dismantled and moved in
and wastage of materials. It involves 19 days in Changsha, China, with giant the event of flooding.

The new, green BIM

Implemented since the 1970s, management to improve building and building’s characteristics. It enables
Building Information Modelling (BIM) infrastructure quality. BIM software professionals in the built realm to
is an approach for digital information offers digital representation of a consider the sustainability of materials
and design in the digital environment
before taking the project live. The
© PLP Architecture / photo: Ronald Tilleman

United Kingdom’s push for BIM

standardization led, in 2019, to the
introduction of the international
ISO 19650 standard, recognizing
the need for strict standards and
governance locally and globally. BIM
also offers “intelligent management”
features. Take, for example, the Edge
in Amsterdam, also known as the
“smartest building in the world”. A
smartphone application allows users
to interact with the building: reserve
workspaces, control light level, or
adjust the temperature of the space
they’re in.
Finalized in 2015, the Edge building in Amsterdam, also known as “The Computer with a Roof”,
is equipped with 28,000 sensors that utilize data generated by building users to optimize space
management and occupation levels.

The archi-tech generation  | 25

 WIDE ANGLE Katy Gillett
Journalist based in
Dubai, the United Arab

Solving a concrete Emirates (UAE)

issue with salt

in Dubai
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.

W
ael Al Awar’s office sits in In Deira, an older area Japanese business partner, Kenichi Teramoto, in their curation
of Dubai. The building was constructed over of the 2021 UAE National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of
a salt flat, or sabkha, a geological formation Architecture, which won the Golden Lion for Best National
characterized by a lack of vegetation and very Participation. Called “Wetland”, the exhibition examined the
high levels of salinity. It was the sabkhas of the United Arab potential for making sustainable building materials using
Emirates (UAE) that inspired the Lebanese architect and his recycled brine waste from desalination plants.

© Federico Torra

The ”Wetland” project, awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the Venice Biennale of Architecture,
explores ways to create construction materials using brine waste from seawater desalination plants.

26 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © Image courtesy National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia and waiwai /
photography by Wael Al Awar
Salt has been used in buildings for centuries. Siwa, an urban
oasis in western Egypt, was founded on a sabkha and became
the home to one of the earliest civilizations in 10,000 BC.
Abodes were created using kersheef, a traditional material
mostly assembled from salt, and these still stand today. But
over time, the tradition has been lost. In Dubai, like in other
parts of the world, concrete has taken over, with serious
consequences for the environment. The cement industry is
responsible for about 7 to 8 per cent of the world’s direct CO2
emissions and it’s a fundamental building block for concrete.
It is lime, the binder in cement, that is the real problem, as
calcium carbonate has to be heated to produce calcium oxide
(lime) which releases CO2 as a byproduct.

Off the beaten track

Countries such as Japan, for example, where Al Awar and
Teramoto also have an office, have historically built with
local materials such as bamboo – and still can. In the UAE,
however, the use of local materials is a challenge. In the past,
the building sector relied on coral. But large-scale use of this
resource is not a viable option for a population that has grown
from some hundreds of thousands to over nine million in the
last fifty years. “As an architect, you really need to understand The Al Ruwais sabkha site, situated some 240 kilometers west
what your responsibility is,” says Al Awar. “In the UAE, there is from Abu Dhabi. Such highly saline geological formations are
no wood or bamboo. We had to really think outside the box characteristic of arid regions that have been exposed to seawater.
to find an alternative and try to do what was good for the
climate.”
As Al Awar sought alternatives to cement, he came across
the sabkhas, which account for more than five per cent of the
country’s land mass. The UAE – the second-largest desalination market in the
world after Saudi Arabia – generates about 14 per cent of the
world’s total desalinated water output, according to the Abu
Dhabi Department of Energy. These plants supply potable
water to millions, but the leftover waste of highly concentrated
We need to move away saltwater goes back into the Gulf, increasing its salinity. This
from resource extraction has an impact on marine and coral life. “We thought this is a
win-win situation where we can take this byproduct and really
and think of a circular work with it,” says Al Awar.
economy instead The technique of using brine in construction is still in its
very early stages. “It was just the beginning of what eventually
could be and hopefully will be,” says Laila Binbrek, the director
of the National Pavilion UAE. Al Awar and Celik have been
Al Awar and a team of scientists from the American looking into this since then, and exhibited a new prototype at
University of Sharjah analyzed the minerals and salts and Dubai Design Week in November 2023.
found magnesium oxide. Building on this discovery, Kemal Magnesium oxide could be a feasible solution for any
Celik, an assistant professor of engineering at New York country with desalination plants. But it is not a material that
University Abu Dhabi, helped find a way to replace lime with should be exported; solutions need to be found close to home.
magnesium oxide to create new synthetic blocks that were “The problem of the climate crisis is the idea of universal
later used in the structures that formed Wetland. materiality,” he says. “If you look to the past, people built
from their environment, they never built from other people’s
Brine as a solution environment.”
A building in Dubai shouldn’t look like a building in
Sabkhas may have been the inspiration, but they were not the Singapore, adds Al Awar. “We need to move away from
material source, as extracting from them would be a “crime”, extraction and think of a circular economy. I urge each
says Al Awar. They are also carbon sinks. “If we say, ‘Let’s architect to look at their city and see what the industrial
build with sabkhas’, I don’t think they would last five years.” wastes are. Laila Binbrek agrees. “Sometimes you don’t realize
Rather than destroy these natural environments, the solution the solution is probably right under your nose.” Or in Al Awar’s
was to use brine from desalination plants. case, right under his office.

Solving a concrete issue with salt in Dubai  | 27

 WIDE ANGLE Interview by
Chen Xiaorong
UNESCO

Wang Shu: “The sustainable

architecture ‘system’ has
developed into a movement”
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.

In 2012, you were the first Chinese architect to be honored Together with Lu Wenyu, your wife and co-founding
with the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. What does partner of Amateur Architecture, you have designed
this achievement mean to you, and how would you describe world-renowned works such as the Ningbo Museum
the defining features of your architectural style? and the Xiangshan Academy of Art, both constructed of
recycled materials. How would you define “sustainable
The Pritzker Architecture Prize underscores the profound impact architecture”?
architects make on the global architectural landscape. I see
this honour as a form of recognition for Chinese architecture When sustainable architecture is brought up, we often place
– a proof that Chinese architects have moved beyond mere ourselves within a Western context. However, traditional Chinese
imitation and developed a contemporary, distinct architectural architecture inherently possesses a recycling system that
language. It was a turning point not only for Chinese architects prioritizes elements such as ventilation, rain control, temperature
but also for architects worldwide, since prior to this, the prize regulation, and lighting optimization. It places a strong emphasis
had mostly been awarded to Western architects. on the harmonious coexistence of the household or family.
In the speech at the prize ceremony, it was stated that I The sustainable architecture ‘system’ has developed into a
had developed a unique approach to architectural creation, movement that has gained international recognition in recent
or an “architectural language of my own”. The goal of this years. In 2007, I received the Global Award for Sustainable
Architecture in Paris, which exemplifies this tendency.
Since 2000, an increasing number of architectural projects
in China have adopted this approach. The Xiangshan Campus
of the China Academy of Art, which I designed, is the
Traditional Chinese earliest and the most typical example. It is not just a singular
architectural piece but a cluster of structures that extends
architecture prioritizes its scope to an urban scale, addressing the challenges faced
elements such as ventilation, by cities and offering solutions. It was included in the New
York Times list of ‘The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar
rain control, temperature Architecture’ in 2021.
regulation, and lighting
What are the challenges of sustainable architecture in
optimization China?

China, with a truly immense scale of construction activity, can

play an important role in this area. I believe that China’s most
language, in the face of rapid modernization, is to not forsake substantial contribution to global sustainable development in
history and tradition but to create a bridge between them and the 21st century lies within the realm of construction.
modern style and ensure that traditional architecture remains Architectural sustainability in China should draw upon
relevant in today’s world. Nature, memories, and the nuances its rich, traditional culture as the foundation for crafting our
of language ( “词句” or Ci Ju) are some of the core elements of unique approach. For instance, over 50 per cent of China’s
my architectural language. traditional dwellings are constructed using rammed earth.

28 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

 © Iwan Baan
The Lin’an Museum in Hangzhou (2020), designed by Amateur Architecture Studio, uses traditional materials and building techniques
to forge a modern museum.

Can you tell us about your collaboration with the of sustainable development, the challenge is to rejuvenate
International Centre on Earthen Architecture (CRAterre), a the ‘regionalism’ approach, restoring its capacity for critique
UNESCO partner? and vitality. My work has sought to make a meaningful
contribution to this endeavour on a global scale.
I was impressed in the early 2000s by the groundbreaking Critical regionalism extends beyond mere replication
rammed earth structure of the Kapelle der Versöhnung of traditional symbols, aiming to discover a harmonious
constructed by the Centre in Berlin. When I had the opportunity coexistence between traditional and modern culture. This
to meet them in the mountains of Grenoble, France, it dawned includes using traditional artisanal techniques, even for large-
on me that CRAterre had been diligently researching new scale architecture projects, but also cutting-edge technology.
rammed earth techniques in collaboration with UNESCO for
over three decades. I found this very inspiring. Could you share the journey that led you to become the
In 2011, the Centre assisted us in establishing our own globally renowned architect you are today?
laboratory and extended unwavering technical support. By
2013, I had designed and overseen the construction of a My early exposure to calligraphy as a child laid the groundwork
massive 9,000-square-metre rammed earth building at the for my lifelong passion to understand the Chinese aesthetic
Xiangshan Campus in Hangzhou. This structure marked a tradition. Once I entered the realm of architecture, I sensed
significant milestone as it was the largest rammed-earth boundless opportunities for exploration.
building in all of Asia at that time. During my second year of undergraduate studies, two
Last year, I completed the National Archives of Publications pivotal pamphlets, Toward a New Architecture by Swiss
and Culture, also in Hangzhou, where rammed earth is architect Le Corbusier and The Bauhaus Manifesto, left an
prominently featured. indelible mark on me with their critical architectural discourse.
In addition to these influences, I conducted extensive
You promote an architectural approach known as “critical research into vernacular architecture. Back in the 1990s, my
regionalism”. Could you explain this concept? unconventional architectural ideas often met with hurdles when
it came to securing major projects. However, these limitations
The concept of ‘regionalism’ was introduced in Europe at the led me to smaller-scale projects, where I had the opportunity
end of the 1970s as a response to the prevailing trajectory of working closely with skilled artisans and traditional
of modern architecture which had been heavily focused on craftsmanship – an experience rarely accessible to designers
science and technology. With modernization, this approach within standard design institutes. I firmly believe that to have
had inadvertently caused substantial harm to local and global impact I must be grounded in Chinese culture, making it
indigenous cultures worldwide. In the contemporary context the cornerstone of my architectural endeavours.

Wang Shu: “The sustainable architecture ‘system’ has developed into a movement”   | 29
ZOOM
 Photos:
Thandiwe Muriu / Institute
Text:

Thandiwe Muriu, Katerina Markelova,

UNESCO

fairy of optical illusions

A
ct 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.
Draped in ankara print fabrics, the bodies of the women blend into a décor with
the same pattern, creating a visual illusion that is created without digital effects. A
pop and publicity aesthetic – the field that Thandiwe Muriu comes from – will not be
used to dupe the viewer.
Beyond the splashy colours and the carefully planned poses, the photos of
Thandiwe Muriu aim to express the power of African women. And more subtly,
their invisibility in society. Transformed into quirky fashion accessories, the lemon
press, tea balls and hairpins reflect the inventiveness of these women who, lacking
resources, infinitely recycle and reuse ordinary objects. Her work is seen as a veritable
manifesto for Kenyan women.
Exhibited around the world in Paris and New York, Shanghai and Marrakesh,
laureate of the 2020 People’s Choice Award at the Photo London fair, this self-taught
photographer has shaped a solid reputation on the international art scene. Her
success, however, does not stop her from regularly meeting with students to show
them that art is not just a discipline for men. As far as the brook flows, it does not forget A diamond does
its source is another African proverb.
not lose its value
due to lack of
admiration.
* The book Camo will be published in April 2024. African proverb

He who is destined
for power does not
have to fight for it.
African proverb

Thandiwe Muriu, fairy of optical illusions  | 31

 ZOOM

When your sister does your hair, you do not need a mirror.
African proverb

32 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

A great leader is an ordinary person with extraordinary wisdom.
African proverb

Thandiwe Muriu, fairy of optical illusions  | 33

 ZOOM

It is not what you are called, but what you answer to.
African proverb

34 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

He who loves, loves you with your dirt.
African proverb

Thandiwe Muriu, fairy of optical illusions  | 35

 ZOOM

You must act as if it is impossible to fail.

African proverb

36 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

Life is lived forwards, but understood backwards.
African proverb

Thandiwe Muriu, fairy of optical illusions  | 37

 ZOOM

A man cannot sit down alone to plan for prosperity.

African proverb

38 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

A person is a person because of other people.
African proverb

Thandiwe Muriu, fairy of optical illusions  | 39

 IDEAS

A deep dive into

the transatlantic
slave trade
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.
© Château des ducs de Bretagne – musée d’Histoire de Nantes

Detail from a drawing: the tween-deck of the Marie-Séraphique, a slave-trading ship from Nantes, loaded with 312 enslaved persons (1770).
Document preserved in the Château des ducs de Bretagne – Musée d’histoire de Nantes (France).

40 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

Madick Gueye
Doctor of underwater archaeology,
coordinator of the Slave Wrecks
Project, Cultural Engineering
and Anthropology Research Unit invaluable scientific data and shed light The Middle Passage
(URICA) at IFAN, Cheikh Anta Diop on the tragic history of the triangular
University, Dakar (Senegal). trade. The team then carried out dives in
The waters surrounding the island of some of the sites. We had a clear
Gorée, inscribed on the World Heritage mission – to assess the potential of the
list in 1978, are an important part of sites, measure their extent, map the

T
this history. This is why, in 2016 and apparent structures and study their
oday known as a place of 2017, a team of research divers from environment. This was a decisive factor
memory dedicated to the slave the Institut fondamental d’Afrique noire in the conservation of the remains. So
trade, the island of Gorée was (IFAN) at Cheikh Anta Diop University far, IFAN has identified two major sites:
the largest slave-trading centre in Dakar, undertook two underwater HMS Sénégal, which was shipwrecked
on the African coast from the 15th to archaeological research missions in 1780, and a second site dating from
the 19th century. Thousands of human off the coast of the island. Using a the early 19th century that requires more
beings passed through this small magnetometer to detect the presence in-depth archaeological assessment
island some five kilometres from Dakar, of metals, combined with a navigation before it can be fully identified.
Senegal, before being used as forced system and a depth sounder, we were In Senegal the research focuses on
labour in American plantations. able to cover the entire coastline of the the Middle Passage, the transatlantic
It is estimated that nearly a thousand island within a radius of 500 metres, stage of the triangular trade linking
slave ships wrecked between Africa recording the data generated with the Europe, Africa and the Americas, a
and the Americas. Only a tiny fraction aid of software. The subsequent work field that still remains largely undoc­
of these wrecks are known and of cataloguing enabled us to identify umented. Given its strategic position
documented today. Consequently, a 24 archaeological sites, confirming and major role in transatlantic trade
huge amount of mapping work needs the richness of Senegal’s underwater relations, Senegambia – historically a
to be undertaken. Tracking down these cultural heritage. geographical area corresponding to
archeological remains and exploring the Senegal and Gambia river basins
the underwater sites would help obtain – appears to be a privileged area to be
explored.

The Senegalese
waters are home
to many slave
shipwreck sites

For over four centuries, thousands

of European slave ships sailed along
the coast of West Africa, with the main
trading points centred on the coastal
regions of Saint-Louis, Gorée, Rufisque,
Portudal, Joal, Albreda and Rivières du
Sud.
Obstacles to navigation, such as
poor visibility and sandbanks, as well
as rivalry between European powers,
caused many of these vessels to run
aground. Reconstructing what life was
like on board and the hardship endured
by these men and women is one of the 
aims of our research.

A deep dive into the transatlantic slave trade  | 41

 IDEAS

© Jane Hahn
Training at sea and
in the classroom
These initial explorations were
carried out as part of the Slave Wrecks
Project, initiated by the Smithsonian
Institution’s National Museum of
African American History and Culture
in Washington, DC (United States).
The aim of the international network
of researchers set up by the project is
not only to document the history of
the transatlantic slave trade, but also
to approach it in a new way by placing
people at the heart of the story.

Professor Ibrahima Thiaw and his students on a mission off the coast of the island of Gorée in 2016.

The Cheikh Anta

Diop University
© VWpics / Hemis.fr

has established
the first African-
led marine
archaeology team
in West Africa

Training is an essential dimension of

this initiative bringing together Africans
and African-American descendants to
study underwater archaeology, both at
sea and in classrooms. Since 2014, the
Slade Wrecks Project has been able to
train a network of researchers at IFAN’s
Archaeology Laboratory in diving
The House of Slaves on the Island of Gorée.
and marine archaeology techniques
and technology. It has thus been
instrumental in setting up the first
African-led marine archaeology team in working on the subject. He led two landscapes are still strongly marked by
West Africa. diving missions to the Gorée area in the stigma of slavery. Racial stereotypes
Underwater archaeological sites 1988, as part of UNESCO’s programme arising from the slave trade have had a
enable us to re-examine the stories to safeguard the island. The work of profound impact on intercultural and
and legacies of the slave trade. By Professor Ibrahima Thiaw, a Senegalese interracial relations.
promoting knowledge, the underwater archaeologist and specialist in the The question of the role played by the
archaeology of the slave trade fosters living conditions of the slaves on African continent in the export of black
reconciliation and promotes social Gorée, has also been instrumental in slaves continues to be debated. This
justice. the development of this discipline in topic, sometimes reduced to simplistic
The desire to document slave Senegal. statements, has been the source of
trade history by studying underwater misunderstandings and even tensions
remains is not something new. A very present past with Afro-descendant Americans.
Since the late 1980s, researchers Africans were undeniably implicated,
such as Max Guérout, a French The transatlantic slave trade is not only but the moral and political economy of
underwater archaeologist, have been a thing of the past – Senegalese social the slave trade is highly complex and

42 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

© Guy Peterson for the Washington Post

Survey carried out during an underwater archaeology training at a wreck site ten metres from the coast of the island of Gorée.

cannot be reduced to clichés or hasty number of threats. Several dozen meters Senegal does not yet have a
interpretations. below the surface, micro-organisms, conservation laboratory, an essential
In this context, a better understanding marine fauna and the mechanical effects element for continuing underwater
of the past and of the complexity of the of the sea, currents and even fishing archaeological excavations. The
transatlantic slave trade is essential to gear can destroy wrecks. creation of such an establishment is
foster dialogue and heal the wounds of Buried in the sediment, sheltered from therefore imperative for the future of
the past, wounds which are sometimes light and in an oxygen-poor environment, our research and, more broadly, for the
still open. Moreover, by involving the local organic matter is well preserved. But documentation of the history of the
population in the research we will help once brought to the surface, the objects transatlantic slave trade.
them take ownership of the black slave are fragile and need to be preserved with
trade history. appropriate conservation treatment. This
Provided, however, that the ruins is particularly true of iron objects and
and remains can continue to reveal their wood. Indeed, the archaeological objects
secrets to future generations. In fact, excavated by Max Guérout in the late
underwater archaeological sites face a 1980s are already deteriorating.

A deep dive into the transatlantic slave trade  | 43

 OUR GUEST Interview by
Laura Berdejo
UNESCO

Judith
Santopietro:
“You can rebuild yourself
through writing”

© Elena Lehman

44 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

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).

What role does writing play in your This is important for women who live for missing persons1, I know just how
life? in a country where they didn’t grow important it is to put one’s traumas into
up, and who recreate a community to words. You can rebuild yourself from this
Writing plays a vital role in my life. protect themselves and to embellish experience.
I came to the United States in 2012, lived their lives, particularly around food,
in Texas for a few years, then I returned religious rites or festive moments. For This trip was an opportunity for you
to Mexico. I go back and forth between me, this is an important aspect of the to familiarize yourself with Andean
the two countries. In addition to my own story, as it helps to dispel the idea that cosmogony. How do these languages
publications, I run literature and writing migration is synonymous with suffering. influence your work?
workshops with women from Mexico’s Moments of pain do exist, of course, but
indigenous peoples who live in the they don’t sum up the experience of The Spanish I use rubs shoulders with
United States. these women. Quechua, Aymara and other Andean
The women who take part in these languages. It wasn’t a conscious decision
workshops don’t just write as an Your latest collection of poems, on my part, it just happened naturally.
exercise; it’s an opportunity for them to Tiawanaku. Poemas de la madre During this trip, I was writing non-stop. I
express things that are deeply buried, Coqa, recounts the journey of an recorded everything I saw. I was looking
to put into words experiences that are Aymara woman – an indigenous for my place in this world that I was
sometimes very harsh. The aim is not to population spread across Argentina, crisscrossing, listening to.
heal through writing, but rather to use Bolivia, Chile and Peru – through At first, I had trouble understanding
it as a trigger, to initiate a process that the Andes mountains. What’s your the Spanish spoken in the Andes, but
leads them to question their identity. connection with this character? I persevered. By listening carefully to
this mixed language, I came to realize
Tiawanaku, which is the name of an there were links between the concepts
ancient archaeological city in Bolivia, conveyed by Aymara, Quechua and
tells the story of a displaced woman other Altiplano languages. I also realized
who flees her country, Mexico, in the the extent to which they had permeated
midst of a war between drug cartels, to Spanish. 
reach the Andes. This character is very
Andean Spanish close to me. I did in fact travel by bus
has been strongly from Lima in Peru to La Paz in Bolivia.
The trip took over 30 hours.
modified, in its I wrote this book at a time when I
very syntax, by was unable to distance myself from the
1. In Mexico, forced disappearances and
violence I had experienced, which is
the contribution why the narrative is in the first person the discovery of mass graves linked to the
war between drug cartels have claimed
singular. Today, having taken part in
of indigenous projects on migrants and refugees in
countless victims in recent years. As of 2023,
the Ministry of the Interior counted over
languages Mexico, working with groups searching 110,000 missing persons.

Judith Santopietro: “You can rebuild yourself through writing”  | 45

 OUR GUEST

© Andi Landoni for The UNESCO Courier

Does the revitalization of indigenous or link in Quechua, or ajayu, cosmic these languages are now threatened
languages involve deconstructing the energy, express a whole way of seeing with extinction.
linguistic hierarchy? the world, animate beings and natural
phenomena. I learned this through How can we restore the cosmogonies
A new version of Tiawanaku is about the oral histories of my village, but transmitted by native languages?
to be published in Mexico. On this thanks to the language. Nahuatl, the
occasion, my editor suggested that language of my ancestors, has words I think the process of active listening is
I italicize words and concepts from to designate animate beings and fundamental. When I design and run
other languages. I refused because I distinguish them from those that are writing workshops, usually for a migrant
didn’t want to give the impression of a not. The same is true of many other audience, and when I tackle certain
linguistic hierarchy. I didn’t want these indigenous languages. Stones can thus themes with vulnerable populations,
terms from other idioms to appear as be inhabited, or even endowed with a I use this listening process first and
intruders. Instead, I wanted to show how spirit. In rituals, the terms used refer to foremost. Writing comes next. It’s a way
Andean Spanish was strongly modified, divinities, and are pronounced to act of releasing emotions, of putting them
in its very syntax, by the contribution and heal. in order.
of the indigenous languages that pre- It took me a long time to understand Listening allows us to access
existed it. that the Spanish spoken in my home otherness. As well as bringing us face to
These languages carry with them was totally imbued with Nahuatl. face with people, it enables us to grasp
a wealth of precious knowledge. Recognizing the terms hidden within it their concerns and their experiences
Concepts such as quipu, which is a knot was like a revelation. The problem is that of migration. We don’t take enough

46 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

time to reflect on the reasons why When I write, I don’t think about the What projects are you currently
these people have left their country, or idea of a poem; I ask myself what is my working on?
what they have endured during their voice in the world and how to direct
journey. Through the process of active that light. While it goes without saying I’m writing my first novel, and I feel
listening, we can uncover their family that you have to read classical poets and reborn as a writer. It’s the story of
stories, show more empathy and better contemporary authors, it’s also essential an indigenous woman – a strong,
understand the world. to be open to authors who write in other determined woman who, in the difficult
languages, in order to change your circumstances of migration, takes
Your work falls somewhere between perspective. control of her destiny.
prose and poetry. What does the I loved reading some of the poets of At the same time, I’m writing a book
poetic form offer you? the indigenous nations of the United about forced disappearance in Mexico.
States and Latin America: I was surprised I want to tell the story of the leading
For me, poetry is a means of dialoguing by these new ways of conceiving nature, role played by women in the search
with existing cosmogonies. It tears apart human beings, women, birth, the for information on victims. I want to
reality to let images emerge, giving us a principle of hope and the struggle for describe their solidarity and the steps
glimpse of the strange and unusual in one’s territory. they take, but also their rituals and the
everyday life. It’s also important to remember that difficulties of all kinds they encounter.
If we compare it to a work of prose, not everything has to be published. You could call this book ‘documentary
a novel or a story, poetry opens up Active participation in the life of the poetry’. Just as I like to write in new
unsuspected worlds that we otherwise community, sharing poetry and stories, places and contexts, I like to experiment
miss. Prose, on the other hand, allows us is important in its own right. Finally, with new literary genres.
to unfold longer narratives. you shouldn’t try to use these works or
publish them.
What advice would you give to those
who are starting out as poets?

Just one piece of advice: experience

what is elsewhere. You mustn’t just
be the voice that speaks, but first and
foremost the one that listens and
observes. You have to know where you
want to take your writing, and to whom.

Writing is a way of
releasing emotions,
of putting them
in order
© nomadcook

Judith Santopietro: “You can rebuild yourself through writing”  | 47

 IN DEPTH Gina Doubleday
UNESCO

Africa: the Local materials

fuel a thriving
next world industry

leader in 37 out of 54
African countries
produce cotton.

fashion? Organic cotton fibre 90%

output in sub-Saharan

T
Africa grew by over 90%
he fashion scene in Africa is booming. Thanks to a from 2019 to 2020.
young and growing population, urbanization, and
digital technologies, fashion is driving creativity,
economic development, and innovation here. Cities
such as Abidjan, Casablanca, Dakar, Johannesburg, Lagos, But in 2022 over 81% of
and Nairobi are not just financial hubs but also hotspots for the cotton produced was
81%
fashion and design. Challenges remain, however, including exported and not used
a lack of investment, limited educational systems, a need locally.
for intellectual property protection, and sourcing materials
affordably. Despite this, UNESCO’s report The African Fashion
Sector: Trends, challenges and opportunities for growth Pan-African fabrics like
published in October 2023 shows that the continent holds African lace, bazin, and wax
all the cards to become one of the world’s next leaders in print are often imported
fashion. from outside the continent.

Local materials such as raffi,

tree bark, jute, kenaf, coir,
sisal, kapok, and abaca are
in-demand with designers
seeking sustainability.

Fashion
Made-in-Africa
90% of the fashion sector in Africa 42% A 42% increase in demand
is made up of small and medium- for African haute couture
90% sized businesses, whose profits is expected over the next
directly benefit populations. 10 years.

28%
Demand in Africa is growing
Growth in e-commerce attracted
13% for Made-in-Africa fashion,
28% of Africans in 2021 compared Population
to 13% in 2017. under-25s: 50% especially among young
2017 2021 people: the under-25s
account for half of the
continent's population, and
32 African countries organize Middle
among the burgeoning
fashion weeks on a regional and class 35%
population: middle class, more than a
international scale. third of the population.

48 The UNESCO Courier • January-March 2024

Challenges
TOP FIVE CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT
IN AFRICAN FASHION

1 59% 2 49% 3 45%

Lack of Lack of Cost and

investment educational availability of
opportunities local textiles

4 44% 5 38%

Lack of Cost of
adequate imported
infrastructure textiles

Potential solutions

Inclusive policies Infrastructure

for the fashion development
industry

Ensuring decent Leading the way

work conditions for sustainable
fashion

Major 1
1 Morocco Yarn and Fabric
fashion Sourcing Show
2 (Casablanca)
events 3
4
4 Cameroon Fashion Week
2 Africa Sourcing and Fashion (Yaoundé)
Week (Addis Ababa)
5 Design Indaba (Cape Town)
5 3 Glitz Africa Fashion Week
(Accra)

Source: The African Fashion Sector: Trends, challenges

and opportunities for growth (UNESCO, 2023)
Africa: the next world leader in fashion?  | 49
Cities, Culture, Creativity
Leveraging culture and creativity
for sustainable urban development
and inclusive growth

Through their contribution to urban

regeneration and sustainable urban
development, cultural and creative
industries make cities more attractive
places for people to live in and for eco-
nomic activity to develop.

Drawing from the experiences of nine

cities from across the world, Cities,
Culture, and Creativity offers concrete
guidance for the range of actors to
boost their local creative economies
and build resilient, inclusive, and dyna-
mic cities.

978-92-3-100452-0
112 pp., 210 x 297 mm
Published in 2021
UNESCO Publishing/World Bank

Read the publication

in open access

www.unesco.org/en/publications
 Subscribe to The Courier
The UNESCO Courier is published in the six official languages
of the Organization, and also in Catalan and Esperanto.

2023 ‫مارس‬-‫يناير‬
联合国教科文组织

信 使 2022年第3期
Courrier LE

D E L’ U N E S CO
avril-juin 2022

TR A DUCTION
d´un monde :
à l´autre
• Au Mexique,

‫الرّياضيات‬
des dessins
pour traduire
des mots
• Don Quich
otte : du casti
au mandarin llan
et réciproque

‫تخطف األضواء‬
• Faire entre ment
r la science africa
dans le dictio ine
nnaire
• Faut- il se resse
mbler
pour traduire
‫الرّياح املوسمية ال‬
• ?
‫هندية حتت مجهر‬ .‫العلماء‬
:‫• اجلائحة‬
‫النّموذج النّرويجي‬
:‫يرس‬ ‫ميتاف‬ •
‫مع جوو ليانغ‬ ‫حوار‬
‫ليو جيانيا‬
‫• جنوب إف‬
ّ ‫ املعادلة‬:‫ريقيا‬
‫الصعبة لتعليم‬ ‫الرّياضيّات‬

文化：
全球公共产品
嘉宾
• 墨西哥女演员耶莉莎·阿帕里西奥专访 NOTRE INVIT
ÉE
印度尼西亚作家埃卡·古尼 Joanne McNe
• 诺莱坞的流媒体罗曼史 il, écrivaine amér
阿弯：“假如身边的人都能读 « Internet ne icaine :
se limite pas
‫ضيفتنا‬ • 冰岛：为古老的语言带来全新的视角 到世界各地的文学作品，那 les entreprises à ce que
technologiques
en ont fait »
،‫فينسيان دي سبري‬ • 威哈特为贝鲁特的艺术项目注入生机 该多好啊”
‫في‬
‫لسوفة "مكافحة تراجع‬
‫األحياء يتط‬
‫لّب إحياء المشاعر‬
"‫واألحاسيس المبهجة‬

Courier
T H E U N E S CO

April-June 2023
Курьер июль-сентябрь 2023 года

Ю НЕ СКО Correo
EL

D E L A U N E S CO
octubre-diciembre
2023

er a de
La es cu el a en la tif ic ia l
en ci a Ar
la In te lig
• Леса бассейна • Las ‘Edtechs’
Конго: хрупкое ganan popularidad
сокровище en África
• Мексика: • Estonia, pioner
a
хранительницы en el uso de la
мангровых лесов tecnología digital
• Дания: школа
• En Argentina
среди деревьев un algoritmo lucha
ión
• Коренное contra la deserc
население — escolar
оплот в борьбе
Addis Ababa,
с обезлесением • Entrevista con
ll
Istanbul, Paris, Stuart J. Russe
Seoul, Vienna… “Su trabajo
A world tour cambiará,
of cafés pero siempre
necesitaremos

ЗОВ
• The cafés of
profesores”
• Ethiopia, Buenos Aires,
a protected
the home of coffee
heritage
НАШ ГОСТЬ DO
• A little luxury NUESTRO INVITA

ЛЕСА
meets big success • Писатель
OUR GUEST Акира Мидзубаяси: Frankétienne,
in the Republic
Diébédo Francis музыка слов escritor haitiano
of Korea una
Kéré, architect: “La creación es
s”
“I work odisea sin escala

CAFÉS: A rich blend

alongside
nature and not
against it”

of cultures

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