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The concept of low-tech architecture recognizes the impact of carbon-intensive technologies and building practices and proposes an alternative: a rediscovery of practical, rational, locally adapted solutions that count on smart design strategies instead of energy-intensive devices to ensure a safe, comfortable living environment. Far from being a regressive approach, the term remains open to innovations but seeks to rebalance the industry’s reliance on mechanization. It thus favors an architecture of fewer components, minimized dependence on high-tech solutions, and a preference for low-embodied carbon materials.
Across the world, architects are embracing this concept, recognizing its positive social, environmental, and ethical potential of it. Among them, two architects stand out for embodying these principles, though in different contexts. While continuing to be engaged with larger, more conventional projects, Shigeru Ban became internationally recognized for his humanitarian and disaster relief efforts, working with communities in crisis in the face of a scarcity of resources.
Similarly, Yasmeen Lari applies her architectural expertise to develop accessible and locally adapted solutions for communities across Pakistan. While her first interventions were also prompted by natural disasters such as the 2005 earthquake and subsequent floods in her home country, Lari works primarily with social infrastructures, probing the needs of at-risk communities and developing long-term solutions with them, often by adapting forgotten vernacular techniques.
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Simple yet Efficient Designs
Among the main principles of low-tech architecture is the belief that functional and practical solutions can be achieved through simple design elements. Unnecessarily complex systems and structures can be difficult to maintain, and even more difficult to adapt to changing conditions. In contrast, focusing on straightforward designs that do not require advanced technologies or specialized skills can offer more appropriate responses.
This is well-reflected in the works of Shigeru Ban, who often emphasized that a crisis does not require new shapes or experimental techniques, but an effective and easy-to-implement response. In his approach, innovation comes from the ability to find simple and functional solutions that address real-world problems effectively. Yasmeen Lari’s architecture is similarly geared towards identifying and solving problems, rather than a search for unique architectural expressions. Innovation thus derives from functional needs, rather than the architect’s desire for novelty or complexity.
Vernacular-Inspired Passive Strategies
Yasmeen Lari’s work represents a staple of vernacular technologies and traditional materials reimagined to better serve local communities. In one example, she notices that rural communities across Pakistan often use open-flame cooking, exposing women to burns, fires, and respiratory issues. Lari applied her design acumen to reimagine and re-popularize the Pakistani Chulah, a smokeless earthen stove that ensures much safer cooking conditions. Since 2014, over 60,000 such stoves have been built, improving the lives of over 400,000 people. The same design ethos has led Lari to suggest building structures on elevated platforms to prevent flood damage and promote passive cooling; to implement traditional courtyard designs to aid ventilation and cooling; and to integrate local materials and knowledge to create structures such as the Zero Carbon Cultural Center in Makli.
It took some time to relearn and to understand my own situation. My old towns that I roamed around in gave me a lot of, not only information but inspiration, to be able to see what had been happening before and maybe something that we could do now as well. – Yasmeen Lari
While this may seem like an extreme example, passive design strategies can be incorporated in both high-tech and low-tech projects, often requiring low-cost interventions informed by a good understanding of local conditions. Shigeru Ban’s structures, both permanent and temporary, often incorporate several passive design strategies. Projects such as the Nicolas G. Hayek Center in Tokyo employ strategically placed operable windows throughout its central space to allow for natural ventilation, while the Centre Pompidou-Metz in France maximizes natural light through the use of translucent materials that distribute daylight evenly in the interior spaces. In the case of temporary structures, Ban opts for lightweight yet durable construction systems as is the case of the Cardboard Cathedral in New Zealand.
Locally Available Resources
Shigeru Ban gained international recognition for his creative use of unusual materials. The use of paper and cardboard as structural materials has often been called innovative, as no such materials have been previously used as structural elements in architecture. In interviews, however, Shigeru Ban often dismisses this claim. According to him, it’s not necessarily innovation that he seeks, but the appropriate material for the appropriate purpose. His designs, such as the Paper Log Houses and the Cardboard Cathedral, demonstrate how the use of simple materials can provide effective thermal insulation, structural stability, and aesthetic appeal. Ban’s approach not only addresses immediate shelter needs in disaster-stricken areas but also empowers local communities by using easily accessible resources and straightforward construction techniques.
People normally think developing something new is more high-tech, but even using raw material, humble material, the existing material around us, can be used as a structure–giving them more meaning and more function. So what I’m doing is not really inventing something new, I’m just using existing material around us as part of the building structure. – Shigeru Ban, in an interview for ArchDaily
On a similar note, Yasmeen Lar’s projects often employ locally available materials such as mud, bamboo, lime, and thatch. This choice reduces not only the environmental footprint but also lowers the construction costs and makes the process more accessible for the local population. These materials also lend themselves well to the vernacular techniques she champions, ensuring that buildings are easy to construct, repair, and adapt, while also fostering cultural relevance and ownership.
Adaptability and Community Involvement
By involving and working closely with the local community, these designs can become truly adaptable to both the needs of the people and the particular local conditions. This collaboration is made possible because of the low-tech approach, as it allows people of all skill levels to learn the techniques and actively participate in the construction process. Among the best examples of this type of involvement is Yasmeen Lari’s “Barefoot Entrepreneur Model.” In this system, local people, especially women, are trained in how to build chulahs, zero-carbon shelters, and community centers. The trained barefoot entrepreneurs then move to other villages, teaching other women to build them and charging about £2 for the service of empowering others to build and teach themselves. This creates a chain of artisans who can monetize their newly acquired skills while enriching other communities.
As exemplified by architects like Yasmeen Lari and Shigeru Ban, low-tech architecture is a concept that offers a sustainable and socially responsible alternative to more carbon-intensive building practices. Far from being innovation-adverse, the techniques promoted by this concept focus on effective and practical solutions, well adapted to the local conditions and developed together with the communities it serves. The benefits thus go beyond the environmental impact, empowering people and creating a more resilient and socially responsible architectural practice.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on June 16, 2024, as part of the ArchDaily Topics: Passive Architecture.