Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Architect Yasmeen Lari delivers affordable homes in flood-hit Pakistan

Lari's houses were devised to be disaster-resilient, environmentally friendly, and quicker and easier to erect

Architect Yasmeen Lari delivers affordable homes in flood-hit Pakistan

In flood-hit southeastern Pakistan, villagers are trading tents and tarpaulins provided by aid agencies for local materials such as lime, mud and bamboo to build their own low-cost and water-resistant homes as part of a post-disaster recovery rethink.

They have been designed by Yasmeen Lari – Pakistan’s first certified female architect and who this month won the 2023 Royal Gold Medal from The Royal Institute of British Architects for her relief architecture. About 1,000 such houses have been built in Sindh province following unprecedented floods last year that submerged about a third of the country and killed at least 1,700 people.


While traditional mud huts are vulnerable to extreme weather and building concrete homes is expensive and high in carbon emissions, Lari’s houses were devised to be disaster-resilient, environmentally friendly, and quicker and easier to erect.

In Kewal Kohli, a village in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, former schoolteacher Rano Kewal’s home was one of 1.4 million houses destroyed in the climate change-fuelled catastrophe last year, according to government data.

When his mud hut washed away, Kewal and 35 members of his family were forced

to live in tents for a month, until the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan – an NGO co-founded and headed by Lari – helped the 28-year-old build a new house.

“We will be able to survive the next floods,” said Kewal, who has since helped

to build 200 similar homes in four nearby villages, with materials and training provided by the NGO.

yasmeenlariportraitjpg Yasmeen Lari (Photo: Anam Baig)

Lari used to design modern, glitzy buildings - from hotels and offices to government headquarters – made from concrete, glass and steel, but turned to sustainable relief architecture in 2005 after an earthquake devastated much of Kashmir.

She said her NGO has helped survivors of natural disasters in Pakistan to build about 55,000 homes, 4,500 of which have been erected since the floods that started last June. Her aim is to ultimately provide homes for at least 350,000 households.

The 82-year-old voiced her frustration with the United Nations’ humanitarian system and institutions like the World Bank for giving out cash, grants and relief “without building the capacity of the people” – and said international donors tended to erect concrete structures after disasters in Pakistan.

“These international colonial charity models are a complete failure as they treat the poor as victims, turning them into supplicants... (with) no attempt at nurturing or encouraging the hidden capabilities of the affected people,” Lari added.

Many NGOs and other local and international bodies involved in post-flood reconstruction still champion permanent brick and mortar houses as the most effective way of protecting the country’s poorest citizens from disasters.

A spokeswoman for the World Bank in Pakistan, Mariam Altaf, said the institution was aware of the need for more sustainable and affordable housing options, especially those that can create local employment opportunities and support local economies. However, Altaf said permanent brick and mortar houses “are more resilient housing options than mud-based ones as they will be better able to withstand natural disasters”.

This was echoed by Najaf Khan Malik, chief operation officer of the Sindh People’s Housing Foundation (SPHF) - which was established by the Sindh government to build new homes in flood-hit areas.

Malik said the SPHF wanted to use “flood resilient sustainable construction material” like burnt bricks and cement, but avoid using mud – citing its own study which found that 75 per cent of the two million homes washed away in Sindh were made of mud.

The organisation was aware of Lari’s work and was looking into incorporating innovative and sustainable methods that are “easily adoptable by the affected communities”, he added.

At first glance, the homes designed by Lari resemble traditional village architecture known in Pakistan as chauhras. Their seemingly simple exteriors mask innovative designs and are inspired by indigenous building techniques from rural Pakistan, but re-engineered to not only stop the houses from being flooded, but also make them more sustainable and green. The prefabricated bamboo structures - which sit on raised platforms - have limehardened mud walls that keep out water, while the roofs consist of bamboo covered with straw matting, a layer of tarpaulin, and pozzolana, a waterproofing material.

“Except for bamboo, which needs to be bought from the nearest town or city, the straw, earth and grass for matting are procured from around villages and freely available,” Lari said.

Lime absorbs carbon dioxide from air and bamboo sequesters carbon as it grows, making the homes good for the environment, she said. The houses take a week to build, compared to about three weeks for mud huts and up to two months for permanent cement homes. They can be built for under $87, which is fewer than a tenth of the cost of cement structures, according to Lari’s NGO.

It is teaching villagers to build their own homes through workshops and has released a series of tutorials on YouTube.

“Every one of the vulnerable should learn to build safe structures so that they are not displaced and they are able to fend for themselves (when a disaster strikes),” said Lari.

LEAD Pakistan INSET Yasmeen Lari building model GettyImages 506943408 A model of a woman’s centre in Darya Khan, Pakistan, by Yasmeen Lari at an exhibition in London in 2016 (Photo: Getty Images)

Hira Zuberi, a Karachi-based independent architect, said she had studied Lari’s designs and highlighted the homes were easy to repair and replace, and that the materials could be transported and reused easily if a household decides to move. “Most important, she is involving the rural communities in the process so there is a sense of ownership,” she said.

While Lari said she had discussions with organisations such as Islamic Relief and Unicef, many NGOs in Pakistan still prefer cement homes when it comes to post-disaster housing.

For example, Ashfaque Soomro, the executive director of the Research and Development Foundation – which is building shelters in Sindh – said such homes had the best chance of withstanding floods, based on the NGO’s experience of previous disasters.

The foundation’s cement houses cost between $872 (£700) and $1,245 (£999), and sometimes reuse debris to be less carbon-intensive, he added.

Noman Ahmed, head of the architecture department at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, said he believed house reconstruction could be done with a combination of earth, bamboo, cement and concrete - and stressed

the importance of mapping flooding patterns to avoid rebuilding in risky areas.

“It will help us identify ‘no construction zones’ where construction should be prohibited,” he said in an interview.

As architects, analysts and NGOs consider the future of building back better after disasters, residents in Sindh province’s Pono village – where Lari-designed homes were constructed before the 2022 floods – say the houses have proved their resilience. “We remained dry, as did our belongings, despite the unforgiving rain,” said Dhani Khumo, one of the residents.

(Thomson Reuters Foundation)

More For You

sachin-lords1-pti

The portrait was created by Stuart Pearson Wright, based on a photograph taken by the artist at Tendulkar’s home in Mumbai 18 years ago. (Photo: PTI)

Lord’s honours Tendulkar with portrait, cricketer says ‘full circle’ moment

SACHIN TENDULKAR said "life has truly come full circle" after a portrait of him was unveiled at Lord's on Thursday.

Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen, scored 34,357 runs across Tests, one-day internationals and one T20 match for India during his international career from 1989 to 2013.

Keep ReadingShow less
Annabel Croft

Former tennis player and current presenter Annabel Croft

Getty Images

Annabel Croft’s Wimbledon trainers prove white sneakers are a timeless smart-casual choice

Highlights:

  • Annabel Croft spotted courtside in statement Gucci trainers during Wimbledon
  • Paired the footwear with a pleated blue dress by Boss for a sporty yet polished look
  • The platform sole offered subtle height without compromising on comfort
  • White trainers remain a key smart-casual trend, suitable for a wide range of outfits

Annabel Croft embraces sporty style at Wimbledon

Former tennis player and current presenter Annabel Croft made a notable appearance at Wimbledon this weekend, combining elegance with comfort through a smart-casual ensemble. Dressed in a pale blue pleated dress by Boss, she completed the look with Gucci platform trainers, blending classic tennis aesthetics with modern fashion.

The knife-pleat design of the dress referenced traditional tennis skirts, while the fitted T-shirt silhouette gave the outfit a distinctly athletic feel. Her trainers featured Gucci’s red and green web stripe, offering a designer twist on the classic white trainer trend.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kendrick Lamar and SZA

Kendrick Lamar and SZA thrill Birmingham crowd with high-energy Grand National Tour show

Kendrick Lamar and SZA light up Birmingham with a dazzling Grand National Tour stop

Highlights:

  • Kendrick Lamar and SZA brought their record-breaking Grand National Tour to Birmingham’s Villa Park on Thursday night.
  • The three-hour set featured solo performances, visual spectacles, and crowd-favourite duets like All the Stars and Gloria.
  • Kendrick arrived on stage in his signature GNX, delivering fiery performances from To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN., and his latest album GNX.
  • SZA stunned with hits from CTRL and SOS, transforming the stage into a fantasy landscape with high-energy vocals and choreography.

Two of the biggest names in rap and R&B, Kendrick Lamar and SZA, brought their much-anticipated Grand National Tour to Birmingham’s Villa Park on Thursday night, turning the historic stadium into a special musical experience. The pair, who previously wowed the world during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, performed a mix of solo tracks and duets across a three-hour set that left fans exhilarated.

The Grand National Tour, which has already broken records as the highest-grossing co-headline tour in history, continued its momentum in the UK. Following performances in Glasgow, Kendrick and SZA proved once again why they remain at the forefront of global music.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less