{"id":57653,"date":"2025-04-28T14:21:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T14:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/57653\/"},"modified":"2025-04-28T14:21:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T14:21:17","slug":"the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/57653\/","title":{"rendered":"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e467f7922e33d14cf0bf1-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%;\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 1 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e467f7922e33d14cf0bf1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"480\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"eager\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e467f7922e33d14cf0bf1-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" style=\"min-height: var(--featured-height, auto); aspect-ratio: auto 640 \/ 480\" width=\"640\"\/><\/a>Guha \/ Realrich Architecture Workshop. Image \u00a9 Eric Dinardi<\/p>\n<p>    Share<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<ul class=\"afd-share__networks clearfix\">\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Facebook\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"facebook_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1029570\" data-social=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Twitter\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"twitter_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1029570\" data-social=\"twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=The%20Colonial%20Legacy%20of%20Concrete%20in%20the%20Global%20South&amp;url=https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south&amp;via=archdaily\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\n<p>Twitter<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"email_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1029570\" data-social=\"email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South&amp;body=https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\"><\/a>\n<p>Mail<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Pinterest\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"pinterest_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1029570\" data-social=\"pinterest\" href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archdaily.com%2F1029570%2Fthe-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.adsttc.com%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F680e%2F467f%2F7922%2Fe33d%2F14cf%2F0bf1%2Flarge_jpg%2Fthe-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg%3F1745766022&amp;description=The%20Colonial%20Legacy%20of%20Concrete%20in%20the%20Global%20South\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Whatsapp\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-action=\"share\/whatsapp\/share\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"whatsapp_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1029570\" data-social=\"whatsapp\" href=\"whatsapp:\/\/send?text=The+Colonial+Legacy+of+Concrete+in+the+Global+South+%7C+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archdaily.com%2F1029570%2Fthe-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south%3Futm_source%3DWhatsapp%26utm_medium%3DIM%26utm_campaign%3Dshare-button\" rel=\"nofollow\"><\/a>\n<p>Whatsapp<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Or<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south<\/p>\n<p>Concrete towers dominate the skylines of Asian and African cities &#8211; looming edifices embodying development. With access to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1026422\/modernism-in-africa-shedding-light-on-nigerias-rich-heritage-of-education-buildings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tools and materials of industrial modernity<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/global-south\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global South<\/a> steps onto the world stage showcasing its bounty. Yet, at the depths of rising ambitions, the construction material speaks to colonial legacies and extractive economics that result in power imbalances in the geopolitical sphere. A climate crisis on the horizon only intensifies the complicated relationship between building materials, sustainability demands, and sovereignty of many countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"thumbs afd-desktop-e clearfix\"><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e467152b0770187822fdc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e467152b0770187822fdc-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 2 of 8\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e467152b0770187822fdc\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850075_893_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e467152b0770187822fdc-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" title=\"Playhouse \/ Aboday Architects. Image \u00a9 Happy Lim\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46967922e33d14cf0bf2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46967922e33d14cf0bf2-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 3 of 8\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46967922e33d14cf0bf2\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850075_458_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46967922e33d14cf0bf2-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" title=\"Pine Concrete House \/ sugiberry. Image \u00a9 sugiberry\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46e67922e33d14cf0bf3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46e67922e33d14cf0bf3-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 4 of 8\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46e67922e33d14cf0bf3\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850075_771_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46e67922e33d14cf0bf3-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" title=\"Mill Owners' Association Building \/ Le Corbusier. Image \u00a9 motaleb architekten\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46f07922e33d14cf0bf4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46f07922e33d14cf0bf4-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 5 of 8\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46f07922e33d14cf0bf4\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850075_202_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46f07922e33d14cf0bf4-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" title=\"Beelieve Preeschool of Life \/ 3Arquitectura. Image \u00a9 Leonardo Finotti\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"gallery-link afd-desktop-e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e467f7922e33d14cf0bf1-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - More Images\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" itemprop=\"image\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=\"\/>+ 3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The latter half of the 20th century saw most countries of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/global-south\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global South<\/a> breaking bonds with their colonial rulers, after which nation-building naturally ensued. Civic structures and infrastructure projects sought grandiose, finding purpose beyond functionality to dream of an image for the nation. Concrete was a popular material of choice. It was standardized and industrialized, yet was often foreign-controlled, thereby demanding continued colonial relationships.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e467152b0770187822fdc-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 2 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e467152b0770187822fdc\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e467152b0770187822fdc-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850076_482_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Playhouse \/ Aboday Architects. Image \u00a9 Happy Lim<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The predominant use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> was a direct result of colonization. During these periods, European powers systematically devalued indigenous building techniques while imposing their own architectural standards, often reflecting in evolved architectural styles of the vernacular language. Traditional materials like earth, bamboo, and timber were stigmatized as &#8220;primitive&#8221; or &#8220;temporary,&#8221; while masonry and later concrete were elevated as signs of civilization and permanence. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/material\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Material<\/a> hierarchy became embedded in building codes, education, and financing mechanisms that continue to privilege concrete construction over local alternatives. Traditional craftsmanship eroded in many regions, casting shadows over any path back to these methods, even when environmentally preferable.<\/p>\n<p>  Related Article <a class=\"rel-article__link\" data-insights-category=\"related-article\" data-insights-label=\"3\" data-insights-value=\"1029570\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/537296\/merging-bamboo-and-concrete-for-the-emerging-world?ad_medium=widget&amp;ad_name=related-article&amp;ad_content=1029570\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Merging Bamboo &amp; Concrete for the Emerging World<\/a>  <\/p>\n<p>Despite this, the post-independence era held space for architects like Mahendra Raj in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/south-asia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">South Asia<\/a>, and Pierre Goudiaby Atepa in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/africa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Africa<\/a> to pioneer structural innovations that often achieved material efficiencies beyond those common in construction in the Global North. B.V. Doshi and Mahendra Raj&#8217;s use of variable-thickness folded plates in Tagore Memorial Hall, for example, illustrates a solution that optimized material use while creating dramatic architectural expressions.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46e67922e33d14cf0bf3-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 4 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46e67922e33d14cf0bf3\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46e67922e33d14cf0bf3-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850076_351_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Mill Owners&#8217; Association Building \/ Le Corbusier. Image \u00a9 motaleb architekten<\/a><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46f57922e33d14cf0bf5-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 7 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46f57922e33d14cf0bf5\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46f57922e33d14cf0bf5-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850076_7_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Church of the Light \/ Tadao Ando Architect &amp; Associates. Image \u00a9 Antje Verena<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Today, 94% of cement is produced in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/global-south\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global South<\/a>, yet the profits, technologies, and environmental accounting often flow elsewhere. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/indonesia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indonesia<\/a>, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noemamag.com\/concrete-built-the-modern-world-now-its-destroying-it\/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">generated 26.8 million tonnes<\/a> of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. Under global climate agreements, these emissions count toward Indonesia&#8217;s carbon budget\u2014despite much of the cement being exported. Ecologically sensitive regions like Java are being exploited, with extraction endangering their hydrological systems and cultural sites. A similar pattern repeats across the Global South, where multinational cement corporations operate with minimal accountability to local communities while extracting both natural resources and profits.<\/p>\n<p>In the same breath, the Global North&#8217;s architecture industry is amplifying narratives around condemning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> use, citing its massive carbon footprint. This stance echoes previous colonial dynamics. After using fossil fuels to power two centuries of development and contributing more than half of cumulative carbon emissions, wealthy nations now preach restraint to regions desperately seeking to house growing populations and build essential infrastructure. Cement accounts for approximately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2024\/06\/low-carbon-cement-sustainable-development-global-south\/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1.5% of carbon emissions<\/a> in the United States and 3% in Europe, but reaches a staggering 20% in some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/global-south\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global South<\/a> nations. The concrete question isn&#8217;t merely technical but is fundamentally about climate justice and the right to development.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Many people, even architects, are biased against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> in favor of wood, bamboo or clay,&#8221; notes researcher Urs Heierli, &#8220;but these materials don&#8217;t meet the needs of the Global South.&#8221; The math supports this assessment. By substituting a quarter of the world&#8217;s annual concrete use with wood would require increasing global forest cover by 14%\u2014an area 1.5 times the landmass of India.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e47ad52b0770187822fdf-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 6 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e47ad52b0770187822fdf\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e47ad52b0770187822fdf-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_7.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Mill Owners&#8217; Association Building \/ Le Corbusier. Image \u00a9 Panov Scott<\/a>Challenging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/material\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Material<\/a> Colonialism<\/p>\n<p>The ecological weight of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> is carried along with the economic and power structures that govern its production and use. A form of &#8220;material colonialism&#8221; upholds patterns of the past around resource exploitation. Ending this cycle calls for foundational change in control around production.<\/p>\n<p>Some regions are already exploring alternatives, as demonstrated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harquitectes.com\/en\/proyectos\/ibavi-2104\/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a social housing project in Palma, Mallorca<\/a> by H Arquitectes that mined demolished building materials to produce new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> blocks. The project employed lime-only construction for upper floors and hybrid approaches for lower walls to reduce dependency on high-carbon options.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46f07922e33d14cf0bf4-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 5 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46f07922e33d14cf0bf4\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46f07922e33d14cf0bf4-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850077_859_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Beelieve Preeschool of Life \/ 3Arquitectura. Image \u00a9 Leonardo Finotti<\/a><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46967922e33d14cf0bf2-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 3 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e46967922e33d14cf0bf2\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e46967922e33d14cf0bf2-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850077_631_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_1.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Pine Concrete House \/ sugiberry. Image \u00a9 sugiberry<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Architects like Di\u00e9b\u00e9do Francis K\u00e9r\u00e9, the first African Pritzker Prize winner, are reviving local building traditions suited to regional climates while incorporating modern engineering principles. However, these approaches must be promoted without romanticizing or overlooking the real limitations of traditional methods for meeting contemporary housing demands.<\/p>\n<p>The need to build differently must be paired with communities&#8217; right to determine their construction futures, recognizing what academic Thea Riofrancos articulates as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theariofrancos.com\/extraction?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the core dilemma facing climate activists<\/a>&#8211; &#8220;While building clean infrastructure has unavoidable material extraction demands, we must distinguish between necessary extraction and the exploitative extractivism that characterizes the current cement industry.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e48dd7922e33d14cf0bf6-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Colonial Legacy of Concrete in the Global South - Image 8 of 8\" data-nr-picture-id=\"680e48dd7922e33d14cf0bf6\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south\/680e48dd7922e33d14cf0bf6-the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745850077_785_the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south_7.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Social Housing 2104 \/ H Arquitectes. Image Courtesy of HARQUITECTES<\/a><\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> continues to shape cities from Lagos to Jakarta, local architects ought to manage its environmental impact beyond the impact of technical solutions. The issue is deeply systemic, insisting on the confrontation of colonial legacies embedded in global supply chains and contesting the extractive approach of international construction industries.<\/p>\n<p>Regions facing rapid growth and development need to build fast, and they must be allowed to do so on their own terms. Concrete will inevitably <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1016619\/the-expressiveness-of-exposed-concrete-exploring-the-works-of-luciano-kruk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">play a role in this process<\/a>. Still, its use can be transformed through locally-led innovation, material efficiency, and economic models that prioritize people and planet over profit.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Guha \/ Realrich Architecture Workshop. Image \u00a9 Eric Dinardi Share Share Facebook Twitter Mail Pinterest Whatsapp Or https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1029570\/the-colonial-legacy-of-concrete-in-the-global-south&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[2740,4023,4021,4020,30273,30272,4022,30276,77,30271,8262,30274,30275,3695,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-57653","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-africa","9":"tag-architecture","10":"tag-arts","11":"tag-arts-and-design","12":"tag-colonisation","13":"tag-concrete","14":"tag-design","15":"tag-ecological-design","16":"tag-entertainment","17":"tag-global-south","18":"tag-indonesia","19":"tag-material","20":"tag-south-asia","21":"tag-sustainability","22":"tag-uk","23":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114416037788722203","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}