Zahra Lari

Iranian architect reviving traditional earthen construction to combat climate change

Zahra Lari (b.1957) is a pioneering Iranian architect resurrecting sustainabile earthen building techniques. Since the 1990s, she has restored over 100 historical structures using cohesion - a 5,000-year-old method combining clay, straw, and animal hair. Her 2003 Eco Village Project in Yazd reduced carbon emissions by 80% compared to modern construction.

Lari's Earth Architecture Studio trains young engineers in traditional methods, creating 300 jobs in rural areas. Her 1998 book Adobe for the Future became a global reference in sustainable design. In 2005, she pioneered earthquake-resistant adobe construction after the Bam earthquake, saving thousands of lives.

Her work has been showcased at the Venice Biennale (2016) and inspired UNESCO's World Earthen Architecture Initiative. Lari's 2020 TED Talk Building with the Earth, Not Against It has over 2 million views. She remains a vocal advocate against urban sprawl, recently launching the Zero Waste Housing Network in 2023.