This week on Dezeen, Diébédo Francis Kéré became the first African and first Black architect to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

The Burkinabè architect was recognised for his extensive body of work, which "empowers and transforms communities". Kéré is the first Black architect to receive the prestigious annual award since it was established in 1979.

To mark Kéré's win, Dezeen rounded up 10 of his key projects that focus on delivering social initiatives for marginalised communities using local vernacular forms.

We also published a series of exclusive video interviews with the architect, in which he explained the thinking behind his designs for the Serpentine Pavilion, the Burkina Faso parliament and the Gando school in his home village.

Stateside, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute revealed a low-cost, low-carbon alternative to steel rebar made from hemp.

In wake of the news, we took a look at 10 future construction materials that are promising to change the way we build, including plastic that's stronger than steel and 3D-printed mushroom columns.

In the run-up to the Academy Awards, we spoke to production designer Grant Major about his Oscar-nominated set design for the Netflix film The Power of the Dog.

The Western is centred on a two-storey ranch house, designed by Major to embody the suppressed homosexuality of one of the main characters.

Following the interview, we rounded up seven houses that play a starring role in films, from Parasite's modernist villa to the royal palace of The Favourite.

In UK architecture news, North Lanarkshire Council announced that the brutalist town centre of Cumbernauld in Scotland is set to be demolished.

The plan to replace the 1960s concrete megastructure was heavily criticised, with commentators describing the decision as "cowardly and wasteful".

In other architecture news, Danish studio BIG unveiled its design for a hotel room wrapped in hundreds of birdhouses.

The self-contained cabin is set to be built in a remote forest in Swedish Lapland, where it will become the eighth guest room of the Treehotel.

Popular projects this week included a Stockholm house constructed from a stack of shipping containers, a renovated 1960s lodge in California's Sea Ranch community and a Tokyo house arranged around a hidden courtyard.

Our lookbooks this week focused on plant-filled hotel interiors and contemporary residences with decorative vaulted ceilings.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week's top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don't miss anything.