Preserving and managing ancient desert settlements: General and technical considerations

Saharan oases are all suffering a severe abandonment due to economic, social and political reasons. Abandonment is also the main cause for decay, thus in turn affecting at the same time the primary economical resources, the palm grove and the built environment. The latter one is also fighting a comm...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Maddalena Achenza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitat Politècnica de València 2018-12-01
Series:Loggia, Arquitectura & Restauración
Subjects:
Online Access:https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/loggia/article/view/7210
Description
Summary:Saharan oases are all suffering a severe abandonment due to economic, social and political reasons. Abandonment is also the main cause for decay, thus in turn affecting at the same time the primary economical resources, the palm grove and the built environment. The latter one is also fighting a common sense of rejection, resulting from the belief that traditional housing is uncomfortable, dirty, not lasting and unhealthy. A restoration project run by the University of Cagliari in Figuig (Morocco), opened to reflect on a new attitude in the intervention of conservation, showing that actions pointed to re-use of buildings, building traditions and traditional materials can bring to a win-win result where the memory joined to the habitat, the local identity and the local micro-economy are given a renewed and substantial significance.
ISSN:1136-758X