DESIGN FOR DISSASSEMBLY

In the face of the negative impacts of mass tourism in the Southern Saharan regions of Morocco, innovative forms of ecotourism infrastructure could be a means to alleviate both distressed arid landscapes and local economies. Yet, given this fragile context and the mobility of sand dunes, such structures should imperatively limit their ecological footprint by integrating concepts of disassembly, mobility, and temporality.

The goal of the studio is to investigate and test those new accommodation typologies.

The Southern Draa region in Saharan Morocco is an ideal ground for such inquiries. It presents on one hand economically under-developed and depleted oases, and on the other hand established tourist destinations, like the village of Zagora, in which oasis cultivation became marginal. This studio seeks to tackle the questions of designing and integrating sustainable hotel typologies within the different landscapes of this region. First, we will consider a small village and its oasis. Then, we will consider sites within its surrounding erg (sand dunes) and reg (rocky desert.)

SELECTED PROJECTS (Click For More):

ECO-TENT BY VALERY TAM

1/1 INSTALLATION BY MICHELLE WHILEY & TEAM