Understanding the vernacular heritage to design sustainable habitats in Asni, Morocco

The paper describes the results of the research and the three design workshops developed with the participation of students, teachers and researchers from University of Florence, in Asni, a rural munici- pality located forty kilometres from Marrakesh at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. The research activities aimed to deepen the relationship between heritage, architectural design and innovation, considering local building culture as key input to develop a new eco-compatible living system. The project of a new sustainable social housing starts from the comprehension of the traditional knowledge system to define new appropriate solutions, from the urban scale to architectural and constructive design, involving the participation of local people in the project through the mediation of local associations. The final objective is to identify sustainable strategies, forms and constructive solutions to meet the needs of the new inhabitants, preserving at the same time the building culture and the cultural landscape.