Situated in Southern Morocco, the Tiznit oasis has turned into a city on the edge of the desert whose location poses environmental and social challenges. Four decades of exponential population growth and extreme climate activity have taken a substantial toll on natural resources.
Landscape of Care recognises the social cohesion and cultural resilience of traditional forms of knowledge, such as the importance of plant fibres in construction and design. Through local activities, it seeks to reconnect people to their city and heritage with architectural interventions that seek to revitalise the community and support environmental sustainability. With a particular focus on women and children, the project includes a series of artistic research and community engagement workshops led by local and international artists, as well as an exhibition and residency programme.
Guardians of Memory Association
Guardians of Memory Association is dedicated to safeguarding Morocco's cultural heritage that was founded by Salima Naji in 2015. The association restores at-risk historic buildings such as granaries and fortified villages in the Atlas Mountains. It also works closely with local communities to promote the region’s intangible heritage and to raise environmental awareness.
Salima Naji
Salima Naji is an architect and anthropologist based in southern Morocco. In her work, she makes traditional building methods and materials viable for sustainable construction. She was made a Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et Lettres in 2017. She is a graduate of the École d’architecture de Paris-La-Villette and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, where she received a PhD in anthropology. Her latest book is “Architectures du bien commun, éthique de la preservation”.
In collaboration with:
- Amina Agueznay
- Carolyn F. Strauss
- Cocky Eeck
- Global Heritage Fund
- Jana Crepon
- Marijke Annema
- Nika Jazaei
- Nourredine Amir
- Omar Boumehdi
- Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie