Moroccan architect builds seismic-resistant home in area devastated by earthquakes

Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni recently introduced a low-cost, sustainable home, featured in design magazine Domus, that may offer a viable housing solution for communities in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, severely impacted by the September 8, 2023 earthquakes.

More than 2900 people were killed and 5500 people injured by the tremors. Roughly 50,000 homes were damaged. A year on, many families remain homeless, living in tents.  

Chaouni and her team designed and built the new home in Taalat N’Yacoub, a remote mountain village. The 70-square-meter structure features two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, and three courtyards.

Constructed primarily from lightweight recycled concrete and raw earth bricks, the home is specifically designed to be earthquake-resistant. Steel rods are embedded every three meters within the brick walls, while wooden beams and vaulted bricks strengthen the roof. The project also includes the construction of a septic tank, addressing the issue of destroyed sewers in the earthquake’s aftermath.

"We learned a lot during the construction. That’s what prototypes are for," Chaouni told Domus. Her team refined the interlocking brick system to create a more aesthetically pleasing and uniform structure, and they are now working on a "2.0" version. This updated design will incorporate walkable roof terraces, maintaining earthquake safety standards.

Chaouni envisions her design as a model for constructing durable, affordable housing in regions still grappling with the devastation caused by the quake.