Moroccan mud

It's a very unusual building site in Tahanaoute, a village near Marrakech. Salima Naji, one of the most famous architects in Morocco, has the say here. She is an architect that places a lot of value on her country's cultural tradition.

Some 50 workers are employed here at Salima's construction site. They are building a vacation complex. The building material comes from the earth: mud. It's a traditional building material in Morocco with which Salima has a very particular relationship.

"You could say that I am stuck on a rather unlikely material," Salima said. "Everything takes so long, and you cannot see the results immediately. But it is so satisfying to experience what you can do just by using pure dirt."

Cooling mud

It's comfortably cool inside of the construction, in contrast to the torrid heat of more than 40 degrees Celsius outside.

"Just by using common sense, you realize that mud is better than cement," Salima said.

Houses built from mud could be an ideal solution for Morocco - a country in which the summer is very hot but the winter cold. Mud preserves heat and regulates humidity. It's like a natural air conditioner, which is an important factor in Salima's decision to work with it. It's well known that air conditioners pollute, she said.

"Energy costs rise, and furthermore, these systems are never 100 percent reliable, and they can make you sick," she said. "So, if we can make it work without air conditioning, then it's better that way."

Love for Morocco and nature

Salima grew up near the sea and spent a great deal of time outdoors as a child. She built many things out of wood and mud herself. For her, it's simply a natural consequence that she would work with natural materials.

During her childhood, she travelled extensively with her family in Morocco. Her father worked as a geologist throughout the country. As such, she learned to get by without many amenities and how to get along with all sorts of people. She is still profiting from those lessons today.

When she works in villages in the south like Assa, she has to get by without most comforts. Frequently, there is no electricity or running water available. Salima can handle it, though.

Clear ideas and authority

While Salima earns good money by working at sites like Tahanaoute, she's also involved in the restoration of houses in remote villages in Morocco with no financial interest.

Salima loves her homeland. Through her efforts, she hopes to help save the cultural tradition of Morocco. She knows exactly what she wants and energetically executes her ideas.

The architect seldom encounters problems in a career that is dominated by men. At her construction sites, she is clearly the boss: an impressive, self-assured woman with a great vision.

Author: Christine Harjes
Editor: Sabina Casagrande