New eco homes inspired by traditional buildings

A construction company is combining the Moroccan heritage of earthen architecture with modern living to build new homes. The ecodomes use local materials to make as little impact on the environment as possible and also reduce building costs by half.

Benslimane/Ain Aouda, Morocco: t's a striking sight on this farm in Benslimane. The owners needed a new house - and they wanted something a bit special.

So this 163 meter squared ecodome was built in around six months. It's built from natural resources like local soil, wood, stone, hay and cane.

This architecture is the brainchild of civil engineer Youness Ouazri. He founded Ecodome Maroc in 2016, an ecological construction company that builds houses, especially in rural communities.

"The ecodome is a concept of ecological construction that uses local materials including earth, it allows several advantages compared to the construction methods that exist in the market, in particular, compared to concrete and compared to frame," he says.

"The first advantage is that since we exploit local resources, we manage to reduce the costs per square meter by up to 50 percent and we eliminate the costs which relate to all logistics of transport of the raw material and of other materials."

• Even tiles, paint and other final fittings come from unprocessed sources.
• The choice of materials is not just cost-effective and environmentally friendly, they provide good sound and thermal insulation.
• Owners say there is less need to use energy on heating and air conditioning.

"It is ecological, there are no chemicals in the paint and tiling. It is also ecological regarding noise - when we are indoors, if for example, a neighbour has a water motor or animals, we hear nothing," says Khadija Driouich, owner of this ecodome.

"Also when it's cold, we put on a lot of clothes outside but when we come back the temperature is normal. This concept reminds me of childhood memories when we went to the countryside to see my grandfather."

• The raw materials used to build ecodomes vary from region to region - but the principle is that they should be sourced locally.
• Before work can begin, the soil must be analysed to ensure it is good enough quality.
• This ecodome in Ain Aouda was built in just six weeks.
• It serves as accommodation for guests staying at this farm.

Ouazri built around 20 constructions in seven regions of Khemisset, Tiflet, Ain Aouda, Benslimane, Benguerir, Agouim (between Marrakech and Ouarzazate) and has created 15 direct jobs and more than 20 indirect jobs.

"We see that there is a trend that is gradually developing as people begin to discover this kind of concept and we foresee that it is a concept of the future, especially as it relates to nature, health and the return to good practices," he says.

• His designs draw inspiration from the American-Iranian architect Nader Khalili and echo the rich Moroccan heritage in earth-based construction.
• He claims they are more resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes.
• Ouazri thinks the model can be adapted for most places.

"Within the Morocco ecodome, we have developed an expertise that allows people to build this kind of construction everywhere," he says.

"We go from arid and semi-arid climates to humid climates or even climates that have strong bad weather whether it be snow, rain or other things and we manage to adapt this kind of concept to these different climates."

Currently, the construction sector in Morocco contributes 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and consumes 40 percent of energy, according to the Ministry of Habitat.

(AP)