In Search of “Architectures without Architects”: Crossing West and North Africa in 1978

Abstract

In 1978, as a young architect with a keen interest in photography, I embarked on a journey of more than three months by car that took me from the Ivory Coast to Morocco. With the aim of rediscovering cultures and traditional architecture in the Sahel and North Africa, this experience raised important questions: how did entire peoples manage to live in harmony with nature before culture was technologized? What lessons can we learn from the way traditional settlements were formed over generations with minimal impact on ecosystems? What design concepts should architects employ to make buildings consume less energy and resources? In short, how can architecture become sustainable?

Keywords

• Photography
• Vernacular architecture
• Sustainability
• Local resources
• Earthen architecture