Ammar Bouchair

Building traditions of Mzab facing the challenges of re-shaping of its built form and society

Abstract The vernacular building of Mzab settlements shows the optimization, over many centuries of the performance of locally available materials within the climatic conditions of southern Algeria, designed to serve the specific needs of “Ibadits” culture. Mzab demonstrates to a marked degree some peculiarities of Islamic culture, especially in town planning and dwelling design. It provides a good example of how a site may be exploited to assist defense, to benefit from summer breezes and to promote natural drainage, while providing shelter from the sun and adapting generally to severe local climate. Two main concepts can be used to explain the ways the traditional Mzab dwellings are organized and the settlements are planned; these are centrality and barriers. The application of these two concepts by Mzab traditional society persisted until the last few decades when it has undergone profound changes in the re-shaping of its built form and society. These changes were the result of the evolution of political, economical and social factors of the country as a whole and the aspiration of Mzab society to a luxurious and modern life. New modern urban forms have, consequently, appeared and disrupted traditional building design and planning practices. In fact, Mzab is living in a period when everything is in a state of agitation—everything seems to be undergoing a change. In this paper, the knowledge and understanding of the qualities and advantages of the traditional design of Mzab settlements are analyzed. The decline of traditional building design and urban form, and its causes are discussed, and remedies are proposed.