Il manuale del recupero dell'architettura storica dell'oasi di Figuig (Marocco): criticità e buone pratiche

The doctoral research “Manual for the conservation of the historical architecture of Figuig (Morocco)” has the goal to define for the individuation of best practices for the conservation and restoration of the earthen built heritage of the ancient city of Figuig in Morocco, an oasis on the edge Western Sahara, one of the most known and beloved in Morocco. The research, focused on the need to proceed with the proper conservation and restoration of built heritage, aims in the first place to highlight what are the meanings and characters of the built fabric of the oasis, individuating traditions, local materials and construction techniques, focusing on the problems that occur more frequently to the technicians responsible for their conservation and thus giving guidelines on good practices giving them elements for a proper approach to the renovation of the existent, not to obtain a conservation tout court of the ksar as historical monument, nor to promote the traditional model for new building, but to preserve a high quality building fabric restoring the texture and resolving the technical deficiencies and equipping it with modern facilities required by the contemporary model of life. The analysis of the town revealed the simplicity and ease of the construction methods used. An architecture that uses the few materials available on site with enabling technologies, leveraging the intrinsic characteristics of each material and element. The palm wood, very durable and enormously flexible, lime, derived from a plentiful and pure quality limestone, the soil, not particularly cohesive, but still suitable for the production of bricks; these materials, together, have contributed to build a coherent, effective and functional system. The solutions suggested as best practices derived from experiences already made in locations that have similar climatic conditions and characteristics of isolation, and are susceptible to insights that can be replicated in all the contexts of pre-Saharan area starting from the eastern Morocco, extending up to Libya and Egypt, countries that have, often also for coincidence of the founding peoples, very similar features in the settlement and its construction, and similar issues related to their conservation and regeneration. This research aims to represent an important data base for the definition of a theoretical and practical reference document at use for local administrations. Furthermore it represents a starting point for the compilation of more defined guidelines to favor a more correct use of the historical heritage and its proper maintenance, and propose methods of analysis of the urban fabric in order to operate consistently with the existing tissue. It is also more broadly aimed at "people". It is hoped that these tool will help to preserve the precious architectural legacy of earthen architecture Morocco and other nearby countries.