AXIA Design Associates

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

in collaboration with Bureau E.A.S.T, Hashim Sarkis Studio & Transsolar

Location: Fez, Morocco

Area: 10,400 m²

Client: Agency for the Development and Revitalization of the City of Fez

Date: 2010 - 2011 | Short-listed Competition Entry _ 4th Place

This awarded competition entry was for the two-phase “Place Lalla Yeddouna International Design Competition” in Fez, Morocco, located at the nucleus of the UNESCO Heritage Site of the Fez Bali.  Through architectural, landscape, and urban design strategies, and with the revitalization of the much polluted Fez River, our proposal aims to heighten the sense of community in the neighbourhood and elevate the role of the river as a catalyst of urban improvement and social cohesion.

The rebirth of the district is achieved through new construction and the re-use of existing heritage buildings, celebrating the environmental potential of the existing courtyard buildings and complementing them with additional passive cooling and ventilation systems such as cooling chimneys, green roofs, and green walls integrated with solar canopies. Traditional construction material is used to ensure a consistent urban fabric. Through program selection and new synergies with outside investment, our proposal integrates the socioeconomic development of Place Lalla Yeddouna with the fate of local residents, stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty among artisans and other citizens in the district.  Environmental remediation to improve water quality is proposed for the Fez River (the city’s only soft river bed), transforming it into a much needed green space and public promenade.