The Traditional Building Cultures Foundation is collaborating with Union for the Mediterranean and UNESCO in the organization of a series of meetings as part of the Savoir-faire traditionnels de la construction dans le sud de la Méditerranée program.
The fourth of these meetings, after those held in Barcelona last July, in Tunisia last December and in Morocco last February, took place from 14 to 16 April in Algeria, one of the countries that are part of the program. The event was organized in collaboration with the Ministère de la Culture de l’Algérie. A large number of national and international experts have participated in it.
This meeting focused on the renovation and adaptation of traditional architecture to meet contemporary challenges. Given phenomena such as climate change are contributing to a gradual transformation of the cultural landscape, the main objective was to discuss how to adapt local heritage, especially in areas highly vulnerable to extreme climatic conditions, without compromising its authenticity and preserving its building traditions.
Over the course of three days, innovative solutions based on the principles of traditional building and the use of local materials and vernacular techniques were studied, with the ultimate goal of adapting the built heritage to contemporary challenges. Several technical visits have also been organized, allowing local and international experts to see first-hand the situation of the constructions in Timimoun and Adrar, in southern Algeria.
The meeting was very fruitful in terms of exchanging experiences, identifying limitations and difficulties, and formulating actions and recommendations to achieve the established objectives.
