Moroccan architect and author Shimaa Zarkoudi has recently spoken out about the crisis of housing in Morocco. In her upcoming book, "SOIL - The Manifesto," Zarkoudi argues that the housing crisis is not just about the number of units and their cost, but also about the meaning of home. She believes that homes are not just designed to be lived in, but also to be seen as beautiful and impressive.
Zarkoudi's book is the result of years of experience and daily interaction with housing problems. She explains that her idea for the book came from a specific project that seemed successful on paper but raised many questions about the needs of its inhabitants. Zarkoudi wanted to go beyond just providing clients with blueprints and instead offer a language that would help them understand what they really need.
The title of Zarkoudi's book, "SOIL," is a reference to the earth that supports a building before its facade appears. It is also a metaphor for roots, values, and memory. Zarkoudi believes that people pay too much attention to what rises above the ground and forget to ask what nourishes it from below. For her, "SOIL" is an invitation to return to the source: to the human being before the image, to the way of life before the shape of the plan, and to intention before display.
Zarkoudi discusses the relationship between architecture and Islamic values, emphasizing that invoking identity does not mean reproducing traditional forms, but rather translating principles such as privacy, moderation, hospitality, and respect for the climate into contemporary architectural solutions. She argues that the crisis of meaning begins when a home becomes a product or an image of success and loses its function as a refuge that protects and nourishes inner life.
Zarkoudi also talks about the impact of light, sound, movement, and heat on the quality of life and the possibility of developing social and medium housing that provides greater comfort and privacy. She reveals her ambition to turn the ideas in "SOIL" into a practical guide and experimental housing project in Morocco that puts the inhabitant at the starting point of design, not just as a final beneficiary.
Zarkoudi questions whether current housing policies prioritize numbers, costs, and technical standards over the question of how people will live inside their homes. She believes that while it is understandable to focus on numbers and costs, the danger begins when these indicators become the sole definition of success. Zarkoudi argues that minimum technical standards are necessary but not enough to make a house a home.
Zarkoudi concludes that the crisis of housing is not just about building and space, but also about meaning. She hopes that her book will contribute to a broader discussion about the future of housing in Morocco and beyond.
Key points
- Shimaa Zarkoudi argues that the housing crisis in Morocco is not just about the number of units and their cost, but also about the meaning of home.
- Zarkoudi believes that homes should be designed with the needs and values of their inhabitants in mind, rather than just to be seen as beautiful and impressive.
- The architect advocates for a more nuanced approach to housing design that takes into account the complexities of human life and the environment.
