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Sustainability and Biophilic Design in Vernacular Architecture: Morocco
Playlist
  • sustainability
  • biophilia
  • biophilic design assessment
  • vernacular architecture
  • Kasbahs and Ksour
  • Kingdom of Morocco
Video Introduction

This video is adapted from 10.3390/su17104680

In recent decades, sustainability and biophilic design have gained significant attention as revived concepts in architecture, offering innovative pathways to reconnect the built environment with nature. Can these principles be characterized and assessed in vernacular architectural contexts so as to be incorporated into contemporary sustainable practices? This video seeks to explore this question by examining the vernacular architecture of Kasbahs and Ksour in southern Morocco through the lens of biophilic design. The link between the two remains underexplored, specifically in the context of southern Morocco—a gap this production aims to address. The video analyzes these heritage structures by combining a theoretical overview of sustainability, biophilic design (BD), and operational BD frameworks with a practical evaluation using a Biophilic Interior Design Matrix. This exploration is particularly pertinent as contemporary society spends roughly 90% of its time indoors and is considered to be an “indoor generation.” After visually and analytically presenting eleven vernacular buildings spread across key areas of Ouarzazate Province in southern Morocco against 54 biophilic design attributes, the video reveals that Kasbahs and Ksour showcase inherent sustainability and biophilic qualities. This demonstrates how Moroccan traditional architectural values can inspire heritage preservation through biophilic principles, offering culturally contextual and sustainable architectural insights for contemporary practice.

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Abyaa, Z.; El Harrouni, K.; Degron, R. Sustainability and Biophilic Design in Vernacular Architecture: Morocco. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1742 (accessed on 05 December 2025).
Abyaa Z, El Harrouni K, Degron R. Sustainability and Biophilic Design in Vernacular Architecture: Morocco. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1742. Accessed December 05, 2025.
Abyaa, Zakaria, Khalid El Harrouni, Robin Degron. "Sustainability and Biophilic Design in Vernacular Architecture: Morocco" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1742 (accessed December 05, 2025).
Abyaa, Z., El Harrouni, K., & Degron, R. (2025, December 04). Sustainability and Biophilic Design in Vernacular Architecture: Morocco. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/video/video_detail/1742
Abyaa, Zakaria, et al. "Sustainability and Biophilic Design in Vernacular Architecture: Morocco." Encyclopedia. Web. 04 December, 2025.
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