Morocco’s Guelmim Technology School

It’s never difficult to pick a Moroccan building out of the crowd and this beautiful new Guelmim Technology School is no exception. Bold and red like the nearby desert, the 6,833 square meter campus design by architects Saad El Kabbaj, Driss Kettani, and Mohamed Amine Siana comprises a contemporary twist on vernacular architecture. The Universite Ibn Zohr D’Agadir called for a powerful design that would pay heed to the vernacular architecture of Southern Morocco. Instead of using traditional materials, the designers opted for concrete due to its high thermal massing. This was then covered in a red-grain paint that matches the red earth of local structures. [1]

The concept was to produce a contemporary building leaning towards modernity whilst paying tribute to its heritage and grounds. We truly believe that this is a case of ‘Mission Accomplished’. With the cladding technique symbolizing all that is Moroccan earth, the structure follows a simplistic and clean-cut modern approach focusing on linearity and symmetry. This is the defining true brilliance of this project which ticks all the right boxes without one being able to obviously point out the reason why. The buildings are organized following an L-form pattern and are positioned in a north-south axis. Their volume is quite massive creating a great contrast between interior and exterior. However this over scaling is balanced out with the protruding square & rectangular openings; a feature which is breathtaking through its continuity. [2]

The exterior palette draws from the land, utilizing a cladding technique symbolizing both the Moroccan earth and earthern building practices. The massive textured volume of the exterior is in contrast to the smooth white interior spaces. The spaces are brought together with indoor gardens that appear cut from the mass. The protruding windows and brise soleils that appear carved from the facade show a clarity and understanding of the harsh climate. [3]

See also the work of the same architectural team at Morocco's Taroudant University here.

[1] Ref. http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/06/moroccos-guelmim-technology-school/

[2] Ref. http://www.yatzer.com/Technology-School-Guelmim-Morocco

[3] Ref. http://architechnophilia.blogspot.gr/2012/07/new-work-technology-school-of-guelmim.html