OULED MERZOUK: REGENERATION OF THE VILLAGE THROUGH PERMACULTURE
The rural exodus is one of the challenges that the citizens of Ouled Merzouk are facing nowadays, besides desertification. Therefore, the community need to intervene with strategies to stop the youth from leaving, by making the rural village more attractive to the young population and tourists. After various analyses about available resources in the village, culture and climate around the region, our group proposes a change in the way agriculture is tackled and introduce a Permaculture concept (diversity of crops in the same area) and the Co-farming system (a participatory economy, where the non-farmers and farmers share the risks of farming and the profit of the food production). In order for this to occur, two new buildings and the improvement of mobility through the fields are necessary, as detailed below: 1.
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one building where the harvested raw products can be transformed to pickled fruits and vegetables, juices, dry fruits and herbs, and ground spices, to be sold not only in the proposed weekly Souk (a local public fair) but also on day to day life of the community, including a place to mill wheat and other grains, helping the villagers to grind their flour and food for their animals locally, the other building to hold a farmers association, with space for workshops, where they can learn new techniques about farming, how to manage the co-farming system, teach people about the processing of food and packaging, how to get the BIO label. The farmers’ association will be the place where they will manage the farm lands, sorting out empty and abandoned lands, renting the spaces for those ones who need space and want to work, restoring fields to avoid desertification of the soil, the improvement of the existing path - river crossing, connection between neighborhoods, farmlands, association and food production -, transforming not only the logistic process of transporting the goods from the fields to the food production point and selling points smoother and easier, but also a place for tourists to walk, visit the village and see the points of interest and agriculture fields on a enjoyable journey.
The vision is to allow people to be part of the food production from A-Z to level up the farming operation, bringing a dynamic and holistic point of view to the dwellers from Ouled Merzouk by engaging them in productive activities to increase their income and discourage the exodus and attract young generations.
Ninon Jardot | Ludmila Parekh | Nausheen Sayed
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OULED MERZOUK: REGENERATION OF THE VILLAGE THROUGH PERMACULTURE
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Ninon Jardot | Ludmila Parekh | Nausheen Sayed
100m
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REGENERATION OF THE VILLAGE THROUGH PERMACULTURE FUTURE RURAL VILLAGES OULED MERZOUG, MOROCCO THE JOURNEY – CONNECTIVITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
Research has shown that rural exodus, desertification and abandoned land fields are some of the challenges that Ouled Merzoug inhabitants are facing these days. The proposal of new activities for the community to increase their income and attract younger generations to stay and thrive in this rural community are been introduced after visits, analyses, and a deeper insight into their resources, climate and culture. The idea is a participative economy, creating an area for a weekly Souk and a Food Production facility, where the farmers can sell their extra produce, where the women can sell their art and crafts, where products (e.g. dry fruits, spices, juices etc.) can be made and sold to the local and neighboring communities, and a Farmers’ Association where the population can attend workshops and practical classes on how to make a better use of the soil through permaculture, how to be an entrepreneur or be trained to work at the Food Production, and a place for better management of farmlands. An improvement of the paths around the fields is imperative for the success of this idea. As an improvement of their living standards and work activities, through mobility - connectivity and accessibility – the revitalization of the whole circulation circuit in the fields, starting from the Food Production building and Souk area, river crossing, passing through the farm lands and points of historical interest, reaching and passing through the Farmers’ Association. The idea of widening the path for the farmers to transport their harvested fruits and vegetables from the fields to the area of the transformation or to the selling points in the Souk or in the Association also includes regular circulation of locals and visitants through the shaded and beautiful landscape they have around the fields, resting areas, and meeting points. The “Journey” will help the sustainable development of Ouled Merzoug using resilient design and materials found locally that can be constructed and used by the inhabitants. Creating new jobs, new activities and source of income will diminish the number of young trying to make a better living in the bigger cities. The revitalization of the eroded soil is the first step of this project to control the quality of soil, also avoiding the desertification, improving the filtration of the water runoff and improving the water retention and the underground water recharge. The second step of the project is making the path accessible with farmers carts, especially where the path is less than two meters wide, making the path through the fields accessible for all. The Material of the path will be stone. The third step is to build an arched stone bridge to make the river crossing and the transportation of the harvested material easier to farmers and non-farmers. The columns made by rammed earth help to support the shading maybe by reed. It is important to remark that the idea of this intervention is the simplest and most resilient alternative, so that it becomes part of the landscape without interfering with the culture of its users or loosing the identity of the village.
LUDMILA ANDREOLI PAREKH MAIG 24 – DESIGN STUDIO –– LAURENS BEKEMANS | CATHERINE MANGÉ
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REGENERATION OF THE VILLAGE THROUGH PERMACULTURE FUTURE RURAL VILLAGES OULED MERZOUG, MOROCCO THE JOURNEY – CONNECTIVITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
local identity local materials affordability durability accessibility
LUDMILA ANDREOLI PAREKH
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MAIG 24 – DESIGN STUDIO –– LAURENS BEKEMANS | CATHERINE MANGÉ