These principles are enhanced by combining design-inherent shading and natural ventilation with modern technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels all of which enable low energy requirements in both construction and operation.

The design approach for this training center in the Marrakesh satellite suburb of Chwiter concentrates on the use of nearby resources including the workforce and earth as the primary construction material.

The new center was winner of a Holcim Awards Bronze in 2011, and will provide jobs and vocational training to the community of Chwiter as well as youth from Marrakesh. As the future users of the Center will be involved in the construction, they can apply construction techniques towards improving informal housing in the satellite town.

The construction of the Center will enhance the local economy, through providing meaningful and fairly-paid labor. The building technology using earth as the principal building material is low-cost and widely-available and therefore is accessible to people from every economic level.

Read project overview: Training center for sustainable construction, Marrakesh, Morocco »