Learning from the Medina to propose an alternative to the new urban fabrics in the peripheric suburbs of Moroccan cities.

This project proposes an intervention to an empty peri-urban modern apartment block in Fes, Morocco, by injecting the traditional lifestyle learned from the city's medieval Medina. Offering a new travel hub outside of the old town, the scheme aims to reduce pressure on the population of tourists and craftsmen in the Medina and to fill the infrastructural gap to empower low income families in the peri-urban area.

Conceptually, the project mixes opposites: modernisation versus a traditional lifestyle; public realm versus private realm; welcoming guests versus protecting the family. After testing these three intentions through physical models, six lessons about traditional lifestyles were learnt from the Medina and applied to the scheme. In addition, six spatial strategies distinguish between sacred private lives and public outdoor spaces.

The final design proposal explains the design goals one by one through physical models, diagrams and digital drawings, and shows the socio-cultural impact of infilling the identified empty areas. The proposal for a new infill architecture based on spatial and social traditions both complements and forms a strategy for modernisation in Fes.