South African Students Explore Moroccan Architecture for Sustainable Low-Income Housing

Mahali Team, a group of South African students, wants to benefit from this Moroccan technology to build eco-friendly homes with a modular structure that adapts according to the needs of the number of tenants and the seasons. According to this team, the house, fully functional, must be modeled on traditional Moroccan architecture and use solar energy as a source of electricity.

Designing a small house adapted to African climates, and with the aim of offering modern and less expensive constructions for low-income people such as students, poor families and job seekers, is the objective of the South African students.

The innovative structure of their house model also includes equipment that provides shade, collects and filters rainwater, and produces and stores clean energy. For this experiment, the students used a container shell, wood, and craft materials to build the house. In addition, to develop its activities, Mahali Team is currently looking for partners and investors.

Entirely built in Morocco, the first models of these houses were inaugurated during the Solar Decathlon Africa, an international competition that encourages innovation within universities.