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Brief project / assignment description : Advice on materials to rebuild mud and earth houses which collapsed during 3 day storm of driving rain and high winds. Local architect advises brick, cement and metal but the area is cold in winter and hot in summer. Brick and cement constructions there are poorly built and very cold. Walls of natural material houses were 1m thick. Houses that were cement and brick still suffered extreme damage. Local architect suggesting mixing stone construction ground floors and putting metal rods and cement construction pillars on 2nd floor and filling in between pillars with bricks. Surely using the natural stone with a strong mortar mix to repoint the stonework on ground floors then rebuilding in stone with mortar and to cover walls in a coating to include mud, hay, cement and breathable waterproofing would be preferable with another coat of waterproofing over the whole coating of the houses? This would not be washed out in lashing rain .

Which organisations will use this advice? : Baraka Community Partnerships, Homestays Morocco and other charities we are trying to get involved in the rebuilding.

Full details of technical support request : Architectural advice. Traditional buildings were stone and earth construction stood for over 100 years in most cases. Once in a lifetime storm event destroyed many. Feel villagers are being given poor advice that will be unsustainable, too expensive and impractical for where the villagers are ;1900m above sea level in High Atlas Mountains Morocco.

Regards Carolyn

Brief project / assignment description : Advice on materials to rebuild mud and earth houses which collapsed during 3 day storm of driving rain and high winds. Local architect advises brick, cement and metal but the area is cold in winter and hot in summer. Brick and cement constructions there are poorly built and very cold. Walls of natural material houses were 1m thick. Houses that were cement and brick still suffered extreme damage. Local architect suggesting mixing stone construction ground floors and putting metal rods and cement construction pillars on 2nd floor and filling in between pillars with bricks. Surely using the natural stone with a strong mortar mix to repoint the stonework on ground floors then rebuilding in stone with mortar and to cover walls in a coating to include mud, hay, cement and breathable waterproofing would be preferable with another coat of waterproofing over the whole coating of the houses? This would not be washed out in lashing rain .

Which organisations will use this advice? : Baraka Community Partnerships, Homestays Morocco and other charities we are trying to get involved in the rebuilding.

Full details of technical support request : Architectural advice. Traditional buildings were stone and earth construction stood for over 100 years in most cases. Once in a lifetime storm event destroyed many. Feel villagers are being given poor advice that will be unsustainable, too expensive and impractical for where the villagers are ;1900m above sea level in High Atlas Mountains Morocco.

Regards Carolyn

Brief project / assignment description : Advice on materials to rebuild mud and earth houses which collapsed during 3 day storm of driving rain and high winds. Local architect advises brick, cement and metal but the area is cold in winter and hot in summer. Brick and cement constructions there are poorly built and very cold. Walls of natural material houses were 1m thick. Houses that were cement and brick still suffered extreme damage. Local architect suggesting mixing stone construction ground floors and putting metal rods and cement construction pillars on 2nd floor and filling in between pillars with bricks. Surely using the natural stone with a strong mortar mix to repoint the stonework on ground floors then rebuilding in stone with mortar and to cover walls in a coating to include mud, hay, cement and breathable waterproofing would be preferable with another coat of waterproofing over the whole coating of the houses? This would not be washed out in lashing rain .

Which organisations will use this advice? : Baraka Community Partnerships, Homestays Morocco and other charities we are trying to get involved in the rebuilding.

Full details of technical support request : Architectural advice. Traditional buildings were stone and earth construction stood for over 100 years in most cases. Once in a lifetime storm event destroyed many. Feel villagers are being given poor advice that will be unsustainable, too expensive and impractical for where the villagers are ;1900m above sea level in High Atlas Mountains Morocco.

Regards Carolyn