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This study aims to highlight the importance of the Mozabite heritage in southern Algeria, in terms of its characteristics and features. This includes tangible heritage such as fortified cities (ksour) and towns with their Islamic architectural style, as well as manifestations of intangible heritage found in the customs and traditions that distinguish the Mozabite community and which it has preserved since ancient times. The study concludes that the Mozabite society has remained cohesive through the customs and traditions of their forefathers, passed down through generations. The community has continued to uphold its spiritual and social values to this day. Additionally, some of the ksour in the M‟zab Valley have maintained their architectural style. However, natural and human factors have begun to threaten the integrity of this tangible heritage, making it necessary for the state to intervene in order to restore and protect these ksour from disappearing, as they represent a shared human heritage.

Understanding intimacy within a habitat is crucial to deciphering its human and social dynamics. Human habitation's conceptual and poetic content inspires both the creation and philosophical thinking of societies. Heidegger connected art, space, and architecture of human habitation by responding to the aspirations of their inhabitants. In this sense, private life constitutes a boundary between private and public family life. In Islamic architecture, this sustainable concept is intergenerational, translating sensory experiences into spatial design. We aim to quantify this concept by comparing Islamic and modern architecture. By integrating ophthalmology calculations, those of J. Panero and M. Zelnik, and the interpersonal communication thresholds of Hall and Moore, we calculated the dynamics of spatial and superficial intimacy based on gender. Differences have been observed between Mozabite Islamic architecture in Algeria, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and modern architecture. According to Shannon and Weaver, the information is coded messages and measurable quantities. The internalization or exteriorization of intimacy is essential to understand its vernacular or modern typology. The resonance of gender frequencies undoubtedly forms the basis of a relatively effective strategy for protecting privacy within human habitats. This approach facilitated the development of a sensory imprint for the opulent vernacular Islamic habitat of M'Zab.

Cette proposition a pour cadre géographique la vallée du M’Zab, au Sahara algérien, occupée initialement par les Mozabites. La région est connue pour ses ksour historiques, au caractère architectural et paysager exceptionnel, ainsi que par des institutions propres, promouvant une auto-organisation multiséculaire et une forte solidarité sociale, qui ont joué un rôle primordial dans la survie du groupe et dans la création de « nouveaux ksour ». Les nouveaux ksour – des extensions nommées en analogie avec les ksour historiques, puisqu’ils s’en inspirent – sont des extensions urbaines dont la construction a été entreprise à partir des années 1990. L’idée était née au sein de la communauté elle-même, promue et soutenue par les notables. Il s’agissait de trouver une solution à la crise du logement aussi bien au plan quantitatif que qualitatif. La particularité de ces projets réside dans le rôle joué par la communauté et la solidarité sociale depuis la naissance de l’idée, le choix de la population, la conception des projets, la gestion du chantier, les montages financiers, jusqu’à la gestion du projet après son occupation. L’idée est donc de revenir sur la façon dont une communauté (avec ses institutions traditionnelles) a pu répondre à un besoin (le logement) qui est à la base parmi les prérogatives de l’État ? En mettant en place quels dispositifs, et en engageant quels compromis ?

As a sociocultural product, the home is shaped by specific sociocultural norms and values. Economic development and modernisation have significantly affected the architecture of many Muslim homes, resulting in a disconnection from Islamic culture. This paper explores two sociocultural factors in Muslim housing: privacy and gender segregation. The analysis highlights how the principles of traditional Islamic architecture are still woven into contemporary designs, using Ksar Tafilelt in Algeria as a case study. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the Mozabite house in Ksar Tafilelt continues to uphold the social customs and religious beliefs of its residents despite the influences of modernisation. Through fieldwork and comparative analysis, both the traditional house in the original Mozabite settlement and the contemporary house in Ksar Tafilelt are examined in terms of user zones rather than functional zones. This approach investigates how these homes uphold traditional Mozabite architectural patterns while accommodating contemporary comfort needs. The study methodology also includes a combination of questionnaires and interviews conducted with a sample of 70 residents from Ksar Tafilelt. The findings reveal factors that have enabled the Mozabite community to maintain its Islamic identity. They also emphasise a notably conservative, family-oriented culture, which is reflected in the organisation of household spaces. This research study highlights the significance of involving the community in housing projects and comprehending the sociocultural principles of the local population throughout the construction process.

بلام مفتوحة وعين ساكنة ولام مكسورة بمد خفيف، لفظ أمازيغي مزابي. فضاء معماري في الطابق الأوّل من البيت المزابي له مدخلان؛ أحدهما من داخل البيت، والآخر يكون إمّا من خارجه بجانب المدخل الرئيس للبيت، أو من السقيفة بعد المدخل الرئيس مباشرة، وبه نافذة تطل على الشارع. وهو مجال خاص بربِّ البيت، حيث يستقبل فيه ضيوفه من الرجال، تسهيلاً لإقامتهم في راحة بعيداً عن أهل البيت. كما يستغله أيضاً للقيام ببعض أعماله الخاصة.

Due to centuries of rich experience, vernacular architecture offers significant lessons on sustainable building practices. This style competes exceptionally well with contemporary designs because of its efficiency, adept functionality, environmental compatibility, and harmonious relationship with human societies. The M'zab Valley in Ghardaia, Algeria, deserves to be classified as a World Heritage Site because it features original vernacular architecture that expresses smart building concepts while blending seamlessly into natural landscapes. In this paper, we validate the hypothesis that traditional Ghardaia housing in the Ksour reflects high energy efficiency and low reliance on active heating and cooling. We shall conduct a comparative study between a traditional dwelling belonging to vernacular architecture in the ancient Ksar Beni Isguen and a modern residence in Ksar Tafilelt. Through this comparison and simulation method, we seek to determine the most efficient architectural style in terms of energy use and the provision of thermal comfort in order to draw lessons and contribute to reducing the excessive consumption of non-renewable energies.

This paper investigates the Sub-Saharan works of architect André Ravéreau (Limoges 1919-Aubenas 2017), as interpretations of the Modern Movement in Africa. A student of Auguste Perret, Ravéreau was strongly influenced by Le Corbusier, so much so that he followed in his footsteps by making a journey to study the Saharan architecture of the M'Zab Valley, made known to the West thanks to Le Corbusier’s 1931-33 Carnets de voyage. In the 1960s, Ravéreau moved to Algeria, where he worked for about twenty years, holding important positions. From 1965 to 1973 he was Architecte en chef des monuments historiques d'Algérie. From the 1970s onwards, his work took him beyond the Algerian desert, to Sub-Saharan Africa, where he received commissions for school and health buildings in Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso; he then took part in the competition for the French Embassy project in Uganda. In his discovery of this “new Africa”, Ravéreau brings with him the experience learned in the M'Zab, which he transfers into his sub-Saharan projects, arriving at new “tropical” solutions always strongly contextualised.

L’articolo esplora i progetti subsahariani dell’architetto André Ravéreau (Limoges 1919-Aubenas 2017), che costituiscono una delle molte declinazioni del Movimento Moderno in Africa. Allievo di Auguste Perret, Ravéreau fu influenzato anche da Le Corbusier, tanto da ripercorrere le sue tracce compiendo un viaggio per studiare l’architettura sahariana della Valle del M’Zab, resa nota all’occidente dai carnets de voyage di Le Corbu del 1931-33. Negli anni Sessanta Ravéreau si trasferisce in Algeria, dove lavora per circa vent’anni, ricoprendo cariche importanti, dal 1965 al 1973 è Architecte en chef des monuments historiques d’Algérie. A partire dagli anni Settanta il lavoro lo porterà a spingersi in Africa Subsahariana, dove riceve commesse per edifici scolastici e sanitari in Mali, Mauritania e Burkina Faso; partecipa al concorso per il progetto dell’Ambasciata francese in Uganda. Nella scoperta di questa “nuova Africa”, Ravéreau porta con sé l’esperienza appresa nel M’Zab, che trasferisce nei suoi progetti subsahariani, approdando a nuove soluzioni “tropicali” sempre fortemente contestualizzate. , The paper investigates the Sub-Saharan works of architect André Ravéreau (Limoges 1919-Aubenas 2017), as interpretations of the Modern Movement in Africa. A student of Auguste Perret, Ravéreau was strongly influenced by Le Corbusier, so much so that he followed in his footsteps by making a journey to study the Saharan architecture of the M'Zab Valley, made known to the West thanks to Le Corbusier's 1931-33 Carnets de voyge. In the 1960s Ravéreau moved to Algeria, where he worked for about twenty years, holding important positions, from 1965 to 1973 he was Architecte en chef des monuments historiques d'Algérie. From the 1970s onwards, his work took him beyond the Algerian desert, to Sub-Saharan Africa, where he received commissions for school and health buildings in Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso; he then took part in the competition for the French Embassy project in Ouganda. In his discovery of this “new Africa”, Ravéreau brings with him the experience learned in the M'Zab, which he transfers into his sub-Saharan projects, arriving at new "tropical" solutions always strongly contextualized.

The human settlement of M'zab is a traditional habitat located in the Sa-hara of Algeria; it considered by its richness in bioclimatic elements and distinguished by a typological variety. This study aims to discover the traditional habitat in the Sahara of Algeria, by shedding light on the con-structive richness in the habitat of M'zab according to its natural context. We used an analytical approach to examine the fundamental aspects: the natural context, the morphology, housing and the construction. To carry out this study, we carried out numerous field visits, including taking pho-tographs, direct surveys and in-depth discussions with specialists. These initiatives have enriched our understanding of the specificities of the habitat studied. The habitat of M'zab opened the doors to the discovery of traditional habitat in Algeria, which harmonizes perfectly with its cli-matic and natural environment. In addition, it allowed us to understand in more depth the intervention strategies in the heritage areas of the Sa-hara, while drawing valuable lessons from the past.

The emergence of the Spatial Agency approach marks a significant shift from traditional architectural paradigms, emphasizing the interconnectedness of social and technological networks involving diverse stakeholders. This approach aims to reframe conceptual frameworks and establish a resilient built environment. In contrast, the M'Zab architecture in Ghardaïa, Algeria, is adapted to the harsh desert landscape, reflecting socio-cultural identity and meeting the needs of local communities. The ksar of Tafilelt in Ghardaïa exemplifies strategies for preserving M'Zab architecture and urban identity while promoting sustainability and empowering marginalized communities through intricate socio-technical networks. This study examines how architectural interventions in Tafilelt's new ksar, as a system of agency, contribute to social and ecological resilience, health, well-being, and the continuation of Mozabite architectural identity, particularly focusing on its Eco-Parc. The research methodology utilizes the Mapping Controversies technique and Bruno Latour's Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a conceptual framework. Spatial agency is presented as an innovative strategy fostering socio-ecological networks of resilience in the new ksar of Tafilelt. It views architecture as an ecosystem that balances human agency and non-human local devices, empowering communities in decisionmaking and management. This approach promotes ecological balance, social equity, economic resilience, and health enhancement. The findings and framework can guide local architects in understanding and navigating the complexities of architectural practice, especially in marginalized communities. Future research could explore the application of these concepts in other Algerian regions and compare them with traditional government project approaches to understand their benefits and drawbacks.