Continuity and change in traditional domestic architecture: The case of a community-led housing project in Ksar Tafilet, M'zab Valley

Messabih, Hadjer 2025. Continuity and change in traditional domestic architecture: The case of a community-led housing project in Ksar Tafilet, M'zab Valley. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the sociocultural continuity and residents’ adaptations to 21st-century conditions within a community-led housing project undertaken by the conservative Mozabite community in the M’zab Valley, Algeria. Using Ksar Tafilelt as a case study, which is a community-led housing project, the research examines the established co-production process to develop a new housing settlement that addresses the needs of the contemporary Mozabite community. It also identifies key lessons in sustainability that can be drawn from this unique and fully realised community-led housing project by examining the relationship between social behaviour and the built environment. The study methodology relies on a combination of questionnaires, interviews, a research diary, and records of physical traces. A sample of 70 residents was interviewed, and various indicators were employed to examine the different types of adaptive transformation changes needed in residents’ homes and neighbourhoods to better meet their contemporary needs. The use, organisation, and occupation of space at both the domestic scale of the house and the urban scale of the neighbourhood have been analysed. Residents’ evaluations and satisfaction with their dwellings and neighbourhoods have also been investigated and assessed in relation to various physical and non-physical features of their housing environments, with a focus on sociocultural factors. The findings of this research indicate that the sociocultural values transmitted from the indigenous Ibadi community remain deeply entrenched in the contemporary Mozabite community, significantly expressed architecturally in Ksar Tafilelt. Thus, these findings suggest that the sociocultural needs of residents must be regarded as equally important as environmental and economic factors. Furthermore, the research iii outcomes have yielded several lessons and principles that can be derived from this settlement, which may inform future housing provision and design practices in Algeria and beyond, particularly in regions with similar geo-cultural characteristics. These lessons can be summarised as highlighting the importance of involving the local community in the creation of urban dwellings to enhance living conditions, as long as the design aligns with their sociocultural and religious beliefs. Additionally, it is crucial to consider the role of sociocultural factors in fostering a more socially and culturally sustainable built environment.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Architecture
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	4 July 2025
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2025 14:17
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/179553

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