Towards a socio-cultural approach for the design of the house/settlement system :a case study in Ghardaia, Algeria

PhD ThesisRapid urbanisation which is a characteristic of most developing countries, has led to the importation of readily available solutions and to an overgeneralisation of human needs. The main objective of this study is to relate design to man's social and cultural needs. First, the study demonstrates the relationship between cultural and social variables that influence house form and settlement patterns. This is followed by a comparative case study analysis of existing house-settlement systems in two residential areas; one a modern government built scheme, the other a traditional development, both in the M'Zab, in Southern Algeria. The main assumption was that traditional houses and settlements were culturally more responsive than their modern equivalents. However, results refuted this assumption and indicated that social change affected many of people's values and attitudes towards housing. This indicates that neither international modernism, in housing provision, nor an attempt to slavishly copy past indigenous solutions are likely to be successful. Through studying human-environmental behaviour and using multiple-methods strategies, it is possible to bridge the gap between design and social research. A reorientation of the educational system would help towards a better communication not only between different professional practices and disciplines, but also involving the lay people. Finally, this study suggests that designing for potential adaptability a characteristic of traditional design, reflects culture, and would not only accommodate change, but would also involve active participation by people and therefore raise the level of responsibilty and satisfaction. The research combined evidence from documentary sources and field surveys. A multiple-method strategy was adopted to compare the two settlement systems of the case study. This included direct observation, interviews and trade-off games. The interview survey included three groups of people: the users, the local planning authorities and the building contractors. By stressing the socio-cultural variables, this study does not deny the role of other variables. On the contrary, the author accepts that design activities should aim towards maintaining a balance between environmental factors and financial constraints. It is, however, argued that human needs must be given at least the same degree of importance, if workable solutions to the problem of rapid urbanisation are to be found

Cherchell: an Algerian Mediterranean Historical City with a Rich Islamic Heritage Housing

Islamic residential architecture has some common architectural and architectonic elements issued from shared values such as privacy, simplicity and sobriety. Applied to residential architecture, these values led to some characteristic spaces and architectural elements such as patios or arcs. However, the Islamic civilisation is composed by different cultures spread on a great geographical area; this variety induced different interpretations of these elements by using different building shapes or materials. In this paper, we will present an example of this interpretation in the historical coastal city of Cherchell in northern Algeria. The city of Cherchell is a historic coastal city that witnessed the passage of several civilizations before the arrival of the Islamic one since its founding more than 2500 years ago. This specific situation as historical coastal city allowed the exchange with different civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea, giving rise in the Islamic period to a typical earth architecture characterised by a specific arch's typology. The objective of this article is to present an interpretation of Islamic heritage housing architecture in a Mediterranean historical coastal city (through two specific elements: building material and architectonic element). The long term aim of this study is the dissemination of traditional technics and know-how in order restore cultural heritage buildings and construct new projects with a strong Islamic identity

Application de la méthode d’évaluation contingente pour ‎l’estimation de la valeur économique du patrimoine du parc de ‎Tlemcen ‎

The analysis of the economic value of heritage consists in determining the monetary values lent to use values as well as to existence values. In the case of the heritage of Tlemcen Park, the values resulting from the use of this heritage are not available in monetary form.   The definition of economic value was therefore based on the willingness to pay of users to benefit from cultural heritage services. This article presents the results of an economic study carried out to measure the economic value of the cultural heritage of Tlemcen Park. The survey allowed us to determine the attachment relationship of the inhabitants of Tlemcen to the cultural heritage, and finally, to verify the existence of a willingness to pay for its development.L’analyse de la valeur économique du patrimoine consiste à déterminer les valeurs monétaires prêtées aux valeurs d’usage comme aux valeurs d’existence. Dans le cas du patrimoine  du parc de Tlemcen, les valeurs résultantes de l’utilisation de ce patrimoine ne sont pas disponibles sous une forme monétaire.  La définition de la valeur économique s’est donc basée sur la disposition à payer des utilisateurs  pour bénéficier des services du patrimoine culturel. Cet article donne les résultats  d’une étude  économique menée  pour mesurer la valeur économique du patrimoine culturel du parc de Tlemcen. L’enquête nous a  permis de déterminer la relation d’attachement des habitants de Tlemcen au  patrimoine culturel, et  enfin, de vérifier l’existence d’un consentement à payer pour sa mise en valeur

Antifungal activity of four plant extracts against Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea, responsible for the gray mold disease of tomato, is one of the main problems in fruit exporting countries. Synthetic antifungals are used for their control. However, these products lead to serious damage to environment ant human. Furthermore, it has developed a resistance towards many of them. Therefore, the use of botanical biopesticides as natural alternatives that are friendly to the environment has increased in the last decade. The objective of the present study is the evaluation of the antifungal activity of extracts of four plants, Marrubium vulgare, Moringa oleifera, Psidium guajava and Casimiroa edulis against B. cinerea and the phytochemical characterization of these extracts. The extraction was carried out by maceration, decoction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction. The high extraction yields of 18.91%, 31.05%, 33.01% and 24.67% were obtained respectively with maceration for M. vulgare, M. oleifera, P. guajava and C. edulis. Qualitative phytochemical tests revealed the presence of terpenoids in all extracts, while saponosides were present only in a few extracts. The highest contents of polyphenols were noted for P. guajava and C. edulis. Also, the highest flavonoid content was noted for C. edulis and M. oleifera. The evaluation of the activity of the studied extracts against the mycelial growth and the germination of the spores of B. cinerea showed that the extracts obtained by maceration and by ultrasonic-assisted extraction of P. guajava and C. edulis are the most efficient against the mycelial growth with an inhibition percentage of 100% for all the tested concentrations. Similarly, the maceration extract of M. vulgare allowed the total inhibition of the germination of the pathogen spores. Finally, the extracts of M. oleifera were the least effective against B. cinerea

Cherchell: An Algerian Mediterranean Historical City with a Rich Islamic Heritage Housing

Islamic residential architecture has some common architectural and architectonic elements issued from shared values such as privacy, simplicity and sobriety. Applied to residential architecture, these values led to some characteristic spaces and architectural elements such as patios or arcs. However, the Islamic civilisation is composed by different cultures spread on a great geographical area; this variety induced different interpretations of these elements by using different building shapes or materials. In this paper, we will present an example of this interpretation in the historical coastal city of Cherchell in northern Algeria. The city of Cherchell is a historic coastal city that witnessed the passage of several civilizations before the arrival of the Islamic one since its founding more than 2500 years ago. This specific situation as historical coastal city allowed the exchange with different civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea, giving rise in the Islamic period to a typical earth architecture characterised by a specific arch’s typology. The objective of this article is to present an interpretation of Islamic heritage housing architecture in a Mediterranean historical coastal city (through two specific elements: building material and architectonic element). The long term aim of this study is the dissemination of traditional technics and know-how in order restore cultural heritage buildings and construct new projects with a strong Islamic identity

Réhabilitation de l'architecture mineure à Miliana

If some major elements of the architectural heritage are treated with particular attention and are protected by laws and regulations, a great number of «minor» buildings with real historical and architectural value are left to ’wear out with time, without any protection. These buildings, however, fulfil many functions in a historical town centre. This paper emphasises on «minor architecture » as a fundamental component of historical town centres. It proposes the elaboration of a «conservation manual». This manual will be different from the conventional conservation manuals as it will be conceived as a project for a global action of conservation, developed through a proposal based on traditional technics and know-how.Si certains éléments majeurs du patrimoine architectural sont l’objet d’une reconnaissance et d’une attention particulières grâce aux lois de protection des monuments et sites historiques, un grand nombre d’édifices «mineurs» dotés d’une valeur patrimoniale historique et architecturale sont livrés à l’usure du temps sans protection réelle. Ces édifices assurent pourtant plusieurs fonctions importantes dans l’appréhension d’un centre historique. On pose ainsi le problème de la négligence dont soufre l’architecture «mineure » ou «courante» au détriment de l’architecture «monumentale». On propose l’élaboration d’un «manuel de récupération» qui, contrairement à la conception de la restauration monumentale, se présente comme un projet pour une activité globale de manutention, développé à travers la proposition des matériaux et des techniques de mise en œuvre traditionnelles.Chabbi-chemrouk Naima, Menaouer Ouassila. Réhabilitation de l'architecture mineure à Miliana. In: Villes en parallèle, n°36-37, décembre 2003. Villes algériennes. pp. 210-224

Un square, un sexe ? Le jardin du centre-ville constantinois Bennacer Bachir, à l'épreuve du genre

Constantine abritait l’an dernier la manifestation « Constantine Capitale de la culture Arabe 2015 » ; l’événement déclencha une série de projets partout dans la ville, dont la revalorisation du square Bennacer Bachir. Ce square subit ainsi un réaménagement qui a modifié son état initial et transformé usages, pratiques et représentations qui lui sont associés. Cette recherche, fondée principalement sur un questionnaire, met en relief les disparités dans l'usage et la pratique de cet espace, en fonction du genre des usagers. Les résultats démontrent que selon que l'on est homme ou femme, la manière d'appréhender l’espace est souvent codifiée voire sexuée. Cet article pose donc la question de la place de la femme dans le jardin, et plus largement dans l'espace public algérien, lieu masculin par excellence.Constantine hosted last year the event « Constantine Capital of Arab culture 2015». This event triggered a series of projects throughout the city, including the revitalization of Bennacer Square.. This square has undergone redevelopment that will alter its initial condition and transform the way it is used and represented.. This research, mainly based on a questionnaire, highlights the disparities in the use of this space. It focuses on gender issues and their impact on public urban life. The results demonstrate that depending on the user’s gender, the experience and usage of the square is highly codified. This article goes on to raise the question of the place of women in gardens, and more specifically, in the Algerian public space, the ultimate masculine place