Traditional architecture in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt: space, form and building systems

Abstract

The paper is based on a ongoing research project regarding traditional mudbrick architecture in the New Valley (Egypt), funded by the Italian and Egyptian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, between the Politecnico di Torino (Italy), and the Assyut University (Egypt). Settlements in the Dakhleh Oasis are collected structures with a strong defensive character: constructions are bound to each other to cope with the harsh hot arid environment. Domestic architecture, according to Islamic principles, is characterized by private and semi-private spaces. Nowadays the old settlements are mostly abandoned and new houses are built on western planning models and new materials, breaking down with traditional uses and not adaptable to the harsh hot- arid climate. The aim of the paper is to analyse the main characters of the traditional architecture in the old settlements (Balat, Al Qasr), pointing out both the typological and the technological aspects (local materials and construction processes), focussing on their environmental sustainability (presence of bioclimatic features, integration into the landscape, minimum waste of resources). The appreciation and successful protection of the vernacular heritage depend on the involvement and support of the community, continuing use and maintenance. The achievement of this result will allow to maintain or revive lost abilities and offer sustainable and compatible technologies for adaptation to contemporary living standards.