Unit 3 of Daoudiate in Marrakech

Nadya Rouizem

During the period of the French protectorate in Morocco (1912-1956), changes in economic and agricultural policies led to a massive rural exodus to the large cities and the development of slums. After its independence, the Moroccan state continued the actions undertaken during the French protectorate to fight against slums, notably by developing standardized housing to reduce construction costs. These housing units were inspired by the framework of Michel Ecochard, who headed the Casablanca urban planning department between 1946 and 1953, and was an outspoken supporter of the Athens Charter and of Le Corbusier's ideas. Thus the 'improved sanitary framework' (TSA (2)), a plan based on the framework developed by Michel Ecochard (1), was developed to build about 10,000 dwellings across the country, in several large Moroccan cities. While the Ecochard grid of 8x8 metres allowed maximum simplification of the work in order to reduce construction costs, the TSA was a so-called improved form, because it increased savings on the project by reducing the surface area of the homes from 64 to 48m².

In Marrakech, the Public Works Department built, in 1962, 2750 low-cost housing units in the Daoudiate district in the north of the city, intended to rehouse inhabitants from the slums.

Today, sixty years later, most of these 48m2 houses have been raised by the inhabitants by two or three stories, along with extensions onto public space, to meet new needs and to accommodate larger families. Although they are still tenants, the state authorized the extensions about twenty years ago.

In fact, at the Guéliz urban planning department, where building permits for this neighborhood are filed, it appears that the inhabitants of Daoudiate were authorized to build single-story dwellings, and on condition that they demolish the current house. This last condition is probably due to the fact that the houses are made of raw earth blocks. The inhabitants therefore defied this prohibition twice: not only did many of them not demolish the original structure, but they also did not stop at one floor, building two or three stories above the first floor.

However, it was explained to us that these overruns were unofficially tolerated, as long as a building permit was requested, due to the disadvantaged social status of the population. This authorization was even specifically simplified for the inhabitants of the district: the municipal employee informed us that before the year 2000, the inhabitants were only asked to provide a "sketch" (standard plan) on which they added their name, as well as the rental contract with their last receipt of rent payment. Nowadays, building permit applications must include all regulatory documents, including structural plans. Even if both parties know that these plans will not be respected, "we simplify the process for them," the municipal employee says. The authorities, although informed of the non-respect of urban planning rules in the neighborhood, do not react to preserve social peace. 

Much criticized since its construction for the exiguity and uniformity of its houses, the unit 3 of the Daoudiate district in Marrakech has been ingeniously adapted by its inhabitants to their needs over time, while defying the urban regulations. Faced with their inability to respond to the housing shortage, the public authorities do not react.

(1) Michel Écochard (1905-1985) was a French architect and city planner. After graduating in 1932 from the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris, he worked in Syria and Lebanon before moving to Morocco in 1946.

(2) TSA:Trame Sanitaire Améliorée