Why Morocco 028 – Aziza Chaouni on architectural restoration projects in Morocco
For this week’s episode,I chatted with architect Aziza Chaouni in her Toronto office by telephone. I first learned about Aziza and her work when she was featured in Brownbook magazine, a publication I used to write for. I knew immediately that I needed to meet her given that we have swapped home countries. Aziza lives between Toronto, Canada where she works as an architect but is also a tenured professor at the university of Toronto and Fez, Morocco where her architecture firm is located.
But it was after a recent feature in the New York Times about the Sidi Harazem thermal baths restoration project that I finally reached out to Aziza. The thermal baths, near Fez, not only have healing properties, but the complex that Jean-Francois Zevaco designed in 1960 is done in brutalism style. Her credits also include transforming a slaughterhouse in Casablanca in to a cultural space, working on the restoration of the oldest existing university in the world – al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez and more. In fact, in the interview she shares details about a project she’s wrapping up in southern Morocco this month.
Listen in as Aziza talks about post-independence architecture, her past and on-going projects, the role of the architect and the state of architecture in Morocco.
Find out more about Aziza Chaouni Project: http://www.azizachaouniprojects.com/
For more Morocco ideas and advise, follow me on Instagram at @mandyinmorocco.
My other projects include:
- Tasting Marrakech food and cultural tours in Marrakech tasting-marrakech.com
- Travel and public relations consulting
- Freelance writing for print and digital mandyinmorocco.com/freelance-writing/