Earth construction and social value: The Women’s House of Imloul

In this insight paper, Project Architect Martina Petrosino examines the Women’s House of Imloul, Morocco, as a compelling case study in earth construction and for creating social value, demonstrating how community-led design and locally rooted building traditions can deliver resilient and meaningful social infrastructure.

This is a personal initiative by Martina, undertaken in her free time. However, the inspiration and objectives align closely with Chapman Taylor’s approaches to responsible design and supporting existing communities to realise their potential.

The Women’s House of Imloul

I still remember the first time we arrived in Imloul a small village set within the dramatic landscapes of the High Atlas. The women of the Association Féminine du Douar Imloul welcomed us with tea, warm smiles, and a clear sense of purpose. They led us to a set of rammed-earth walls rising from a dusty slope, solid, grounded, and full of promise.

“This was meant to be our Women’s House,” they explained. “We started building it, but we couldn’t finish.”

Standing there, it was easy to see not what was missing, but what was already present: determination, skill, and a shared vision. That was the moment that Terre à Terre, an association of international designers based in Brussels to which Martina belongs, decided to join them in bringing the project to life.

How the project took shape

Terre à Terre believe that spaces created with communities, rather than simply for them, can open new possibilities. Inside those earthen walls, we felt a strong sense of potential. The structure was simple, resilient, and deeply connected to its environment. It was ready to become something more.

We reached out to other collaborators at Studio2111, an Italian Practice specialised in vaulted construction. Together, we imagined a way to complete the building using natural materials, preserving its vernacular character while enhancing strength and affordability through vaulted adobe roofs.

Designing together

Through many conversations, some gathered around steaming couscous, others held online during COVID, we invited the women to define their needs and aspirations:

• a space to bake bread and sell it directly on the street,
• a carpet-weaving workshop,
• storage for honey from the surrounding mountains,
• a meeting room,
• an office,
• and a room where children could play while their mothers worked.

Their clarity guided every decision.

Local builders and artisans joined the process with enthusiasm. Terre à Terre, Studio2111, the women, and the craftsmen worked side by side, sharing knowledge, skills, and responsibility. The building grew as a collective effort, shaped by many hands and voices.

Building in phases, strengthening the community

With limited resources, construction unfolded in phases. Some spaces, the kitchen, the communal room, and the children’s room, were completed early and immediately became part of everyday life in Imloul.

Gradually, the Women’s House became a lively meeting point, a place where work, learning, and social life naturally came together.

2023: Adapting to a changing climate

Heavy rains

In recent years, sudden heavy rains have become more frequent in the region. After one particularly intense storm, many village homes suffered roof damage and leaks.

The Women’s House, however, performed remarkably well: the earthen walls and vaulted roofs remained dry and stable. A few minor maintenance works gave us the opportunity to return to the site and further refine the project. Together with the women and the local team, we slightly adjusted the courtyard layout, adding a new partition that increased privacy, an improvement directly shaped by daily use.

The earthquake

On 8 September 2023, a powerful earthquake struck central Morocco, devastating entire villages and deeply affecting the region.

In Imloul, there were no major damages, only a strong shock that reminded everyone of the importance of building carefully and thoughtfully. Once again, the Women’s House demonstrated the resilience of earth-based construction rooted in local knowledge.

A house already in use

Even though the building was not yet completed, it was fully engaged in community life from the beginning of the renovation.

The women welcomed student groups for site visits and organised a tapestry workshop, passing on traditional weaving techniques. The vaulted communal room quickly proved its versatility: hosting meetings, carpet-making sessions, and shared meals with visitors.

These activities marked the beginning of a small but growing local economy, one grounded in skills, hospitality, and collective effort.

Sharing the story beyond Morocco

During the same period, together with Studio2111, we were invited to Festa della Terra in Casalincontrada, Italy. There, we shared the experience of building with natural materials in the Moroccan context and connected with a wider network of people committed to earth-based construction. It was encouraging to see the story of Imloul resonate far beyond the Atlas Mountains.

2024: The communal room comes to life

In 2024, we completed the interior of the communal room.

Smooth, freshly plastered walls. An emerald-coloured floor reflecting soft, filtered light.

Domes form calm, generous curves. Stone benches emerge naturally from the floor.

The space felt both grounded in tradition and open to the future.

Then the women arrived. They unrolled carpets, arranged cushions, and immediately prepared the room for a workshop with students. In moments, the architecture became fully alive. Watching them take ownership of the space, with ease, joy, and pride, was unforgettable.

2025: Spaces for children and shade

In 2025, work continued on the children’s room and the courtyard shading system.

The children’s room was designed at a child’s scale, supporting care, imagination, and everyday life. Soft, earthy colours, curved geometries, and built-in elements form benches, niches, and places to sit, play, and explore. Architecture here becomes a quiet companion to growth.

What this project means to me

Thanks to the collaboration between Terre à terre, Studio2111 and the support of Perma Atlas, the Municipality of Schaerbeek, Stardust Concept, Architecture in Development, ANAB, and many generous friends, we were able to secure more than half of the required funding. The building is already fully engaged in village life, and the next steps are clearly defined: completing the workshop with four domes, applying the exterior plaster, and refining the main courtyard layout.

These final phases are not an uncertainty, but a continuation, carried forward by the energy, determination, and collective strength of the women of Imloul.

For me, this project goes far beyond architecture. It is a story of trust, of shared meals and long conversations, of hands working together, layer by layer. It is the story of a community that consistently chose possibility, cooperation, and care.

I look forward to returning to Imloul: to see carpets being woven in the workshop, children playing in the courtyard, bread baking in the kitchen, and visitors resting on the stone benches of the communal room.

The Women’s House of Imloul is alive, and it belongs to the women who brought it into being.

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The Women’s House of Imloul exemplifies how meaningful architecture begins with people. Rooted in the principles of Responsible Design, the project demonstrates how working collaboratively with local communities and embracing traditional construction methods can create spaces that are both environmentally resilient and socially empowering.

This project aligns closely with Chapman Taylor’s core values. By prioritising inclusivity, cultural context, and long-term wellbeing, Chapman Taylor continues to champion design that goes beyond buildings, delivering lasting social value and strengthening communities for generations to come.