The micro-hotel was completed in early 2014. The project designed by Myriam Soussan and Laurent Moulin of Archibionic is 100% autonomous in providing all water and energy needs, in addition to managing all waste on site. The project offers an alternative to Western spatial organization where mono-functional spaces are fully-partitioned and consume space, local materials, and lack cohesion of design. 

USD 220,000 in prize money was presented to the best submissions from Africa Middle East in the Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction projects. The competition run by the Swiss Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction in collaboration with five of the world’s leading technical universities aims to promote sustainable approaches to the built environment.

The project is commended for its innovative synthesis of bioclimatic knowledge as well as responding both rationally and artistically to the challenges of a semi-desert environment. Of significance is the integration of contemporary passive thermal control principles with strategies of traditional Islamic residential architecture.

While modest in scale, this entry from Morocco presents an innovative synthesis of bioclimatic knowledge. It responds both rationally and poetically to the harsh conditions of a semidesert environment. The team is given merit for their integration of contemporary passive thermal control principles with traditional Islamic architecture. The work suggests broad-range applicability in similar climate zones. The dwelling unit is equipped with all the necessary amenities for residents and achieves autonomy in terms of energy use.