Why Morocco 028 – Aziza Chaouni on architectural restoration projects in Morocco

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<p>For this week&#8217;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.</p>
<p>But it was after a recent feature in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/arts/design/morocco-thermal-bath.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times about the Sidi Harazem thermal baths restoration project</a> 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 &#8211; 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Find out more about Aziza Chaouni Project: <a href="http://www.azizachaouniprojects.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.azizachaouniprojects.com/</a>.</p>
<p>To support Why Morocco, please consider buying me a <a href="https://ko-fi.com/mandyinmorocco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coffee nouss nouss</a>.</p>
<p>For more Morocco ideas and advise, follow me on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ms.mandy.sinclair/">@ms.mandy.sinclair</a></p>
<p>My other projects include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Travel and public relations consulting at <a href="mailto: [email protected]">Mandy Sinclair PR</a></li>
<li>Freelance writing for print and digital  <a href="https://mandyinmorocco.com/freelance-writing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mandyinmorocco.com/freelance-writing/</a></li>
<li>Tasting Marrakech food and cultural tours in Marrakech <a href="http://tasting-marrakech.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tasting-marrakech.com</a></li>
</ul>