Les 2 Arganiers (more information)

Location

The site lies on the Safi road 12km out from Essaouira, 600 meters away from the tarmac road.

The site boundaries and environs

         A dry stone wall  forms the northern boundary

         To the south and east local pathways are lined by dry stone walls.

         To the west the “el bir wadi”  runs along the national forest.

The forest  is made of sand dunes held by juniper , thuya and mimosa trees. Footpaths lead through the forest to the ocean beaches 4km away.

The stony dry setting gives a wonderful backdrop for the two arganiers trees. An ideal calm and isolated site in which to rest, yet  only 12km away from Essaouira.

Project

The project involves the construction of three holiday homes and a rural inn on a 22054m² site equipped with a large swimming pool, general maintenance buildings and workshops. At present ( at the project stage) 800m² of this land can be used for construction.

The swimming pool has been conceived as the central meeting place for everyone. The workshops  will provide additional ambiance.

The site will be extensively landscaped using native plants such as the eucalyptus, bougainviliées, lavender, pine, olive trees, hibiscus, laurel bush, all of which need little watering.

For safety and tranquility cars will be kept outside the complex. They will either be parked at the entrance or will use the tracks along the northern boundary to gain access to the  homes.

Description	Sketch	Natural village
Design	Another sketch	Aerial design

Design features

The typology of the buildings have been much inspired by the local farm buildings : built historically with local stone, around large interier courtyards, with flat top roofs. The stone for the walls can be found on the site and the chalk for the mortar is produced , in the factories nearby. The builders will be recruted locally, where they are  reputed for their knowledge of traditional building techniques.

Rental income

The creation of a country inn is a central part of the design strategy. Responsible for rental, management and maintenance, the inn will ensure the smooth running of “Les Deux Arganiers”. This will allow for easy rental giving a good return on the purchase price of the properties.

A number of activities can be developped to help locally with employment and encourage interaction with the population :

Creation of new pathways and walks leading down to the beaches

Organization of nature trails in the forest to discover indigenous plants and wildlife.

Horse riding trips and camel safaris

Traditional meals, and/or the ceremonial drinking of mint tea in local homes.

Energy and self sufficiency

 Les deux Arganiers” will be equiped with facilities to achieve  self-sufficiency.

A bore hole and water tower will be built to ensure a constant water supply, solar panels will be installed to heat water, and a study will be made to determine if wind energy might be used to provide electricity.

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