Shusira : a training center in stone construction techniques | Hassene Jeljeli

Due to a serious lack of skilled labor in the field of restoration and invasion of new industrial building materials, many extremely rich sites of vernacular architectural heritage, are threatened with degradation.

This reflection comes from the case study of the old Shusira that is called now Kesra, a village in the governorate of Siliana, strikingly beautiful by its architectural landscape stone, abundant natural resource, yet unfortunately, it is gradually disfigured. In fact, the name Shusira has a beautiful myth behind it. They say that a Persian king had a very sick daughter whom the only cure was to live in what we call to day kesra and therefor he named the place after her. Therefor in analogy, if kesra is the cure for this ill princess then maintaining what is left from its rich heritage and nourishing its traditions is the cure for the ill kesra that we have today.

In a context where sustainable becomes necessary, the use of local materials is essential. A vocational training center dedicated to stone construction that would welcome anyone curious about the story behind the place where they live, anyone who wants to discover and / or learn about these ancient construction techniques could help the revaluation of this architectural heritage.

This approach involves the creation of an architectural motion that will participate in the upgrading of the village, its history, its heritage and architecture, and it will be a tool to revalorize its craft activities, involving villagers in the project activities even during its construction.

The center provides knowledge and skills in terms of both traditional and contemporary techniques of how to handle the construction using stones, the design of the center itself is a showcase of stone construction techniques today, it proves that there is always a way to enroll the use of ancient materiel in a contemporary architecture and thus this minimizes the impact on the environment while maintaining a glimpse of the heritage and most of all protecting it from disappearing.