Project 02 • Medina, Marrakech • 2024

Kinetic Riad

Adaptive courtyard roof in Marrakech

Renovation project

Design Approach

Concept study • climate figures are illustrative design assumptions, not measured data

A courtyard renovation that makes use of local materials, moving shade, and evaporative cooling instead of forcing mechanically cooled air into the old walls.

The medina is dense and the courtyards are trapped in heat. Tall walls, narrow streets, and a lack of airflow mean the interior courtyard can become a thermal sink by the middle of the day. The old roof logic still works, but it needs to be reworked to fit the pressure of the modern city. Rather than attaching mechanical systems to fragile historic masonry, the proposal separates the new roof from the old fabric. A lightweight titanium ring supports cedar louvers that open, close, and tilt according to the sun and the hot air rising in the courtyard. At ground level, a shallow pool works with the stack effect. As warm air rises through the roof, it pulls drier air across the water and cools the courtyard without the noise and vibration of standard HVAC.

42°Ccourtyard temperature at peak heat

Themedinaturnsintoadensepocketofheatbythemiddleoftheafternoon.Narrowstreets,packedwalls,andalackofairflowmeanthecourtyardcanholdwarmairforhours.Theoldbuildingfabricdoesnotfailbecauseitisweak;itfailsbecausethecityisnowhotterandmoreenclosedthanitusedtobe.

Plate 01 • The water basin reflecting daylight up into the house[Expand Plate]

0 kgextra lateral load on old walls

Thehistoricbrickandlimemortarcannotcarrythevibrationofalargemechanicalunit.Itisnotjustaboutweight.Itisaboutthewaysound,shaking,andcondensationslowlybreakdownoldplaster.Thenewroofhastostandonitsownringandkeepeveryforceawayfromtheoriginalstructure.

Plate 02 • The cedar roof louvers closed halfway to block direct sun[Expand Plate]

45°midday louver tilt

Theroofusescedarslatscutfromlocaltimberandmountedonarotatingmechanism.Inthemorningtheyopentoletcoolairrisethroughthecourtyard.Atmiddaytheytilttoblockdirectradiationwhilestillallowingwarmerairtoescapeupward,whichkeepstheinternaltemperaturefrombuildingintoafullheattrap.

8°Ccooling effect from evaporation

Theshallowwaterbasinatthegroundfloorisnotanaestheticdetail.Itispartoftheventilationlogic.Aswarmairrisesandescapesthroughthelouversabove,apressuredifferencepullsdrierairacrossthepool,andtheevaporationcoolsthespacebelow.Theeffectissimple,butitispowerfulandsurprisinglyquiet.

Plate 03 • Model showing how the new metal ring connects to old brickwork[Expand Plate]