The project serves to establish future-oriented universities in Morocco, sustainable development and German-Moroccan economic cooperation. Specifically, it focuses on the structural design of small, rural schools, the practicable and locally adapted use of building materials and building traditions as well as their environmental and socio-economic evaluation. We are also developing practical teaching concepts for Moroccan universities in order to anchor sustainable energy technology in education, which will be taught in intensive summer schools in Morocco.

The practice partners are available as technical advisors and for short internships and contribute their technical expertise to the summer schools in Morocco and technical excursions. The university partners send candidates to the summer schools and ensure the long-term continuation of the teaching concept in their relevant degree programs. An energy and building technology network of established as well as young and future scientists, business representatives and specialists is being created between all participating partners.

Village School I focused on economic energy supply, the use of digital methods (especially in operational monitoring) and practicable and locally adapted energy concepts for small schools in order to contribute to rural development with a future-proof, sustainable infrastructure.

The follow-up project Realizing Sustainable Village Schools (from 2024) focuses on the structural design of small schools: Building materials, energy efficiency, moisture and thermal protection, digital methods and the practicable and locally adapted use of building traditions. Three key questions outline the objectives:

• Methodological approach: How is the building physics of such buildings worked out in a project-specific and locally adapted way?
• Evaluation: What lessons can be learned from a prototypical project realization for the construction of energy-efficient schools?
• Scenario: How do  good and efficient schools with traditional crafts and building materials contribute to rural development?

Project duration

July 2024 - December 2027

Funding program

DAAD: University-Business-Partnerships between higher education institutions and business partners in Germany and in Africa
as part of the special initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" (2024-2027)

Project partners

Green Energy Park, Benguerir/Morocco

German and Moroccan company and university partners:

• Burkart Haus, Renchen
• Holz100 Schwarzwald, Lahr
• Coopérative Belarej, Marrakech
• Sablière du Tadla (SAPTA), Beni Mellal
• UM6P Mohammed VI University, Benguerir
• UIZ Ibn Zohr University, Agadir
• National School of Architecture, Agadir
• UCA Caddi Ayyad University, Marrakech
• UMP Mohammed First University, Oujda
• Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fès
• Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tangier
• National School of Architecture, Tétouan 
• Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal
• National School of Mines, Rabat