Integrated Rehabilitation of Earthen Architecture in Timimoun Ksar

Abstract

This paper develops an analytical model for the integrated rehabilitation of earthen architecture in Timimoun Ksar. It addresses a research gap in which existing works either examine the oasis transformation at an urban scale or provide technical prescriptions for repairing earthen buildings, while the link between the ksar, palm groves, foggaras, dwellings, maintenance practices and local governance remains insufficiently operationalized. The study relies on a critical documentary analysis combining scholarly literature, technical rehabilitation documents and international conservation frameworks. The corpus is organized according to five analytical levels: the oasis territory, the ksar fabric, the earthen dwelling, the structural components, and the maintenance-governance system. The analysis identifies eight major families of deterioration, including dampness, roof-water infiltration, incompatible cement-based interventions, degradation of wall bases, and the erosion of craft knowledge. The article proposes a five-stage rehabilitation model based on contextual understanding, multi-scale diagnosis, compatible intervention, adaptive reuse, and institutionalized maintenance. The results show that the sustainable rehabilitation of earthen architecture cannot be reduced to material repair; it requires the reintegration of the earthen building into a living oasis system involving technical compatibility, social memory, local economy and water management