Colloquium on technology and science research (2025/26)

The colloquium takes place online, unless communicated otherwise.

The presentations are mainly offered by ourselves. If you would like to present part of your work, a publication in progress or a presentation in preparation, you are welcome to do so in the defence. MA/BA theses at almost any stage can also be discussed in this format. The presentation language is not necessarily English, but can also be German.

The event will take place on demand and will then be advertised accordingly on our website and on our social media channels. So if you feel you would like to discuss your work with the group, or if you know someone who would like to do so, please contact me: schwarza(at)b-tu.de

Link to Moodle Course

Amine Machane

Abstract: 'An experiment in participatory work for the restoration of communal granaries in the vernacular village of Ghoufi, Algeria'

The communal granary is, for the Chaoui society of this region, the nerve center of its economy and culture. Some see it as the embodiment of the social structure itself and one of the effects of the transhumant lifestyle of this centuries-old society, making these monuments, which are the common property of a social group or a harfiqth, a rare architectural gems that must be preserved and promoted at the risk of seeing them decay and be lost forever.

The objective of this presentation is to demonstrate the fundamental components of this experiment, the theoretical underpinnings of its approach, its potential future applications, and the preliminary results obtained. This presentation will place a particular emphasis on the initiation of a pilot restoration project that avoids the conventional top-down approach to such initiatives, favouring instead a participatory and collaborative mechanism based on a bottom-up approach.

The objective of the initiative is to initiate the reconstruction of the local society and to reactivate some of its traditional properties. The long-term objective of this approach is to lay down a process of restoration and enhancement. This process will commence with a pilot project and subsequently extend to the remainder of the Chaoui territory and ultimately encompassing the fundamental structures that constitute the numerous villages dispersed across the four valleys of the Aures Mountains.

The experiment was a success and swiftly accomplished its initial and secondary objectives, having been positively received by the population, who exhibited a keen interest and involvement in preserving their heritage.