Rehabilitation involves repairing, renovating, altering, or reconstructing any building or structure. It addresses the need to significantly improve a building's failing features, primarily through strengthening or replacing elements to restore the structure's optimal performance. The impact of building rehabilitation on the physical environment is significant. It is a sustainable strategy for preserving the built environment and mitigating the construction industry's impact on climate change.
However, its social impact is also considerable when viewed as a fundamental framework for sustainable outcomes. Rehabilitation can serve as a model that brings community members together for inclusive repair and restoration of structures. This positively affects communal life quality, social integration, environmental sustainability, and community perception of local architecture.
This article examines two case studies from the global south, demonstrating how the social aspect of building rehabilitation can serve as a framework for architectural repair and preservation.
The Great Mosque of Djenné/ Mali
The Great Mosque of Djenné, located in present-day Mali, is our first case study. It stands as one of the most distinctive religious structures globally, representing the pinnacle of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. The mosque, renowned as the world's largest mud-built structure, is among the earthen monuments in the area known as the Djenné Circle. This circle includes the archaeological sites of Djenné-Djeno, Hambarketolo, Tonomba, and Kaniana.
The current mosque, completed in 1907, marks the third reconstruction. The structure we see today has a rectangular plan, partially enclosed by an exterior earthen wall. It also features a distinctive earthen roof, supported by monumental pillars. The roof contains several holes covered by terra-cotta lids, ventilating the interior spaces even on the hottest days. The mosque's façade consists of three minarets, a series of engaged columns, and a rhythm of permanent wooden scaffolds, all contributing to a grand welcoming effect.
Additionally, the Great Mosque is maintained through a communal tradition known as the Crépissage de la Grand Mosquée, or the annual restoration festival. During this event, the entire city participates in re-plastering the mosque's exterior with a mud plaster. This plaster is made from a mixture of butter and fine clay from the alluvial soil of the nearby Niger and Bani Rivers.
Typically, men in the community mix the construction material and transport it to the plastering areas, while women supply the water for the mixture. Elders, women, and children contribute by being present on-site, sitting on terrace walls, offering advice, and combining work with play through singing, running, and various forms of communal engagement. Music is also a crucial part of the restoration festival. As people participate in the rehabilitation process, there's an exchange of intangible values and the strengthening of communal bonds.
Over the years, Djenné's residents have resisted attempts to alter the character of their grand mosque and the nature of the annual festival. They emphasize the importance of the temporary material, its need for constant rejuvenation, and the social foundations the festival provides to preserve the building.
Housing Reconstruction in Santiago Niltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
The second case study of social rehabilitation focuses on post-earthquake housing reconstruction in Santiago Niltepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. In September 2017, two powerful earthquakes shook Mexico. The first occurred on September 7th near the southwestern state of Oaxaca, followed by another earthquake just 12 days later near Puebla, only 120 km from Mexico City. These earthquakes destroyed four out of every five buildings in the rural town of Santiago Niltepec in Oaxaca.
Following the disaster, some families were excluded from the government's reconstruction programs. These programs offered either a small financial handout or standardized replacement homes of low quality and high environmental impact that disregarded the area's cultural and architectural traditions. However, Programa VACA A.C.(VACA), a civil society organization focused on sustainable community-building projects in rural indigenous communities, sought to unite families for the reconstruction of their homes.
Residents participated in a co-building project, using local traditional techniques and predominantly natural, locally available materials. They designed homes to suit their individual needs and preferences through collaborative and inclusive methodologies. This focus on social collaboration prompted the construction of homes in a collective and supportive manner. Consequently, these homes were durable, comfortable, sustainable, energy-efficient, and preserved the architectural heritage of the community. The mutual aid and collective building foundation also ensured that beneficiaries acquired the skills to maintain their homes in the future. The Rehabilitation scheme won the World Habitat Awards in 2021. Feedback from families who participated in the scheme underscores the importance of social foundations in the repair, renovation, and preservation of architecture.
We learned to work every day, you learn a lot from those who bring other techniques, to build and make friends with people and that is very nice. The way we worked was good. We can now do this on our own, because we learned everything, we already know the technique. All those who didn’t take part in the project or who backed out, they really regret, because the houses are so beautiful! If there is another project we can help with, let’s go! They say, ‘Among many, the dead body doesn’t weigh’. – Epifanio López
The Great Mosque of Djenné exemplifies how preserving a large-scale building can serve as a social backdrop for an entire community and convey cultural norms. It also fosters the transfer of architectural, material, and construction knowledge across generations. On a smaller scale, the project in Santiago Niltepec demonstrates that involving a community in sustainable, culturally sensitive design can result in high-quality housing. This not only safeguards the community's architectural heritage but also provides an inclusive and affordable alternative to conventional top-down reconstruction programs.
