Aziza Chaouni to present at Design Doha Biennale
Professor Aziza Chaouni (SoNo Lab, EPFL) will present recent work at the Design Doha Biennale as part of the On Land – Agrarian Practices category.
The presentation will highlight the development of a pilot anti-seismic, demountable housing prototype supported by the Biennale. Led by SoNo Lab in collaboration with Japanese engineer M. Suzuki and the NGO Amal Biladi (Elmahdi Benabdeljalil), the project proposes a low-carbon timber and thatch structure designed to optimize thermal comfort and resilience.
The prototype, currently under construction, will be assembled on site and will provide housing for a family of six displaced by the 2023 earthquake. The project reflects ongoing research at SoNo Lab on sustainable building systems, material innovation, and post-disaster reconstruction.
12 April – 30 June 2026
Design Doha Biennale
Aziza Chaouni opens “Futurs en chantier” at the Biosphère
On 19 March 2026, Professor Aziza Chaouni (SoNo Lab, EPFL) will deliver the opening lecture of Retisser nos territoires, part of the Futurs en chantier series at the Biosphère in Montreal.
The event will bring together interdisciplinary perspectives from architecture, urbanism, and the social and environmental sciences.
19 March 2026
14:00–17:00 — Biosphère, Montreal
SoNo Lab launches African Heritage Dialogues
SoNo Lab at EPFL, in collaboration with the Southxinitiative platform, launched its first lecture series. The inaugural session brought together architectural research, heritage conservation, and documentary filmmaking to explore approaches to heritage preservation in Africa.
Assistant Professor Aziza Chaouni (SoNo Lab, EPFL) and architect Stephen Battle (World Monuments Fund) presented the collaborative design and conservation process behind the rehabilitation vision for Old Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone — the oldest Western-style university building in West Africa. The talk addressed ongoing conservation and adaptive reuse strategies, alongside material and constructive innovations developed by SoNo Lab.
Filmmaker and musician Barmmy Boy (Lansana Mansaray) introduced a preview of his forthcoming documentary on the project, offering a perspective rooted in Freetown’s contemporary creative scene. The session concluded with a discussion.
This event marks the beginning of a lecture series jointly developed by SoNo Lab and Southxinitiative, a platform at EPFL dedicated to fostering exchanges across the “Global South.” Moderated by Akshar Gajjar.
03 October 2026
18:30 — Foyer SG, EPFL