Ginna House

In each village in Dogon Country, Mali exists a large family dwelling, called a ginna, that is reserved for the spiritual leader of the community. The building has a raised living area reached by a ladder carved from a tree trunk. The windowless facade is decorated with 80 niches, representing the original ancestors and their descendants. The two doors are often carved with rows of male and female figures which, like the niches, symbolize earlier generations. Inside this building, some altars and a small shrine form the focus of the clan cult. In most Dogon villages, the head of a clan lives in the gina until his death.

NOCMAT 2009

The 11th International Conference on Non-conventional Materials and Technologies (NOCMAT 2009) is announcing a call for papers with the theme: Materials for sustainable and affordable construction. The conference will take place September 6th – 9th 2009 at the University of Bath, Bath, UK. For more information visit the conference website at http://www.bath.ac.uk/ace/nocmat2009/.

Save the Heritage of Hassan Fathy


Hassan Fathy

Save the Heritage of Hassan Fathy is an International Association based in Geneva (Switzerland), founded in February 2008 to safeguard the heritage of the Egyptian architect, Hassan Fathy.
His works constitute a patrimony of outstanding value which belongs to the cultural world heritage. The Association’s objectives are the following:

– Raising the awareness of the public opinion about the importance of the work of the Egyptian architect
– Providing a platform of exchanges between the concerned Institutions (public and private) and Universities
– Promoting protection and conservation projects to safeguard this outstanding heritage