 |
|
|
Restoration of a Fez Medina House - I should say, first of all, that I'm not at all an expert on restoration, but am happy to share of the lessons I've learned from restoring several houses in Fez over the past seven years. The first matter to clarify is your approach to restoration, since this will affect how you proceed and which people you choose to work with. The traditional approach to restoration in Fez has generally been that if something is old and worn it's better to remove it and replace it with something new. Thus old doors and old zellij are often removed and replaced. Another approach is that it's ok for an old house to look old, and that generally original architectural elements should be kept if at all possible. The latter approach is the one I try to follow, but it's not easy to find craftsmen in Fez who understand this. Carpenters and zellijis insist that they can do new work just as well as the old, but I'm sorry to say that this has not been my experience. And even if they could, there's a certain quality and beauty to old surfaces that can't be reproduced in new work. The next question to consider is who is going to be in charge of the restoration and how involved you want to be. Generally there is a team, consisting of the owner, the architect or "expert" in charge, the foreman, and the craftsmen and their assistants. Sometimes the owner is present during most of the restoration, but if this isn't possible then the choice of architect becomes critical. The architect/expert/general contractor is in charge of overseeing the restoration and deciding, together with the owner, on how the restoration will proceed. The architect meets with the owner, foreman, and craftsmen to discuss each step, and checks on the work regularly to make sure it's being done correctly. The job of the foreman is to be present all the time and to make sure the craftsman do what the owner and architect have decided. He also buys building supplies and pays the workers, so it's critical to have someone you trust in this role. In choosing which architect and craftsman to work with, it's imperative to see work they've done and for them to be recommended by people you trust. Never hire someone to be in charge of the restoration of your house based only on what they say they can do. You need to see what they've actually done to know if they are able to do the kind of restoration you're looking for. And you need to know from others how easy or difficult the person is to work with. You also want to choose an architect and foreman who are reasonably fluent in a language you speak, which is sometimes not all that easy. Depending on your experience, linguistic skills, and courage, it may be possible to do part of the restoration without the help of an architect. I am comfortable with zellij and restoring and cleaning wood, so I supervise that on my own. But with plumbing, electricity, replacing the roof, etc., I bring in an architect to supervise. I should also comment on how to choose the craftsman to do the restoration of your house. When I started doing restoration, I wanted to pay the "Moroccan" price and not the "foreigner" price for work and materials, and I found that with some research I was able to do so. But what I learned is that when I paid what seemed like a reasonable price I often got results that were acceptable to many people, but was not at all the quality I was looking for. This resulted in having to do the work over, sometimes more than twice (and you have to pay again each time you redo the work). I've learned the hard way that it's much smarter to try to find the best craftsman available, based on recommendations and seeing examples of their work. Of course the best craftsman charge more and are usually very busy, which sometimes means waiting for them to be free, but it's well worth the extra time and money. In the courtyard of Dar Bennis I was applying my frugal method, and ended up redoing the zellij four times! In the kitchen and terrace I used a better and more expensive zelliji, but the work was great the first time round. You should also know that there are craftsman who charge by the day, and those who charge by the meter or by project. There are problems with both methods: those who work by the day tend to take forever to complete the work; those who work by the meter or job tend to work very quickly and less carefully. My current approach is that with new work, such as new windows, doors, or zellij, I pay by the meter or job, and the quality is usually good because I choose the craftsmen very carefully. With restoration, however, such as removing paint from old wood, I want the craftsmen to work slowly and carefully, so I pay by the day, and, indeed, it sometimes takes forever. Restoration Grants - It is worth noting that there is a new program, funded though a loan to Fez from the World Bank, through which those restoring a traditional house in the medina are able to receive 30% of the cost of the restoration. This program is administered by ADER-Fes, the Agency for the De-densification and Rehabilitation of the Fes Medina. ADER is the organization that has
been responsible for much of the restoration work in the medina in recent
years. With this program you agree with ADER concerning the work to be
done and they estimate the cost. After you've completed 80% of the restoration,
you receive the 30% to complete the work. One major advantage of this program
is that you receive technical advice from ADER. This program is not
intended for those restoring a house for commercial purposes, although
a restoration project that benefits the neighbourhood surrounding such
a house would be eligible.
Building Permits
In restoring your house, it's important to plan the order of the work, to avoid one craftsman damaging the work of another. Generally you should deal with structural matters first, then plumbing and electricity, then decoration and finishing. And generally you want to start at the top of the house and work down. The first thing to do to protect the house is to make sure the roof isn't leaking. It's quite normal that some of the beams or planks of the roof are rotten and need to be replaced, so you want to excavate in a few places to see if the wood is ok. If you don't have time or funds to repair the roof, at least make sure the cracks are sealed to prevent further damage. .
|
|
eBooks
For Expats - Unique Subjects At Bargain Prices -Get Hard To Find Information
To Help Your Restart Your Life Overseas - 