7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco

Colorful and dreamlike: this is how Morocco’s architecture and built environment could easily be described. Located between the edge of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, Africa’s most “Western” country is fascinating and full of contradictions. Also known as The Kingdom of the Western Place, Morocco has a diverse array of landscapes and rich architecture, thus becoming one of the most famous cultural destinations as well as film sets in the world.

From the signature riads — courtyard houses — located in Marrakesh to the modernist architectural identity of Casablanca to the famous Zellij tilework found across the country, Morocco’s architecture is imbued with many distinct cultural elements. An evocative example is Maison Brummell Majorelle, a “dreamy” new boutique hotel designed by Moroccan-based architect Amine Abouraoui Architects and Spanish architect Bergendy Cooke. The design playfully employs the iconic vernacular shapes of Moroccan architecture, adding, however, a contemporary twist and successfully integrating it into the surrounding context. In its entirety, the country’s unique architecture has been faithfully preserved throughout Morocco’s history, becoming somewhat of an architectural legacy.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Morocco based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

• The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2023)
• The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2023)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2023)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2023)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2023)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Morocco architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 7 best architecture firms in Morocco:

7. Estrecho Studio

Based in Tangier and Brussels, this young international firm creates unique and new experiences through architecture. We believe sharing knowledge and experience will make our community stronger. We consider architecture as a key of resilience, growth and development. Our approach is based on research, speculation and experimentation. We seek to provide solutions to contemporary architectural and urban issues.

Some of Estrecho Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• CASA MATEO, Marrakesh, Morocco

The following statistics helped Estrecho Studio achieve 7th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

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6. Gregoire Maisondieu Architecture & Interior Design

Grégoire Maisondieu is a DPLG architect and interior designer. After working for a long time with Philippe Starck, Bruno Borrione and Christophe Pillet, he is now developing his own projects, mainly in France and Morocco.

Some of Gregoire Maisondieu Architecture & Interior Design’s most prominent projects include:

• Black Pepper Restaurant, Meknes, Morocco

The following statistics helped Gregoire Maisondieu Architecture & Interior Design achieve 6th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

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5. Yachar Bouhaya Architecte

Yachar Bouhaya Architecte is an architecture and interior design firm based in Casablanca. The firm was founded by Yachar Bouhaya, a graduate of the Special School of Architecture in Paris, he continued his training in the Parisian agencies Anne Démians and AW2. At the end of 2010, he founded the eponymous architecture agency Yachar Bouhaya Architecte, whose project methodology frees itself from formal language and ready-made, thus revealing the uniqueness of each project.

Some of Yachar Bouhaya Architecte’s most prominent projects include:

• Lily’s Restaurant, Casablanca, Morocco
• Appartement M, Casablanca, Morocco
• Restaurant Le Cabestan, Casablanca, Morocco

The following statistics helped Yachar Bouhaya Architecte achieve 5th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

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4. Driss Kettani Architecte

Driss Kettani graduated from the National School of Architecture in Rabat in 2003 and founded the agency Driss Kettani Architect in 2005, after some collaborations and study trips. He has a constant interest in the place, culture and inhabitants as an essential starting component of a reflection, a project. This approach goes hand in hand with an imperative of modernity and contemporaneity, in a constant quest for creativity and meaning.

His work is part of an approach combining architectural rigor and research into the sensitive and poetic dimension of architecture. Architecture being the reading canvas of our time, which it can contribute to raising by offering users a living environment expression of a culture and high aspirations.

Some of Driss Kettani Architecte’s most prominent projects include:

• Lydia Residence, Morocco
• Villa Agava, Casablanca, Morocco
• Villa Opale, Morocco

The following statistics helped Driss Kettani Architecte achieve 4th place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

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3. El Kabbaj – Kettani – Siana – Architects

El Kabbaj – Kettani – Siana – Architects is an architecture firm based in Morocco specializing in educational and mixed-use buildings.

Some of El Kabbaj – Kettani – Siana – Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Technology School of Guelmim, Guelmim, Morocco
• Laayoune Technology School, Morocco
• Taroudant University, Taroudant, Morocco

The following statistics helped El Kabbaj - Kettani - Siana - Architects achieve 3rd place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

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2. Studio CAYS

Born in 2019, Studio Cays owes its name to the founders of the agency. Twin sisters and associates, CAYS is in fact the anagram of the abbreviations of their respective first names. CAYS is a duality naturally creating a complementarity, a link of interdependence of two phenomena: beauty and ergonomics. Eclecticism is the motto of the agency; each project differs from another. The objective is to learn from each project, we must feed this appetite through the nature of our architectural design.

Some of Studio CAYS’s most prominent projects include:

• ZAI House, Casablanca, Morocco
• LNKO Office, Casablanca, Morocco
• Studio Cays X Studio BO, Casablanca, Morocco
• MAYZ House, Rabat, Morocco
• Atelier Skin, Casablanca, Morocco

The following statistics helped Studio CAYS achieve 2nd place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

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1. TARIK ZOUBDI ARCHITECTE

We are an international award-winning architecture studio. Based in Morocco since 2008, during these many years we have worked a lot on various projects such as social housing, health or education… In our opinion, architecture is about poetic and spatial translation of human’s aspirations for a better life. we  believe in contextual architecture, whit sense of belonging to a place, like if it has always been a part of it.

We think that architecture must resist to the collective temptation of “Folk Mimicry” and passing fashion by yearning for timelessness. We love the dramatic mood of ruins, witnessing the collective memory, that time roots in space, the grass that grows in the roadway; and the nature taking back  gradually its rights.

Some of TARIK ZOUBDI ARCHITECTE’s most prominent projects include:

• Wall of Knowledge, El Jadida, Morocco
• Top image: Concrete phrontistery, El Jadida, Morocco

The following statistics helped TARIK ZOUBDI ARCHITECTE achieve 1st place in the 7 Best Architecture Firms in Morocco:

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Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

• Project completed within the last 3 years
• A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
• Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
• High quality, in focus photographs
• At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
• Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
• Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

 

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We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.