The Crazy Climate Engineer

Our guest Tatah Lehbib Breica was born in the middle of the unhospitable climate in a refugee camp close to Tindouf, Algeria.
We read about his climate responsive building. Made of recycled materials, mainly bottles that are smartly used as structure but also for thermal mass, the round buildings are designed to withstand the frequent sand storms, the heat and short but flooding rain falls.
Tatah's approach is exemplary - building with what can be found as a resource on site: recycling bottles and other left over materials, using sand and people energy as Anna Heringer would say, meaning the labor of the future building users.
We were excited and immediately fascinated by the power of this initiative started by the young "climate engineer" and contacted him. His vision being supported by the UNHCR, Tatah was invited to France by SOS and giving us the opportunity to persuade him for a Stuttgart detour.
Wanting to know all about him we organized workshops with architects and structural engineers we collaborate with and time for our Transsolar Academy fellows to meet Tatah. Two days full of exchange with the young professional, with the "creator between the dunes" having gathered more experience in working out strategies in an extreme climate than any of us.
It was most inspiring, Tatah is a bright and positive storyteller, a wonderful ambassador for his vison. He says on his facebook page "even though my constructions are not the solution to these problems (A/N: 41 years of unresolved conflict related to West Sahara), I have found it very motivating to see how it is in our hands to change our world and our situation.."
If more of us shared Tatah's attitude, the world would be a better place.

Follow Tatah on facebook
See the film about the "crazy with bottles"

Special thanks to all of our guest: Raphael Dietz, Anna Noack, Thomas Müller, Karl Rechthaler, Gerhard Weinrebe and the students of IUSD...