Salima Naji is a practicing architect who anchors her work in the materiality of territories, encompassing both large and small-scale projects. Her practice is closely connected with an academic engagement in numerous international action-research programmes. Her research explores sustainability and the entangled relationship between societies and their environment. Her PhD in Anthropology ( EHESS, Paris) examines the enduring legacy of collective architecture in Morocco, of which she has documented and preserved numerous exemplars over the past twenty years.She also holds an MPhil in Art (Beaux Arts; Esthétique et Technologies de l'Image, Paris 8).
Salima Naji specialises in the restoration of vernacular construction heritage and the valorisation of traditional architecture, particularly in Morocco's southern regions. Her practice is informed by a focus on local resources, both material (rammed earth, stone, and wood) and human, through the mobilisation of (endangered) artisanal knowledge and craft traditions.
She has received several prestigious awards, including the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2025, the Grande Médaille d'Or of the French Academy of Architecture in 2024 and mentions (Dedalo Minosse, Mention Fondazione Pistoletto & Citta dell'arte, Vicenza teatro olimpico; Philippe Rotthier European Architecture Prize: Mention for the Revival of Vernacular Techniques; Honourable Mention from the RAI Prize of Canada; shortlist Materia Award 2025...) Salima Naji is one of the 100 practising women architects identified by RIBA in 2023 and she is included in The Bloomsbury Global Encyclopedia of Women in Architecture (1960-2020) in 2025.
