A Possible Innovation in the Traditional Manufacturing of the Galeb Brick in Southern Tunisia

Tunisia, especially its southern oasis, includes some of the most important richness of the architectural and environmental heritage in the Mediterranean area. The ???oasis cities??? are, generally, located in a desert environment characterized by a beautiful natural landscape but also by aggressive climate conditions: extreme temperatures, severe drought and strong sandstorms blowing from various directions. Vernacular architecture, that has its origins in nature, represents a result of human creative genius, using local natural resources for surviving in this extreme surrounding. Kebili, Touzeur and Nefta represent emblematic examples of oasis cities, which are characterized by a peculiar architecture based on the use of local building processes and construction materials. The galeb of Kebili (as well as the Galeb of Touzeur and the palm wood represent some of the typical local construction materials used in the oasis cities of southern Tunisia) is a sun-­dried, unfired brick (size, about 15x15x30 cm) obtained by mixing: water; Sahara sand fired using palm wood waste as fuel; resulting palm wood ash.