NCCR DFAB Alumnus at the Intersection of Traditional and Computational Design

El Mehdi Belyasmine is a Moroccan architect and founder of the studio Belyas.Co, which focuses on architectural performance and human experience through a holistic approach. Deaf from birth, he brings a unique perspective to communication and design. In 2025, he co-designed the Moroccan Pavilion for the Biennale. On site at the Giardini, he speaks about the current project and how the MAS ETH DFAB has shaped his perspective on architecture.

As an alumnus of the MAS ETH DFAB, El Mehdi emphasises how the programme reshaped his approach to design, providing tools to rethink architectural processes and to test them at different scales. In conversation, he reflects on the challenges of integrating digital fabrication in contexts where traditional practices remain dominant, and on the importance of questioning normative ways of working in architecture.

Inside the Moroccan Pavilion

The video interview was filmed in the Moroccan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Curated by El Mehdi Belyasmine together with architect Khalil Morad El Ghilali, the installation Materiae Palimpsest is conceived as a manifesto on the potential future(s) of Moroccan building traditions. The pavilion functions as a living glossary of past construction techniques and local materials, and through its multi-scalar approach, it aims to inspire future generations to [re]think, [re]use, and [re]adapt them.

The Venice Architecture Biennale runs until 23 November 2025.