As part of the National Days of Architecture (JNA) in Nanterre, Roger des Prés de la Ferme du bonheur and Léonard Nguyen Van Thé, master craftsman wall offer a training in the construction of dry stone terraces, open to all and to ENSA students in particular.
Ancestral and universal know-how, this technique has reappeared for twenty years, as an ecological and sustainable constructive system, in response to contemporary climate issues. Listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2018, it brings together a number of agronomic, ecological and aesthetic interests as a landscaping solution. Based on the reuse of materials, it allows to build without water, mortar, agrade and welcomes life while improving the resilience of certain sensitive species.
For many years, the Ferme du bonheur has been developing dry stone terraces (retaining walls) at the Champ de la Garde in Nanterre through educational projects. It is one of the pioneers of the rural management of urban spaces in France. Around the director and poet Roger des Prés, she has been developing for thirty years an «agro-poetic» project of territorial resilience, popular education and training in Nanterre: http://www.lafermedubonheur.fr/
PROGRAM:

• Visit the terraces and walls of the Champ de la Garde.
• Introduction to the history of dry stone, its ecological, agronomic, poetic and aesthetic interests, the practice of reusing materials, history(s) of stone and wall...
• Discovery of tools
• Practical workshop for restoration of walls and construction of terraces (retaining walls) in dry stone.