From Morocco to Moorish Spain: A Cross-Cultural Learning Experience

Written by Arsenio Rodrigues, PhD, AIA, LEED AP, EDAC, NCARB, CoA

Professor and Director, School of the Built Environment

During summer 2025, as a recipient of the AIA Toledo Professional Practice Travel Grant, I travelled with a distinguished delegation of university faculty from across the United States to Morocco and Spain.

The group comprised of faculty from several universities including, Missouri State University (Art History and Museum Studies), Louisiana Tech University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Louisiana, Otis College of Art and Design, and Center for Archaeological Research, Missouri State University. The travel opportunity focused on Art, Architecture and History of the Andalusian region and the program was designed to foster cross-cultural understanding and provide faculty with unique experiences that would enhance teaching, research, and curriculum in the classroom. Coordinated and led by the ARAMFO Educational Foundation, this immersive education program was titled - “Seminars and Panel Discussions on the Cultural and Historical Parallels Between Morocco and Moorish Andalusia (Spain)”. The education travel program occurred from June 17 to June 30 and focused on visits to various historical and architecturally significant sites in Morocco and Spain.

 The program offered a tremendous immersive learning opportunity (comprising of multiple seminars and panel discussions) through Spain and Morocco in collaboration with professors specializing in art, history, and architecture. The journey began in Morocco with visits to several locations including, Casablanca (University of Casablance), Fes (medina and Jewish quarters), Meknes (ruins of Volubilis), Chefchaouen, and Tangier. Thereafter, the faculty delegation travelled to Spain and visited Malaga, Cordoba (La Mezquita), Granada (Alhambra Palace, Generalife Gardens, Albaizin), and Seville (Cathedral, Reales Alcazar).

As part of this immersive travel educational experience, I captured photographical documentation related to my research on recurring-archetypal patterns in sacred place. The photographical data focused on place-making patterns including center, orientation, boundary, descent, ascent, dematerialization, numeric order, geometric order, spatial order, anthropomorphic order, celestial order, order with flora, order with materiality, order with water, order with light, order with views, order with passage, ceremonial order, and unity. At an overarching level, participation in this travel opportunity enabled me to gain valuable insights into Spain and Morocco’s rich cultural heritage, art traditions, and architectural landmarks, including place-making, vernacular materiality, building technology, and embodied sustainable design strategies.

I’m very thankful to AIA Toledo for supporting this professional and research endeavor via the Professional Practice Travel Grant. Knowledge gleaned by participating in this educational travel opportunity has directly impacted and will contribute meaningfully to my upcoming book – Sacred Place: Archetypes and Meaning  scheduled for publication and release in December 2026.