The kitchen island is clad in charred oak; the cabinet doors are made of raw steel sheets. Inside, the shelf  supports are steel rebar.  “I like questioning the use of basic materials,” says Mehdi. “Rebar is not considered noble, but I think it’s beautiful, fun, and economical.”  An artisan made the pendants based on a design by Mehdi, and the faucet is by Roca.  An Eames bird sits with a color-coordinated piggy bank, a souvenir from Mallorca.  Photo 7 of 15 in A Modernist Cube Rises in the Ancient City of Casablanca

A Modernist Cube Rises in the Ancient City of Casablanca

7 of 15

The kitchen island is clad in charred oak; the cabinet doors are made of raw steel sheets. Inside, the shelf supports are steel rebar. "I like questioning the use of basic materials," says Mehdi. "Rebar is not considered noble, but I think it’s beautiful, fun, and economical." An artisan made the pendants based on a design by Mehdi, and the faucet is by Roca. An Eames bird sits with a color-coordinated piggy bank, a souvenir from Mallorca.