African countries are classified by the United Nations as highly vulnerable to global warming. It affects not only the environment but also the socio-economy as the consequences of climate change increase the instability in the region. The need to adopt transition strategies and the urgency of climate resilience in Africa push us today to address sustainability in the teaching of architecture. We need more than ever to raise awareness among future generations about the potential of vernacular architecture and the cultural and environmental value of built heritage. Indeed, this heritage is the manifesto of ethnic and socioeconomic diversity and the fundamental expression of a community’s culture. Besides, the built heritage in Africa clearly shows a high bioclimatic potential that should be a source of inspiration. The 5th year studio of vernacular architecture arises from these considerations. Through an elaborated guide, this teaching experiment aims to identify the cultural and bioclimatic potential of vernacular architecture in Africa. It also aims to aware future architects of the huge impact of the context on urban and architectural choices. We present in this article the reading guide and the used method which is a multicriteria approach that allows the students to read and understand the potential of vernacular architecture. It helps them identify the indicators in both urban et architectural scales and figure out the interactions between them. Reading the architectural heritage is not an end in itself but would allow them to propose urban and architectural projects that are not only creative and innovative but also above all contextualized. During this 4-month seminar, based on the guide, students of various nationalities were able to draw up an inventory of vernacular architecture in Africa for almost 20 countries. A survey among the students proved that the course and particularly the reading guide help transferring knowledge and raise awareness on the potential of vernacular architecture.