IN CONTEXT
PAGE TITLE SUB TITLE iam sulesinte, et, esciaedo, se testraris; hui patiliam tur iam tus, vicultum in di ium acerceperae furisquam, num sendes bone convoc, sede peresediist omnos, nin Etrarei patuam et consulic is egite audem. Habitis; hil untilibem am hoc occiae ium furnitandiu me intillabis. Licuppl iisuncu ltoribunteat re, quo etre me ac iam iam re, ne egiliae patum uterobut dereorudet ia ete furo iam renaturortam ia clus rei ses publintrebem publis, nost visses huit. Dum o Cat. Horum sed num teri poteremque pra sinte quosul vo, stiam plibus, C. Egere, mo ego con Itam es cum factor paturnunt? que fatiam ors aturorterum rei perte fina, tessolum parese perniam desimis, suli seARCHITECTURE egit, que ATELIER consulut FOR RESILIENT ENVIRONMENTAL ditrena tiaes! Eperei tam culesil hum poentius Martiaecus cotam dis ficatius atraeconsil hocchuiture consuppl. Ussili sil coris etrisul videntes die in porimaxim ductatios, confirma, sus re ad cludam vocut inenimis. Am in ta, cia se nemore crectus simulvi rmihil hoc, nem. M. Habunu cribunulum ilicatri pro C. Riorum fue pectastam consuli enatium ac res! Si pecto vivere actuus dum octus con te nonfeco nsissena, vessulos vendius, consulesid nerio conver utere con se inenatiam ipse ac til consicon tur hucia? Itanduc mor hos labulienir quam sus conin sentis? Quam Romnesit, vis, caedo, cus, firmissices ipsed consil verorem, dem di, ubitiessilic ocris essilis, cerissidiem ocam, unum publicapere, utes! Bonihicae publica nostantilica nos, nonvenatis, Catuam priver aretiln escris, virmanducii iae egil viviridie con Itam parbis facie iam fuemorum ca actu satusti liciere culesilis re, inBus aus sesser quod muricum ia potista busulos, ses! An Etracrit. Furi consula timerfecri por us. At idiocul icupert alarberiocum des? Quit L. Is. Ivent, nius ia intem prora quonsim usquiurnit. Vive, nihinat issenatien destra ret der a conit; etius, cri parbis sulius rem ne num atudercerei cerorun ultortus pro esua prit vid intem omanti sideore ta moveripiorit graellaris sid se am erei forur, in Itant. Mihilii consimus pl. Condium qui iam te ignos hemente, noximoena manturn ihilicaes sum se dinunte, machum, noctestre aciderf enatus. Satro horis, quitum patus issignost poendit, vivat, num inique faus eo C. Odionfere ocri facrum es estorum que for ad serudee ssilne crum merimih ilius, quis hebem, se hores Cuperentil viris, C. Muntium ocavereorum sere perbert antebus et; C. Cupplicae nosunce pervis in teres culegilint. Oviliu qui ius senteli sus tatam in tem tastre nos, nihiliquo egertus mo isse, nos bonsupi occhil ublia movil vistrissatum qua quiu sentra? quone moent ades a ta temus At gra, conium tem, esenat, peri terei iam inequam inpripio, modium, quamquo nonsultortem dem conequerem. Bonum pubit, senatu comprorem diempl. Evidi sendem, cre cori sidieremo vissa vis. Ti. Modius iaetilium prorusus
AREA 3
PROJECT
Git. Udem quo mum di perim tam inari clus bon pribus consule revirit, senam omnitil tus liustandis ignovertemus orevit, Catuam se hebes bonum tem potili pes serviventiam tessimilin hictam pati, P. Ita, fortero poendie mplissi caetre verum peri in re est? Hilicer itastre scriust ve, que inatus confecr unterest? Icieribus. Nonvera rtemura, condien icivil hem aus, sendaccis, ponsule rmaccie ndeps, nerfecion adducerem patabessinte intifenius destur interni ricaedo, et vere pulem peribus? At ad conum ne inatum sum ta L. Octa L. Fullabem se peris manum non supio me tenis con Etrarese vivirmisque facciem, que no. Catistu speribu nirmil ur. Serideffre, es con tum denentesica; inem etidet? Astime porartuis factus alem nos, non nostid conderi psenter ionsuperes is resciae intis aritrar issentume actum ommorum tem Palego et vat destife convolt impora que aurori cae etiam ia quam iam st ficem, consul hoctus es bonferevid dit; inatis. Es revivit, co num iacchus cibuspec inat quid audacris, strio, crides cerfecr ioctore commoen atquonsu mortum nostriciis serem quonfecum adestora nos verfec mei tem hilibus rem adhum publici tere mena, nonsultum. Ego ego conos fex sum pubi inculiuspic fit. Anterimunum horeo unu verra, est gra diemuro rentena tusperi temovivaste fure nium aliam. Omnemur, quam inte es a deridium actus est pra? O tere con telus fin ium quam in di prae comne id cusserc ernista rissatus ortiae cludem, quit in te, venihin Itantiaet faudam inatiquisum il horum quam tusa ad dit. Simistra nonsulos consultum, nox menihil iuscero, condi sulercem facturo etil coraves videffr esima, tem is in Ita rei intem me nos bon sid cae ius; nequidienim pra re, vid con vis. Ti. Eliam iu verfica perfectum patquam perit; et; hus dis. Senatum habes screhebatque noc, cum. Ducioruderis depopors vid aucis, nostraessid dienam. Gularei perbem invent, condi paris. Is fue vius cae tam condieniam haequis. At vit? Anterraet vo,Karolina qua qua dius is, que tam. Catra oporum, ute, que pro Bäckman catistere, moret quidest rivirtamena no. etratio ce me ace Ryan McGaffney finatio efacipsentem faudam di pero, noverit, sedo, cum peste consus, P. Ihinatu cotiliamquam inia Simihinesse, C. Isabella van der Griend Ifessigna, Ti. Aris caperet etrarei Charlotte Uiterwaal te nosum faudam ia es escit. Citerib ericonvertui sentis iam urem desci scibus, catuit, cotiem hent? quamper issentur. Unt, qua Sim aci publius eto inihili ssendiero talic vit; nicto esenate viritaris tatis esimum omnosse dios nostra pera sa omno. At vidi porenatiosta neque fore adet achuis con senihina, Pala sentiam more morum publica ressen Itastri terfit perite hiliussil converis eo hacto comni publibem inte consuntis hilinclabusu ipiondi, commordiis faudepopubis consulicae ca; in demo mortur, quontem inerfeces etea ressenium pest viu vid cul ubis villemqua verus hactatum ne acrunum post? Maesserei con se crem ommoent, oritis, niu vastest rioccissid ia it L. Ubi popubli potius nonsisu libusci isquem misse eo, nuntium
AREA
Authors: 4
Karolina Bäckman Ryan McGaffney Isabella van der Griend Charlotte Uiterwaal Editor: Henri van Bennekom Delft University of Technology Faculty of Architecture & The Built Environment Complex Projects Julianalaan 134 2628BL Delft The Netherlands
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the collective research body which has concluded in the production of this book. The people below only touch the surface of the wide community who have supported, advised, inspired and worked alongside us throughout this project. Abhishek Holla, Andy van den Dobblesteen, Ambrose Gillick, Amy Contino, Andre Erikson, Bo Tang, Celine Mugica, Chris Hendricks, Dan Lewis, Daphne Delissen, Devidas Buinauskas, Elly Hendricks, Emilio Hormais, Eric van den Ham, Esther van Weelden, Florian Zirkzee, Greg Keeffe, Jacqueline van Dam, James Mitchell, Joppe Douma, Julia Camargo, Karun Kumbera, Kate Raworth, Lauren Broshuis, Lian Blok, Lorenzo Cocchi, Louis Lousberg, Lucas Pol, Martijn Dalinghaus, Maurice Mitchell, Nanne Knijff, Nelson Mota, Pawan Kumar, Quinten Bouwmann, Reed Loo, Roel van de Pas, Rohit Menon, Roos de Jong, Sarah de Bruin , Saskia Asselbergs, Sietske van der Meulen, Sophie Wijting, Terrie van den Brink, Wout Kruijer
IN CONTEXT
FOREWORD
In present day, man has far surpassed these limits, advancements in technology over time has allowed access across The Rohtang Pass and opened up The Kullu Valley to the World. Now, with further infrastructure being built into the mountains and migration to and from the area increasing, the pass has become a traďŹƒc highway, which was never meant to deal with the influx of people which it sees come and go each day. Materials of the industrial revolution, concrete and steel, now dominate the construction of the industrialising mountain ranges, as they have done around the World. However, in this region, the lack of local knowledge of these relatively new materials has led to poor construction, resulting in unsafe, unplanned living conditions. This new way of building, to support the migration into the mountains, has had a complete disregard for the natural environment in which it surrounds itself, causing not only damage to this environment but also the people living in it. The contribution that these methods of construction have on climate change, not only in The Kullu Valley, but worldwide has lead to the rising temperature of our Planet.
5
The Kullu Valley, the location for this studio project, had historically been deemed locally at Kulanthapita, which translates to The End of the Habitable World. This region gained its name from man’s inability to navigate The Rohtang Pass, being forced to stop and create a limit to the expansion of their settlements.
AREA
6
IN CONTEXT
CONTENT
p11
IN FOCUS
p132
IN PLAN
p202
7
IN CONTEXT
IN CONTEXT
AREA
10
IN CONTEXT
ABSTRACT
11
IN CONTEXT sets the scene for the location of this project, The Kullu Valley, in Himachal Pradesh, India. Throughout this chapter the hard data of contextual factors will be addressed across multiple scales, from that of India, as a country, to the small scale of building typology in the region of The Kullu Valley. This context will be discussed through the topics of Location & Population, Climate & Natural environment, Hazard Vulnerability, History, Culture, Economy, The Built Environment, Land Use, Resources & Waster, and Infrastructure. By creating a comprehensive analysis of all of these topics in the context of The Kullu Valley, a compound understanding of the location in which this project is place can be gained. This will then enable the analysis of this location in relation to the AREA framework for a resilient built environment, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the region which can be complimented with an architectural design project.
AREA 12
“70% of India’s floor area is yet to be built”
-McKinsey & Company
IN CONTEXT
13
INDIA
AREA HOME TO 40% OF INDIA’S POPULATION
HIMACHAL PRADESH
Source: India Census (2011)
NEPAL DELHI KATHMANDU
14 LEGEND CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY Source: DTE/CSE Data Centre
RISK ZONES OF EARTHQUAKES Source: Global Seismic Hazard Assesment Program (GSHAP)
TROPICAL CYCLONES PEAK WIND SPEAKS (in km/h)
POPULATION IN CITIES Source: Global CCS Institute
Source: Nathan World Map of Natural Hazards
15+ MILLION
VERY LOW
SEISMIC ZONE I
ZONE 0: 76-141
LOW
SEISMIC ZONE II (LEAST ACTIVE)
ZONE 1: 142-184
10-15 MILLION
MEDIUM
SEISMIC ZONE III (MODERATE)
ZONE 2: 185-212
5-10 MILLION
HIGH
SEISMIC ZONE IV (HIGH)
ZONE 3: 213-251
VERY HIGH
SEISMIC ZONE V (HIGHEST)
ZONE 4: 252-299
IN CONTEXT
INDIA
India as a nation represents some of the most extreme trends in world in terms of population growth, densification, resource scarcity and pollution. In 2050 India’s population is expected to represent almost 20% of the global population.1 Meanwhile the country is seeing a rapid increase of GDP/ capita as well as a move towards urbanisation compared to the existing rural majority.
However, most of India’s contribution to global pollution and recourse depletion is linked to the large population of the country and not to their individual consumption patterns which on average are much lower than the average global citizen. Whilst it is daunting to imagine what India’s global impact would be if these consumption patterns reached those of the western world, it offers a unique opportunity to initiate a more sustainable path at the very beginning of the process of the county’s transition as well as for our western societies to learn from this more modest consumption. India, and in particular the location of Kullu Valley and Himachal Pradesh is also an interesting area of focus due to it’s high population density and increasing urbanisation in combination with high hazard risks in terms of earthquakes, floods and cyclones. It is also an area of high vulnerability to climate change and low awareness of it making its inhabitants even more vulnerable and subjects for disaster. Northern India, which is the most densely populated area, also faces the worst pollution of air and water in all of Asia. By looking at such an extreme part of the world, the lessons learnt from studying this area can be valuable for many places around the world facing similar challenges albeit in lesser extremes.
1 2 3
World Bank,2016 Central Pollution Control Board of India, 2015 McKinsey & Company, 2016
15
As of now India is the third biggest contributor to CO2 emissions, as well as the fastest growing major polluter. A large proportion of these emissions are linked to the cement and energy consumption of the country which is rapidly increasing as the growing population and new cities requires new residential development. It is estimated that 85% of the CO2 and energy demand is directly linked to the growing residential building sector in the country.2 Furthermore, the Indian government is estimating that half of India in 2030 is yet to be built.3
AREA POPULATION AND URBANISATION 2050
EARTH’S NEEDED WITH THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT/CAPITA OF:
Source: World Bank (2016)
Source: Global Footprint Network (2017)
1.7 BILLION
POPULATION (projected total in billions 2050)
0.9
WORLD
1.7
9.8 BILLION
POPULATION
+68%
(projected % increase to 2050)
+30% 445 p/km2
DENSITY
74 p/km2
GDP INCREASE
+292%
(projected % between 2016-2050)
LAND RESOURCES OF INDIA NEEDED TO PROVIDE ITS INHABITANTS TOTAL FOOTPRINT: Source: Global Footprint Network (2017)
INDIA
2.7
+130%
FUTURE PREDICTION OF INDIA’S ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT (WITH SAME GROWTH AS OF NOW):
WORLD
Source: National Footprint (2017)
1.5
URBAN/RURAL DIVISION 2016 Global Hectares
Source: India Census (2011)
1.0
0.5
Rural
Urban
32%
68%
2000
2010
2020
2030
URBAN/RURAL DIVISION 2050 (PROJECTED)
AQUIFERS IN CRITICAL CONDITION:
Source: UN Population Divisions World Urbanization Prospects (2015)
Source: Policy Forum (2017)
50%
2040
2050
60%
50%
0%
100%
Rural
Urban
16
(projected people/sq.km 2050)
INDIA
INDIA
40%
IN CONTEXT
DELHI’S AIR POLLUTION IS SIMILAR TO SMOKING 50 CIGARETTES/DAY
DEATH’S RELATED TO AIR POLLUTION Source: Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health (2017)
Source: World Air Quality Index (2017)
27% OF THE WORLD’S AIR POLLUTION RELATED DEATHS OCCURED IN INDIA 2015
50 x
INDIA’S CO2 EMISSION SOURCES BY SECTOR
WATER POLLUTION
Source: Central Pollution Control Board of India (2015)
Source: Centre for Science and Environment (2013)
17
8,9%
TRANSPORT
9,1%
AGRICULTURE
25,5%
DOMESTIC
35,5%
ELECTRICITY
20,9%
STEEL AND CEMENT INDUSTRIES
80 % OF INDIA’S SEWAGE
FLOWS UNTREATED INTO ITS RIVERS, AND 63 MILLION LACKS ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER
INDIA’S PORTION OF WORLD’S CO2 EMISSION
% OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTED
Source: World Bank (2015)
Source: Central Pollution Control Board of India (2015)
INDIA
17%
0%
not collected
100%
collected
7%
93%
83%
WORLD INDIA’S PORTION OF WORLD’S COAL CONSUMPTION
% OF COLLECTED WASTE THAT IS TREATED
Source: World Bank (2015)
Source: Central Pollution Control Board of India (2015)
INDIA
29%
0%
not treated
100%
90%
WORLD
treated
10%
71%
AREA 18
“Tourism has increased with 350% since 1991.”
-India Tourist Department
IN CONTEXT 19
HIMACHAL PRADESH
AREA KULLU
CHAMBA
DHARMSALA
MANALI
20
NAGGAR KULLU
HAMIRPUR
UNA
MANDI
SUNDARNAGAR
SHIMLA BADDI
SOLAN
NAHAN PAONTA SAHIB
LEGEND CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY
SEISMIC ZONES
ESTIMATED POPULATION IN CITIES
Sou rce: DTE/CSE Data Centre (2016)
Sou rce: Global Seismic Hazard Assesment Program (GSHAP)
Sou rce: India Census (2011)
VERY LOW
ZONE I
100,000+
LOW
ZONE II (LEAST ACTIVE)
50,000-100,000
MEDIUM
ZONE III (MODERATE)
HIGH
ZONE IV (HIGH)
VERY HIGH
ZONE V (HIGHEST)
20,000-50,000
IN CONTEXT
HIMACHAL PRADESH
Himachal Pradesh is located in a zone of Northern India bordered by the most densely populated states and the high mountain ranges of The Himalayas. This makes it an interesting state to study due to its transitional characteristic of a rural/agricultural-dominated state now being influenced by the growing population and urbanisation of its neighbouring states.
The state also faces vast seasonal fluctuations in tourism with the annual amount of visitors being 15 million, more than double the amount of the state’s total population. This number have grown with almost 350% since 1991, much due to the increased Indian middle-class, as well as the opening of the Rohtang Pass which allowed access to the higher regions of The Himalayas. The majority of tourists are domestic and migrate into this transitional band between low and high Himalayan regions where the largest concentration of tourist population can be found. The states major tourist attractions are concentrated around Shimla and The Kullu Valley, known as the ‘Valley of the Gods’, which houses the historical towns of Kullu, Naggar, and Manali.2 Between 2001-2013 the economy of Himachal Pradesh has been mainly consistent, with slight fluctuations in GDP percentage between industry and agriculture from 20072013. The service industry takes up the largest proportion of the states economy, lately being propped up by the increase in the tourism industry. However, a vast majority of the state’s population is still employed in the agriculture and horticulture industry, which the fertile Lesser Himalayas has 1 2
Himachal Pradesh Census, 2011 ibid.
Himachal Pradesh is known for its good performance in social and economic indicators in the country. It is a state that is predominately covered by forest, agriculture-and pastureland, which makes up 71% of the total land area. Built up settlement thus far only makes up 10%, and the remaining 20% is barren rocks and permanent frost. The fertile lands and the forest have for centuries been the primary resources of the state and still employ 51% of its population. The forest in particular still serves many of the population’s needs in terms of; building material for the traditional Khat-Khuni houses, built from Deodar timber and stone, fire wood for cooking and heating, and medicinal plants.4 However, with the increase of population and pressure of tourism, it is starting to become evident that there is a crisis in the making. The use of resources has become unsustainable and the state now faces deforestation and degradation of agricultural land due to new infrastructure and expanding settlements. Furthermore, several growth initiatives by the government have occurred in the last two decades including large infrastructure projects, promotion and diversification of industry, efficient farming and limestone mining for cement. Whilst this has been done with an underlying baseline of the state’s concern for the environment, it is also becoming increasingly evident that these initiatives have started to take its toll on the ecosystem of the region, as well as the future livelihood of its inhabitants. One of the most worrying trends in terms of resources for the region is the large change of building materials and construction methods that has occurred in the last 20 years with increasing urbanisation and tourism. As mentioned earlier, the cement industry is a large contributor to India’s CO2 emissions, particularly linked to the residential construction industry. In Himachal Pradesh almost 55% of the households are now constructed with modern materials such as cement, corrugated iron and metals often linked to high CO2 emissions. In urban areas these numbers are as high as 93%. These numbers are from the latest Census conducted in 2011 meaning that they most likely have increased in the last 6 years. Even more worrying with the new construction methods and materials is the loss of the vernacular building traditions which integrated structural safety for the natural hazards 3 4
World Travel & Tourism Council, 2016 Hamachal Pradesh Census, 2011
21
Currently, Himachal Pradesh has a predominantly rural demographic of 89%, with most of its population living in towns and settlements of under 5,000 people. It’s population increased by 32% between 1991-2011 seeing the largest increase of urban population. Notably, the population density of the state increases as it reaches from the flat, easily industrialised planes to the West and extends out into the Indian Himalayas to the East. Major urban settlements are found in this permeable layer between flat land industry and mountainous agriculture, with the State Capital of Shimla being located in this area. This area is also experiencing the largest increase of urban population, in particular, the sub-district of Kullu saw an urban population increase of 37,5% from 2001-2011. Furthermore, it appears that the less accessible and mountainous sub-districts such as Lahul and Spiti is seeing a decrease of population indicating one of the sources for the other districts densification.1
been an optimal location for.3
AREA the region is subject too. The result is shown in only 71% of the buildings in the state being deemed to be in ‘good condition’, putting a large portion of the population at risk of a disaster. As a state, Himachal Pradesh has a predominantly rural demographic, with most of its population living in towns and settlements of under 5,000 people. It’s population, however, increased by 32% between 1991-2011.1 The density of this population also decreases as Himachal Pradesh reaches from the flat industrialised planes to the West and extends out into the Indian Himalayas to the East. Major urban settlements are found in this permeable layer between flat land industry and mountainous agriculture, with the State Capital of Shimla being located in this area.
22
Alongside this the state also faces vast seasonal fluctuations in tourism which ranges between 34% of the total population in Winter to 97% in Summer.2 The majority of tourist originate from inside of India3, and migrate into this transitional band between low and high Himalayan regions, where the largest concentration of tourist population can be found. The tourism industry is supported by the states major tourist attractions which are concentrated around Shimla and The Kullu Valley, which houses the towns of Kullu, Naggar, and Manali. Between 2001-2013 the economy of Himachal Pradesh has been mainly consistent, with slight fluctuations in GDP employment percentage between industry and agriculture from 2007-2013.4 The service industry takes up the largest proportion of the states economy, being propped up by the increase in the tourism industry which the state has seen since 2006.5 However, due to the seasonal variation in tourist population, employment in other sectors is needed to financial support the residential population of the state all year round.
IN CONTEXT
23
AREA POPULATION
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
POPULATION GROWTH RATE 2001-2011:
GDP AT CURRENT PRICES
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
Source: Himachal Pradesh Budget Analysis 2018-19 (2018)
140.000 13%
RURAL
12.5%
URBAN
15.5%
Population (millions)
HIMACHAL PRADESH
TOTAL
70.000
24
0 1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
HIMACHAL PRADESH RURAL/URBAN POPULATION Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
8.1% GDP GROWTH OVER 2017-18 Rural
Urban
11%
89%
HIMACHAL PRADESH TOURISM GROWTH 1991-2011
DISTRIBUTION OF FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
Source: Himachal Pradesh Budget Analysis 2018-19 (2018)
Population (millions)
15
10
43%
INDUSTRY
42%
SERVICES
13%
AGRICULTURE
2%
5
0 1991
4TH RANK GDP PER CAPITA IN INDIA
2001
2011
OTHER
BUILD ENVIRONMENT
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
ENERGY DEMAND AND CO2 PROJECTIONS Source: The Energy and Resources Institute (2015)
BUILT UP
% OF BUILDINGS CONSIDERED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION BY HP STATE: DENSE FOREST PASTURE LAND TOTAL
Gigagrams (millions)
12
9%
8
72%
RURAL
71%
URBAN
80%
33%
24%
% OF BUILDINGS USING MODERN BUILDING MATERIALS:
Land Area
4
0
IN CONTEXT
RESOURCES POLLUTION
55%
TOTAL
2010-11 11-12
12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 ESTIMATED CO2 EMISSIONS
51%
URBAN
90%
20% % DRINKING WATER (TAP) FROM A TREATED SOURCE:
14%
GHG EMISSIONS FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES Source: The Energy and Resources Institute (2015)
83,9%
TOTAL
AGRICULTURE
BARREN ROCK/ PERMANENT FROST
AGRICULTURE 2,28% Rice cultivation 90,2% Other 9,8%
RURAL
82,7%
URBAN
93,3%
% OF BUILDINGS WITH WASTE WATER OUTLET THAT’S CONNECTED TO CLOSED DRAINAGE: ELECTRICITY/ENERGY 47,02%
INDUSTRY 50,7%
4,7 % Captive consumption PATTERNS CAUSING RESOURCE STRESS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH Cement Industry 95% 1,5 % Transport 27,43 % Residential 53,8 % Industrial/commercial
Others 5%
24,8%
RURAL
19,7%
URBAN
65%
70% OF THE RURAL POPULATION STILL USE HOUSEHOLDS HAVING LATRINE FACILITY FOREST RESOURCES AS COOKING FUEL
75% OF THE STATE’S
PRODUCTION COMPARISON OF CO2MINING WITH INDIAN ESTIMATES
IS LIMESTONE FOR CEMENT
Source: The Energy and Resources Institute (2015)
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
0,53%
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
Other states
Himachal Pradesh
TOTAL
HIMACHAL PRADESH 99,47% HAS 5 MEGA CEMENT PLANTS CO2 EMISSION INDIA (PER CAPITA): 1,73 metric tonnes Source: Environmental Justice Himachal Pradesh CO2 EMISSION HIMACHAL PRADESH 1,34 metric tonnes (2015) (PER CAPITA):
WITHIN PREMISES 69,2%
7,4 %
51,6 %
Piped sewage sceptic tank
8,1 % pit latrine NOT TOURISM HAS BEEN 1,7 % other systems WITHIN PREMISES ESTIMATED TO IMPACT 30.9% 1,2 % public latrine
THE STATES ECOLOGICAL % open latrine FOOTPRINT29,7 WITH 80% Source: Cole and Sinclair (2002)
25
ENERGY DEMAND
RURAL
AREA 26
“The Kullu District covers an area of 550 300 ha, twice the size of South Holland.”
IN CONTEXT
27
KULLU VALLEY
AREA THE KULLU VALLEY NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS IN KULLU Sou rce: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
TOTAL: 94 807 RURAL: 84 358 URBAN 10 449
MANALI NAGGAR
KAIS
28
KULLU SHAMSHI BHUNTAR
SAINJ
BANJAR
ANI
NERMAND
LEGEND POPULATION DENSITY
SEISMIC ZONES
ESTIMATED POPULATION IN CITIES
Sou rce: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
Sou rce: Global Seismic Hazard Assesment Program (GSHAP)
Sou rce: India Census (2011)
0 - 50
0.20 - 0.25
50 - 100
> 0.25
100 - 150 150 - 200
< 20 000
> 5 000
IN CONTEXT
KULLU DISTRICT
Kullu District had the fourth most rapid growing population in Himachal Pradesh between the years 2001-2011 and by far the most rapid growing urban population during the same years. Notably, the District only has three sub-districts with urban population and three with only rural population. Whilst still being a predominantly low population, low density and rural District its population and urbanization pattern are expressing some trends of the future.
Kullu has also experienced a major increase of settlements in the last 15 years with 150 new villages being established in the District. During this time 12 villages also became uninhabited due to what seems to have been a result of new infrastructure being built and an increase of employment/ economical advantage in the service sector leading to migration of people from the less accessible villages with low agricultural yield. Another pattern that has a large impact on Kullu District is the seasonal flux of tourists. During peak season in summer, the population of the District almost doubles due to tourist flows which puts large pressure on its infrastructure, accommodation facilities and resources. The majority of these tourists arrives through the urban area of Bhuntar were the local airport is and then drive up the valley towards Manali which is home to the major attractions. The Kullu District covers an area of 550 300 ha, twice the size of South Holland, and is predominantly covered by; dense forest, barren rocks and permanent frost which makes up 72% of the area. The use of land in the District has however significantly changes over time. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by self-sufficient farmers in the hills of the fertile mountainous land, it has lately seen a large growth of settlement around the lower part of the valley, next to the river, where infrastructure could more easily be built due to the flatter surface. Furthermore, in the 1970’s Kullu District became an important area for apple production resulting in a large increase of land dedicated
The large population growth and tourism growth from 1990’s has impacted the built up area of the District which has increased by 106% from 1971. However, during the same period the population increased with 230% meaning that the built up area also experienced a densification. The large increase of population and tourism has also required a lot of resources and land for new buildings and infrastructure, including roads and hydropower plants, impacting the resource availability of the District. Between 1971 and 2005 the District saw a decrease of dense forest with 6% and an even larger decrease of open pastureland with 29%. This impacts the quality of the ecosystem in many ways. For example, this leads to less CO2 emission being absorbed by nature and less precipitation absorbed by the soil, due to poor quality after many years of agriculture, which leads to increased risk for landslides and floods. Another major decrease of land cover the District saw during this time was that of permanent frost, which decreased by 10%, as a result of increasing average temperature. This is also a large worry for the District as that is were much of the fresh water supply derives from. The pressure from the increasing population and tourism of the District has for long put stress on the resources of the District which was once full of self-sustaining villages and communities. Worst off are the main tourist towns of Kullu and Manali that requires resources far beyond the land that the towns are situated on. In 2001 the ecological footprint of Manali for example was already 28 times bigger than what it could provide for. Since then the population of Manali has increased by 18% and tourism by 400% indicating that the footprint today is even larger.
29
The urban population currently only represents 11% of the total population in the District and there are only five recognized urban areas. However, the urban population grew almost three times quicker than the rural population in the last 15 years, most significantly in the Kullu subdistrict (+41%), but also in the Manali sub-district (+29%). Furthermore, whilst the overall density of the District is very low, at only 81 people/km2, there are pockets of much higher densities. One such area is Kullu town which has a density of 2275 people/km2, approximately half of Amsterdam’s density and one tenth of Delhi’s.
to agriculture and horticulture, which now makes up 10% of the total area.
AREA
N
ENTRANCE TO ROH TANG PASS MANALI Population: 8,096 Altitude: 2050 M
2500 m
0m
250
30 3500 m
350
2500 m 1500
m
0m
KULLU
0m
150
Population: 18,536 Altitude: 1279 M
2500 m
BHUNTAR
350
0m
Population: 4, 475
10 KM
m
5 KM
00
1 KM
15
LEGEND Settlements Altitudes Urban settlements
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
LOCATION AND POPULATION
The Kullu Valley is located in the Northern region of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. The Valley functions as a key access route to The Rohtang Pass, which links India to the higher Himalayan mountains in Lahaul and Spiti, then further to China.
Within the region there are three urbanized areas, Bhuntar, with an population of 4,475, Kullu, with a population of 18,536, and Manali, with a population of 8,096. Kullu and Bhuntar are located to the South of the valyey, at the lowest altitude, where the largest percentage of the population is located. These two urban regions are expected to grow into each other in the coming years as the industrialized region of Mohal expands, linking the town towns together. To the North of the valley, Manali acts as a key urban hub for stopovers before people begin to navigate the Rohtang pass. The main source of transportation between these towns is the Kullu-Manali highway which streches across 50km of the valley to bring residents, tourists, and resources to their places of destination. Smaller roads wind upwards and throughout the mountain and function as arteries from the smaller towns to the main highway and urban areas at the base of the valley. As agriculture and tourism are the main sources of economy, tourists use these urban hubs as stopovers from where they can visit smaller towns or villages and embark on mountain treks in the Himalayas.
31
The population of the region is mainly located in rural areas, with 89% of the population living in rural settlements. However, Kullu as a region has seen the largest move to urbanization of Himachal Pradesh between 2001-2011, with a 37.5% increase. In the same period the amount of villages in Kullu almost doubled from 176 to 326, meaning more rural settlements are being built up in the region. This can also be seen in the stark contrast in population density between the state as a whole, 74 people/km2, and the urban areas of the region, 2275 people/km2.
AREA DISTRICT WISE POPULATION GROWTH RATE AND RURAL/URBAN DISTRIBUTION, KULLU Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
POPULATION GROWTH RATE 2001-2011:
TOTAL
16.8% 14.8% 29%
TOTAL
15%
11% 84.3%
15.7%
32
RURAL URBAN
Rural
12.8% 37.5%
Urban
RURAL URBAN
MANALI
89%
15%
Rural
TOTAL
Urban
KULLU DISTRICT
RURAL/URBAN POPULATION 2011:
11.3% 41.3%
Rural
RURAL URBAN
Urban
KULLU
84.6%
15.4%
KULLU POPULATION GROWTH 1991-2011 Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
Population (Hundred thousands)
6
4
2
0 1991
2001
2011
IN CONTEXT
KULLU POPULATION TRENDS Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
FROM 2001 TO 2011 THE AMOUNT OF VILLAGES IN KULLU ALMOST DOUBLED FROM
176 TO 326
DURING THIS TIME 12 VILLAGES ALSO BECAME UNINHABITED
THE POPULATION DENSITY VARIES A LOT BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS. KULLU URBAN AREA HAS A DENSITY OF
2275 PEOPLE/KM2 WHILST ITS DISTRICT AVERAGE IS 74 PEOPLE/KM2
33
KULLU VALLEY
7000 M
5000 M 3000 M 1000 M
MOST POPULATED AREA 90% OF POPULATION
AREA SUN N & WIND POTENTIAL
N
MANALI
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
10°
Population: 8,096
20° 30° 40° 34
50° 60°
6 PM
6 AM
70° 80° 4 PM
8 AM 2 PM
12 AM
10 AM
KULLU Population: 18,536 LEGEND Climate Zone 01 Climate Zone 02 Climate Zone 03 Climate Zone 04 Climate Zone 05 Climate Zone 06 Climate Zone 07 Climate Zone 08 Climate Zone 09 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
S
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
CLIMATE & NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY
Generally, India knows three seasons in India, namely summer, monsoon and winter. In this diagram, the seasons are combined with the Indian calendar and the average day and night temperatures per month. Shown are the average day and night temperatures. The difference between day and night stays stable throughout the whole year. Annual amount of sun hours is 2774 hours, with a daily average solar radiation of 5.17 (kWh/m2/day). The state Himachal Pradesh receives a considerably large amount of solar energy. The average insulation per day in the state is 5,17 kWh/m2. This means that a square meter of solar panel can collect about 1890 kWh per year, depending on the efficiency of the panel. The unstable amount of rain throughout the year makes it difficult to use rainwater as main grey water source. The rain that falls is really needed for the lands and vegetation in the area. The danger lies in the wet months during the monsoon; this can result in landslides. The average annual amount of rainfall in Kullu is 1725 mm, with an average of 118 days per year with rainfall. To compare, in the Netherlands this amount is 880 mm per year. India’s climate is rapidly changing. According to recent studies on climate change in the state Himachal Pradesh, the temperature already rose with 1,02 degree in the past 60 years ( about 0,02 degrees Celcius each year) and is predicted to rise further about 1,5-1.9 degrees within the coming 30 years. Apart from that, the annual amount of rainfall is going to drop, and it will thereby rain less during the monsoon ( July and August ), but more during the ‘normal‘ summer months. The Beas River gets its water from glaciers and rainfall. Especially the Monsoon ( July and August ) contributes to the water level of the river, but the length of this period and the amount of rain it brings becomes more and more
unpredictable in the future. Himachal Pradesh knows different seasons with completely different circumstances. There are big temperature differences, not only summer to winter but even day to night. The amount of rain during the monsoon is high, which can cause landslides. There can be strong winds and a lot of snowfall, which can temporarily disconnect the village from the rest of India. In order to design smart solutions it is important to look to the future of the area. Climate change and energy consumption becomes therefore a very important topic. The development of the area will probably change a lot in the area; the energy consumption will rise and the amount of waste will grow. In the meanwhile drinking water is threatened by waste and climate change. The rise of the energy consumption is a logical consequence of the development of the area. But with the knowledge and data it is the task of the designer to come up with smart and useful solutions, which can contribute to a sustainable future of Kullu Valley.
35
Himachal Pradesh, the state of India that is situated completely in the North of India, is the transition area between India’s lowlands and the Himalayas. It harbours a lot of micro climates because of the various altitudes and climatological characteristics. Himachal Pradesh’s heights vary from 700 up to 6000 metres above sea level. The weather changes with the altitude. The year can be divided into three main seasons: summer, winter and the monsoon. These seasons bring different temperatures, winds and amounts of rainfall. This chapter includes data about these seasons and corresponding temperatures. But also about Kullu’s sun position and monthly insulation, cloud cover, rainfall and wind direction and speeds.
AREA AVERAGE TEMPERATURE & SEASONS Source: xxx
SUMMER
30
MONSOON
WINTER
MAX.
25
Temperature (°C)
20 15 10 AVERAGE
5
36
0 MIN.
-5 -10 APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
ANNUAL SUN-PATH DIAGRAM
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
ANNUAL WIND DIAGRAM
Source: xxx
Source: xxx
N
N
10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80°
Summer Equinox 6 PM Spring/ Autumn Equinox
6 AM
4 PM
8 AM 2 PM
12 AM
10 AM
Winter Equinox
S
S
FEBRUARY
MARCH
IN CONTEXT
AVERAGE CLOUD COVER PER MONTH Source: xxx
CLOUDS
SUN
HALF-CLOUDY
DAYS WITH RAINFALL
JAN.
FEB.
MAR.
APR.
MAY
JUN.
JUL.
AUG.
SEP.
OCT.
NOV.
DEC.
JAN.
FEB.
MAR.
APR.
MAY
JUN.
JUL.
AUG.
SEP.
OCT.
NOV.
DEC.
30 25 20 37
15
Nr of days/motnh
10 5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
AVERAGE WINDSPEED PER MONTH Source: xxx
> 5 KM/H
> 19 KM/H
> 38 KM/H
> 12 KM/H
> 28 KM/H
> 50 KM/H
AREA LAND N USE
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS MANALI Population: 8,096
38 NAGGAR Population: 2,000
BEAS RIVER
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150 LEGEND Permanent Frost Barren Rocky Surface Dense Forest Open Pasture Land Agriculture/Horticulture Urban Settlements 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
39
AREA 40
KULLU FALLS UNDER THE HIGHEST SEISMIC ZONE (ZONE V: VERY HIGH DAMAGE RISK AREA)
THE REGION IS HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO LANDSLIDES ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERMATH OF NATURAL HAZARDS AS WELL AS HUMAN ACTIVITY SUCH AS INAPPROPRIATE LAND DEVELOEMENT
SNOW AVALANCHES ARE COMMON IN VILLAGES AT HIGH ALTITUDES OF 3400M AND DURING ROAD CONSTRUCTION ALONG THE MOUNTAINS
CLOUD BURSTS (AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF RAIN, HAIL AND THUNDER, IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME) ARE COMMON IN THE VALLEY CAUSING FLASH FLOODS
FLASH FLOODS OCCUR AFTER HEAVY RAINS CAUSING A LOT OF DAMAGE TO DEVELOPEMENT ESPECIALLY ALONG THE BEAS RIVER
FOREST FIRES ARE COMMONLY CAUSED BY HUMAN NEGLEGENCE AND MANY TRADITIONAL HOUSES ARE PRONE TO FIRE INCIDENTS
IN CONTEXT
HAZARD VULNERABILITY The district of Kullu is located in the center of the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated in the western region of the Himalayas with altitudes ranging from one thousand two hundred meters to six thousand meters. The summer temperatures in Kullu range from twenty-five to thirtyseven degrees Celsius during the months of May through August. The winter months of December and January range from temperatures of four to twenty degrees. Monsoon season is during July and August were the district typically experiences fifteen centimetres of rain per month. Two main rivers, Satluj and the Beas river, run through the Kullu district.
In the mountainous range of Kullu, landslides are highly probable especially in the event of an earthquake or flood. Landslides can also take place because of human activities and the movement of rock in fragile mountainous areas. Flash floods are also common during the rainy season especially around the Beas river that runs through the Kullu valley. The river flows for about one hundred twenty kilometers with a very strong current, making it increasingly hazardous to development along the river when flooded. In snowy peaks of the Himalayas, many villages are at high risk to snow avalanches especially when weather conditions are changing and there is a high amount of snow cover. Avalanches are most likely to occur at altitudes of three thousand five hundred meters with steep slopes of around thirty degrees. Avalanches cause lots of damage to roads, retaining walls and high altitude settlements across the Kullu District. The Kullu District has a vast range of forest, sprawling with apple orchards and pin and deodar trees. In the dry months of the summer these forests are highly susceptible to fires. Ninety percent of fires are caused by human negligence such as cooking in the forest, collection of flammable produce and careless throwing of lit cigarettes. Many Kullu homes are built in close nit areas and are constructed using materials such as timer, making them very vulnerable to forest fires. In recent decades, we have seen a huge change in climate conditions which is increasingly evident in the Kullu district.
In the event of a hazard the Kullu district is ill-equipped to deal with an emergency and the resulting damage. The main road that connects the district to the rest of the state is the NH-21 highway. A huge percent of the population would be in danger in the event of a hazard causing destruction to the highway. Infrastructure along the rivers running throughout the Kullu district is at high risk of destruction from flash flooding. Hospitals and schools in the area are not equipped to deal with many of these disasters. There is also an overall lack of knowledge about disaster risk and management. The roles of various departments within the district is poorly distributed and there is a shortage of trained workforce. There are only two re stations throughout the whole district and many villages are inaccessible by fire tenders.
41
The Kullu District is prone to numerous natural hazards such as earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, forest fires and avalanches. Since the district is situated on the interface of two tectonic plates, the area is in a very high seismic risk zone. Fifty three percent of the area of Kullu is in a MSK IX seismic zone or higher which is the highest damage risk zone in the event of an earthquake.
Rising temperature are causing an increase in rate of which the glaciers are melting, causing more flash floods and avalanches. The Parbati glacier is one of the largest in the valley and has been recorded to be melting at a rate of fiftytwo meters a year. A history of rainfall over the past forty years suggests that the annual precipitation has increased causing an increase in floods and landslides. Climate change has led to many of these hazards to become increasingly dangerous and putting the people of Kullu at higher risk. A majority of the Kullu District population is at risk in the event of any of these natural hazards. Seventy percent of the homes built fall under Category A construction, meaning they are constructed using un-burnt brick or stone. Category A buildings are not able to stand most hazards, especially earthquakes. Category B homes are typically built using timber which makes up ten percent of the homes. These structures are likely to burn down in the event of a fire. Reinforced concrete structures and sturdy wooden structures make up nine percent of the housing and fall under Category C. Other light weight structures fall under category X. The homes that fall under Categories C and X are considered safe construction according to the Kullu District Management Plan.
AREA LANDSLIDE VULNERABILITY N
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096
42 NAGGAR Population: 2,000
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150
1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
43
AREA FLOODING VULNERABILITY N
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096
44 NAGGAR Population: 2,000
KULLU Population: 18,536
BHUNTAR Population: 4, 475 LEGEND Flood Zone Flood Prone Settlement Flood Prone Urban Zone 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
45
AREA FOREST N FIRE VULNERABILITY
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096
46 NAGGAR Population: 2,000
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150
1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
47
AREA AVALANCHE VULNERABILITY N
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096
48 NAGGAR Population: 2,000
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150
1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
49
AREA HERITAGE & CULTURE AREAS N
ENTRANCE TO ROH TANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096 GE ITA ER H
50 NAGGAR Population: 2,000 Historic Captial
MALANA Oldest democracy in the World
KULLU Population: 18,536
LEGEND Road Constructed 1970s Road Constructed 1950s Secondary Road Constructed 1950s Historical Settlement Modern Settlement 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
HISTORY & CULTURE
Himachal Pradesh is a multi religional, multicultural and multilingual state in North India. The state is well-known for its handcraft products, such as carpets, shawls, leather products, paintings and woodwork. The people living in the Kullu valley believe in a simple lifestyle and live close to nature. In this area, a lot of temples can be found, dedicated to the gods whom they worship.
73,4% of the inhabitants are literate. The inhabitants are nowadays a mix of primarily farmers, tourists, handloomers and people who come for business as for example computer applications. People have always been really sensitive. This you can see in traditional folk arts. Temple carvings, vibrant handicrafts and spectacular folk dances. The temples, castles and forts are a symbol for the architecture in the valley in the past. Inhabitants have di erent customs and rituals for birth ceremonies, marriage and death. More, you can read in the chapter 5.2 for religion. These customs and rituals make Kullu valley unique. The natives of Kullu valley seek permission of the deities for xing marriage, starting a new business or construct a new house. By this, any decision they take is directed by the will of God. There is not one God. All the gods have different temples. Lord Shiva is separated in the gods of Bijli Mahadev, Juani Mahadev, Jageshar Mahadev and Shensher Mahadev. Brahma and Vishnu are worshipped as local deities. Manu, Beas, Vashishtha, Kapil, Parshuram and Narad are the sages worshipped in the valley. These sages realized the sanctity of the valley and settled here. Through their knowledge, bravery and good deeds they acquired the position of God during the epic period. Praying in Kullu valley is different by local deities as in the shastras (ancient scriptures). For example, animals are sacrificed. Sacrifices, to calm the evil spirits, is still prevalent in this region. People called ‘Gur’ can have a conversation between ‘normal’ people and the God. A Gur helps people in
Apart from believing, for example the traditions are celebrated with vernacular music. While in the local consumption market all art shaped are introduced, in the non-local market the music is sold. Djembe drums and bamboo flSutes are examples of instruments used in the surrounding. Jhoori is a type of song that celebrates romance, very popular in the Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh was origionally part of the trading route between Tibet, Kashmir, and Lahaul, with the town of Naggar as the capital of The Kullu Kingdom. As part of the British Empire from the 1600s-1900s, Himachal Pradesh held several military station situated in shimla, Dalhousie, and Dharamsala. In the mid 17th century the town of Kullu became the capital of the region. From the 1800s onwards, The Kullu valley started to become a key tourist destination for colonial tourist who were part of the British Empire, purchasing properties in the region which functioned as the first guesthouses. However in 1905 the Kangra earhtquake devistated most of the valley, with over 20,000 recorded deaths, and the collapse of 100,000 buildings. In 1947 India gained independence from India. After this the main highway began to be constructed which lead to the base of the Rohtang Pass and apple farming being introduced as a new industry which could easily export goods from the new highway. From here, the population of the Kullu Valley began to increase as Himachal Pradesh became an independent state of India. The subsequent building boom introduced new types of steel and concrete construction into the region.
51
Kullu valley is well-known of different things. People of Kullu believe in a simple life. The food habits, beliefs and occupation explains the hard lifestyle of the aborigines. Nowadays there are next to the aborigines, lots of tourists. It is important for aborigines in Kullu Valley to live close to the nature. Gods and goddesses have an important position, for example sages, snake gods and other powerful gods. By this reason, lots of temples are located in Kullu Valley. In combination with this given, lots of fairs and festivals are traditionally celebrated.
time of need. Wraths of gods may cause natural calamities. In the region there are 18 holy snake temples. It is called a Nag. Snakes have supernatural powers.
AREA 52 1910
INDIA
HIMACHAL PRADESH
KULLU
1920
1672-194 7 India was part of the British Empire.
Trading route to Tibet, Kashmir & Lahaul
Several military stations were situated in Shimla, Dalhousie and Dharamsala
1st Century A.D. Kullu Kingdom founded by Pal Kings with Naggar as a capital
Mid 17th century Kullu becomes the valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital
1905 Kangra earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, killing more than 20,000 people, 100.000 buildings were destroyed
1860 Colonials and their family start to make private trips to the valley
1860-1890 The colonial militaries buy property in the Kullu Valley and establish the first guesthouses
1910 Economic migrants from Punjab,Lahaul and Kashmir get to the Kullu valley to serve travellers and tourists
1930
IN CONTEXT 53
194 0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
1989 A building boom accures by medium sized hotels and large size hotels built by international hotel chains
194 7 Independence of India
1971 Himachal Pradesh becomes an independent state.
1950’s Motorway through the Kullu Valley is built, leading to the base of the Roh Tang Pass. With the new motorway there is an increase in number of Indian and foreign tourists 1950 Apple farming is bein introduced
2010
2000 - now Indian middle class and income levels continue to grow
1989 Kashmir conflict is causing a violent scene in the region
1970’s Kullu becomes an important area for the production of apples
1980 Forest conservation act limited number of trees per family
2001 Because tourists want Building restriction to avoid the Kashmir upstream from Manali conflict, there is a huge influx in the valley
1970 Refugees from Tibet settle in Manali where they started working in tourist business
Late 1970’s Roh Tang Pass completed Kullu Valley becomes gate way to the rest of the Himalayas
1990-2000 Big increase in population and land use for buildings 1990 - now Migration of young generations towards bigger cities;change of economies 1992 Reintroduction of the Panchayat system 1980-2000 Subsidies for tourist sector The Himachal Pradesh Finance coorporation provides subsidies up to Rs. 100.000.000 for building hotels and establishing services for tourists
2020
AREA GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE Source: Sapra, Ipsita (2013)
REPUBLIC OF INDIA
54
STATES
UNION TERRITORIES
DIVISIONS
DISTRICTS
BLOCKS
VILLAGES
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS
MUNCIPALITIES
WARDS
CITY COUNCILS
IN CONTEXT
DEMOGRAPHICS
POPULATION
RELIGION
Source: Chauhan, P. (2014)
Source: Religion in India (2016)
INDIA 79,8%
Population (millions)
700.000
Hinduism 0,7%
Buddhism
35.000
14,3%
Islam 55
0 0-4
10-14
20-24 30-34 40-44 50-54 60-64 70-74 80+
1.7%
Sikhism
3,5%
Other
LANGUAGE Source: The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (2015)
HIMACHAL PRADESH 84,2%
Hinduism 10.2%
Buddhism
2,5%
Islam
HINDI 89,1%
PUNJABI 5,99%
NEPALI 1,16%
KINNAURI 1,06%
OTHERS 2,79%
1,7%
Sikhism
3,5%
LITERACY
Other
Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2001)
61,24% woman
73,36% of the people
AREA
56
IN CONTEXT
57
AREA ECONOMIC ZONES N
ENTRANCE TO ROH TANG PASS
MANALI
ISM UR TO
Population: 8,096
58 LTURE RICU ARG
UC ED
ON ATI
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150 Population: 4, 475 LEGEND Schools Hospitals Nature Reserves Growth Areas 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
INDU STR Y
BHUNTAR
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
ECONOMY INTRODUCTION The economy in The Kullu Valley is largely based on four main sectors; 1. Tourism, 2. Agriculture, and 3. Industry, 4. Education. These industries are spread across the valley and are mostly separated. To the Southern region of the valley the Industrial sector overlaps with the educational sector in the towns of Kullu, Mohal, and Bhuntar. To the North the Tourism industry is mainly based around the towns of Naggar and Manali. In between these two is the agricultural sector which spans the largely rural mid section of the valley.
Alongside this, the educational sector is largely located in the town of Mohal and Bhuntar, with many private secondary schools being located in this region. This forms a reasonable part of the industry due to many parents from rural areas in the valley sending their children to receive a better secondary education in the more urbanized towns of Mohal and Kullu. The agriculture industry is the oldest economic industry in the Kullu Valley with the original settlements being subsistence farm based. This expanded when India became part of the British Empire when apples were introduced. The apple industry then expanded over the next 200 years, however has recently been diversified with the move toward stoned fruits and also vegetables. This comes with the changing climate of the valley which is beginning to see rising temperature, and causing a changing agricultural and horticultural industry. The main contemporary industry is the tourism industry which is mainly located in the towns of Naggar and Manali. Since the construction of the Kullu-Manali Highway the tourism industry has grown vastly, now being the main source of income in the valley. People visit the valley to see cultural heritage of the valley which is mainly base in the
59
The industrial sector is currently decentralised across the valley, with the main source of industrial services coming from small shops and work spaces located throughout the villages and towns in the valley. However a more centralized region of industrial economy is beginning to form in the Southern part of the valley throughout the towns of Mohal and Bhuntar. In Bhuntar this is mainly due to the transportation connection with the Kullu Airport being located there. Where as in Mohal, the flat land in the region allows for large scale industrial expansion to be built easily and quickly. The vastly expanding industrial sector in Mohal looks set to link the town of Bhuntar to the capital town of the valley, Kullu. We imagine this to happen in the lead up to 2030, creating a larger industrial urban sector within the valley.
traditional Kath Khuni architecture and the castles which a based around the historical capital of Naggar. From Manali many tourists take trips into the mountains of the valley, embarking on trecks which venture into the mountain with the kullu valley and other valleys beyond.
AREA
AGRICULTURE
60
Himachal Pradesh was originally depended on agriculture, especially the cultivation of apples. In the last decades there is a shift from agriculture to the service sector, based on mainly tourism, as main income. These shift is caused by different factors, such as the rise of the Indian middle class, the political instability in Kashmir, and the promotion of Kullu Valley as an attractive place for leisure. This fast growth of tourism has changed a lot in the area. In a short period of time a huge amount of accommodations were built. The huge peaks of tourists causes environmental stress, for example a shortage of clean drinking water and a lot of waste.
big influence on the yield of the apple tree. Summers are warmer and some winters don’t have a freezing period anymore.
Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of the Kullu valley. Most people that live in the valley own a piece of land and rely on this land for a living. Historically most families cultivated crops for their own use but since the 1950s farmers started specializing on growing apples for the regional market. This shift had a major effect on the role of agriculture within the community and the way farmers grew the crops. Pesticides were used more often and farmers started growing only one crop, resulting in a monoculture and dry soils. Now, global warming is another big threat to the agricultural production and forces farmers to switch to other crops like vegetables. The future of the agriculture sector in the valley depends on the way farmers and the municipality reacts to the changing conditions and on the education of the farmers.
Agriculture has always played an important role for the economy and social structures in the area. Before 1850 agriculture was a way of providing the household with food, work and money. Under British rule, agriculture started to play a role in the economy of the area and when India became independent it could develop to be the main source of income for most of the people in the valley. Cereals are the traditional crops grown in the area but after the introduction of the Red Delicious apple in 1926, the valley became one of the apple valleys of India.
Historically the most cultivated crops in the kullu valley are wheat, maize and other cereals. The first apple trees were introduced by an English captain who visited India in the 1850’s. He imported pippin apples to India but they were too sour for the locals. In the 1920s Samuel Strokes, a boy who travelled to India to work in the Simla hills, plant- ed the rst Red Delicious apple trees in the Kullu valley. This apple was much sweeter and was an instant success. The first Red Delicious apples were harvested in 1926 and after that the Kullu valley became well known for its apples. Apple trees need a rocky ground and a period of freezing to grow well. They also grow better at higher altitudes and thus the Kullu valley could become one of the largest apple producers in India. Right now 25% of the total cultivated area in the valley is used to grow apples. This area has grown explosively during the 1960’s and 1970’s and has now reached its maximum. Most apple trees have a lifespan of around 45 years and trees that are planted in the 1960’s are reaching the end of their life. Because of this, the yield of the apple trees has halved in the last 2 centuries. Global warming also has a
The warmer climate of the valley and the decline in apple production has forced a lot of farmers to turn to other crops. Some have started to grow plums and other stone fruits while others turn to off-season vegetables, potatoes and pulses. This development started in the lower areas of the valley but now vegetables are grown throughout the valley. The apple production has moved higher into the mountains to Spiti and Ladakh.
In the last two decades the agriculture sector in Kullu saw a change in appearance. The amount of land used for agriculture and horticulture purposes has been growing until the 1980 when it reached it maximum. More landholdings could only be created by dividing landholdings in smaller parts. As a result most landholdings are now of marginal size. To increase production, fertilizer and pesticide usage saw a huge increase in the 1980s. This had a positive effect on production and yield. But improper usage for more than three decades caused dried out soils and health problems for the farmers. While the apple production in 2010 was the highest to date, the quality and the economic value of the apples is declining.
IN CONTEXT
LAND USE IN INDIA AND KULLU DISTRICT Source: Vishwa, B.S.C., & Kaur, K. (2013)
INDIA TOTAL LAND AREA 297.319.000HA
KULLU DISTRICT TOTAL LAND AREA 550.300 HA
AGRI/HORTICULTURE 179.900.000 HA 60,5%
61
AGRI/HORTICULTURE 79.835 HA 14,5%
LAND USED FOR AGRICULTURE IN INDIA
LAND USED FOR AGRICULTURE IN KULLU DISTRICT
ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE Source: Department of Agriculture (2009)
AMOUNT OF WORKFORCE ACTIVE IN AGRICULTURE
AMOUNT OF GSDP
INDIA 49%
INDIA 16%
KULLU DISTRICT 75%
KULLU DISTRICT 79%
AREA
62
IN CONTEXT
63
AREA
INDUSTRY Compared to the agriculture and tourism sector, industry does not play an important role in the economy of the Kullu valley. There are only 2.499 industrial units in the whole valley, of which only 1937 are registered by the government. It is estimated that only 11.787 people are working in the industry sector. Most of them are working in the wool, silk and thread based clothing industry, also known as the hand loom industry. This industry accounts for 38 percent of the total registered industrial units but the expectation is that this industry is bigger because of unregistered units.
64
Most household in the valley own a pit loom and you can see people working on scarves all throughout the valley. The local people weave for themselves or for commercial purposes. The craft originated in the Kinnaur valley and was taught to the local people of kullu when people form Kinnaur moved to the kullu area. Traditionally the wool of sheep was used but in the search for softer and better materials, the weavers have shifted to goat and rabbit wool collected from the rocks that goats shed their fleece against. The scarves of the Kullu valley are well known for its vibrant colours and geometrical patterns and are popular among tourists that visit the area. The industry sector in the valley will probably never be of big importance for the economy of the valley. Right now the valley only has one registered industrial area and because of the rough terrain there is no room to expand this. The hand loom industry will stay an important part of the industry sector and with the prospect of more tourist coming to the area it is expected to grow even more; providing a better income for the local people. The industry sector provides a marginal contribution to the economy of the valley. Only a half percent of the workforce oďŹ&#x192;cially in the industry sector and only two percent of the total income of the district is provided by the industry sector. This does not mean that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an important sector for people in the area, because a lot of local people earn a little extra money with small industrial work. The service industry is also a small scale with only 161 registered units in 2015, but with the potential rise in tourism this industry has room to grow. There will be more demand for restaurants, travel agencies, photo shops and other services that tourist need. With the right facilities and education this can become an important sector for the economy of Kullu in the future
IN CONTEXT
INDUSTRY SECTORS
OTHERS 11%
GARMENTS 5% MINERALS 2%
METALS 7%
FOOD PRODUCTS 16%
REPAIR 8%
WOOL, SILK, THREAD BASED CLOTHES 38%
WOODEN FURNITURE 13%
Source: Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Institute (2016)
11%
2,7%
6,2%
5,4%
5,5%
6,8%
% OF TOTAL WORKERS 55,8%
7,5%
REGISTERED 77,5%
65
NONREGISTERED 22,5%
ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE Source: Department of Agriculture (2009)
AMOUNT OF WORKFORCE ACTIVE IN INDUSTRY
AMOUNT OF GSDP
HIMACHAL PRADESH 1%
HIMACHAL PRADESH 1%
KULLU DISTRICT 0,5%
KULLU DISTRICT 2%
AREA
66
IN CONTEXT
67
AREA
TOURISM
68
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. Travelling is becoming cheap- er and the middle class in some highly populated development countries is growing as well, causing a large group of people wanting to travel. In India and Himachal Pradesh the tourism sector starts to have a signficant share in GDP and creates more jobs every year directly and indirectly. In the Kullu valley the tourism sector has grown explosively since the 90’s of the last century and the prognosis is that it will continue to grow rapidly with the increase of the Indian middle class. In some towns in the valley such as Manali, the number of tourists visiting has outgrown the local population. In that matter, the environ- mental stresses of tourism are becoming now visible as well, forcing the local and state government to create policy concerning these matters. Tourism sector is growing rapidly worldwide, in India, in Himachal Pradesh and also in the Kullu valley. The amount of people working in tourism in India is estimated to be around 10% and in Himachal Pradesh 14%. These numbers are nonetheless not entirely correct because it only counts the people that are directly employed within the tourism sector but there are also many people that earn their money indirectly of tourism, such as shops. In the amount of the total economy, which is contributed by tourism, the indirect factors have been included in contrary to the workforce numbers. Consequent numbers of workforce and economical impact for the Kullu valley don’t exist, but since the Kullu valley is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh our expectation is that the percentage of GDP and workforce is even higher than in Himachal Pradesh. Furthermore, the future prognosis is that the services sector, of which tourism is a large part, will increase, following the current trend of growth. In the following pages the development and increase of tourism in Himachal Pradesh and the Kullu valley will be discussed more thoroughly. From 2006 on, the annual growth of tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh was on average 14%. This includes both tourists visiting for a day as well as tourists that stay multiple nights. Over the course of 5 years this leads up to a total growth of 89%, resulting in an absolute number of 15,1 million tourists visiting in 2011. Since the 1980’s the amount of tourists has been growing increasingly. The type of tourists, however, remains quite unchanged since 1980 with 3 – 5% of foreign tourists against 95 – 97% of domestic tourists. The domestic group therefore seems an important factor in the tourist sector in Himachal
Pradesh. Of the now 94,5% of domestic tourists a bit more than half visits for one day and 44% stays overnight. Of the total amount of tourists you could argue that 41% percent stays overnight when visiting Himachal Pradesh. In total amount annually, regarding the groups of visitation provided earlier, that could lead up to 6,3 million people staying overnight in Himachal Pradesh and 1,4 million people staying overnight in the Kullu district.
IN CONTEXT
TOURISM GROWTH
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (2016)
KULLU +89%
% GROWTH
TOURISM ATTRACTION
CHAMBA GLOBAL +35% DHARMSALA
MANALI NAGGAR
2006
2008
KULLU
2011 HAMIRPUR
69
UNA
Population fluctuant tourist/resident in Kullu
MANDI
SUNDARNAGAR
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (2016)
SHIMLA
SUMMER 97%
BADDI SOLAN
Tourist
Resident
Resident
Tourist
WINTER 34%
76%
KULLU
3%
NAHAN PAONTA SAHIB
100,000 - 200,000 200,000 - 500,000 500,000 - 1 MILLION 1 - 3 MILLION <3MILLION
ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (2016)
AMOUNT OF WORKFORCE ACTIVE IN INDUSTRY
AMOUNT OF GSDP
INDIA 10%
INDIA 7%
HIMACHAL PRADESH 14%
HIMACHAL PRADESH 9%
AREA
70
IN CONTEXT
71
AREA SETTLEMENTS & GROWTH AREAS N
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096
72 NAGGAR Population: 2,000
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150 BHUNTAR Population: 4, 475 LEGEND Settlements Urban Settlements Growth Areas 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
In Himachal Pradesh we find a rich tradition of architecture. Ancient temples and rural villages from the previous century adorn the mountainous area. Due to a notable economic growth and development in this area during the last decades, we see a shift to more urban and modern building techniques. This can be seen also, and perhaps specially, in the Kullu valley.
When looking into the built environment of the Himachal Pradesh the diďŹ&#x20AC;erence between the traditional and modern architecture is immediately visible. However, to understand the built environment of the Himachal Pradesh nowadays we first need to understand the traditional building method and how it shifted to a modern way of building and use of materials. The Himachal Pradesh has a recognizable vernacular building tradition. Through centuries of experience, via trial and error, the vernacular building tradition became strongly related with the environmental context and characterized by the use of local materials, craftsmanship and techniques, without the intervention of an architect. The buildings are made by the owner (family) or community themselves and therefore built to meet specific needs, accommodate the values, economical requirements and way of living of the culture that built them1. Hence studying this vernacular tradition will not only help to understand the appearance of the valley, but also give insights in the economy and culture of the people living there and possibly their needs. The Himachal Pradesh is a large area with big diďŹ&#x20AC;erences in altitude which influence the climate and available resources and therefore also the vernacular architecture. For example, the southwestern area is characterized by heavy rainfall during the monsoon and a big supply of mud from higher parts of the Himalaya. The traditional architecture of this area is specified by overhanging pitched roofs to protect the mud walls from the rain. On the other hand the highest parts of Himachal Pradesh are characterized by a cold climate with snow. This mountain architecture can be recognized by a flat roof where snow is used as insulation layer.
73
This chapter will give an overview of the developments in architecture in the Kullu valley. Starting with a research on the humble vernacular architecture, towards the market driven modern architecture. We try to understand this shift and its implications for the environment and sustainability. By eventually making a comparison between the diďŹ&#x20AC;erent ways of building in the valley, we try to give a handhold for our.
Also the Kullu valley has specific circumstances which influenced the building tradition as described in the previous chapters. The climate consists of hot summers, monsoon and cold winters. The hills were covered with trees and stones could be found in the quarries. Besides this, the area is situated in a very high risk earthquake zone2. Traditionally, the population is mainly depended on agriculture and animal husbandry. Religion plays a important part in the society and villages. All these influences determined the characteristics of the vernacular building tradition and the used techniques which will be explained in this first part of this chapter.
AREA
BUILT ENVIRONMENT OVER TIME Source: UNISDR preventionweb.net
TRADTIONAL SETTLEMENT Hill development built around a central temple and taking cold winds and maximum sunlight in consideration.
74 TRADITIONAL KATH KHUNI
First settlements in the Kullu Kingdom used locally available materials to build Kath Khuni houses
EXPANDED VERANDAH (WITH POSTS)
Kangra Earthqukake, 7.8 magnitude 100,000 buildings damaged 20,000 people killed
GLAZED VERANDAH LARGER WINDOWS
Car road construction started, allowing new materials to become available
IN CONTEXT
NEW SETTLEMENT New development agglomorating along roads for increased access to resources and trade.
75
METAL ROOFING BRICK & TIMBER CONSTRUCTION
The many council and governmetnal buildings built under the british rule marked a new trend of ‘modern’ Kath Khuni construction
FLAT ROOF CONCRETE STRUCTURE
Forest conservation act limits number of trees per family
Himahcal Pradesh has a 3 mega cement plants Increase in tourism and developement in hotels
Forest Right Act: Full ban on all wood collection, timber becomes inaffordbale for the majority of the population
AREA
76
IN CONTEXT
77
AREA
TYPOLOGICAL COMPARISON KATH KHUNI
78
The physical layout of houses was determined by the natural circumstances as we have seen in the previous pages. But also the way of constructing the building was highly dependent on the environment. In Himachal Pradesh we can find different construction methods, although all use wood, stone and/or clay. The more earthquake sensitive areas tend to use a dry construction whereas in different areas we also find wet construction methods with mud or clay. In the Kullu valley there is a particular construction method used, which can be found in some other places in Himachal Pradesh also. This dry construction using only the deodar wood and slate stones is called kath-khuni. The technique articulates local materials in systematic layers, which make it practical as well as aesthetically pleasing. A wooden framework is filled with the slate stones and gaps are closed with rubble. The biggest benefit of this ‘dry masonry’ is the ability of the building to move along when the ground is shifting. The structure even locks more tightly together with any ground movement. In the traditional village the houses are placed independently taking into account the slope, sun orientation, usable spaces, sources of water supply and (natural) paths. The inhabitants of the Kullu valley lived from agriculture and animal husbandry which required space for storage and animals. In general one family owned one house. Because of the modular square shape, the size and organization could vary per house, depending on the property and size of the family. A rich family could for example afford a three storied house with a storage space between cattle and the living area as a buffer-zone. The spontaneous organization of the houses causes a lot of space between the houses. On the one hand this space was used for cattle. On the other hand this space could also function as a semi-public space, to meet other families. While the outdoor space of the ground floor was oriented toward the public space, the upper floors were oriented more inward. These spaces were used for example for storage, cooking and washing.
However, not only economical and social structures played a major role in the spatial organization of the house. Also religion was important; while the house was oriented to the south to gain as much as possible heat from the sun, the entrance of the house was for religious reasons preferable oriented to the east where the suns come up. When it was not possible to orientate on the east, north and west was also a possibility. The entrance oriented on the south was considered to impoverish the family. The valley consists of many small villages scattered around the slopes of the hills. Every single village worshipped its own deity, represented in the small temple in the village. A traditional village was mostly spontaneous organized, but the medium of the local deity played a major role in site selection. Next to that as mentioned before a lot of circumstances had to be taken into account. The village was preferable placed on the south side of the slope to gain sun heat and there was a necessity for space between the individual houses in for the animal husbandry. However, besides a well chosen location there where also different building techniques to fit different types of grounds and slopes, to prevent the houses from sliding. The structure of a village deity provided a strong community within the village. A temple for the deity with common courtyard was the central place of the village. The courtyard had a flexible use. It could be used for community meetings, but also for the playing kids or weaving women. In general the families built their one house, but some villages had also communal buildings, for example a grainery and later also sanitary. These communal buildings arose often spontaneously and can vary per village.
IN CONTEXT
MODERN The traditional architecture is getting rapidly lost and replaced by simple reinforced cement concrete (RCC) constructions. Everywhere in the valley you can litterally see this concrete buildings popping out of the ground. This can be seen as a result of a combination of events, developments and transitions such as changes in cultural values, economics, industry and infrastructure.
This movement is backed by the fact that government restrictions created a lack of access to natural resources such as wood and slate. We did see a certain effort to evolve the traditional way of building into a modern way, with the addition of glass, bricks and steel roofs. But at a certain point this tradition just seems left behind for the new way of modular building with RCC. Only newly built temples are still built according vernacular methods. As they now acknowledge the economical, tourist value of the traditional architecture, one can see hotels built in a style resembling the tradition, but obviously ‘fake’. Even stickers with a wood and slate print are put on concrete slab walls. The danger of this new building method is the loss of sensitivity for the context. It took the traditional architecture centuries, via trial and error, to become extremely durable, sustainable, climate responsive and earthquake proof. The concrete structures are just generic and not site specific at all, while this is just what’s needed in the complex, mountainous area. The new way of building goes along with a new way of living. The tourism boost made the valley more commercial, which
Nevertheless, there are also a lot of similarities with the traditional houses in terms of use of the house. This topic is very important in relation with building new sustainable housing in the area, however it will need some more deeper research as this is just based on some observations. The components in a modern settlement are more varied than in a traditional one due to the new typologies that came along with the transitions in the area. The modern settlement is more dense, with buildings connected to each other and multiple storeys. Also new types of building came into the picture, like hotels, tourist offices and apartment blocks. We have to acknowledge that this is just a first observation and not a complete result of an extensive research on this topic. Hence this is also a generalization. It would require some more desktop and on-site research to understand the way the modern urban structures are built up and working. In this part of the chapter we will give an overview on both the traditional and modern architecture by comparing them. This can be seen as a summary rather than a conclusion, but it will help to see the main characteristics of the building methods and eventually to draw conclusions from it. Different themes like: use of the house, façade technology, construction and settlement are used to compare the both.
79
First of all, the traditional housing was adapted to the agrarian lifestyle, since almost the entire population practiced a rural occupation. Through time, the upswing of tourism, new roads, more economic development led to other occupations. Along with this, new modern materials became available. Bricks and cement are almost aggressively advertised throughout the valley. The opening up to the rest of the world, so to say, together with the development of the area, led to the belief of pursuing more western standards. The perception among villagers is that the RCC is stronger and offers more possibilities for western comfort standards. Approximately 600 trucks with cement drive up and down every day from the three cement factories just before Mandi .
is visible in the countless shops in the cities and villages. The ground floor is rarely used for living, rather for storage or as a shop.
AREA BUILDING TYPOLOGY COMPARISON Source: Building Under the Himalayas Encyclopedia
80
TRADITIONAL VERNACULAR
STRUCTURE & DETAIL
ORGANISATION
BUILDING CODE
SLOPE
MAX. 3 FLOORS
IN CONTEXT 81
MODERN
STRUCTURE & DETAIL
ORGANISATION
BUILDING CODE
SLOPE
> 5 FLOORS MAX. = 3 FLOORS
AREA
82
IN CONTEXT
83
AREA BUILDING TYPOLOGY COMPARISON Source: Building Under the Himalayas Encyclopedia
84
TRADITIONAL VERNACULAR
MODULARITY
FUNCTION FLEXIBILITY
PRIVATE SEMI-PUBLIC CATTLE SHED
MAINTENANCE = VERY HIGH
PUBLIC
CUMMUNITY SENSE CULTURE/HERITAGE
IN CONTEXT 85
MODERN
MODULARITY
FUNCTION FLEXIBILITY
PRIVATE PUBLIC GARAGE
MAINTENANCE = LOW
SHOPS
ASPIRATIONS
AREA
86
IN CONTEXT
87
AREA BUILDING TYPOLOGY COMPARISON Source: Building Under the Himalayas Encyclopedia
88
TRADITIONAL VERNACULAR
WINTER CLIMATE
SUMMER CLIMATE
HEATING SYSTEM
ORIENTATION
N W
E S
IN CONTEXT 89
MODERN
WINTER CLIMATE
SUMMER CLIMATE
HEATING SYSTEM
ORIENTATION ? ?
? ?
AREA INDOOR CLIMATE
90 WINTER
SUMMER
IN CONTEXT 91
WINTER
SUMMER
AREA
92
IN CONTEXT
93
AREA MATERIALS
EMBODIED EMISSIONS
TRADITIONAL VERNACULAR
SOURCE
Wood
Stone
LOW
LOW
<10 KM
<10 KM
STONE
WOOD
94 (DEODAR) WOODCUTTING
TRANSPORT OF THE WOOD
HARVESTING STONE
TRANSPORT OF THE STONE
IN CONTEXT
DURABILITY
+ 200 years
CONSTRUCTION TIME
ADOPTABILITY
95
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF BUILDING
RECYCLING
DECONSTRUCTION
USE AND MAINTENANCE
AREA
96
IN CONTEXT
97
AREA MATERIALS Reinforced Concrete EMBODIED EMISSIONS
MODERN
HIGH
Steel
HIGH
<130 KM
SOURCE
Bricks
HIGH
<300 KM
<450 KM
98 WASTE
FUEL
CO2
CO2
FUEL
REUSED CONCRETE
TRANSPORT TO FACTORY
CO2 CO2
ELECTRICITY LIMESTONE
FUEL
CLAY POWDER
FACTORY CO2
1450
°
FUEL
WASTE
ELECTRICITY
CO2
FUEL
TRANSPORT TO BUILDING SITE
IN CONTEXT
10 - 20 years
DURABILITY
CONSTRUCTION TIME
C EM ENT CE ME NT
ADOPTABILITY
99
CO2
CO2
FUEL
WASTE
fuel
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF BUILDING
MAINTENANCE
CO2
FUEL WASTE
MATERIAL
TRANSPORT FOR REUSE
DECONSTRUCTION LANDFILL
REPAIR & REPLACEMENT (E.G. BECAUSE OF EARTHQUAKES OR FLOOD)
AREA
100
IN CONTEXT
101
AREA
102
IN CONTEXT
103
AREA LAND N DISTRIBUTION
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096
104 NAGGAR Population: 2,000
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150 LEGEND Permanent Frost Barren Rocky Surface Dense Forest Open Pasture Land Agriculture/Horticulture Urban Settlements 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
The large population growth and tourism growth from 1990’s has impacted the built up area of the District which has increased by 106% from 1971. However, during the same period the population increased with 230% meaning that the built up area also experienced a densification. The large increase of population and tourism has also required a lot of resources and land for new buildings and infrastructure, including roads and hydropower plants, impacting the resource availability of the District. Between 1971 and 2005 the District saw a decrease of dense forest with 6% and an even larger decrease of open pastureland with 29%. This impacts the quality of the ecosystem in many ways. For example, this leads to less CO2 emission being absorbed by nature and less precipitation absorbed by the soil, due to poor quality after many years of agriculture, which leads to increased risk for landslides and floods. Another major decrease of land cover the District saw during this time was that of permanent frost, which decreased by 10%, as a result of increasing average temperature. This is also a large worry for the District as that is were much of the fresh water supply derives from. The pressure from the increasing population and tourism of the District has for long put stress on the resources of the District which was once full of self-sustaining villages and communities. Worst off are the main tourist towns of Kullu and Manali that requires resources far beyond the land that the towns are situated on. In 2001 the ecological footprint of Manali for example was already 28 times bigger than what it could provide for. Since then the population of Manali has increased by 18% and tourism by 400% indicating that the footprint today is even larger.
105
The Kullu District covers an area of 550 300 ha, twice the size of South Holland, and is predominantly covered by; dense forest, barren rocks and permanent frost which makes up 72% of the area. The use of land in the District has however significantly changes over time. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by self-sufficient farmers in the hills of the fertile mountainous land, it has lately seen a large growth of settlement around the lower part of the valley, next to the river, where infrastructure could more easily be built due to the flatter surface. Furthermore, in the 1970’s Kullu District became an important area for apple production resulting in a large increase of land dedicated to agriculture and horticulture, which now makes up 10% of the total area.
IN CONTEXT
CHANGE OF LAND-USE PATTERNS
AREA LAND USE PATTERNS IN KULLU Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
106
THE BUILT UP LAND INCREASED THE MOST BETWEEN 1990-2000 AS A RESULT OF TOURSIM INCREASE. DURING THIS TIME MANALIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S POPULATION INCREASED BY 157%
TODAY MOST OF THE LAND FOR AGRICULTURE HAS ALREADY BEEN CULTIVATED
THE RESTRICTING GEOGRAPHY RESULTS IN DENSIFICATION OF TOWNS AS POPULATION INCREASES
DEFORESTATION HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE AREA OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS. THE MOST COMMON TREE, DEODAR, TAKES 97 YEARS TO GROW
IN CONTEXT
LAND USE, KULLU 2005 Source: Source: Industrial Survey Document of Kullu (2010)
RIVERS
PERMANENT FROST
PASTURE LAND
4%
9%
17%
33%
107
5%
11%
BUILT UP
AGRICULTURE
22%
ROCKY SURFACE
LAND COVERAGE DIFFERENCE FROM 1971-2005 Source: Source: Industrial Survey Document of Kullu (2010)
-6%
+8%
-10%
+55%
-29%
+106%
AREA CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON HIMACHAL PRADESH Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
CLIMATE CHANGE PREDICTED CONSEQUENCES Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
TEMPERATURE INCREASE BY 1.5 TO 1.9 C° WITHIN THE NEXT 30 YEARS
108
CHANGING SEASONS AND MORE INTENSE MONSOON /DROUGHT PERIODS
DECREASED/CHANGING AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION DUE TO IRREGULAR SEASONS AND INCREASED TEMPERATURE
DECREASED TOURISM DUE TO SHORTER SKI SEASONS AND INCREASED NATURAL HAZARDS LESS ANNUAL SNOWFALL RESULTING IN DECREASING GLACIERS AND MORE ROCKY SURFACE AREAS
INTENSIFIED WATER SCARCITY DUE TO MELTING GLACIERS AND LESS OVERALL PERCIPITATION
REDUCED HYDROPOWER GENERATION DUE TO DECREASED WATER FLOW IN THE RIVERS
IN CONTEXT
POPULATION EMPLOYMENT SECTOR
DISTRIBUTION OF FARMERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
9%
VERY HIGH
51%
HIGH
32%
MEDIUM
19%
LOW
19%
VERY LOW
49%
INCREASE OF WATER CONSUMPTION SINCE 2007
PERCENTAGE OF NET STATE DOMESTIC PRODUCT
Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
Other
Agriculture
21%
109
100% 0%
Other
100%
Agriculture
35%
65%
WATER WELLS RECORDING FALL IN WATER LEVELS
LAND AREA SUBJECT TO CATASTROPHIC SOIL EROSION DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
Source: Environmental Justice Atlas, Himachal Pradesh (2015)
46% 0%
100%
78%
Catastrophic
12%
78%
AREA WASTE N & RESOURCE FLOWS
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI
ISM UR TO
Population: 8,096
FO OD
110 NAGGAR Population: 2,000 LTURE RICU ARG
WASTE
TOURISTS
D
FOO
WASTE
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL
INDUSTR Y
Population: 3,150
LEGEND Distribution Centres Waste Centres 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
OTHER STATES OF INDIA ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
IN CONTEXT
RESOURCES & WASTE
The flow of resources in the valley can be divided into three centres; tourism, agriculture and industry. The larger towns of Kullu, Bhuntar and Shamshi receive resources from within the valley and outside the valley which is refined in industry and sold as goods. This includes woollen products, construction materials, electronics and processed fruit and vegetables. The middle part of the valley around the major towns Kharala, Kais and Naggar host the larger agricultural production of vegetables, crops, fruit, cattle and fish which feeds the valley and provides goods for export to other states. The upper part of the valley is the main destination for tourism and service sector mainly focused around Manali. This part of the valley mainly relies on imports from the other two centres making it vulnerable to any disturbance. There is a large opportunity in the valley to create a more circular economy where the different centres thrive of each other and minimise their impact on the natural environment. At the moment there is some circularity occurring in villages with cattle manure being used for fertilisers and rainwater being collected to irrigate the crops. However, the potential of circularity is much greater and could be applied on a larger scale in the valley. Opportunities such as heat generation from the waste of the large agricultural production, recycling of building materials from degrading households, and left-over fibres from the woollen industry to be used for insulation in new buildings. To enable these types of opportunities however there needs to be an increased awareness of the materials flows, and the impact the extraction of resources has on the environment as well as the safety of people. There also needs to be a shared data source of what waste is created and where it can be re-used and productive to provide easier access for local users. A network of knowledge sharing, inspired by the principles of the smart city, could be implemented in the valley as technology availability is relatively high amongst
the population, particularly in the urban areas. A combination of a new circular economy and a more efficient mobility system with both physical and virtual flows of resources would allows the valley to become more resilient in the case of a disaster as well as more sustainable in the sense of preserving valuable resources and reducing harmful pollution of both the environment and its people.
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Up until the mid 70’s the population of the area managed to maintain a self-sufficient lifestyle with farming land and cattle being owned by almost every household. Nowadays there are only a few of these villages left that truly can remain self-sufficient. These are the villages located in the higher mountain hills, away from the new urban areas and tourist flows that have changed the valley over the last 50 years. They are either only accessible by a single dirt road, or by walk for as far as 7 km from nearest road. Immediately the question rises of what would happen to these villages in the case of a disaster. Would they be more vulnerable due to their remote location, or would they be more resilient due to their local lifestyle, free from dependence on imported goods.
AREA CURRENT LOCATION OF BUILDING MATERIALS Source: Google Maps
500KM N
250KM
BA MB O
112
O
M 0K 6 1
100KM
50 KM
E
TH
E
KU
EY
W
L L L U VA
L
CE
M EN
T
S CK BRI
M 0K 30
13
0K
M
M 50K 4 L E STE S
Source: Source: Industrial Survey Document of Kullu (2010)
IN CONTEXT
MOST COMMON RESOURCES & LOCATION
% OF BUILDINGS IN RURAL/URBAN AREAS USING MODERN BUILDING MATERIALS Source: Source: Industrial Survey Document of Kullu (2010)
KULLU DISTRICT
MANALI
KULLU
LOCAL USE
80,5%
41%
33%
85%
59%
52,5%
84%
54%
TIMBER HARVESTING & FURNITURE KULLU, BHUNTAR
53,5%
TOURIST SERVICES MANALI,KULLU,NAGGAR
113
STONE & SLATE KULLU
CATTLE FARMING KHARAL, KAIS, NAGGAR
CROPS AND VEGETABLES KHARAL, KAIS, NAGGAR
EXPORT/LOCAL USE
FRUITS KHARAL, KAIS, NAGGAR
TOTAL RURAL URBAN
TOTAL RURAL URBAN
WOOLEN PRODUCTS KULLU, BHUNTAR, KAIS
TOTAL RURAL URBAN
FISH KAIS, NAGGAR
AREA BUILDING MATERIAL USAGE PER STRUCTURAL SYSTEM, KULLU Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
BUILDING MATERIALS ROOFS:
TRADITIONAL 2% MODERN 74%
1%
GRASS/THATCH/BAMBOO/WOOD/MUD
1%
STONE/SLATE
54 %
G.I/ METAL/ ASBESTOS SHEETS
20 %
CONCRETE
24 %
OTHERS
114 BUILDING MATERIALS WALLS:
TRADITIONAL 77% MODERN 22.5%
3%
MUD/UNBURNT BRICK
4%
WOOD
21 %
STONE NOT PACKED WITH MORTAR
49 %
STONE PACKED WITH MORTAR
20 %
BURNT BRICK
2.5 %
CONCRETE
0.5 %
OTHER
BUILDING MATERIAL FLOORS
TRADITIONAL 55.5% MODERN 44%
17% 34 % 4.5 % 41 % 3% 0.5 %
WOOD/BAMBOO MUD STONE CEMENT MOASAIC/FLOOR TILES OTHER
IN CONTEXT
BUILDING MATERIAL ANALYSIS Source: Building Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
EXISTING MATERIALS SUITABILITY:
POTENTIAL MATERIALS
CEMENT
STEEL
BRICKS
EARTH BLOCKS
BAMBOO
HEMP CRETE
HEMP WOOL
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE
130KM
450KM
300KM
0KM
160KM
0KM
0KM
-
-
-
1666 Rp/m2
-
1400 Rp/m2
2750/m2
MODERN
MODERN
MODERN
-
TEMPORARY
-
-
SKILLED
SKILLED
UNSKILLED
UNSKILLED
SKILLED
UNSKILLED
UNSKILLED
DURABLE
NON DURBLE
DURABLE
DURABLE
DURABLE
DURABLE
NON DURABLE
ADAPTABLE
ADAPTABLE
ADAPTABLE
ADAPTABLE
ADAPTABLE
ADAPTABLE
NON ADAPTABLE
WET
DRY
DRY/ WET
DRY/ WET
DRY
DRY/ WET
DRY
POOR
POOR
POOR
AVERAGE
GOOD
GOOD
EXCELLENT
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
LOW
LOW
LOW
LOW
NON RECYCLABLE
RECYCLABLE
RECYCLABLE
BIO DEGRADABLE
BIO DEGRADABLE
BIO DEGRADABLE
BIO DEGRADABLE
AVAILABILITY
DISTANCE
LOCAL ARCHITECTURE
LOCAL SKILLS & TOOLS
DURABILITY
ADAPTABLE
CONSTRUCTION
THERMAL PERFORMANCE
EMBODIED EMISSIONS
MATERIAL CYCLE
115
AFFORDABLE
AREA
116
IN CONTEXT
117
AREA WASTE GENERATION DURING PEAK SUMMER SEASON IN KULLU-MANALI Source: Building Under the Himalayas Encyclopedia
MANALI TEHSIL
28
RESIDENTS
TONS/DAY
RESIDENTS
TONS/DAY
Kullu 300 Grams per Capita/day
VISITORS
57
Himachal Pradesh 413 Grams per Capita/day
KULLU TEHSIL
VISITORS
118
India 500 Grams per Capita/day
2 Tons/day
55 Tons /day
9 Tons/day
19 Tons/day
Visitors/day 704
Residents 206, 716
Visitors/day 3,288
Residents 51, 661
2.84 Kg per visitor/day
0.266 Kg per resident /day
2.74 Kg per visitor/day
0.367 Kg per resident/day
IN CONTEXT
COMPONENTS OF WASTE, KULLU-MANALI TEHSILS Source: Building Under the Himalayas Encyclopedia
READILY BIODEGRADABLE WASTE
47.62%
65.54%
Food
2.03
15.29
Vegetables
22.55
6.77
Fruit
5.12
2.88
Plant Residues
2.18
-
Organic Matter
17.59
Fine Organic Matter
16.07
2.71
19.97
BIODEGRADABLE WASTE
119
17.62%
17.56%
Fruit Seeds/Shells
1.30
11.41
Paper
11.87
3.01
Cloth/Rags
3.66
1.34
Wooden Matter
0.73
1.86
34.76% 10.38
NON-BIODEGRADABLE WASTE Polyethylene
16.89% 0.93 -
7.72
Tin
2.61
Glass (bottle)
3.36
Battery
0.06
Bones /eggs shells
0.71
0.07
Coal
0.36
0.52
Crockery
0.34
2.28
-
Paints
0.02
0.01
Hairs
0.05
0.38
Processed leather
0.17
17.51
Stone & Bricks
2.91
0.32
Ash & fine earth
0.76
2.76
Plastic
6.36
0.33
Rubber
0.38
0.27
Metal
0.45
0.02
Needs safe disposal
0.03
AREA
120
IN CONTEXT
121
AREA TRANSPORTATION ACCESS N
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI Population: 8,096
122 KULLU Population: 18,536
LEGEND Bus Stops Airport Primary Road Secondary Road Pedestrian Roads Road Accessbility 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
The roads into the valley that were introduced in the 1930’s and dramatically changed the influx of resources, goods and people from other states of India. Today there are two major roads running along the bottom of the valley on Each side of the Beas river. These roads are normally packed with traffic, in particular during the peak tourist seasons in May and June. Ironically enough the population of the valley do not own a lot of vehicles to be driven on the roads. Only 20% has some kind of motor driven vehicle in their possession. The majority of transport instead occurs through shared transport, public transport and walking. Furthermore the locals have a very particular hierarchy of roads and transport where cattle and motor vehicles share the winding roads up the valley, whilst pedestrians and harvest from the fields often take shortcuts up the hills, and across the river, with separate footpaths and zip-lines. The traffic in the valley, which is now putting large stress on the land through soil erosion, landslides and reduced productive land, is instead mainly due to tourists and the transport of goods. It is also a massive contributor to pollution in the valley. An important question for a resilient and sustainable future therefore rises of how to make this transport more efficient in the difficult terrain. How can a sustainable mode of transport be established with an ever-growing population? Similarly to what happens in traffic prone cities in western society, government attempts to widen the roads to allow better flow unfortunately mainly result in more traffic. It is therefore time to think about alternative modes, for example inspired by the road hierarchy and short-cut approach of the traditional villages.
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Located in a deep Himalayan valley which ends with the high Rohtang pass, the entrance to the greater Himalayas, the Kullu Valley finds itself in a very particular location in regards to resources and mobility. Up until the mid 70’s the population of the area managed to maintain a selfsufficient lifestyle with farming land and cattle being owned by almost every household. Nowadays there are only a few of these villages left that truly can remain self-sufficient. These are the villages located in the higher mountain hills, away from the new urban areas and tourist flows that have changed the valley over the last 50 years. They are either only accessible by a single dirt road, or by walk for as far as 7 km from nearest road. Immediately the question rises of what would happen to these villages in the case of a disaster? Would they be more vulnerable due to their remote location, or would they be more resilient due to their local lifestyle, free from dependence on imported goods?
IN CONTEXT
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
AREA DRINKING WATER AND LATRINES AVAILABILITY,KULLU Source: Himachal Pradesh Census (2011)
MAIN SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER
TREATED 83,9% UNTREATED 16,1%
84,4%
TREATED TAPWATER
7,6%
UNTREATED TAPWATER
1,4%
SPRING/RIVER/CANAL
1,2%
COVERED/UNCOVERED WELL
5,4%
OTHERS
124 LOCATION OF DRINKING WATER SOURCE
WITHIN PREMISES 48,5% NOT WITHIN PREMISES 51,5
48,5%
WITHIN PREMISES
40,2%
NEAR PREMISES
11,3%
AWAY
5,4%
PIPED SEWAGE SYSTEM
HOUSEHOLDS HAVING LATRINE FACILITY
WITHIN PREMISES 58,4%
44,3% 7,8%
PIT LATRINE
NOT WITHIN PREMISES 41,6%
0.9%
OTHER SYSTEMS
1,3%
PUBLIC LATRINE
40,3%
SCEPTIC TANK
OPEN LATRINE
IN CONTEXT
% DRINKING WATER (TAP) FROM A TREATED SOURCE:
% OF BUILDINGS IN RURAL/URBAN AREAS WITH WASTE WATER OUTLET CONNECTED TO CLOSED DRAINAGE: KULLU DISTRICT
TOTAL
25,8%
TOTAL
84,4%
RURAL
19,8%
RURAL
83,2%
URBAN
72,1%
URBAN
93,5
MANALI
TOTAL
42,2%
TOTAL
88,5%
RURAL
32,1%
RURAL
86,5%
URBAN
84,4%
URBAN
97,1%
84,7%
TOTAL
25,8%
TOTAL
RURAL
16,4%
RURAL
83%
URBAN
67,1%
URBAN
92,2%
PIPED TO HOUSE
51%
TREATED SOURCE
84%
WATER ACCESS
CLOSED SYSTEM
65%
SEWERAGE TYPE
LPG GAS
55.5%
WOOD & PELLETS
45.5%
ENERGY COOKING
ELECTRICITY
97%
ENERGY LIGHTING
125
KULLU
AREA
126
IN CONTEXT
127
AREA COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORT ACCESS Source: Source: Census Kullu (2011)
BICYCLE
Ownership
77%
3%
97%
No ownership
23%
No ownership
Ownership
RADIO
128 CAR Ownership
91%
75% Access
Ownership
9%
25%
No Access
29%
No ownership
Ownership
BUS ACCESS
71%
93%
No ownership
93%
No ownership
7%
MOBILE PHONE
Ownership
30%
7%
No ownership
COMPUTER
MC/SCOOTER
70%
No ownership
Ownership
TELEVISION
IN CONTEXT
TOURIST MAIN TRANSPORTATION Source: Ministery of Tourism, Government of India (2011)
1%
5%
129
BUS
9%
TRAIN
83%
AIR
2%
PERSONAL VEHICLE
TAXI
AREA
130
IN CONTEXT
131
IN FOCUS
AREA
134
ABSTRACT
IN FOCUS
IN FOCUS provides extensive analysis of the situation in the Kullu Valley according to AREA’s framework for a resilient built environment. The outcome of this analysis is an aggregate of both the results from the data research which is in the IN CONTEXT section, as from AREA’s own experience of being there and interviewing people from all backgrounds. The combination of the extensive background knowledge derived from desk research and the knowledge AREA could get from being on location resulted in a complete and personal understanding on the condition of the Valley. From this analysis a system could be identified which concerns the flow of people and resources and the facilitating infrastructure. IN FOCUS ends with the definition of the Valley’s system, which forms the starting point for development and a new proposal.
135
AREA
‘Your house is like your body, you should maintain it well’
- Pharmacist, Naggar
136
IN FOCUS
FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS
137
NAME
CONFLICT
CU EC LT ON U O VA
RES OUR CE DE PLETION
P
EN
E NG A CH TE A M CLI
PO LLU TIO N
H AN CE
LOW ENVIRO L NMENTA IMPACT
ER GY
RE SO UR CE S
IG R FO R E
H
M
INEQUALITY
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE
AB DA L E BL & E
EMISSIONS
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
L AI AV FOR AF
& Y LIT BI LO MO Y IT RS VE DI BIO
138
SS
RS STE SA DI
RE D RI
E NC LIE SI RE
PRIMARY U F NCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER
D CE U SK
AREA
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO
AREA
N TIO VA E PR DE TH AL E H S& C I M L& L RA ICA M E LU
FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS
According to AREA’s framework, the performance of the built environment in the Kullu Valley reveals many shortfalls in terms of resiliency. The overall image of the Valley’s performance is shown in the framework on the left page. The transition from the traditional vernacular typology to the modern vernacular type has been of large impact on today’s situation. Due to centuries of development the traditional vernacular typology embedded most of AREA’s conditions for resiliency within the building techniques, whereas the rapid shift to the modern vernacular resulted in an improvident building culture.
This generic way of building, similar to the way of building in many comparable environments globally, results in a homogeneous appearance of landscape, not only within the valley, but also compared to similar areas around the globe. The Valley’s once so rich culture, is rapidly vanishing and making place for an impersonal, generic style, resulting in a low performance in terms of AREA’s goal of Cultural and Economical value. In terms of Risk the situation in the Valley is very critical due to the unsafe constructions of the modern vernacular typology, which are usually located in considerably dangerous zones. For transportation of people and goods, the Valley exclusively relies on the main road, again
This was only a general introduction to the multilayered circumstances in the Valley. The following paragraphs will show a detailed analysis of the current situation in the Kullu Valley per each of the eight goals. This analysis derives from both extensive data research as the knowledge acquired from various field trips. Being there and getting to know people from all backgrounds has made it possible for the AREA team to intuitively draw up a complete image of the situation in the valley throughout every scale of society.
139
As AREA believes that housing quality belongs to a primary amenities for human life standards, the goal of Primary Functions and Amenities is neither fully fulfilled. Because a good quality of housing is not accessible through the current building methods, the performance according to the goal of Inclusive and Adoptable remains low too. Even though the materials required for construction of the modern vernacular typology are widely available and very affordable, this does not live up to sufficient housing standards, resulting in a low performance on the goal of Available and Affordable, as proper standards are non achievable.
Overall performance of the Valley according to the framework shows how the valley requires many improvements in order to achieve a resilient built environment.
IN FOCUS
With a rapidly increasing population, the demand for modern building materials is ever growing. This new way of building is responsible for an increased ecological and carbon footprint, due to high embodied emissions of the materials used. As the life-cycle of these materials is linear, the larger part ends up as unusable waste. The buildings that evolve from these materials and modern techniques usually do not provide healthy indoor climates, neither in summer or winter situation. Together, the use of these materials result in the built environment having a weak performance concerning the goals of Low Environmental Impact and High Performance.
increasing the Valley’s vulnerability and Risks, and resulting in a low performance concerning the goal of Network Of Infrastructure.
AREA
AREA
140
IN FOCUS
141
AREA
AREA
142
IN FOCUS
143
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE INTEGRATING WITH LOCAL NORMS Traditionally the vernacular Kath Khuni architecture throughout the Kullu valley was strongly related to its environmental context by taking into account sun positioning, hazard risk, local resources, and climate conditions. These homes were built by the owners and communities using traditional construction techniques to accommodate the cultural values, economical requirements and way of living. The architectural language the villagers aspire for the modern architecture, resembling western culture, mainly built of bricks and concrete are very generic and non-site specific, completely disregarding the context and traditional architectural techniques. It is clear that the modular buildings do not evolve from the durable, seismic proof, and climate responsive architecture of its ancestors. AREA
ALLOWING FOR FLEXIBILITY Despite having lost many of the strong attributes of the Kath Khuni architecture with the adaptation of RCC and brick construction, the modern building process allows for flexibility and future expansion. As the valley began to develop, it was hard to translate the Kath Kuni structures into hotels, shops and apartment blocks to accommodate new industries. The modern system allows for a modular and flexible program which can accommodate commercial or residential programs and gives owners the freedom to build and incrementally expand according to what they need or what they can afford.
144
ENSURING UNDERSTANDING The traditional Kath Khuni architecture was a technique which was passed down through ancestors. Construction involved the owners and community. In cultural heritage villages like Naggar, there is still a strong urge to keep this tradition alive by teaching the younger. Nowadays, there is limited knowledge of these techniques making it very difficult to repair and maintain the old buildings. Especially in villages like Naggar where there is a strong presence of heritage, many of the villagers find it difficult to maintain the Kath Khuni buildings as most of the building materials are no longer available or very expensive. Many of the homes have been left abandoned. Modern brick and concrete construction requires skilled contractors or extended knowledge to ensure physical quality. In many cases, construction is not properly monitored, making many of the buildings unsafe in a structural sense and uncomfortable in a thermal sense. One example is that people don’t know the right proportions for concrete mixes or while concrete offers much flexibility, many buildings have an unbalanced load division.
SETTING AN EXAMPLE The modern vernacular typologies do not set an example for good building techniques and developments as they require materials with high embodied emissions, do not provide healthy living conditions, and are not disaster resilient. In urban areas throughout the valley the residential, commercial, and governmental buildings are made from RCC construction which many of the villagers look towards as an example of how to build their own homes and guest houses. The council building are typically large complexes of four to six stories, which is very unsafe in the event of an earthquake or various other hazards. These institutions should set an example for sustainable development throughout the valley and provide a safe haven for the community.
ENABLING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES The modern vernacular typology provides to enable equal opportunities as the homes allow to be self-built. Due to the availability of the material, the flexibility towards its future function and its seemingly uncomplicated construction technique. Nevertheless, due to a lack of understanding of these construction techniques the self-built culture currently leads to reduced quality of buildings. While the benefit of every individual in a community being able to build a home due to a comprehensible, adoptable building method is important to enable equal opportunities,the next step is to ensure that this method provides for an outcome that is safe and offers a comfortable indoor climate.
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO CU EC LT ON U O VA
H AN CE
RES OUR CE DE PLETION
M
ER GY
P
EN
A CH TE A M CLI
E NG
PO LLU TIO N
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE
LOW ENVIRO L NMENTA IMPACT
145
RE SO UR CE S
IG R FO ER H
IN FOCUS
AB DA L E BL & E
EMISSIONS
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
L AI AV FOR AF
& Y LIT BI LO MO Y IT RS VE DI BIO
SS
RS STE SA DI
RE D RI
E NC LIE SI RE
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER
D CE SK
INEQUALITY
CONFLICT
U
Exemplary construction not equally accessible
ON ATI EV R P DE TH AL HE & S IC M L& L RA ICA M E LU
AREA
146
IN FOCUS
147
AREA
148
FIELD OBSERVATIONS During our field observations it was evident that exemplary construction was not equally accessible amongst communities throughout the valley. In Kullu we visited two communities which do not have the proper resources to build their own homes. One of these communities is a slum occupied by families from Punjabi, another state in India. In order to own land in Himachal Pradesh you must be from the state, so the people were unable to buy or build their own homes when they moved to Kullu. The Punjabi people have resorted to building their own community along the river using scrap material they find along the road. The government has repeatedly ordered them to move but since they have not been provided with an alternative place to reside, they are constantly rebuilding and moving their homes to avoid eviction.
In Mohal there is another slum community living next to the landfill site. The workers of the waste center cannot afford to build homes so they have collected materials from the waste center to make their homes.
149
- Residents of the Punjabi Slum, Kullu
IN FOCUS
The other community we visited in Kullu was the Tibetan colony. Unlike the Punjabi community, the Tibetans were able to receive land from the government since they were refugees. However, they were not provided with any resources to build up their homes so they constructed their community also using whatever materials they could find. Both the Punjabi and Tibetan communities are located along the Beas river and during monsoon season experience huge destruction to their homes.
‘If we were able to legally stay in Kullu we would love to have more permanent homes. Now government officials order us to move so we have to relocate and start again with finding left over materials to build our houses.’
CULTURAL & ECONOMIC VALUE SUPPORTING A LOCALIZED ECONOMY Traditionally, the materials used for Kath Khuni buildings were local resources of the valley. Now because local materials have become scarce, the government has put restrictions on the use of deodar wood and slate. Only about 4% of the current building stock are made of traditional materials (wood, mud, and stones) and the majority is made using modern materials (bricks, cement, steel, and glass). None of these resources are locally produced and must be imported from other parts of Himachal Predesh and India. Approximately 600 trucks of cement drive up and down everyday from factories about 130 kilometers away. Most of these construction materials are brought to Kullu, Bhuntar and Shamshi to be further distributed to other areas of the valley. AREA
SUPPORTING LONG TERM SOCIETAL WEALTH The current way of building and focus on tourism growth is having a damaging effect on the agricultural industry and creates increased risks in the future. Complete reliability on sources that come from outside the Valley puts its inhabitants in a vulnerable position. These concern not only sources for their building materials, but also their economical sources as their industry shifts to a tourism industry exclusively. Besides, these imported building materials do not offer long term solutions, as the lifetime of the modern-vernacular building usually doesn’t span for more than 10-30 years. The transition to modern vernacular thereby causes an increased ecological footprint which has a negative impact on the long run. Whilst bringing positive change in the current wealth status it’s one-sided focus creates vulnerabilities for the future.
CONTRIBUTING TO LOCAL CULTURE The vernacular aesthetic and techniques were lost when the new modern way of building was introduced throughout the valley. Traditional settlements not only took into considerations climate conditions, but also organized according to local economics, social structure, and religious beliefs. I.e. in the Kath Khuni homes the ground flood served as space for the cattle and the verandah on the first floor was used to store hay. This also contributed to creating a more thermally comfortable home with hay acting as an additional insulating layer. Religion also played an important role in site selection and architectural expression. All of these cultural aspects that were taken into consideration in traditional settlements have been lost in modern construction. The new buildings have lost sensitivity for their context and are completely independent from their surroundings. The modern vernacular is a very generic style that lacks the rich cultural identity of the Himalayas.
RESPONDING TO LOCAL PREFERENCES Despite having lost the aesthetics of the traditional kath kuni, the modern architecture does respond to preferences of the Kullu-its. Majority of the residents throughout the valley expressed that they would prefer to live in a concrete home with modern utilities. The Kath Kuni homes are not able to accommodate modern facilities such as stoves and bathrooms, water and toilets are shared with the local communities are often in poor conditions. Besides, the Kath Khuni’s require a lot of maintenance such as repairing the floors and walls with additional mud. With the shift from a more rural to more urban lifestyles, Kullu-its aspire to have a more western way of living,inspired by the major amount of advertisements placed by developers and cement producers of large scale concrete housing examples, showing of an ideal, but often misleading image of how a concrete home could look like. The perception amongst villagers is that RCC construction is a more comfortable and better way of living.
150
ENCOURAGING DIVERSE ECONOMY The current ways of building throughout the valley do not encourage a diverse economy. Concrete, steel and cement are all building materials that come from outside the valley and do not support the local industries in the area. Besides the tourism industry, agriculture is the main source of income for residents. As the valley is urbanizing there has been a rapid change in land use from agriculture to commercial developments. This is evident in towns such as Mohal where much of the agricultural land is being sold to build guest houses and shopping malls.
Homogenization of culture
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO CU EC LT ON U O VA
H AN CE
RES OUR CE DE PLETION
M
ER GY
P
EN
A CH TE A M CLI
E NG
PO LLU TIO N
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE
LOW ENVIRO L NMENTA IMPACT
151
RE SO UR CE S
IG R FO ER H
IN FOCUS
AB DA L E BL & E
EMISSIONS
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
L AI AV FOR AF
& Y LIT BI LO MO Y IT RS VE DI BIO
SS
RS STE SA DI
RE D RI
E NC LIE SI RE
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER
D CE SK
INEQUALITY
CONFLICT
U
ON ATI EV R P DE TH AL HE & S IC M L& L RA ICA M E LU
AREA
152
IN FOCUS
153
AREA
154
155
-Kath Kuni Construction worker, Old Naggar
IN FOCUS
‘It is not because of tourism that the heritage is being demolished, it is because the new generation wants to live like in the ads of Chandigargh’
FIELD OBSERVATIONS While traveling throughout the valley it was noted that a lot of villages are experiencing a loss in culture with the rapid development of large concrete buildings in replacement of traditional Kath Kuni structures. When talking to a builder, pictured left, he explained that the old methods of construction are skills which are passed down from generation to generation. The builder was working on constructing a temple which was financed by the community to build using traditional techniques and materials. Since these materials are so scarce, they are extremely expensive so it is difficult for people throughout the valley to maintain and repair old Kath Kuni homes. This is why owners typically demolish the old vernacular houses to build new structures out of concrete, creating a fragmentation of the local architecture and traditions.
‘’More tourism is good because it means the local culture becomes known by more people.” - Gallery guide at Nicholas Roerich Estate, Naggar
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHELTER Although to Local Kullu-its the modern vernacular is a more desirable environment to live in, the living conditions in these homes do not provide for adequate shelter for the unique climate conditions of the Himalayas. Not only are a majority of these buildings unsafe to protect people from the various hazards that the area is prone to, the concrete construction does not provide comfortable or healthy living conditions. A second isue is that according to the 118 Tenancy act of Himachal Pradesh, only Himachali’s can buy land in the state, and non-Himachali’s require special permission to acquire land. This results in large groups of population, such as the Punjabi end up in slums in hazard prone areas while the government doesn’t provide them with any other alternatives. AREA 156
HAVING ACCESS TO ENERGY SUPPLY While the Kullu Valley has a large, constant supply of electricity by hydro power, supported by large scale dams in and around the valley, energy is accessible for every Kulluit. Nevertheless this energy grid is not very reliable. While hydropower seems to be a renewable source, experts are worried about the consequences that the melting of the glaciers on the mountain peaks can have in combination with these dams. The increasing amount of water that will be coming down, will put a redundant pressure on the structures with the possibility to lead to disastrous situations. Also, melting of these glaciers means that there will come an end to the supply of water running through these dams. Grid connected energy supply in mountainous areas is not considered very secure. In the Kullu Valley this is often noticed by power cuts. An improved energy supply would mean an off-grid, self-providing source, such as PV panels, making households less dependant on this HP basedgrid.
HAVING ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER In the Kullu Valley there is a safe public water supply, however not every household is connected. This is mainly the case in more remote communities, of which some are not yet connected to the central grid. Just as for the energy supply, an off grid, self-providing source per individual household or household cluster would be a more secure and reliable alternative.
HAVING ACCESS TO FOOD SUPPLY Currently, everyone living in the Kullu Valley has access to either shops, markets or agricultural land. However the transition of land use from an agricultural function to residential and commercial functions, is a trend that moves towards a society that completely relies on commerce and resources that come in from outside the valley. This lack of self-reliance again brings the valley in a vulnerable position, albeit in the far future.
PROVIDING SAFEGUARDS TO HUMAN HEALTH Still a large part of the households in the Kullu Valley is connected to an open sewage, which is posing a threat to human health as these are a hotbed for the spreading of diseases. On a housing scale, the modern brick and RCC constructions don’t provide enough thermal qualities to ensure a healthy indoor climate. Also, the healthcare facilities in the Valley are currently very poor compared to global standards. While there are several healthcare centres throughout the Valley and a central hospital in the city of Kullu, none of these provide complicated surgeries or long term treatments. For severe cases, the hospital in Chandigarh is the closest, which is 7 hours away by car. Thereby, the modern construction of the hospital building puts it in a bad physical state, not supporting the indoor climate that is needed for patients. Its multi floored structure is completely unsafe from a seismic perspective and currently some of its windows are missing glass.
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- Siblings, owners of restaurant in Lower Mohal
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-Pharmacy shop owner, Naggar
‘There needs to be more public toilets and proper waste collection areas’
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‘The area has knocked down a lot of Kath Khuni houses because adding water and electricity is hard. People prefer new concrete homes because they want modern facilities ’
FIELD OBSERVATIONS A lot of people we interviewed throughout the valley expressed that one of the major issues within the towns is the lack of clean facilities. We noticed that there were no areas to properly dispose of trash, resulting in a lot of it being inappropriately dumped and polluting areas. Residents also expressed that need for more public toilets. These problems intensify with the huge influx of visitors during tourist season. Everyone interviewed raised the problem with littering and public toilets. Naggar does not have the same garbage collection that appears in Manali, most people, who do not live close to waste collection points, burn their garbage or place it outside shops/restaurants so they deal with it. Many people also stressed the need for public toilets and garbage bins near the bus stops.
REDUCED RISK PROMOTING RISK AWARENESS From the interviews with people throughout the entire valley, it seemed that there was little awareness on the possibility of future hazards, neither there was consciousness about adaptation to this possibility while building. Besides, currently present building structures do not show proper appliance of the materials, which result in unsafe structures that will cause catastrophic situations in the event of a disaster. While the use of cement oďŹ&#x20AC;ers flexibility towards any function, it does not recognize any risks that come with several appliances.
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PROVIDING SECURE STRUCTURES One of the major benefits of the traditional vernacular Kath Khuni buildings in the Valley was their dry connection with which they were constructed. Because of the wooden pin joints, the Kath Khuni settlements have survived centuries of hazards and severe earthquakes. Modern vernacular structures do not only often have a unbalanced division of load, but the lack of knowledge about concrete mixtures and applications results in brittle, unstable structures, which are also placed on unstable, steep undergrounds.
ADHERING TO SAFE PLANNING In the traditional Kath Khuni settlements, the buildings were consciously placed on locations in relatively low risk zones. Stabilizing the foundation underneath the future homes was a conscious phase of the building process and buildings were only built along topolines of the mountains and not against the direction, naturally placing the buildings in safer situations. While urban areas are extending, more and more modern buildings are being developed on steep slopes, while traditional Kath Khuniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s were never placed on slopes of a too large angle. This placement puts the buildings often in a dangerous position, which becomes even more problematic in the event of an earthquake. This extension of urban areas also sprawls towards areas that are flood prone.
ENABLING IMMEDIATE RECOVERY The Kullu Valley does not seem prepared for a post-hazard situation. There is a response plan set up by the Kullu council, but this focuses only on immediate response, not on a recovery plan for the phase that comes after, neither on avoidance. Looking at the physical condition of the majority of the modern vernacular building stock, it can be assumed that it would not withstand the event of an earthquake or any other severe hazard, which means reconstruction would take a long time.
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PROMOTING RISK PREPAREDNESS There are programs from the local council that inform people about what to do in case of hazards and emergencies. However, from the interviews it seemed like this information is not much taken into implementation. In several public areas there are posters telling a step by step emergency plan, but there are no direct workshops provided by a central organisation.
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FIELD OBSERVATIONS When asking people about hazards such as flooding, fires, earthquakes, and landslides we received a lot of mixed answers. Everyone interviewed were mostly afraid of fires as a natural hazards. This happens often because people are careless with the gas and wood kitchens in their houses. None of the interviewed people said that they were directly afraid of earthquakes or landslides happening. Landslides were mainly associated with happening along the roads, not in the villages. In case of a larger emergency the people interviewed predominantly said they would reach out to the deputy commissioner in Kullu. A few people we interviewed did not see hazards to be a threat but rather a spiritual omen. They would prevent disasters from occurring by placing offering along the water to prevent from flooding or praying to their deities to protect them from future catastrophe.
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- Restaurant owner, Naggar
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‘When the last big tremor happened I panicked because I had no idea of where to go’
‘If anything bad happens it is because of bad karma, people cannot control it directly’
- Apple farmer in Nasuggi, Manali
NETWORK OF INFRASTRUCTURE ENCOURAGING STRONG COMMUNITY COHESION Especially in the smaller towns such as Naggar and the towns around Manali, a strong community cohesion can be still be found, however there is evidence of the new development happening degrading this cohesion. The connection with areas outside the valley is playing an increasingly important role in the formation of the society, both in terms of resources supply as the shift in aspirations of individuals, in the shift of the society from being community-focused to a more individual society that is capital driven. An important factor is introduction of landownership in the Valley, making individuals want to increase the value of their own property. Besides, because of the new linear economy, relying on external sources people do not rely on each other as a community anymore in terms of supply, trade and support. AREA
HAVING A RESILIENT SUPPLY OF RESOURCES The problem with the communities getting decreasingly self-sufficient and increasingly reliant on services and goods supplied by external factors, is that they become very vulnerable to many types of disasters that affect this network. Especially in terms of basic resources such as water and food, an improved system should supply these locally, per independent household or household cluster to become resilient.
PROVIDE DISTRIBUTED NETWORK OF COMMUNICATIONS The access to communications technology is high because of widely available 3G network. Also, the number of people participating on this network is increasing. The physical infrastructure of the valley is not overall accessible since most of the smaller and larger towns have just one central road that connects them to the one central road that runs through the valley from the south in Bhuntar, where the airport is to the north, where the Roh-Tang Pass begins. This makes the network of physical infrastructure very sensitive to obstructions.
HAVING A RESILIENT ENERGY NETWORK The current electricity grid is solely based on the supply from large scale hydro-power plants. Any faults that occur in this system could make the entire valley go without electricity. Forecasting the probability of the continuation of the melting of the glaciers on the mountain peaks makes this a very vulnerable system and a shift to a alternative supply critical. Yet, there are small-scale, even individual solar power instalments and also diesel generators locally in the towns that decrease the reliance on the grid. However, these or not widely used. There lies an opportunity in the placement of more solar power instalments as it is being subsidised by the state and provides a secure and environmental friendly supply. On the contrary, the use of diesel generators is expensive and highly polluting.
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PROVIDING RESILIENT NETWORK OF INSTITUTIONS In the Kullu Valley there is a network of healthcare institutions, fire departments and there is the central police. Nevertheless, during a crisis the system appear to be very vulnerable which is already visible during tourist peak season when i.e. fire trucks and ambulances cannot get through the traffic to reach the concerned event. While most of the institutions are centralised it becomes especially problematic to reach remote villages. This is a serious problem that requires improvement of the current network and transportation facilities.
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-Guest house owner, Old Manali
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- Farmer, Old town Naggar
‘When there is a fire people in the community make noises to signal eachother for help because the fire trucks cannot reach our homes’
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“Tourism is good for the area but we need a good road to manage the pressure. The new road will help this but it will take 10 years for Kullu to become as well-facilitated as Chandigarh.”
FIELD OBSERVATIONS A lot of people we interviewed throughout the valley expressed that one of the major issues with the road infrastructure. Since there is only one road running through many of the villages there is a lot of traffic during tourist season. People are very excited for the new road to be finished so it can relieve the pressure and help handle the influx of tourists. When speaking with some families which live in rural villages in Manali, they expressed their desire to fix the road to have proper access to the main village. It makes it hard to properly dispose of their trash and also makes it hard for them to attract vistors to their shops or hotels. People also explained the danger of not having road access in the event of a fire. Since most of the homes in rural areas are constructed using materials such as timer, they are very vulnerable to forest fires and fire trucks are not able to reach them.
HIGH PERFORMANCE MINIMISING ENERGY DEMAND The modern vernacular typology requires much energy compared to the traditional vernacular, both in an operational stage - the building in use- as for its production - embodied energy. The additional heating that is required due to the lack of insulating properties of bricks and cement increase the energy demand. In building practice, often there is a lack of proper knowledge on how to detail with the modern materials, adding up to the energy demand for heating and cooling. The fact that all the building materials need to come from far away (reaching from 130 km away to 450 km away) and therefore much transportation is needed, creates an extra increased energy demand embedded in the sourcing of materials, compared to the Kath Khuni building, which was constructed with locally sourced materials. AREA
APPLYING PASSIVE DESIGN PRINCIPLES Passive design principles ensure a home that requires a minimal additional heating (or cooling) demand. While the modern vernacular typology is generic, it is in no way climatically adapted to its environment which results in unhealthy, uncomfortable indoor climates in summer and winter. Traditionally, while the Kath Khuni structures achieved high insulation values there was not much additional heating required. Also, the long facade of the Kath Khuni structures was always facing the south and besides, settlements were solely built on the south-facing side of a mountain while modern settlements arise on any kind of location.
APPLYING RESPONSIVE DESIGN PRINCIPLES The traditional Kath Khuni houses were perfectly climatically adapted to their environment. Construction of local materials provided a building technique with which high insulation values could be achieved, making the house a warm and cosy space naturally. While agriculture has been the main source for living up until recent, space was required to store hay and cattle around the house. Traditionally the cattle was placed on the ground floor and the hay on the first floor verandah in the winter, naturally creating a thermal barrier of which people could benefit inside their homes. The design of the modern vernacular typology lacks any responsiveness to either lifestyle or environment as it is a generic typology that emerges globally in divergent environments.
OPTIMISING ENERGY SOURCE TO USE Traditionally households in the Valley burned firewood for heating, but when it got scarce the main fuel changed to cow dung and many homes changed to using electrical heaters instead. While cow dung is a renewable source and most of the electricity is from a grid powered by hydropower, there are overall improvements that can be made relating to the source of renewable power (an essential shift from exclusive reliance on hydropower to an alternative/additional oďŹ&#x20AC;-grid source).
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ENCOURAGING AWARENESS OF ENERGY USAGE While currently the energy usage per capita in Himachal Pradesh is still far from patterns as they prevail in developed countries, this has not to do with the awareness of people but with the extent of consumption. When the financial means of a household grow, they start to buy more equipments that consume more energy. Promoting passive principles will also benefit a familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own economy as it demands less energy. This requires from them to be more aware on their behaviour on energy consumption.
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-Local resident of Mohal
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“Kath Kuni homes are much more warm in winter compared to the modern concrete homes.”
FIELD OBSERVATIONS Generally when asking questions regarding living conditions, everyone thought that the Kath Khuni had a more comfortable living environment in winter and summer than the modern buildings. When talking with a local counsellor at the hospital in Manali, he explained that the tradtional homes create much healthier living environments becaues they stay very warm in the winter. He believes that many of the illnesses he deals with are because people do not have healthy living conditions at home, mainly in the concrete buildings. The construction of the modern vernacular does not consider local climate conditions and regulations to allow for optimal light and ventilation.
- Counsellor at Manali Government Hospital
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“The traditional houses (Kath Khuni) are much healthier living environments.”
LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT USING RENEWABLE RESOURCES The shift to the use of modern materials such as brick, steel and cement are putting a major pressure on the depletion of natural resources. First of all, most of the time these materials end up as waste at the end of their life-cycle. The biggest part of waste that goes to landfill is building waste. Secondly, the life-cycle of a building is much shorter than the period it takes for nature to recreate the materials used for the building materials. For example, in regards to concrete, sand will get scarcer and in regards to steel metals will get scarcer. Depletion as such is already visible when it comes to the use of deodar wood as deforestation resulted in severe scarcity. A shift from the use of deodar wood, slate and rocks as for traditional building is therefore indispensable, yet a renewable alternative needs to be found. AREA 180
OPTIMISE CIRCULAR LIFE-CYCLE OF RESOURCES The fact that for the modern vernacular typology only non renewable resources are being used, tells about their linear life-cycle. The largest part of waste that ends up as landfill, is building waste, which means that a material becomes absolutely invaluable at the end of its life-cycle. The life-cycle of Kath Khuni buildings was very long, as its modularity provided for replacement of components, While the definition of renewable resources is that their life-cycle is longer than the period it takes for nature to regrow these materials and the Kath Khuni buildings stand for centuries, these constructions can be very much considered as being renewable. At the end of the life-cycle, the deodar wood is being used as fire wood. Optimising the possible circularity of a material’s life-cycle can be done through i.e. planning for modular use of the material, or use a different material that could (easily/affordable) be processed into an new purpose.
PRODUCING MINIMAL EMISSIONS & WASTE The production of cement and bricks is responsible for a vast majority of the state’s carbon emissions. Though these factories are not located in the Kullu Valley, the increasing demand due to higher incomes and a rapidly growing tourist population contributes for a large part for the state’s emissions. Apart from this highly polluting way of producing, the means of transport are highly polluting, adding up to the whole. Eventually, at the end of its lifecycle, the building materials end up as waste of which processing is an extremely polluting process again. A large part of emissions can be cut by sourcing materials locally, in order to decrease transport related emissions. Decreasing the burning of fossil fuels related to the production process can also make a major difference.
OPTIMIZING DURABILITY The way construction is being done at the moment results in a low durability of the buildings. This has mainly to do with inadequate cement mixes, making the primary building components very brittle and sensitive, but also with insufficient detailing and an unbalanced division of loads, making the building very vulnerable as a whole. The Kath Khuni buildings are being praised for their long durability, while they need repair and replacement of materials, the materials are being recycled and the building as a whole stands for over centuries.
USING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES Either for the production process, for transportation, for construction and for the building in use a shift from energy derived from the burning of fossil fuels to energy derived from renewable sources such as the sun, wind or water is a uttermost urgent challenge as the entire process and life-cycle of bricks, cement and steel in the Kullu Valley is responsible for a large part of CO2 emissions through the type of energy usage and for
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-Store owner, Kullu
FIELD OBSERVATIONS However, they also noted that one; nobody can afford to build them now, and two; the younger population are influenced by the advertisement of buildings in Chandigargh and other big cities. Only those not originally from the area thought of Kath Khuni as unsafe. When asked about using alternative building materials, people were very sceptical of using materials such as bamboo or earth blocks because of the perception that it isn’t safe or strong enough withstand the local weather conditions. Bamboo was also perceived to be a poor man’s material. During our trip we were fortunate enough to be welcomed into the home of a local construction worker in Naggar, who lives in a traditional Kath Kuni home. We were happy to experience that the indoor climate in his home was much warmer than in the other concrete buildings we had been visiting throughout the trip. He explained how he preferred living in a Kath Kuni home but because the building materials are so expensive, everyone prefers to build using concrete and live in modern looking homes.
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‘Both tourists and locals throw things on the ground, but that’s because they don’t know what to do with it’
‘We never build Kath Khuni longer; this is the generation of concrete.’ - Construction worker, Old Naggar
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AVAILABLE & AFFORDABLE UTILISING LOCALIZED RESOURCES As explained before, the modern ways of construction do not use local materials since brink, concrete, glass and steel all have to come from outside the valley. Traditional Kath Khuni homes made use of local wood and stone but since these resources have become severely scarce, it is no longer possible to use these building materials. There is a need to introduce a new sustainable building material that can be locally produced in Kullu. This will increase availability and therefore the self-reliability of the valley, making it less vulnerable to disruptions in the import network from areas outside the valley.
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UTILISING LOCALIZED KNOWLEDGE The modern way of constructing was pushed by the Indian government, which was also responsible for the promotion of the use of cement. The evolution of the construction method, from Kath Khuni to modern, did not evolve gradually, resulting in insufficient knowledge on how to work with the new materials. The tradition of building of Kath Khuni was passed over by ancestors to the younger people of the community, but this is getting more and more lost as the younger people aspire to live in a modern house. The absence of materials that were traditionally used for the construction of Kath Khuni aggravates this loss of local skills and knowledge. When a new, more sustainable building material will be introduced, finding a way to answer to the existing knowledge, respecting local traditions, is important in order to ensure quality of the building and pass-over of knowlegde and skills.
BEING ECONOMICALLY AFFORDABLE TO THE PUBLIC Essentially, the high economic affordability is the largest competitor of the introduction of any type of new, more sustainable building material. Currently a bag of cement 20 rupees, which is equal to 30 eurocents. Wood has become very expensive since the government has put an exclusive right on the extraction of wood because of deforestation. The introduction of a new, sustainable material needs to compete with the low prices of the currently used materials, in case its sale price cannot compete, a way needs to be found to show how the investment will be economically more feasible on a long term as the durability of the building will increase a lot.
ENSURING SUSTAINED SUPPLY & AFFORDABILITY While the non renewable resources and their prices are susceptible to market fluctuation from far away, this adds up to their cost fluctuation. Therefore the supply of these materials and their affordability is not ensured for the future. For example, the price of sand which is use for the production of glass and cement has doubled in the last 10 years due to the depletion of resources. When the valley becomes responsible for the (local) sourcing of its own materials, a smaller market arises that is more sustainable as its fluctuation only depends on developments within the Valley.
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UTILISING LOCALIZED LABOUR In the entire country of India, there is an abundance in available labour. The tradition of self-building has continued in the construction of the modern vernacular. While the modern construction techniques with cement, bricks, steel and glass allow for self construction, the current knowledge on how to properly construct is often lacking, resulting in unsafe buildings. When labour can be locally sourced, the required construction method should allow to be easily adoptable so that it answers the skills of local labourers.
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- Owners of architecture firm, Kullu
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‘When people built by themselves they do not consider quality of construction. People are more satisfied when architects get involved’
FIELD OBSERVATIONS The modern way of constructing was pushed by the Indian government, which was also responsible for the promotion of the use of cement. The evolution of the construction method, from Kath Khuni to modern, did not evolve gradually, resulting in insufficient knowledge on how to work with the new materials. The tradition of building of Kath Khuni was passed over by ancestors to the younger people of the community, but this is getting more and more lost as the younger people aspire to live in a modern house. The absence of materials that were traditionally used for the construction of Kath Khuni aggravates this loss of local skills and knowledge.
‘When we moved to Kullu we were unable to afford proper building materials so we collected any materials we could find.’
- Residents of the Tibetian Coloney
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PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER E NC LIE SI RE
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO CU EC LT ON U O VA
CONFLICT
D CE SK
ON ATI EV R P DE TH AL HE & S IC M L& L RA ICA M E LU
U
Exemplary construction not equally accessible
Unsafe Structures
AREA
194
IN FOCUS
SYSTEM ANALYSIS
195
AREA CURRENT SYSTEM FLOWS N
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI
ISM UR TO
Population: 8,096
FO OD
AREA NAGGAR Population: 2,000 LTURE RICU ARG
WASTE
TOURISTS
D
FOO
WASTE
196 KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL
1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
INDUSTR Y
Population: 3,150 LEGEND Distribution Centres Primary Roads Secondary Roads Tourist agglomeration Urban agglomeration Waste Centres
OTHER STATES OF INDIA ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
THE KULLU VALLEY FLOWS
From the analysis of the built environment in the Kullu Valley in terms of its performance according to AREA’s framework for a Resilient Built Environment, four key issues have been identified that are essential to improve in order to realize a resilient built environment in the Kullu Valley. These four key issues are transportation, tourism, housing and waste, being the four components that currently yield an unhealthy system.
The South of the Valley hosts the industrial activity, with Kullu as a centre. Here, the resources from within Valley are refined in industry and distributed on the larger markets of the Valley. Main products are construction materials, electronics, processed food and vegetables and woolen products. This is also where products from outside the Valley come in and are being traded. While the industry of Kullu is growing, its suburbs are expanding, being responsible for a major change in land use; from agricultural to residential. While the North, being home to the tourism industry, is reliant on supply coming from the South, it becomes very vulnerable to any disruption. The waste of the entire Valley,
Transportation is the first issue. It is one of the most important elements as it is the carrier of goods and people, physically enabling the resource flow within the Valley. The Bhuntar-Manali airport and the National Highway that runs from Kullu to the Roh-Tang pass in the North are the main components of the Valley’s infrastructure. People and materials are brought into the Valley in the South at the entrance to the Valley, which also forms the exit into the country for people and waste created in the Valley. Material distribution mainly happens by means of truck traffic, passenger transport by means of cars or by use of public transportation facilities. While there is only one route that connects all activity in the Valley, the traffic on this road is getting more and more pressured, especially in the tourist peak season. The jammed road reduces quality of the town centres that are positioned at the road and obstructs people from their businesses and daily activities, it dwindles the tourist experience and is responsible for an increased air pollution through exhaust gases. In order to establish a healthy flow system, the main conveyor needs to be able to run smoothly; a solution needs to be found on how to release pressure of the roads and also thereby minimize pollution. Tourism particularly characterizes the Valley and though enthusiastically welcomed by its inhabitants, it is responsible for many problems. Tourist population growth surmounts residential population growth eight times and is therefore an important input for demand of goods and accommodation and consequently for supply and eventually waste creation. Facilities in the Valley are not sufficient to host for the enormous tourist population. Waste ends up in the surrounding environment as tourists are not aware of the consequences of their polluting behaviour, as well as due to lacking collection and processing facilities, unable to
197
The agricultural belt stretches from underneath this tourist heart of the Valley until the South, where the Valley’s capital, Kullu, and the Valley’s airport, the Bhuntar-Manali airport, are located. Towns located in this area, are generally small and have a rural character. Apart from tourism, agriculture is the main source of income for the Valley, as has been explained in the former chapter. It provides the Valley with fruit, vegetables, crops, cattle and fish and provides goods for export to other states.
The four issues that have been identified for being the main components in this system of flows are Transportation, Tourism, Housing and Waste. These are each responsible for their own flaws, making the system vulnerable, and therefore will be approached one by one to see how improvements can be made in each segment. The reason for giving these four components such a clear, delineated definition is to show the correspondence of these challenges problems in the Kullu Valley with their occurence on a global scale. AREA’s aim is to showcase change on a smaller scale, such as the Kullu Valley, with the possibility to be exemplary for a much wider scale.
IN FOCUS
Looking at the map of the Valley, there is a clear subdivision of areas in terms of industries and associated position in the system of the Valley. While the North of the Valley, where most of the tourist attractions, and therefore tourist accommodations, are located, is characterised by being the consumer of the Valley in terms of resources. However, this area provides the Valley with an ever growing income due to its tourism industry. Not only is the North of the Valley popular for tourism because of its collection of monuments, it is also located at the beginning of most of the famous tourist treks that run over the Himalayan mountains and at the beginning of the Roh-Tang pass, which is a main motorway that reaches out into the Himalayan mountain range. Central in this tourist area is the relatively small city of Manali, that becomes overcrowded in the tourist peak season. The suction for resources from the south and adjacent states therefore transcends the extend of local supply.
in which the tourism industry has a large share, is taken to the industrial South, from where it is taken to Delhi to be processed.
AREA
cope with the increasing quantities. A problem that is also brought along by tourism, is an increasing loss of traditional culture in the Valley. Modern structures, accommodating hotels and guesthouses, overtake the idyllic character of the traditional towns, which used to be the main attractor for the arrival of tourism in the first place. The longing of people to take part in the tourism business insists on an overly rapid development of structures, whilst knowledge on traditional construction methods is getting lost. Not only does this building boom affect the Valley’s traditional culture, it also results in unsafe structures as time and money are being saved by self built solutions, while understanding of adequate construction of these modern structures is not always accurate. This leads into the third component of the resource flow system; Housing. To optimize the functioning of the Vallley’s system, within the segment of tourism, regulation and distribution of tourism should be improved, awareness of the impact of their behaviour will be important should be created and sufficient facilities should be provided.
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Transition of traditional Kath-Khuni houses to modern structures determined the change of scape of the Kullu Valley. While traditional housing methods were much more integrated with the natural context of the Valley, they naturally benefitted both the surrounding environment as the living conditions. The solid wooden and rock structure of the Kath-Khuni house provided a comfortable indoor climate in summer and winter. While when building a house according to traditional methods, positioning was done more accurately, allowing for optimal orientation towards the sun and wind protection and without creating an increased risks of landslides and floods. Modern structures are placed without much consideration, on locations where they are at risk for such hazards. The loose, dry joints of Kath-Khuni construction featured the buildings to be protected against earthquakes; old settlements in the Valley have survived centuries of hazards. As explained in the previous chapters, the life-cycle of the Kath-Khuni houses and the choice of material, made this traditional housing a much more sustainable solution. Modern structures, made of cement and bricks offered none of these advantages. Unfortunately, massive wood collection resulted in deforestation. While the government set their exclusive right on wood extraction in the Valley, building according to Kath Khuni methods was financially made impossible. With the start of construction of almost exclusively modern structures, demand for cement and bricks kept on growing, alongside an environmental challenge. The biggest challenge for the Housing component in the system is to find a building method and materials that answer the aspirations of the people as sufficient as the current method, but are safer and more sustainable. The fourth and last component that has been identified as being elementary for the health of the Valley’s system is
Waste. Similarly to the previous three components, waste is a growing challenge, not only on the scale of the Kullu Valley but also on a global scale. In developing countries waste accumulation can cause significant health and environmental problems, while it contaminates water and soil. Anywhere on earth where materials are not reused or recycled and eventually end up as waste, it being a linear process, waste treatment and disposal are responsible for significant carbon emissions. At the same time the world is being confronted with resource scarcity, water shortage and climate change, requiring a innovative solution for a sustainable system. Currently the main reasons for waste being a problem in the Kullu Valley, is firstly that the current facilities of the Valley can not deal with the extent of the growing amount of waste, caused by the ever growing (seasonal) population and secondly that the system for reuse, recycling and recovery is limited; waste remains waste. Another reason that the amount of waste is growing significantly is while former Kath-Khuni’s had a circular life-cycle and therefore did not generate much waste, let alone non-organic waste, the materials used for modern vernacular structures become non-recyclable waste at the end of their lifetime. Within the Valley, there are four towns in which these issues are most critical and will therefore serve as the site location for the four projects, each dealing with one issue, designed according to AREA’s framework. The current system calls for an improved resource flow of a circular figure; on one hand materials that the valley need to provide for its ever growing local and seasonal population should be sourced locally in order to decrease embodied emissions and on the other hand a proper recycling management should be introduced for materials that are at the end of their lifecycle. Mohal, a suburb of Kullu is currently home to the central waste facility that covers the majority of waste that is being produced in the valley. While there are phantoms of a waste separation system visible, the reality shows that large bulks of mixed waste are transported to Delhi, where they end up on even bigger dumps, illustrating the meaningless end of a linear process. To tackle this node in the system and introduce a new centre that provide the valley with new sustainable (building) materials and that facilitates the recycling process of materials that are at the end of their lifecycle is key to resurrecting the current system of flows. As Mohal is located at the entrance, likewise the exit of the Valley, it provides for the right location to regenerate the current facility into a sustainable resource- and waste centre. The designated location to deal with the housing challenge is Kullu. While being the Valley’s capital and main distribution centre as it is home to several markets, it has an exemplary role and the ability to widespread a new example.
Many new homes have been constructed over the past decades, a density sprawling from the centre of the city to its outskirts, establishing new suburbs. While Kullu is heart of the construction activity and the vibrant centre that is mirroring people’s aspirations, it is the most effective place to introduce a new housing solution.
IN FOCUS
Going thousand meters higher, a town is found that is widely known for its richness in local heritage. Naggar is home to one of the ancient jewels of the Valley, namely the Naggar castle, dating from the 13th century and besides, to a large stock of traditional Kath Khuni houses. While the town is currently hosting mainly day tourists that come on a stopover from Manali or Kullu, increasing numbers of hotels and other accommodation foretell an increasing interest of tourist in overnight stays as well. This predicts a move towards a similar situation as there is in Manali, where tourism overcrowds the local population, causing them unlivable situations with no respect to local heritage. While Manali is currently the hub where most tourist activity is centralised, achieving depth on a situation such as present in a town as Naggar provides the opportunity to look into preventative measures that protect a town of ever ending up in a pressuring situation as in Manali. As Manali is currently the main tourist hub that is suffering from overpopulation in peak season, it is also the most important node in the transportation network of the valley from where obstructions derive. Therefore, the city is allocated to engender improvement in transportation, to restore a reliable and constant flow that will benefit the entire system throughout the valley.
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The analysis shows that within the current system of flows in the Kullu Valley companents are not anticipated to adjacent components and therefore does not interact, nor support the performance of the other. According to AREA’s framework it is important that while designing for a new system, all components are part of a larger whole, that holistically enable a more resilient system to arise and perform. While each topic will be answered with an selfreliant design, that should be able to improve the current situation independently from the other three components, the design should regard to the performance of the other three components, aiming to collectively establish a better performing system of flows in which each of the issues will thrive. In the following chapter, AREA will proudly announce the proposal for a new system of flows, supported by four components located in respectively Mohal, Kullu, Naggar and Manali.
LOST OF CULTURE
MOBILITY
AIRPORT
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
TOURISTS
HOTELS
TREKKING
M
SUMPTION CON
FLOOD RESISTANT
SEISMIC PROOF
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
ORGANIC WASTE
NONRECYCALBLE
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
BUILDING UNSUSTAINABLE WASTE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
DISASTERS
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
SUPPLY
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
200
COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
WATER SCARCITY
CONFLICT
MONUMENTS
LANDFILL
OMODATION ACC
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
CLIMATE CHANGE
RESOURCES
ROAD TRAFFIC
OUT
POLLUTION
DEPREVATION
PEOPLE
IN
MOBILITY
AREA INEQUALITY
WASTE
PEOPLE
EMISSIONS
MATERIALS
LOST OF CULTURE
MOBILITY
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
TOURISTS
HOTELS
TREKKING
M
SUMPTION CON
SEISMIC PROOF
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
ORGANIC WASTE
NONRECYCALBLE
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
BUILDING UNSUSTAINABLE WASTE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
FLOOD RESISTANT
SUPPLY
DISASTERS
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
201
COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
WATER SCARCITY
CONFLICT
MONUMENTS
LANDFILL
OMODATION ACC
AIRPORT
IN FOCUS
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
CLIMATE CHANGE
RESOURCES
ROAD TRAFFIC
OUT
POLLUTION
DEPREVATION
PEOPLE
IN
MOBILITY
INEQUALITY
WASTE
PEOPLE
EMISSIONS
MATERIALS
IN PLAN
AREA
204
ABSTRACT
IN PLAN introduces a new proposal for an optimized system of flows within the Valley. The four strategies that are needed to implement as together they form the foundation for the functioning of the newly proposed system are the introduction of Circular Industry of Renewable Resources, the introduction of Alternative Transportation & Virtual Connectivity, the introduction of Safe & Healthy Buildings and of Promoting Selfsufficiency. These strategies will enable four design projects to thrive, which each focuses on a specific critical issue in the Valley; Resources, Housing, Tourism and Transportation. These four design projects all contribute in different ways to the functioning of the Valley’s system, but all embody the four strategies.
IN PLAN 205
“...think of every design decision as an opportunity to invest in the dignity of the places where you serve...””
-Michael Murphy MASS Design Group
AREA 206
A RESILIENT KULLU VALLEY
IN PLAN 207
AREA
208
INTRODUCTION
locations, on public transportation and on development in housing projects. This open source mapping will enable faster recovering in a post-hazard situation. More detailed information about this application will be explained in the section “Alternative Transportation & Connectivity”. In Kullu, which will be the primary site to deal with optimizing the housing situation, these materials will be used to showcase new methods of construction for housing. Within this new construction method hazard proof techniques and the concept of an optimised indoor climate will be reintroduced. Apart from demonstrating improved building techniques, the showcase will be exemplary when it comes to locating a project, with in consideration hazards and climate conditions. In Naggar, where the prospect of growing tourism is a most pressuring issue, a Tourist centre will be located, where waste collection and tourism transport can be centralised, but which mainly functions as an equal distributor of tourism throughout the valley in. This will be done through promoting the sustainable travelling through the existing trekkers network, which will stimulate an evolution from large scale accommodation, which is built on the same principles as the generic modern vernacular typology and therefore is responsible for the same challenges, to a small scale sustainable accommodation. This new accommodation typology will enable a second opportunity to promote the use of the newly introduced materials and an alternative building technique. In Manali the base station for an improved transportation system will be located that will revitalize the entire infrastructure of the valley. As it provides the base for a cable car network that transports both materials as people, road pressure in the valley will be released. Apart from managing logistics at the scale of the valley, this base station will showcase how to dilute the pressure of transport within a town. At the end of the cycle all the waste that has been produced in the Valley by both the use of tourists as locals, reaching from building waste to organic and non-organic waste, will end up in Mohal again, where the majority of the waste will be reprocessed into reusable materials that can be redistributed from the centre into all corners of the valley. A part of this waste will be used to generate biofuels that nourish the revitalized transportation system, which will be used for distribution of the materials.
IN PLAN
To apply AREA’s framework to the situation in the Kullu Valley, it is needed to zoom out and get an overview of the current system as a whole in order to enable an holistic approach, in which every intervention takes in account its effect on the performance of peering elements. In the interest of the development of an improved system, the situation in the valley has been analysed according to AREA’s framework, of which a set of challenges arose that show how the prospering of one element negatively influences another element, i.e. the considerable adoptability of working with a material on one hand leads to poor housing quality on the other hand. In the run to a solution, the system has been analysed as a whole according to AREA’s Framework, which is shown on the following page. From this analysis a clear overview has proceeded on the interrelation of material and people flows and on the Valley’s infrastructure. In terms of the establishment of a resource flow, the aim is to create a system that enables every stakeholder of the process to contribute to a circular system that is self-sufficient within the valley. More specific, the supplying factor of materials, the user of materials and the processor at the end of the lifetime of materials should all interact and respond in order to enable a circular flow. AREA proposes a new, integrated and complete system in which resources, housing, tourism and transportation, collectively ensure optimal functioning of the system as whole. Nevertheless, each project carries the ability to contribute independently from the performance of conjoining projects to improving within a certain field of interest, though benefiting the ones related. Since the demand for building materials is ever increasing due to a growing population and besides, is the main contributor to the Valley’s eco footprint and carbon emissions, the focus will be on the introduction of new recyclable materials. These materials need to substitute the current use of brick, steel and concrete. AREA’s research has designated that derivatives of bamboo and hemp are most suitable to be introduced in the valley as new building materials because of their application variety, their ability to grow locally and the fact that these materials are renewable. On the location in Mohal where currently the central waste facility is located, the proposal is to introduce a industry where building materials for several purposes are being prefabricated, made from primarily bamboo and hemp. In conjunction with the introduction of Mohal’s resource centre, a new source of virtual connectivity will be enabled through an open platform, accessible through an application for mobile phones or other devices. This application will cover extensive, open source information on the availability and price of materials, the locations on which they are available and ready to be picked up, on tourist accommodation
The following sections will give an insight on how the new system functions in terms of the newly introduced circular industry and resources, the alternative transportation & connectivity, safe & healthy buildings and the promotion of self-sufficiency. 209
CURRENT SYSTEM FLOWS N
ENTRANCE TO ROHTANG PASS
MANALI
ISM UR TO
Population: 8,096
FO OD
NAGGAR Population: 2,000 LTURE RICU ARG
WASTE
TOURISTS
D
FOO
WASTE
AREA KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL
1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
INDUSTR Y
Population: 3,150 LEGEND Distribution Centres Primary Roads Secondary Roads Tourist agglomeration Urban agglomeration Waste Centres
OTHER STATES OF INDIA ENTRANCE TO KULLU VALLEY
210
PROPOSED SYSTEM FLOWS N MANALI Population: 8,096
VIR CON TUAL NEC TIVIT Y
CABLE CAR NETWORK
REUSABLE RESOURCES BUILDING MATERIAL
NAGGAR Population: 2,000 M
SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING ACCOMODATION
REUSABLE RESOURCES
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING
BUILDING MATERIAL
KULLU
IN PLAN
p
m He
Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150
INDUSTRY
BIO-DIGESTER 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
Ba
m
bo
o
211
PEOPLE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
AIRPORT
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
TOURISTS
HOTELS
TREKKING
M
SUMPTION CON
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
FLOOD RESISTANT
SEISMIC PROOF
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
ORGANIC WASTE
NONRECYCALBLE
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
BUILDING UNSUSTAINABLE WASTE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
DISASTERS
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
SUPPLY
AREA
COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
WATER SCARCITY
CONFLICT
MONUMENTS
LANDFILL
OMODATION ACC
ROAD TRAFFIC
OUT
CLIMATE CHANGE
RESOURCES
MOBILITY
LOST OF CULTURE
IN
POLLUTION
DEPREVATION
WASTE
PEOPLE
MOBILITY
INEQUALITY
MATERIALS
EMISSIONS
CURRENT SYSTEM FLOWS
212
LOST OF CULTURE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
ECO-WASTE COLLECTION
ECO-BUS
AIRPORT
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
CABLE CAR VIRTUAL NETWORK CONNECTIVITY
M MONUMENTS
TOURISTS
HOTELS
TREKKING
BIOFUEL
M
SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING
SUSTAINABLE ACCOMODATION
SUMPTION CON
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
FLOOD RESISTANT
SEISMIC PROOF
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
SUSTAINABLE
NONRECYCALBLE
BUILDING WASTE
BIO-DIGESTER INDUSTRY
UNSUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
ORGANIC WASTE
SUPPLY
DISASTERS
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
IN PLAN
COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
WATER SCARCITY
CONFLICT
OMODATION ACC
ROAD TRAFFIC
CLIMATE CHANGE
RESOURCES
OUT
POLLUTION
MOBILITY
IN
PROPOSED SYSTEM FLOWS EMISSIONS
DEPREVATION
PEOPLE
MOBILITY
INEQUALITY
PEOPLE
213
DISTRIBUTED RESOURCE FLOWS N MANALI Population:8,096
REUSABLE RESOURCES BUILDING MATERIAL
NAGGAR Population:2,000 SUSTAINABLE ACCOMODATION
REUSABLE RESOURCES
AREA
p
m He
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING
BUILDING MATERIAL
KULLU Population:18,536 MOHAL Population:3,150
INDUSTRY
1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
Ba
m
bo
o
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CIRCULAR INDUSTRY & RESOURCES
D CE U K
SOC IOEC ON O CU EC LT ON U VA O L
DIS AS TE R R RE D RI S
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
Y
&
SO UR CE
S
M
IG H R FO R E
ENV LOW IRONMENTAL IMPACT
P
RG Y
IT RE
A D BLE AB & LE
H AN CE
L AI R AV FO AF
E EN
While the modern vernacular typology is very generic, the appearance of the valley becomes very homogeneous. Not only within the Valley buildings with divergent functions become similar looking, the once so enchanting and unique culture of the Indian HImalayas becomes homogeneous with cultures worldwide, which have also adopted this generic building style. The introduction of new materials enables new construction methods with locally sourced materials and allow for the traditional building culture to revive. This will encourage a more diverse culture and economy.
IN PLAN
With the introduction of the new industry the dependency on external sources disappears and will make place for a localized sustainable economy. In the traditional system of the Valley, in which Kath Khuni buildings were the larger number of the building stock, use of renewable materials was common, as the main construction materials were locally sourced deodar wood, slate stones and rocks. As the government put an exclusive right on the extraction of wood from the Valley’s forests to prevent from further deforestation, traditional renewable building materials became very expensive. While in the new system, renewable resources are locally sourced, this type of resource will become more affordable than it currently is, as the prices to get them on the market are lower than when they are sourced in areas outside the Valley. Also availability of renewable materials will increase, which will enable a building industry that can provide access to sustainable construction solutions.
H ALT
L & AL RA IC M E U
B IL MO
One of the key goals of the new industry is to enable a transition from a linear flow of resources to a circular flow. While in a linear flow a product ends up as unusable waste at the end of their life-cycle, a circular flow allows for this product to be reused for another purpose. This will not only decrease the demand for resources that come from out of the valley, and therewith a demand for long-distance, highly polluting transportation, but also the amount of waste that the Valley produces. Most of the waste of the Valley that is being collected at its current waste centres is being transported to Delhi where it is being burned or ends up as landfill. The primary goal of providing a circular industry is to decrease the environmental impact that the current building industry in the Valley has as it is currently based on external, non-renewable resources. The new industry will offer the building industry a variety of derivatives of hemp and bamboo, a renewable material that can be locally sourced.
HE
CE EN ILI ES
S& IC M
The modern vernacular typology is a product of the currently available and affordable resources of the Valley, but do not provide for good quality constructions, neither in a climatic nor in a structural sense. While ideally an exemplary construction method would be provided to the valley that would supports a healthy and comfortable indoor climate, as well as structural safety, the current system and possibilities of material use do not make this exemplary construction accessible. The way that concrete, bricks and steel are being used currently does not provide for safe and healthy living. Introduction of the new material will allow for a new construction method in which an optimised indoor climate and safer structures will be embedded. 215
BAMBOO
Currently the Government of India is already the biggest distributor of bamboo in the world. The national programme called the “National Bamboo Mission” is promoting bamboo industries and establishing bamboo plantations in the states where it will have social, economical and environmental advantages. The great advantage of bamboo is that it grows extremely rapid compared to other renewable resources that can be used for building materials and it can be used for many applications. Furthermore, the bamboo species’ that is specifically used for construction applications, called dendrocalamus giganteus and melocanna baccifera grows in the area of Palampur, which is only five hours away from the Kullu Valley and has a similar climate. Raw bamboo can be used for constructions in the form of beams and columns, but when its fibres are being pressed and glued, the laminated variant is even more utilizable for constructions. Moreover bamboo has the benefit of being extremely strong as it has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete and a tensile strength that is 3 to 4 times that of steel. After cutting, the bamboo strips can be used as finishing. From an environmental perspective, bamboo has a neutral carbon footprint compared to the high embodied emissions of concrete, steel and bricks. Since it is a natural material the main energy component comes from treatment or processing, which is being compensated by bamboo’s own ability to absorb carbon emissions while growing. Altogether this results in bamboo having a low environmental impact.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS:
GROWS IN 4 YEARS
NEUTRAL CARBON FOOTPRINT
3 TO 4 TIMES THE STRENGTH COMPARED TO STEEL
AREA
PROCESSING TIME LINE AND APPLICATION OUTCOME:
BAMBOO
• BEAMS AND COLUMNS
CUTTING
• ROOF,WALL & FLOOR FINISHES
TREATMENT
PRESS & GLUE
• BEAMS AND COLUMNS • REPLACE DEODAR IN VERNACULAR CONSTRUCTION
216
HEMP
Throughout the entire valley hemp is a product that is abundantly growing in nature. Currently, private hemp cultivation or cultivation with a commercial purpose is not legalised in the state of Himachal Pradesh. However in its neighbouring state Uttarakhand it has been legalised recently, enabling the local building industry to construct with it. Through showcasing what the introduction of hemp products can mean for the built environment in the Kullu Valley, AREA’s proposal aims to promote growing hemp for commercial purposes. Apart from its ability to grow locally, a main reason for introducing hemp in the new system is the large variety of applications in construction that its derivatives enable. In addition to bamboo, hemp complements the total selection of products which make it possible to construct the main components of a building, since the applicability of hemp in construction varies from insulation to construction components. After being cut, its loose fibres are the ultimate insulation material, having a typical U-value of 0,26 W/m2K for 150 mm thick insulation compared to a typical U-value of 0,29 W/m2k for mineral wool. Insulation is available as either hemp wool rolls or rigid hemp boards. As a replacement for bricks, hemp offers the ideal solution in the form of hempcrete blocks. The insulation value of hempcrete. As it is a mixture of cement and hempfibre it is also available as a rigid panel. The fact that this product consists of cement for 1/6 makes it not entirely carbon neutral, but improvements compared to the sole use of bricks and concrete is large. Just like bamboo, the time hemp needs to grow is shorter than the lifespan of the products that
KEY CHARACTERISTICS:
GROWS IN 4 MONTHS
NEUTRAL CARBON FOOTPRINT
SIMILAR INSULATION VALUE TO MINERAL WOOL
HEMP
CUTTING/ SHIFTING
• LOOSE INSULATION
IN PLAN
PROCESSING TIME LINE AND APPLICATION OUTCOME:
PRESSING
• RIGID INSULATION
HEMPCRETE
• REPLACE BRICK • REPLACE STONE IN VERNACULAR CONSTRUCTION • RIGID PANELS
217
LOST OF CULTURE
EMISSIONS
TRANSPORTATION ROAD TRAFFIC
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
AIRPORT
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
DEPREVATION
POLLUTION
TOURISM
INEQUALITY
MONUMENTS
TREKKING
M
SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING
SUMPTION CON
CONFLICT
HOUSING COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
FLOOD RESISTANT
SEISMIC PROOF
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
SUSTAINABLE
NONRECYCALBLE
BUILDING WASTE
UNSUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
INDUSTRY
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
ORGANIC WASTE
WATER SCARCITY
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
HOTELS
SUPPLY
AREA
DISASTERS
TOURISTS
CLIMATE CHANGE
M
218
Enable direct access to clean amenities Encouraging diverse culture & economy
RE D RI
RES OUR CE DE PLETION
Create a localized sustainable economy
ER GY
P
PO LLU TIO N
H AN CE
LOW ENVIRO L NMENTA IMPACT
EN
A CH TE A M CLI
IN PLAN
RE SO UR CE S
IG R FO ER H
M
INEQUALITY
INCLUSIVE
& ADOPTABLE
AB DA L E BL & E
Create a decentralized & distributive network EMISSIONS
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
L AI AV FOR AF
& Y LIT BI LO MO Y IT RS VE DI BIO
SS
RS STE SA DI
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER E NC LIE SI RE
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO CU EC LT ON U O VA
CONFLICT
D CE SK
ON ATI EV R P DE TH AL HE & S IC M L& L RA ICA M E LU
U
Provide access to sustainable construction
Promote resilient planning
E NG
Promote climatic response design Introduce circular flow of renewable resources
219
DIVERSE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK N MANALI Population: 8,096
VIR CON TUAL NEC TIVIT Y
CABLE CAR NETWORK
REUSABLE RESOURCES BUILDING MATERIAL
NAGGAR Population: 2,000 M
SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING
REUSABLE RESOURCES
AREA
BUILDING MATERIAL
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150
INDUSTRY
220
H ALT
CE EN ILI ES
D CE U K
SOC IOEC ON O CU EC LT ON U VA O L
DIS AS TE R R RE D RI S
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
IT Y
&
RE
SO UR CE
S
IG H R FO R E
M
A D BLE AB & LE
H AN CE
L AI R AV FO AF
ENV LOW IRONMENTAL IMPACT
P
E EN
establishment of a circular economy within the valley, as dependency of external sources will belong to the past. Another benefit of the fact that the cable car system does not rely on the conditions on the road is that it is a resilient means of transport in the case of an emergency situation. A second improvement in the Valley’s infrastructure will be through the implementation of an application that runs on the existing 3G network of the Valley, enabling an overall virtual connectivity throughout the Valley. This application will be available on all types of devices. Firstly, this application will provide residents in the Valley with information on availability and prices of resources, on the stock at certain locations and the ability to pick it up or let it be delivered. Secondly, it provides tourists with a map of the Valley, showing transportation options and accommodation locations. Thirdly, public transportation schedules and information will be provided for both tourists and residents. Lastly as the application creates an open source platform for communication, it will facilitate recovery response in the event of an disaster.
IN PLAN
A first intervention to decrease the environmental impact of the means of transport is to shift from polluting public transportation to public transportation that runs on biofuels, generated in Mohal’s resource centre. To release the pressure on the road, a share of goods and passengers that move around the valley needs to be transported by a different type of transportation. Therefore in the proposal for the new system a cable car network will be introduced. A first base station will be introduced in Manali, where it can cover transportation that goes from Old to New Manali, in order to make a traffic free zone of the centre. This has been appointed as being the most critical issue in the town of Manali. Ideally this network will expand all the way down to Bhuntar, from where it can cover all tourist transportation which release a big share of pressure of the main road. This cable car will not only optimize the current infrastructure, it could also function as a tourist attraction, as the views on the Valley will be astonishing. The optimized network will run from the airport in Bhuntar, to the Resource Centre where it covers transportation of the newly implemented (building) materials, to the capital of Kullu, to the town of Naggar where tourists go to the Tourist Centre to plan their further trip, to Manali where the final tourist destination is. This improved infrastructure will enable residents and tourist to get access to clean amenities. The new infrastructural system will also facilitate access to the newly implemented renewable building materials all over the valley, making sustainable construction accessible and improve adoptability of these sustainable building techniques. It will also contribute to
HE
L & AL RA IC M E U
B IL MO
Currently all transportation, of both passengers and goods relies on the main road. This central infrastructural vein leads from the entrance of the Valley, where is the airport in Bhuntar, to the entrance of the mountain range, where the Roh Tang Pass begins. As this road gets very pressured, especially in tourist peak season when approximately 2700 cars add up to the car traffic, exclusive reliance on this road can provoke dangerous situations. Not only is the supply of resources completely dependant on the functioning of this road, moreover in the event of a disaster any blockade will obstruct the entire system and the process of recovery. To improve resiliency of the Valley’s infrastructure, a decentralized and distributive network needs to be created. While physical expansion of the road network in a mountainous area can be a very profound operation and requires conscious planning, another solution had to be found. Furthermore, as polluting car and bus traffic are yet overtaking the quality of the town centres, which is creating dangerous, unhealthy and unpleasant situations, the aim is not to increase the possibility of car traffic leaking into the Valley’s living environments.
S& IC M
RG Y
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION & CONNECTIVITY
221
CABLE CAR NETWORK
CABLE CAR NETWORK BENEFITS Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
60%
100%
1000
AREA
CHEAPER/KM THAN NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION
RUN ON RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE
CARS REPLACED EVERY HOUR
(based on current project
(based on current project
(Based on a capacity of
of the rohtang pass)
of the rohtang pass)
5000 ppl/hour)
CABLE CAR NETWORK CHARATERISTICS Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
UP TO 5000 PEOPLE/HOUR IN ONE DIRECTION
DAY TIME PART OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM
20 KM/H
TRAVEL DISTANCE KULLU TO MANALI = 2.5 HRS
NIGHT TIME TRANSPORT OF GOODS
222
VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY THROUGH OPEN SOURCE ONLINE PLATFORMS ONLINE PLATFORM
A.R.E.A
A.R.E.A
KULLU
29%
7%
Ownership
MOBILE PHONE WITH 3G
93%
No ownership
71%
No ownership
Ownership
KULLU
COMPUTER WITH INTERNET
OPEN SOURCE DATA
ORDER ON DEMAND
SERVICES: BUILDING MATERIALS
NEW HOUSING EXAMPLES
RESOURCES FROM LOCAL DISTRIBUTERS
TREKKING MAP FOR HUT NETWORK
BOOK A TREKKING HUT
SMART CLUSTER PRINCIPLES
GOODS TRANSPORTATION
RESOURCE LOCATIONS (INDUSTRY & LOCAL)
SHARED TRANSPORT
TRAFFIC DATA
WASTE COLLECTION
RESOURCE NEEDS
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
IN PLAN
SAFE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL
USERS:
LOCAL POPULATION
TOURISTS
INDUSTRY
TRANSPORT NETWORK
MUNICIPALITY & PANCHAYATS 223
LOST OF CULTURE
MOBILITY
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
CABLE CAR
VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY
HOTELS
TREKKING
M MONUMENTS
TOURISTS
CLIMATE CHANGE
OMODATION ACC
DEPREVATION
AIRPORT
POLLUTION
M
SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING
HOUSING
SUMPTION CON
COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
FLOOD RESISTANT
SEISMIC PROOF
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
SUSTAINABLE
NONRECYCALBLE
BUILDING WASTE
UNSUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
INDUSTRY
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
ORGANIC WASTE
WATER SCARCITY
CONFLICT
INEQUALITY
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
ROAD TRAFFIC
SUPPLY
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
OUT
MOBILITY
AREA
DISASTERS
PEOPLE
IN
EMISSIONS
PEOPLE
224
Enable direct access to clean amenities Encouraging diverse culture & economy
RE D RI
RES OUR CE DE PLETION
Create a localized sustainable economy
ER GY
P
PO LLU TIO N
H AN CE
LOW ENVIRO L NMENTA IMPACT
EN
A CH TE A M CLI
IN PLAN
RE SO UR CE S
IG R FO ER H
M
INEQUALITY
INCLUSIVE
& ADOPTABLE
AB DA L E BL & E
Create a decentralized & distributive network EMISSIONS
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
L AI AV FOR AF
& Y LIT BI LO MO Y IT RS VE DI BIO
SS
RS STE SA DI
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER E NC LIE SI RE
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO CU EC LT ON U O VA
CONFLICT
D CE SK
ON ATI EV R P DE TH AL HE & S IC M L& L RA ICA M E LU
U
Provide access to sustainable construction
Promote resilient planning
E NG
Promote climatic response design Introduce circular flow of renewable resources
225
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING SETTLEMENTS N MANALI Population: 8,096
VIR CON TUAL NEC TIVIT Y
CABLE CAR NETWORK
NAGGAR Population: 2,000 M
SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING ACCOMODATION
AREA
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150
1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
226
SAFE & HEALTHY BUILDINGS
D CE U K
SOC IOEC ON O CU EC LT ON U VA O L
DIS AS TE R R RE D RI S
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
Y
&
SO UR CE
S
M
IG H R FO R E
ENV LOW IRONMENTAL IMPACT
P
RG Y
IT RE
A D BLE AB & LE
H AN CE
L AI R AV FO AF
E EN
IN PLAN
A very important ingredient that a new construction technique needed to incorporate was that construction is considerably understandable for people that want to selfbuilt. Therefore the detailing of the buildings will elaborate on the knowledge and skills that there is present in the valley, either through modern construction techniques or through building traditions that have been passed over for generations. To create healthy buildings, meaning healthy indoor climates, the new construction techniques will incorporate passive climate responsive design principles, so that little additional means are necessary to improve the indoor climate of the buildings. This way, comfortable living situations are embedded in the detail and no engineer is required. A very important intervention to achieve an improved indoor climate in both winter and summer situations, is application of materials with a high insulation value. The strategy to provide safe and healthy buildings answers to the goal of Primary Functions and Amenities as AREA’s vision is that primary living standards include safe and healthy housing.
H ALT
L & AL RA IC M E U
B IL MO
Modernisation of the construction environment in the Kullu Valley, brought a long several problematic outcomes. As has been mentioned before, the shift to the use of nonrenewable external resources for building components is responsible for a large increase in the Valley’s carbon and ecological footprint. The structures that evolve from the modern building methods with brick, concrete and steel are incredibly unsafe. As the use of concrete and bricks seemingly offers a wide range of possibilities of constructions, conscious planning went down the ladder of importance. The four projects in the four towns will each showcase different possibilities of constructions with the use of hemp and bamboo products, but the ultimate manifest will be located at the central bus station in the capital of Kullu,where a new housing project will display all varieties of safe construction and planning with the hemp and bamboo products. In the new constructions, several guidelines are taken in account. Many are derived from seismic safe constructions, such as symmetry in plan and section, a safe grid, safe building heights, equal load divisions and safe distances. Other guidelines apply to site planning, meaning a site should be picked in considerably hazard safe areas and for site preparation a safe slope cut needs to be created. Other measures that can be taken to improve hazard safety is to build with a building’s angles towards the peak of the mountain or create a slant that can brake any rubble coming down. Altogether, these guidelines will help to shift away from unsafe structures and promote resilient planning.
HE
CE EN ILI ES
S& IC M
227
SAFE CONSTRUCTION: SYMMETRY IN PLAN AND SECTION
REDUCING HAZARD EXPOSURE: GRID min. 4m max. 7 m SEPERATION at least every 3A or for asymetrical vertical growth
>7
A
SAFE DISTANCE between neighboring buildings
>7
SAFE DISTANCE to flood prone areas: min 50m
2A
min. 3m
AREA
HEIGHT max. 4 stories max. 3.5 m/story
x4
SAFE SLOPE CUT even cut and fill with slope grade
LOAD Reduce weight on top floor above 2 stories
x4
SAFE SLOPE CHOICE < 45° Not below steep slope Not close to precipice
OPENING AREA <33% of wall
OPENING FROM INT. CORNER min. 450 mm
OPENING FROM OPENING min. 560 mm
LANDSLIDE PROTECTION place building angles to divert rubble AVALANCHE PROTECTION Angle structure -15° from the nominal of slope SELF-BUILD SAFETY simple connections
15 °
228
PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN FOR COMFORTABLE AND HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
PASSIVE DESIGN PRINCIPLES:
RESULTING INDOOR TEMPERATURE: Source: Calculated with ARUP’s Passive Design Assistant 2017 - based on given passive design u-values
SUN SUMMER 74° shade min 0.9 m
C° 30 25 SUMMER CONDITION
SUN WINTER 31° max shade 1.8 m
VENTILATION 1/6 of floor area
WINDOWS HEAT max. 50% of surface - minimise north facing
20 15 10 5 0 00
PASSIVE HEAT maximise south facade exposure and openings
Desired max temp.
THERMAL MASS on sun exposed facades and floors
00 TIME Outdoor temp.
20
00 TIME
Indoor temp.
2D D
5H
WINTER CONDITION
20 15 10 5 0 -5
H
-10 00
SINGLE VENTILATION Distance < 2.5 H
20
IN PLAN
CROSS VENTILATION Distance < 5H
12
C° 25
INSULATION U-value 0.2 walls (w/m2k) 0.15 roof 0.2 floor
DAYLIGHT DEPTH 1.5-2x Floor to window head distance
06
2.5H H
06
12
Required heat Desired min temp.
Indoor temp.
Outdoor temp. 229
LOST OF CULTURE
MOBILITY
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
CABLE CAR
VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY
HOTELS
TREKKING
M MONUMENTS
TOURISTS
CLIMATE CHANGE
OMODATION ACC
AIRPORT
M
SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING
SUSTAINABLE ACCOMODATION
SUMPTION CON
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
FLOOD RESISTANT
SEISMIC PROOF
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
SUSTAINABLE
NONRECYCALBLE
BUILDING WASTE
UNSUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
INDUSTRY
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
ORGANIC WASTE
SUPPLY
AREA
DISASTERS
COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
WATER SCARCITY
CONFLICT
RESOURCES
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
ROAD TRAFFIC
POLLUTION
DEPREVATION
OUT
MOBILITY
INEQUALITY
PEOPLE
IN
EMISSIONS
PEOPLE
230
Enable direct access to clean amenities Encouraging diverse culture & economy
RE D RI
RES OUR CE DE PLETION
Create a localized sustainable economy
ER GY
P
PO LLU TIO N
H AN CE
LOW ENVIRO L NMENTA IMPACT
EN
A CH TE A M CLI
IN PLAN
RE SO UR CE S
IG R FO ER H
M
INEQUALITY
INCLUSIVE
& ADOPTABLE
AB DA L E BL & E
Create a decentralized & distributive network EMISSIONS
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
L AI AV FOR AF
& Y LIT BI LO MO Y IT RS VE DI BIO
SS
RS STE SA DI
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER E NC LIE SI RE
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO CU EC LT ON U O VA
CONFLICT
D CE SK
ON ATI EV R P DE TH AL HE & S IC M L& L RA ICA M E LU
U
Provide access to sustainable construction
Promote resilient planning
E NG
Promote climatic response design Introduce circular flow of renewable resources
231
SELF N SUFFICIENT INDUSTRY MANALI Population: 8,096
CABLE CAR NETWORK
NAGGAR Population: 2,000 M
SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING ACCOMODATION
AREA
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING
KULLU Population: 18,536 MOHAL Population: 3,150
INDUSTRY
BIO-DIGESTER 1 KM
5 KM
10 KM
232
PROMOTING SELF SUFFICIENCY
SOC IOEC ON O CU EC LT ON U VA O L
D CE U K
INCLUSIVE & ADOPTABLE
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
Y
&
RE
SO UR CE
S
H AN CE
IG H R FO R E
M
A D BLE AB & LE
ENV LOW IRONMENTAL IMPACT
P
RG Y
IT
E EN
IN PLAN
Provision from within the valley encourages a diverse culture and economy to arise anew. The Kullu Valley will have the opportunity to revive (building) traditions enabled by the introduction of new techniques and materials. An endemic culture will be encouraged which will be independent from generic trends that evolve outside of the Valley on a global scale, lacking any personality. Homogeneity will be evaded. Moreover, prospering within the Valley will not be susceptible to economic fluctuations on a larger scale, but a resilient sustainable economy will be created within.
DIS AS TE R R RE D RI S
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
L AI R AV FO AF
A very good option for remote or independent households or household clusters to be provided with electricity and heat is through solar PV cells and solar hot water. In the state of Himachal Pradesh private installations of PV panels is even being subsidized. One PV panel can provide 250 kWh per year, which means that an average household consumption, which comes down to 900 kWh per year needs around four solar panels. Fortunately, the Valley is exposed to sufficient solar radiance to provide households with enough electricity. Provision of hot water is achieved through a solar thermal collector that works as a heat exchanger for the water that is collected in a tank. Passive and climate responsive design principles will ensure self-sufficiency as no connection to the traditional grid is required. Furthermore, this strategy contributes to the goal of a low environmental impact as self-sufficiency from within the Valley’s facilities enables a circular flow of resources.
H ALT
L & AL RA IC M E U
B IL MO
Self-sufficiency is a very important factor when it comes to increasing an areas resiliency. On a household scale, AREA’s definition of self-sufficiency applies to self reliability in terms of energy and water provision. On the scale of the Valley, selfsufficiency also applies to self-provision of resources, such as building materials. When a household or a household cluster provides its own water and energy, it is less reliant on any external source or infrastructure in the case of a disaster.
HE
CE EN ILI ES
S& IC M
233
GLOBAL HORIZONTAL IRRADIANCE
N
Source: NIWE (2016)
10°
20°
MANALI 30° NAGGAR
40° 50° 60°
6 PM
KAIS
6 AM
70°
KULLU
80°
4 PM SHAMSHI
8 AM
BHUNTAR
2 PM
10 AM
12 AM
SAINJ
BANJAR
ANI
NERMAND
255-290 W/m2
SUMMER:
230 -255 W/m2
MONSOON: 5,89 KWH/M²/DAY
200 - 233 W/m2
WINTER:
S
5,99 KWH/M²/DAY 3.94 KWH/M²/DAY
AREA SOLAR PV CELLS
SOLAR HOT WATER
Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
ONE PANEL OF 1.6 M2 = 250 KWH/YEAR
ONE 2 M2 PANEL = 150 LITRE HOT WATER PER DAY
AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION = 900 KWH/YEAR (5-6 PEOPLE)
AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION = 250 LITRE HOT WATER (5-6 PEOPLE)
234
WATER HARVESTING - YEARLY PERCIPITATION
ANNUAL BIO GAS PRODUCTION: BAMBOO FARMING
Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
JANUARY
120 MM
FEBRUARY
190 MM
MARCH
210 MM
APRIL
140 MM
MAY
110 MM
JUNE
140 MM
JULY
290 MM
AUGUST
250 MM
SEPTEMBER
130 MM
OCTOBER
40 MM
NOVEMBER
30 MM
DECEMBER
70 MM
TOTAL
BUILDING MATERIAL
34 TON O2
4 TON CULM
1 HA BAMBOO
7 TON LEAVES
47 TON CO2
500 M3 BIOGAS
1 HA BAMBOO = 11 KM BUS FUEL
ANNUAL BIO GAS PRODUCTION: HEMP FARMING Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
BUILDING MATERIAL
1800 MM
WATER HAVESTING - COLLECTION Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
AVERAGE WATER USAGE: 45 L/DAY/PERSON IN RURAL AREAS 100 L/DAY/PERSON IN URBAN AREAS
1 HA HEMP
22 TON CO2
1 HA HEMP = 8.2 KM BUS FUEL
GREY WATER FILTRATION & SEPTIC TANK
BIO-GAS PRODUCTION IN HOUSEHOLDS
Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
Source: Bulding Under The Himalayas Encyclopedia (2017)
GREY WATER FILTRATION: FILTRATION AREA = 1.25 M2/100 LITRE GREY WATER
ORGANIC WASTE/PERSON/DAY 0.123 KG/DAY - SEWAGE 0.3 KG/DAY - FOOD & OTHER
SEPTIC TANK: SEWERAGE FLOW/ PERSON = 1.5 L/MIN/DAY SEPTIC TANK SIZE = 0.2 M3/PERSON
BIO GAS FROM HOUSEHOLD 1 KG WASTE = 0.085 M3 BIOGAS 0.085 M3 = 3 HRS COOKING GAS
10 TON STALK 4.2 TON LEAVES
357 M3 BIOGAS
IN PLAN
WATER TANK SIZE SHOULD BE OF 20% LARGER CAPACITY THAN REQUIRED A SIMPLE BIO FILTER WILL REMOVE 99% OF PATOGENS
16 TON O2
235
LOST OF CULTURE
MOBILITY
ECO-WASTE COLLECTION
ECO-BUS
AIRPORT
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION
CABLE CAR VIRTUAL NETWORK CONNECTIVITY
MONUMENTS
TOURISTS
HOTELS
TREKKING
M
SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLING
SUSTAINABLE ACCOMODATION
SUMPTION CON
BIO DIVERSITY LOSS
FLOOD RESISTANT
SEISMIC PROOF
LANDSLIDE RESISTANT
TRADITIONAL
MODERN
SUSTAINABLE
NONRECYCALBLE
BUILDING WASTE
BIO-DIGESTER INDUSTRY
UNSUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
ORGANIC WASTE
SUPPLY
AREA
DISASTERS
WIND FOREST PROTECTION CONSERVATION
WATER SCARCITY
COMFORTABLE OPTIMAL CLIMATE SUNLIGHT
CLIMATE CHANGE
M BIOFUEL
OMODATION ACC
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
CONFLICT
RESOURCES
ROAD TRAFFIC
POLLUTION
DEPREVATION
OUT
MOBILITY
INEQUALITY
PEOPLE
IN
EMISSIONS
PEOPLE
236
Enable direct access to clean amenities Encouraging diverse culture & economy
RE D RI
RES OUR CE DE PLETION
Create a localized sustainable economy
ER GY
P
PO LLU TIO N
H AN CE
LOW ENVIRO L NMENTA IMPACT
EN
A CH TE A M CLI
IN PLAN
RE SO UR CE S
IG R FO ER H
M
INEQUALITY
INCLUSIVE
& ADOPTABLE
AB DA L E BL & E
Create a decentralized & distributive network EMISSIONS
NETWORK OF ASTRUCTURE INFR
L AI AV FOR AF
& Y LIT BI LO MO Y IT RS VE DI BIO
SS
RS STE SA DI
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & AMENITIES
WA TER SC AR CI TY DI SA ST ER E NC LIE SI RE
LOS SO FC UL TU RE SO CIO -E CO NO CU EC LT ON U O VA
CONFLICT
D CE SK
ON ATI EV R P DE TH AL HE & S IC M L& L RA ICA M E LU
U
Provide access to sustainable construction
Promote resilient planning
E NG
Promote climatic response design Introduce circular flow of renewable resources
237