SPACES Nepal JAN-FEB 2019

Vol 15 No 6 Jan-Feb

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Contents Vol 15 No 6 | JAN-FEB

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22

ARCHITECTURE

P

A

C

26

E

S

N

E

P

ARCHITECTURE

A

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N

E

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30

URBAN DESIGN

Discover Palpa

Water supply in Kathmandu Valley

The Un-moving Traffic

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51

SAFETY

INTERNATIONAL

Myths and Fact of Fire Ratings

Times Square Mall

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62

ART

The Rise of Watercolors, Again

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INTERIOR

Modern Color Modern Architecture

CONSERVATION

Timber Architecture of Jhapa

70

INTERIOR

Musicology

Contributors

VOL 15 NO 6 | JAN-FEB CEO

Ashesh Rajbansh Editor-in-Chief

Ar. Sarosh Pradhan Contributing Art Editor

Madan Chitrakar Kasthamandap Art Studio

Madan Chitrakar

Kai Weise

Chhavi Vashisht

Asha Dangol

Prabal Dahal

Sumina Tha Shrestha

Brinda Shrestha

Shweta Shakya

Hemantika R.L. Palikhe

Prabina Shrestha

Sunnel Kumar Shrestha

Rahul Bajracharya

Consulting Editor

Prabina Shrestha Junior Editor

Shreya Amatya Pratap Jung Khadka Tejal Rayamajhi Contributing Editor

President of Society Of Nepalese Architects (SONA) Advisor

Prakash Bahadur Amatya Ar. Pawan Kumar Shrestha Ar. Prajal Pradhan Kirti Kusum Joshi Photographers

Pradip Ratna Tuladhar Director- Operation & Public Relation

Anu Rajbansh

SR. Business Development Officer

Debbie Rana Dangol

Business Development Officer

Siddhartha Jung Khadka Legal Advisor

Yogendra Bhattarai Financial Advisor

Kiran Rajbhandary Accountant

Pratima Sherpa Subscription and Distribution Officer

Rohit Khadgi Intern

Sudikshya Dongol Ikchha Pokharel Prithvi Jung Khadka Madhu Pandey Sajeet Rajbhandari Sandesh Shrestha Published by

IMPRESSIONS Publishing Pvt.Ltd. Kopundole, Lalitpur, GPO Box No. 7048, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Phone: 977-1-5181125, 977-1-5180132 info.spaces4@gmail.com Design/Layout & Processed at DigiScan Pre-press

Printed at Wordscape The Printer, 9851037750 Distribution

Kasthamandap Distributors, Ph: 977-1-4247241 Advertising and Subscriptions

IMPRESSIONS Publishing Pvt.Ltd. Ph: 977-1-5181125, 977-1-5180132 spacesnepalmarketing@gmail.com spacesnepal.net

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Madan Chitrakar is a senior artist and an art- writer based in Kathmandu. As a leading art writer of the country, on many occasions he has taken Nepali Art beyond the borders - through his writings in many prestigious publications abroad - notably in Japan, India and Bangladesh. Two well acclaimed books Tej Bahadur Chitrakar - Icon of a Transition’ 2004 and ‘Nepali Art: Issues Miscellany’ - 2012 remain to his credit, in addition to the numerous writings on Art and Culture in English and Nepali. Presently, he is associated with Tribhuvan University, Central Department of Fine Arts and Kathmandu University, Center for Art and Design as a member of the respective Subject Committee.

Kai Weise is a Nepali national of Swiss origin who has been working as a planner and architect in the Himalayan Region. Kai Weise has been facilitating the establishment of management systems for World Heritage properties and was involved in earthquake response and rehabilitation for the culture sector in Nepal and Myanmar. He is president of ICOMOS Nepal and fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies, Durham University.

Chhavi Vashist is a Delhi-based, graduate in Bachelors of Architecture and Post Graduate of Landscape Architecture. She is experienced in content writing as an Interior Designer. She is a blogger, and working as a faculty of Interior Designing. She is practicing as an architect and her firm undertake projects of varied complexity in terms of Architectural Design and Execution, ranging from Concept making, Space planning, Detailed designing, Interior Designing, Fresh construction, Addition and Alterations in existing buildings, and Renovation work for every type of Residential, Commercial, Retail projects.

Asha Dangol is a contemporary Nepali visual artist.

He is co-founder of the Kasthamandap Art Studio and E-Arts Nepal. He holds Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Tribhuvan University, and has been creating and exhibiting his art since 1992. He has 10 solo art exhibitions to his credit. Dangol has participated in numerous group shows in Nepal and his work has been exhibited in different countries outside Nepal. The artist experiments with painting, mixed media, ceramics, installation, performance and video.

Prabal Dahal is a recent graduate of Bachelors of Architecture from Kathmandu Engineering College, an enthusiastic writer- interested in buildings, urban design and conservation. Former President of Association of KEC Architecture (AKAR), he has been writing articles for various functions since high school. At the moment he is serving as an International Services Director at Rotaract Club of Budhanilkantha. He also enjoys participating in various national Architectural events.

Sumina Tha Shrestha is a practicing architect who has recently joined the Masters program for Energy efficient Buildings at IOE, Pulchowk. She received her undergraduate in architecture from Khwopa Engineering College, Bhaktapur. Having keen interest in traditional architecture, Sumina also enjoys singing and writing. Besides this she loves to spend her spare time with friends and enjoys making new acquaintances. She is a strong believer in exploring architecture through traveling.

Brinda Shrestha is an architect/ urban planner who have worked as a former assistant professor in Nepal Engineering College. She has been working in the field of architecture and planning under different private consultancies, research and educational institutions in Nepal. Her major passion is exploring cities and its architecture through travelling and writing articles on architectural and urban issues.

Shweta Shakya is a writer, architect and a culture and heritage enthusiast. An avid reader and traveller, she is keen on exploring different cultures and places. She graduated from Khwopa Engineering College and is currently working within the framework of sustainable development with community participation.She likes to indulge herself in the pursuits of diverse ingenuity.

Hemantika R.L. Palikhe is an architect by profession with a flair for all things encompassing design. Being a spoken word poet, she enjoys performance, takes writing as a form of therapy, loves travelling and with that hopes to help people with what she does.

Prabina Shrestha a senior chief architect in A for Architecture has done her B.Arch from Pulchwok Campus and Masters in Sustainable Urban Design from Lund University, Sweden. Former lecturer in Kathmandu Engineering College, Himalayana Engineering College and Kantipur International College, she has also been awarded in International Architecture Competition and has keen interest in writing.

Sunnel Kumar Shrestha is the founder/current president of APSA Nepal Chapter. He also is the CEO at E3 POWER. He is a fire safety consultant who has been in the fire safety for the last two decades conducting fire risk assessment and fire safety trainings.

Rahul Bajracharya graduated from Kathmandu Engineering College in Architecture and is currently associated with Sarosh Pradhan and Associates believes in travelling and exploring new places to expand ones horizon and is passionate about sports. As an Architect, he feels the necessity to focus on the stories of the user with its function and aesthetics. After all he feels every story is special.

Regd. No 30657/061-62 CDO No. 41 SPACES is published twelve times a year at the address above. All rights are reserved in respect of articles, illustrations, photographs, etc. published in SPACES. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher and the publisher cannot accept responsiblility for any errors or omissions.

Those submitting manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials to SPACES for consideration should not send originals unless specifically requested to do so by SPACES in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other submitted material must be accompanied by a self addressed return envelope, postage prepaid. However, SPACES is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. All editorial inquiries and submissions to SPACES must be addressed to spaces.editor@gmail.com or sent to the address mentioned above.

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Editorial Art and architecture are increasingly intertwined, in the sense that both portray mainly through their aesthetical manifestation on the cultural, political and social norms that persist within us and our lifestyle. Architecture is not just designing for a structure to come but more of an exercise towards creating our own identity.

This issue tries to make the connection between art and architecture. The current problems persisting in society can be explored through art, it can open a space for uncomfortable truths to emerge; but what structural interventions can architecture focus and support to better the lives of the mankind. SPACES Magazine has covered various artists that explore themes on the gravities of modernity and articles on pressures that drive urbanization that the unregulated urban sprawl has created. Concurrently, it has also told stories of organizations and individuals driving the conservation of the environment and heritage sites. However spread out as they maybe, these projects intertwine to tell a story of current Nepal, stepping towards modernization. These individuals’ stories hold optimism as the journey of artists, researchers and architects speaks much of the inspiration on the future they are building.

Enjoy!

Ashesh Rajbansh / CEO

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NEWS

HERITAGE & HONEST PEOPLE

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n 21st December, 2018 first solo exhibition of The Artist Rupak Rai titled, “Heritage & Honest People” was inaugurated by the chief guests; president of AWON, Ms. Baba Sarkar Shrestha and fashion designer, Mr. Astik Sherchan. Along with the Chief guests, the senior artist Hem Poudel and senior literate Mrs. Ganga Poudel were honored as special guests.

Going through his works, we could easily feel a sense of awareness has been spread to the locals. Each and every work has a meaning that the normal person can understand. His works are usually influenced from the arts and architectures that have surrounded the valley. During the speech, he stated, “As I was grown up in a culturally rich Kathmandu Valley, once called the city of temples,

I have a great admiration towards the heritages and I am worried and more concerned towards their preservation.” Nowadays due to urbanization, heavy traffic and increasing pollutions all the beauty of our city is covered with dust and as in verge of destruction. He has expressed his sentiments with a different view and situation from current scenario, like the pigeons enjoying and drinking water from the Buddha’s statue. His works have shown the love he has towards the honest, hardworking and dedicated people who worship their work.

He has used different mediums of art to showcase his feelings creating canvas, etching prints and wood cut art works. The Artist admires and

respects fellow beings who dare to take themselves to the extent of craziness for the sake of art. The inauguration program was concluded by a soulful poem recited by the Artist about his life before and after entering in the art field which was then followed up by a speech, giving thanks, from the coordinator of Classic Art gallery. The exhibition will continue until the 21st January, 2019. n

senior artist Deepak Joshi in Nepal Art Council, Babermahal.

The event was inaugurated by Legendary Historian Satyamohan Joshi as a chief guest and accompanied by Ramesh Khanal, Lok Chitrakar, Uday Charan Shrestha and the artist’s Parents as Special Guests. During the inauguration the artworks of Deepak Joshi was briefed by Senior Art Critic Ramesh Khanal , and the history of his career was elaborated by Artist Uday Charan Shrestha. He was also publicly honored with Rs Five hundred thousand five for his contribution in the field of art.

RECOLLECTED DISPLAY OF ARTIST DEEPAK JOSHI

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n 13th November, 2018 with the concept of displaying the artist’s contributions towards the Paubha art and spreading its awareness, Nepal Traditional Painting Council organized a solo art exhibition that lasted four days, of the

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Paubha is an art form which is based on Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, and the images represent ideologies which are related to these religious themes. As a painter who has created numerous Paubha paintings throughout his career. Among 38 paintings displayed, 2 were oil paintings; different from the medium of Paubha art. All of his works shows dedication, hard work and commitment.

He has also traced a couple of myths associated with the emergence of Paubha painting.

Additionally, he has given presentations on Paubha Painting in various museums all over the world. Usually, he emphasizes on how one has to be ‘willing to immerse into a realm of spirituality with rigorous devotion” in order to become a Paubha Artist. n

NEWS

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NEWS

INTERIOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARD 2018 B

erger SPACES Interior Design Excellence Award 2018, IDEA Awards is organized by SPACES Magazine which is sponsored by Berger (J&N) Nepal Pvt. Ltd. IDEA is the only national level interior design competition held in Nepal and is open to all professionals and students studying architecture and interior design.

Interior design is an art that makes a space pleasant, livable and functional. Before it was a luxury, only affordable by the wealthy, but these days, it has become a normal part of life for most households.

This competition aimed to encourage and reward students and professionals who are passionate about interior design and use critical thinking to come up with new ideas and technologies and create outstanding designs. It also hoped to create new opportunities for students and professionals alike and uplift the current scenario and bring back the forgotten richness of Nepalese interior design. The competition has been successful in fulfilling all these goals and more.

The competition was launched on November 23rd 2018 during the Building and Construction Expo at Bhrikuti Mandap and officially opened for the interested candidates for the registration. A brief presentation about the competition was given by Ar.

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Pawan Kumar Shrestha. The participants, both students and professionals, had been given certain criteria. Other two presentations were given by Ar. Prabina Shrestha from A for Architecture on the impact that design can have, and by Mr. Pramod Oberoi, Chairman of Nest Furniture who has dedicated his life in the field of interior design and furniture more than three decades, talked about how we need creativity backed by technical design when it comes to interior designing in Nepal. The event ended with a question and answers session.

For the students studying architecture and interior design who participated in the competition, they were asked to design a restaurant at Chhaya Complex, Thamel. The registered participants were taken for a site visit at the complex where Mr. Kishor Gurung, Senior Business Development Manager of Chhaya Complex had given a brief introduction of the site. The participating students had submitted the 2-D and 3-D renderings of their design which were shortlisted by the Jurors and further the shortlisted participants got the chance to present their designs. Top five designs were selected by the jury panel and the selected five designs competed online for online voting. A lucky draw was also announced for the Vote and Win Contest.

NEWS

For professional interior designers who wished to enter this competition, they could submit their projects that have been completed within 2018 in two categories, Residential and Commercial. The participants had to submit their project concept, floor plan and corresponding images. The panel of judges will shortlist the submitted projects from both the categories then will visit the sites to finalize the winners.

Given the still budding scenario of interior design in Nepal, it is vital that we encourage up and coming interior designers and provide them with the support they need. Berger SPACES Interior Design Excellence Award 2018 is a strong step that will encourage new ideas and promote creativity within the field of interior design. n

SILENCE NO LONGER

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n the 30th of October, HE Peter Budd, the Australian Ambassador to Nepal, formally launched the book, “Silence No Longer: Artivism of Ashmina”, at Hotel Shanker. The event was moderated by Australian Awards Alumna,Dr. Amina Singh, and also included commentators: Associate professor in KU school of Art, SujanChitrakar, Art researcher Promina Shrestha and Co founder of Katha Ghera Gunjan Dixit.

“Silence No Longer” is a volume of critical essays and colour photographs addressing Ashmina Ranjit’s life-work where the impact of Artivism has been analyzed and illustrated, with the main purpose to question the political, social, and cultural habits of everyday life. It is founded on collaboration, and the book, fittingly, is a collaborative work. Twelve scholars from all around the world, including art historians, social scientists, anthropologists, art critics and curators, feminists, and independent scholars from the education and development fields, share their critical perspectives on her work. She is an interdisciplinary ‘artivist’ who works on themes related to cultural roles, human rights and other pressing socio-political issues where a complete picture of Ashmina, including her edges, her motivations, her mind and soul are shown. She has dedicated her life to bringing peace and transcendence to a society in which many topics central to life remain suppressed by traditions, values, norms, and politics.

By collecting and analyzing her work, Silence No Longer provides a fantastic basis for all the people interested in how open expression can contribute to creating such change. With its collaborative focus, the retrospective it offers on the past decades of change in Nepali politics and society, the depth of critical commentary contained in the essays, and the photos that allow both process and product of her art to reach readers once again, this is a book of unique depth and breadth that will continually inspire readers to set forth on risky paths toward positive change. Such change will only come through collaboration and a multiplicity of voices. Speaking aloud the things that weigh on one’s mind and heart, questioning the unquestioned patterns of life and giving unheard people a voice through art and a chance to grow through activism. All of this and much more are encompassed in the art of Ashmina Ranjit. n

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NEWS

SHARED SKIES “I look for quiet human activities amidst a crowd, where a person creates boundaries but there is openness. A person feels relaxed and inside their personal space.

I look at people’s choices of objects and their arrangement. I depict human activities without the presence of human figures.”

A

n exhibition entitled Baadiyeka Aakash | Shared Skies was held from 2 December 2018 to 10 January 2019 by Artist Sunita Maharjan, a visual artist and art educator from Kirtipur, Kathmandu. She is one of the two Nepalese artists selected to join the MFA program at the Beaconhouse National University in Lahore, Pakistan from January 2019.

Before leaving for her studies, she had exhibited the composition of all her prominent artworks created over the past five years. The exhibition included paintings, prints and textile and was curated by Sharareh Bajracharya. She has experimented beyond the conventional canvas with different art mediums and material as her brush strokes are replaced with stitches and layering of fabric.

Her fascination with spaces and architecture of people in different regions is evident in all her works. It also reveals her childhood memories and attachments to the places that she has lived or visited.

Her artworks mostly depict the human dwellings of rural and urban spaces, mostly of Marpha, Gatlang and Kathmandu. It portrays the yearning of open spaces in a different context and how a man creates spaces relating to his needs, culture,

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beliefs and climatic conditions. In the Marpha series, she has illustrated the disparity between the atmosphere inside and outside of the courtyards of Marpha, a remote village in the Himalayas, with nebulous patches of fabric her winding stitches and thread, defining the patterns and movements.

In Marpha, people build stone walls around clusters of houses to block the wind and capture warmth. Sunita expresses how people create their spaces according to their environment and needs which makes it distinct.

In one of her art, she has used patches of her own t-shirt which makes it more personal. She admitted that the artworks on textile were inspired by the famous Japanese quilt arts but as she began contemplating with her art, nostalgia started to stir. Memories of her childhood and family had started to come back and realised that her passion for working with textile was germinated from her childhood as she too used to assist her mother and grandmother to sew quilts for her family.

For that reason, her artworks invoke her own sentiments and also realized that she had been weaving her past which she had long forgotten.

Her Earthquake series gives a narrative of her own personal experiences, how people reacted and adapted to their surroundings in the face of uncertainties. The radical displacement of the people and their belongings, and how they strive to piece their lives together are expressed through photo collages, acrylic and charcoal paintings Similarly, the urban sprawl in the Kathmandu valley and its lack of public open spaces is animated in her terrace series, represented through stencil making and layers of prints on textile.

She quotes that, amidst the busy layers of people, houses, vehicles lifestyle needs there is a layer where humans create quiet personal spaces and these places lie in between the inside and outside, the personal and impersonal, quiet and crowded.

Likewise, in her Kirtipur series, the colourful urban landscape and the people of Kirtipur is depicted through photograph cut-outs. Since, her studio at Kirtipur, this artwork was inspired as she overlooked from her studio.

The viewer begins to understand the artist’s creative process over time. Her works have evolved as she explored different mediums and travelled to different places. The developmental phases of aesthetic expression are slowly transformed into transitive expression. She implied that art cannot change the world but it sure can make people stop and ponder.

For some, art isn’t just about the aesthetics, but an embodiment of one’s sentiments, impressions and memories. Sunita Maharjan’s art exhibition ‘Shared Skies’ is the paragon of this statement. n

NEWS

MICRO-GALLERIES:

ENLIVENING THE STREETS OF PATAN

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icro-galleries, a global, roaming arts initiative commenced on November 23 till December 7 2018.

With the intention to transform public spaces into open canvases of contemporary, multidisciplinary arts, it engaged the community in the creative process, using art as a tool to create a positive impact on the community. The alleys, lanes and chowks of Patan instigated creative interventions such as open-air galleries, workshops, installation arts, projections and many more which were accessible to all.

Micro galleries partnered with Kaalo 101, a local arts organisation located at Nagbahal to celebrate this international art festival with the participation of more than 50 local and international artists and scientists. They were required to understand and reflect the outstanding social issues of the communities and its formidable consequences and thereby raising awareness about the possible solutions, in the form of art. With the prominent theme of “Empower”, the series of concepts revolved around environmental issues, women, youth, LGBTI community and different aspects of the community. Over 100 works of art were realized in nooks and corners of Patan The opening night of Micro galleries was held at Nagbahal Ga:hiti (depressed water spout). It was fascinating to see how a public space, abandoned because of the dwindling water from the spout, was rejuvenated with live music, poetry and lights.It subliminally sent a message of the water shortage in Patan but the particular space was reimagined differently from its original use. Who would’ve imagined an abandoned water spout being used as an open air

theatre? This is the true spirit of micro-galleries; reclaiming abandoned and forgotten spaces and curating it to an art space accessible to all.

Kishan Shrestha, the artist resident at Kaalo 101 believes that such art movements will bring together the dynamic communities of artists and would help to grow and spread beyond Kathmandu. He hopes that this movement would inspire the youth and create a positive change by bridging the generation gaps.

“We believe that art and creativity can bring a micro change on a large scale. Artists as visionaries and imaginers can help look at the problems and the solutions of different aspects of the community, in a different light.” explained Kat Roma Greer, global artistic director of Micro galleries.

All in all, Micro-galleries is an intersection between architecture, artists and the community. Responding to the people, architecture and the outstanding issues of the community, it animated the streets of Patan, demonstrating that art is for everyone and is not limited to a canvas. It also presented that art can instigate a change in a small way but can have a powerful impact on the community. n

THE “COSMOPOLITAN” AT WOODCRAFT.

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ucked behind a small alleyway in Sathghumti, Thamel, lies a welcoming gallery that specializes in woodworks and woodcrafts. Run and managed by the Bajracharya family, this gallery recently showcased an art exhibition titled as, “Cosmopolitan,”

which included works from both domestic and international artists. The exhibition; which began on October 27th, 2018; showcased ink sketches

by Giovanna Caruso and Carluccio Sangalli, contemporary paintings

by Batsa Gopal Vaidya, Shreejan Rajbhandari and Erina Tamrakar, Paubha art by Rabi Shrestha, and even included works from the Bajracharya Family themselves; with Punya Raj Bajracharya and Pratham Raj Bajracharya presenting traditional sculptures while Sapta Raj Bajracharya explored the realms of contemporary sculpture with his works. The exhibition intended on visiting themes from a large spectrum

of styles and aesthetics, from exhibits that showed the established and cultural art styles to works that looked at experimental approaches and unconventional aesthetics.

Besides exhibiting and promoting a neo-classical approach to art, Woodcraft gallery also provides training courses to woodwork and sculpting, from novice courses to courses that have been designed for professionals wanting to take their skill to the next level. Keeping in mind the tradition and history that woodwork and sculpting has in our Nepali society, the gallery aims in creating and promoting new styles that are unique yet familiar to today's era. n

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NEWS

FESTIVAL OF ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGNING 2018

CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF FOAID A

lavish inaugural launched by distinguished architects and designers kick-started the Festival of Architecture and Interior Designing into its 5th year of design celebration.

As FOAID received over 3000 prolific minds from around the country at the Mumbai edition, it truly transformed into a networking platform to exchange ideas, inspire and engage in knowledgeable conversations about the design industry.

The Design Arena had visitors witness art and furniture installations designed by students. Illustrious architects and designers showcased over 250 built, unbuilt and ongoing national and international projects at the exhibition. FOAID brought about an air of interaction and expanding vision.

Boasting of distinguished panelists, speakers and jury members, the conference organized presentations, panel discussions, keynote addresses and competitions across two days. A range of panel discussions were devised keeping in mind the theme, ‘Time to Re:lmagine’. These covered a wide range from discussion over the state of the profession at present to presenting personal views over the practice of collaborating with foreign firms. The event hosted an exclusive presentation by Ar. Mustapha Khalid

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Palash, Vistaara Architects, Bangladesh and an exceptional keynote address by Dr. Ken Yeang, T.R. Hamzah and Yeang, Malaysia. Eminent designers like Fahed Mujeed, Asha Sairam, Tony Kunnel, Nuru Karim, Yatin Patel, Naresh Narasimhan and many more delivered compact and inspiring presentations on varying topics.

FOAID successfully landed Ar. Tony Joseph from Stapati, Kerala to grace the event as one of the esteemed speakers.

His topic, ‘5 secrets of my design process’ was particularly fascinating to witness first-hand. Starting off, Tony stated, “The secret or the philosophy of our office is essentially being sincere.” Being sincere to the client, end-user, context, program and especially oneself are primarily the facets of his design process. He delved into four different types of projects, guiding through their design process. His belief, ‘Architecture is a functional art’ along with a zeal to honour the rich site context shaped the idea for the pavilion for Kochi Muziri’s Biennale, 2016. From a simple houseboat design to a large office for a company headquarters, his office takes up all aspects of designing while staying true to its requirements.

NEWS

FOAID created the perfect opportunity for industry stalwarts like Kiran Kapadia, Mustapha Khalid Palash, Amit Aurora and Nilabh Nagar to come together under the coordination of Naresh Narasimhan. The panel discussion topic ‘MBA: Mastering the Business of Architecture: Making diversification strategies work’ covered the various layers of management accompanying the running of a design firm. Architects are great designers, but they’re unaware and unprepared to run a business. Naresh therefore questioned if architecture firms should set up separate management teams.

Amit cited Zaha Hadid’s practice as a prime example of different spectrums working together to create a dynamic firm that is not only versatile in the field but open to different avenues. Ar. Ki ran and Mustapha were of the opinion that defining the firm’s true vision and figuring out the norms to carry out said

vision can help create a very distinctive identity.

The panel’s thoughts on diversification pondered upon innovation, delivery, reviewing user concerns after the project’s in use, specialisation, presentation techniques and much more. Learning to segregate ownership and management, as rightly pointed out by Ar. Kiran, is a step towards embracing the newer models of business and exploring changing opportunities.

The panelists entertained questions from the audience at the end of the comprehensive panel discussion.

The award ceremony felicitating winners of the various competitions like Expressions, Creative Minds Next and Wood is Good Design Competition conducted by FOAID brought forth a range of untapped and budding talent.

Berger Architecture Ideas 4.0 was conducted with the idea of creating a pedestal for young designers and architect and encouraging design enthusiasts to bring out their creativity. The participants presented in 9 categories under Architecture and Interior Design. Minnie Bhatt, Prasad Badie, Aslam Kadri, Hemanti Sutaria, Milind Pai, Anjali Goel were some of the jury members. Hardik B. Shah (Interior Residential Villa Bungalow}, Abhijit Kothari (Interior Commercial), Goutaman Prathaban (Interior Retail) emerged winners in their respective categories.

Evidently, FOAID this year got the ball rolling as the design event to be at.

The intricately detailed coalescence of varied activities kept the visitors intrigued and engaged. The event will be back next year to once again spark design minds across the country. n

JAN-FEB 2019 SPACES / 19

20 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

INTERIOR

JAN-FEB 2019 SPACES / 21

ARCHICHTECTURE

DISCOVER

Palpa

INTERPRETATION CENTER - TANSEN text: Rahul Bajracharya

INTERPRETATION CENTRE DESIGN SHARES A VISUAL LANGUAGE TO REFLECT OUR HERITAGE, WITH A FOCUS TO CREATE AWARENESS AMONG THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AS WELL AS TOURISTS, ON THE VALUE OF CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE.

22 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

THE CONTEXT

Choli ramro palpali dhaka ko…..if you have ever been to Tansen you must have brought dhaka as a souvenir for your friends and family. Tansen is famous for its dhaka and karuwa, which it has been pioneering from the very early days. In addition to this, the architectural experience that it has to offer is another thing to look forward to. But like other historical towns, Tansen has been facing difficulties preserving its streetscape.

A few years ago a foreigner had taken a picture of the cobbled streets while he was exploring the streets of Tansen. With the charm of the old rustic streetscape the town had to offer, he recommended his grandson to visit Tansen along with the picture of the street which he had photographed. But when his grandson arrived he was surprised that the street had been turned into a concrete path with a chaotic streetscape disappointing his expectations. This is one such story, amongst many more similar stories, that inspired me to reflect upon the local architecture context and where it was heading to. Nepal, as we all know has a tremendous potential for tourism- in terms of the variety in landscape, as well as the cultural heritage value historical towns have to offer. The difficulty then arises in cultivating that potential in the industry that is environmentally conscious and financially sustainable.

ARCHICHTECTURE

Tansen and its surrounding locations are places which harbor that potential, particularly as it is a historical town well known for its handicrafts culture, and offers some of similarities to the capital, such as narrow cobbled streets which within the capital are barely seen.

It is a Municipality and the administrative center of Palpa District in the “hills” of -yet to be unfoldeastern part of Nepal. It is located on the highway between Butwal and Pokhara. Nepal has an extremely varied landscape with high altitudes and diverse culture. This alone makes Nepal extremely interesting to travelers both internal and external. Thus a model interpretation center will be a good place to exhibit various aspects of Nepal in order to educate and create general awareness among the public about the preservation of local culture and heritage of Nepal. This extends not only to the tourists from foreign countries but also citizens living in Nepal. In order to accelerate the country towards development, it is essential for citizens to be well educated of their local context.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The motive of presenting this thesis in Tansen is linked to the emotions that I have with the site, this project aims to boost the tourism sector of that locality by becoming the backbone in the context of exploring the hidden gems amongst the travelers and the locals.

An interpretation center is defined as a space which helps to understand the meaning of something or the reality of how a certain thing is or how its existence came to be. An interpretation center collects items and information that are important, of which is defined by the particular purpose it inhabits. It adopts appropriate measures to preserve and store exhibits and provides an environment to explore its realms

JAN-FEB 2019 SPACES / 23

ARCHICHTECTURE

by presenting it to the audience with information regarding its background and importance.

The project is proposed on a ridge in southern part of tansen. The site offers a great potential as it boasts the panoramic view of mountain ranges from west to east, with Kanjiroba, Dhaulagairi, Annapurna, Mansiri, Ganesh and Langtang groups insight.

The design of the project tries to fit with the existing site. The contextual design has been combined with innovation as well as environmental

24 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

responsiveness. The activities and architectural context of the site and its surroundings is given key emphasis during the design process, in order for the design to incorporate with the already existing architecture of Tansen.

The project is designed as environmentally friendly building with major emphasis on incorporating greenery in the complex; the design becomes enhanced by the provision of universal design, green spaces, waste management and rain water harvesting. In order to make the design financially sustainable, it

is important to let the building be functionally active, hence the project includes spaces for an administration office, an auditorium, a community library, museum, restaurant, retail space and communal spaces that would ultimately allow the functions of the town hall to expand. The communal spaces would provide an environment for tourists and the local public to converse, hoping to promote interactions which can create international harmony and recognition of the significance of the local cultural and natural heritage.

ARCHICHTECTURE

The project is juxtaposition between the elements of classicism and the monumental blended with modernity and intimacy to form a cohesive new center-point for the community.

Combining the advantages of both the openness of the site and yet giving a feel of enclosure, with the airiness and the expansive view retaining the “RIDGE EFFECT�. The form of the building shifts depending on the building performance.

The slope in the site supports the interactions and function of the auditorium. The graciously sloping roof of the restaurant and auditorium

becomes the part of the central Public DOMAIN. In a nutshell, the Interpretation center in Tansen is a design which provides a platform for people of different walks of life to have a dialogue with the various aspects of Tansen which is in dire need of exposure; it attempts to revive almost the state of extinction that many of these towns currently inhabit. This project helps to revive the lost spaces and the spatial experience of those spaces.

Through such designs the locality

and essence of the place can be boosted, which could make Tansen a popular and significant tourist destination in Nepal. n

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ARCHICHTECTURE

WATER SUPPLY IN

KATHMANDU VALLEY

text: SUmina Tha Shrestha

W

aterspouts are widely distributed over Kathmandu Valley, as Mallas ruled here during their reign, which is one of the valuable contributions to the history of Nepalese architecture itself. UN-Habitat, 2008 describes the potential of waterspouts to supply water with good quality and quantity throughout a year, which was possible due to the maintenance of state canals, ponds, springs and recharge areas. But today, due to the alarming environmental degradation and massive forest exploitation caused by drastic population increase, these water spouts are left with a great stress and have been gradually drying up. It is because of the depletion of the ground water table, destruction of state canals and concretization of recharge areas by houses. Many conservation experts have been giving their efforts on preserving them, but still a lot has to be done. The Alok Hiti Conservation and Drinking Water Committee is one of them which have been involved in preserving historical stone spouts and even boosting up water supply to the people. A research shows that among 212 stone spouts in Kathmandu valley, 40% have already dried and 21% have significant less flow rate of water.

Much earlier, Mallas developed traditional “Hitis”, “Dharas” and “Dhunge dharas” which are well documented by scholars. These are interconnected with the underground water channels. The channeling of water source and the “dharas” is complicated.

Usually, the dharas have been seen to be placed at a lower altitude and sources at higher land so that the water flow remains constant. The sources of water for these dharas are large water reservoirs like ponds and lakes. These waterspouts are beautifully carved with

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ARCHICHTECTURE

water deity; crocodile head or a serpent head represents the carrier of Goddess Ganga. Waterspouts’ placement is also governed by social and religious aspects. Most of the people were involved in agriculture whose agricultural land used to be located at a lower land. Mallas were strong believer of Hinduism and follow Gods and Goddesses so they placed Dhunge Dharas in low land where the people after their work in their field, before entering their residential zone can wash their hands or take a bath in a sense of purifying themselves, believes this prevent from evil entering their home. This can also be predicted because there always lies a temple in the entry to the settlement. Thus Malla settlement can be observed to be located at a higher land.

Dhunge dharas are simply channeled waterspouts which extracts water from a source usually a shallow aquifers and springs known as “Agah” which are recharged by precipitation and water canals (Kulos). The evolution of “Kulos” dates back to the time when Dhunge Dhara was invented. These were made for the community based management of water flow and distribution in form of canals for optimum use of water. “Pani Ghatta” is one of the traditional means of rural technology found in Nepal which used the water from canals for household activities like cereal grinding, oil extraction, etc. It utilizes the motion of the running water of the canal to run a turbine and hence to produce centripetal force for grinding and also helps to produce electricity for rural areas. Nowadays, improved water mills have replaced such traditional mills.

Today, many of such historical natural water sources have been destructed due to the rapid urbanization and replacement of these by random houses and other types

of buildings. Few institutions are seen in preserving these historical water conduits and all but we, all Nepalese people should be alert about the fact that they are our identity and they depicts our culture and uniqueness which defines our country around the globe.

We should feel these entities like our own property and preserve them as well as encourage others to do the same. Failure in this activity has not only dismantled that precious tangible heritage but even has created hazardous condition of water scarcity. Most of the people having their shelters in urban areas face problem of drinking water, either they have to boil or purify the tap water or buy water. Nepal being second richest country in water resources, people are facing such problems.

This is due to the lack of proper planning of shelter, rapid depletion of forest and more importantly the breakage of channels of water conduits below the surface of land due to concreting of footing of various buildings.

However, various plans for water supply for modern urban cities have been initiated with the establishment of various national policies. Rural Water Supply and Sanitation National Policy 2060 (2004) and Rural Water supply and Sanitation National Strategy 2060 (2004) has set a target to provide safe, reliable and affordable water supply with basic sanitation facilities to cent percent of the population on Priority basis basically targeting the backward people and ethnic groups. It has also visionary plans for reducing the water-borne diseases and also to save time and labor of people to fetch the water from a farther source. It has basically focused on massive renovation, rehabilitation, improvement and expansion works of existing system and increase the quality of service.

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ARCHICHTECTURE

Likewise, Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Policy 2066 (2009) addresses the need of an umbrella policy to achieve coherent, consistent and uniform approaches of development of sector in urban areas. It addresses nation’s urban water supply and sanitation challenges and provides important insights for the development of the Policy. Some of the projects run under this policy are Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (STWSSSP), Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Sector Development Program (KVWSSSP), the Urban Environment Improvement Project (UEIP) and the Integrated Urban Development Projects (IUDP).

Major challenges faced during the above mentioned projects were the lack of gender equity and social inclusion. Schools toilets were not user friendly for girls and differently able people. It was even seen that some part of the country takes toilet facilities as a social taboo for menstruating and postnatal women and Dalits.

Another challenge was the absence of demarcation of catchment area of water supply sources. Surface and ground water gets polluted due the absence of adequate and effective sewerage and sanitation service. Also an unclear policy and laws delays approval of concerned authorities in most genuine cases for locating water supply and sanitation facilities in forests, national parks and wildlife conservation areas is a sector which needs to be rechecked. n

28 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

JAN-FEB 2019 SPACES / 29

URBAN DESIGN

THE UN-MOVING TRAFFIC A CASE OF URBAN MOBILITY IN CONTEXT WITH KATHMANDU VALLEY

text: Prabina Shrestha

A

ny car advertisement would picture a very tempting picture of a new suave model of the car and a long, empty road (featuring either a sunset/sunrise/mountains/beach) stretched right in front of you, begging for you to explore it. The reality could not be far removed from the image that is sold to us.

More often we find ourselves trapped in a terrible traffic gridlock, waiting for it to be

30 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

over, waiting to reach home, or work, waiting to spend our times doing better things wishing to be somewhere else much like in the image that was sold to us. If you are in a public vehicle you are worse off, if you are in a two wheeler chances are you are maneuvering through narrow passes, risking your lives and most probably worsening the traffic. If you are a pedestrian thank god you can move but not before you inhale your dose of killer carbon emissions.

URBAN DESIGN

The happiest people on earth, the Danes use bicycle as their ultimate mode of transportation.

The Beginning: According to data launched

by United Nations 55% of the world’s population lived in urban areas in 2018 and by 2050 the urban population is expected to increase to 68%. Close to 90% of this increase taking place in Asia and Africa [1]. “According to a World Bank report published in 2012, Nepal is one of the fastest urbanizing countries in Asia, with the urban population growing at the rate of more than 5 percent annually since1970s.”[2] With such increase in urban density, managing cities and maintaining mobility will surely be a challenge.

In Nepal according to the department of transport management, new registration of motor vehicles has multiplied by five times compared to the past decade. New registration of private vehicles has also jumped four times in the past decades. [3] The Impact: With the invention of automobile came the gift of mobility which held limitless possibilities but then it came with a price. Our streets steadily turned into roads which are designed primarily to move auto vehicles. Everything else is an afterthought.

In Kathmandu, the impact of increased number of vehicles on the road can already be seen in everyday life of the people.

Carbon emission and the pollution from the road construction has degraded our urban environment making Kathmandu one of the most polluted cities in the world. Studies show that the concentration of particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) in the Valley’s ambient air is already several times higher than WHO safer limit. WHO reveals strong link between air pollution exposure and cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and ischemic heart disease.

Records from major hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley show that Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has been steadily increasing (CEN/ENPHO, 2003) with number of patients highest during dry winter season [4] Due to poor road designs that put cars first and have little or no place for human errors, road accidents and fatalities are on the rise. Seven people die every day in road accidents all over Nepal. [5] The approach: The approach for tackling the problem of maddening traffic till date has been the approach

of loosening your belt to accommodate your ever bulging belly. Which is building all forms of roads to accommodate more cars. This strategy had reportedly tried tested and failed in various countries. Although wider roads, underpasses provide temporary relief from traffic more vehicles are bound to come especially in a rapidly urbanizing metropolis like ours. The road expansion has cost us environmental degradation, loss of our heritage, providing only a temporary solution.

Sustainable way: Sustainable way would mean solutions which provide long term benefits, are integrated within the existing system which means lesser new infrastructure is required and provides ecological and economic benefits.

Promoting Walkability: The best way to know a city is by walking through it. By walking you actually get to know the city that is relatable to human scale. Great city in the world including Paris, New York, have a very high walkability quotient.

The historic cities of Kathmandu valley were designed as walkable

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URBAN DESIGN

in varied ways (economical, environmental, public health) has effected the overall well beings of Danes who always make it to the list of “Happiest countries in the world”.

PIC: Bogota’s Transmilenio (BRT) moves close to 2.5 million people a day, more than any metro and was built at a fraction of the cost.

cities by maintaining the human scale.

Our natural climate allows walkability to prevail and its health benefits are very accountable. Our historic core areas are crying out to be pedestrianized for it secures our heritage sites from encroachment and unwanted calamities and preserves their sacred nature.

However poor design or absence of pedestrian walkways, pollution, and lack of safety has made walking a daunting task for an average person.

While walking is still the highest mode of mobility in the valley.

However, from a study conducted

by JICA in 2012 it has declined from 53.1% in 1991 to 40.7% in 2012 .The study further forecasted that walking mode share will decline to 38.8% in 2020. [6] Promoting Cycling: Cycling is a green mode transport meaning it has zero carbon emission. It provides health benefit to the rider, takes up less 32 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

Shared Use: If every vehicle on the road were running carrying their full capacity of passengers, the number of vehicles would surely come down.

The number one flag bearer for shared use would be public vehicles which carry more passengers then motorbikes or private cars.

infrastructure. It could be the only mode of transportation for lower income group who might also depend on this means of transport for their livelihood.

There are organizations known to promote cycling and adding cycling lanes to our roads however the roadblocks are same as those for walkable streets. Which are lack of proper infrastructure, risk in riding through poorly designed roads.

Also traditionally cycle is seen as a single user mode of transport which should be changed by introduction of carriages, tandem and other innovative designs that allow multi users for a single cycle.

Reforming Public transportation: In Nepal public transportation is widely used and most of it is run by private parties. However a ride in any public vehicle isn’t an easy one.

They are notorious for being overly crowded, un-organized, passengers are known to have been harassed unapologetically and then there are the traffic gridlocks. Passengers riding in public vehicles are the most vulnerable preys of these gridlocks since they have to wait for hours inside cramped, unpleasant conditions for the traffic to move.

The introduction of Sajha bus and now electric buses seems to be an effort towards reforming public transportation but still much has to be done to get the desired results.

Copenhagen has set a bench mark for cities with “bike culture”.

According to Copenhagen’s official tourism website bikes now outnumber cars in central Copenhagen and nine out of ten Danes own a bicycle [7]. Even politicians ride bicycles every day to their offices. A simple bicycle

We have to learn from cities like Bogota, Colombia and their Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) which facilitates mobility in this city of 8 million people.

“A well-designed BRT system can efficiently transfer large volume of passengers, up to 45,000 passengers per hour per

URBAN DESIGN

direction.� [8]. All that could be done by minimal intervention in our landscape and at a lesser cost than that of constructing rail based systems.

Other forms of Shared use could be carpooling where a number of people with same destination or if they have the same route use the same vehicle much like in the public vehicles but these would be privately owned ones. This became a popular means of commute during the unannounced blockade by our neighbor when fuel was hard to find.

Shared use for bicycles where the city provides number of cycle hires at various pots hence the rider can easily pick and drop the cycle at their convenience is also a strategy successful adopted in many cities.

Introducing Smart technology and: With inevitable growth towards urbanization, cities more than ever are under pressure for efficient transportation networks. However, adding more roads, building more tunnels isn’t a long term option.

Amongst other reason the main reason would be cities have limited space.

Cities around the world are turning towards smart technology could mean technologies that improves the journey experience of its citizens by making the system more efficient and more approachable through innovation.

These smart technology gives out real time data to optimize our mobility.

It could be data on traffic conditions, best routes to take, best mode of transportation, parking data.

While some technologies which already has been adopted by other leading cities such as convenient payment options, reliable and efficient information on bus arrivals, routes.

It all may sound like science fiction but cars that talk to each other, driverless cars are already being envisioned, invented and upgraded.

They all carry a vision to enhance and make urban mobility more efficient.

Integrated systems In the end it should not be a question

either or OR. A pedestrian should be able to walk in pleasant conditions, a cyclist should be able to cycle without worrying about accidents, people should be able to use public transportation without the fear of harassment and absolutely no one should waste their precious time, they could spend much more productively and pleasantly; in soul sucking traffic.

Just introducing one solution will not be the answer, much like building more roads or constructing rails that cost billions of our hard earned money. Our human bodies only work because all of our complicated system are in sync, a city also works in the same principle, it works only if every system is in sync with each other.

Kathmandu Valley and all the core cities it incorporates are already great cities. They deserve equally great transportation system; one that is inclusive, accommodating, clever and respectful of our culture and heritage and one that protects our environment. n

References [1]

https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html

[2]

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2016-05-28/42-percent-population-lives-in-urban-centres.html

[3]

https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/3-1-million-motor-vehicles-on-nepali-roads-dotm/

[4]

http://www.cen.org.np/uploaded/AQ%20Status%20and%20Managment%20in%20KV_Maya%20Factsheet%205.pdf

[5]

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2018-08-12/seven-people-die-every-day-in-road-accidents-in-nepal.html

[6]

http://www.cen.org.np/uploaded/Walkability%20in%20KV_MaYA%20Factsheet%202.pdf

[7]

https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/sightseeing/copenhagens-bike-culture

[8]

http://www.cen.org.np/uploaded/Public%20Transportation%20in%20KV_Maya%20Factsheet%204.pdf

JAN-FEB 2019 SPACES / 33

hxf“ gful/s Toxf“ gful/s

nagariknews.com 34 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

myrepublica.com

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SAFETY

MYTHS AND FACT OF FIRE RATINGS Text: Suneel Kumar Shrestha

MYTHS AND FACT OF FIRE RATINGS KNOWLEDGE IS A MUST AMONG EVERYONE BUT WHICH FIRE RATING SYSTEM DO WE FOLLOW? ARE YOU TRAPPED IN THE MYTHS OF A FIRE RATING SYSTEM?

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T

he proportionate market growth of fire extinguishers is way behind in comparison to other sophisticated products in Nepal. It has almost doubled in decades because of self-awareness among Nepalese citizens and other nominal forces from building codes. You can see few people working in the industry; they either come from previous work experiences or have some knowledge they gained from Google. But without proper knowledge of fire safety and products, they have to rely on the sellers and distributors suggestions.

Developed countries have several standards in place but Nepal still lacks to ensure quality of the products in safety and security. In the past people did not have a choice but to purchase Indian fire extinguishers, but now people are seeking for the fire extinguishers in British or other international standard. It may be due to awareness but people seek quality in the safety and security measure they purchase. Hence, we use fire extinguishers of Indian, Malaysian and British standard. The myth that the higher the weight of the fire extinguisher the more combat area or volume of fire it covers is false. Fire Combat capacity can be calculated only in Fire ratings. We haven’t adopted either British or UK fire standards, even though we classify our fire disasters under British class of fire.

SAFETY

For that we need to understand how fire hazards have been classified under the UK and British Standard.

Classification of Fires (British Standard- BS EN) The British Standard Fires are classified in six groups according to the material types.

The following factors should also be considered when siting fire extinguishers: • •

• • • • • •

Class A fires – fires involving organic solids like paper, wood, etc Class B fires – fires involving flammable liquids Class C fires – fires involving flammable gases Class D fires – fires involving burning metals (e.g. aluminums swarf ) Class F fires – fires involving fats such as used in deep fat fryers Electrical fires (the letter E is not used. Instead the symbol of an electric spark is displayed) – fires caused by electrical equipment.

•

• •

• Some facts of Electrical Fires • Electrical fires are not given their own full class and can fall into any of the classifications as it is not the electricity burning but surrounding material set aflame by electric current.

• Any water based extinguishers used on electrical equipment should be dielectrically tested and certified to ensure the fire can be extinguished safely even if the power supply is left on.

• Please Note: certain electrical apparatus maintain a lethal charge for some time after they have been switched off.

What is Fire Rating?

Fire Rating is the mystical codes printed on all qualityapproved fire extinguishers.

• • • •

• They indicate, not just the type of fire that particular extinguisher can combat, but also the size of the fire that can effectively put out. Fire Ratings Explained Most fire extinguishers have a fire Rating printed on the canister. In our 13A/70B example, this extinguisher will combat a Class A fire (typically freely burning materials like wood, cloth and coal) of Size 13 or a Class B fire (flammable liquid) of size 70. In practice you should estimate the volume of combustibles at risk against this benchmark and select the most applicable one for the job.

Extinguishers should normally be sited on escape routes on all floors at what is called ‘fire points’.

They should be fixed in a location where the extinguisher can be reached quickly. The best place is near a door leading to a place of safety or near a specific fire risk.

They should be fixed where they can be easily seen.

Fixing them inside cupboards or behind doors will waste valuable time if a fire breaks out.

Do not place them over cookers or heaters or in places of extreme temperatures, hot or cold.

Extinguishers should be fixed at an elevated height, so that the carrying handle is 1m from the floor for heavier units (heavier than 4kg) and 1.5m for smaller units.

Extinguishers should be within reasonable distance from any fire risk: 1. Class A: 30m 2. Class B: 10m 3. Class C: 30m 4. Class D: case-by-case basis, by expert advice 5. Class F: 10m If you have to travel through doorways, the maximum travel distances need to be reduced.

The method of operation should be similar for all extinguishers, where possible.

The occupiers should be capable of handling all the types and sizes recommended.

Where different types of extinguishers for different risk types are sited together they must be properly labeled to prevent confusion.

Extinguishers should be fitted with suitable jet or spray nozzles or flexible hoses to suit the risk involved.

By the way, there is no such thing as a Class E rating in the UK – often thought to cover Electrical fires. Many fires are caused by electrical faults which in consequence ignite other flammables. If an extinguisher is described as “safe to use” on fires involving live electricity it means the suppressant is not inherently electrically conductive so you don’t risk electrocution when combating the fire. In any event, it is a sensible approach is to cut off the power supply to any area where a fire occurs.

JAN-FEB 2019 SPACES / 37

SAFETY

Available fire ratings in ABC Type fire extinguisher in British Standard Products.

Extinguisher Capacity

1 Kg

2 kg

4 kg

6 kg

9 kg

Fire Ratings

8A 34B

13A 70B

21A 113B

34A 183B

43A 233B

Color coding of Extinguishers

38 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

Type

BS EN 3 Color Code

Fire Class

Water

Signal Red

A

Water Mist

White and Red

A, F, (suitable for B and C, although without formal marking), electrical if dielectrically tested)

Foam

Red with a cream panel above the A, B, electrical if dielectri- cally tested operating instructions

Dry Powder

Red with a blue panel above the A, B, C & electrical operating instructions

Carbon Dioxide

Red with a black panel above the B & electrical operating instructions

Halon

No longer produced – illegal in the A UK

Wet Chemical

Red with a yellow panel above the A, F, some are also suitoperating instructions able for B class fires

Specialist Powder

Red with a blue panel above the D operating instructions

Clean Agent

Red with a Green panel above the A, B, C & electrical if Hexafluoropropane operating instructions Gas based Extinguishing

SAFETY

Not using the above color coding means the fire extinguisher does not conform to the British standard and therefore cannot display the Kite mark. Choosing Fire Extinguishers for a kitchen at home, a fire blanket and a small wet chemical extinguisher or dry water mist extinguisher would be considered satisfactory for most situations. A dry water mist extinguisher, with its broad firefighting capability across most fire risks is also suitable for the rest of the house.

Remember to tackle only small fires, if in doubt, get out and call the fire service.

Commercial and public organizations need to have a survey conducted to ascertain the number and type of extinguishers that are required. Generally, a more substantial fire extinguishing capability will be required. The ratings of the extinguishers are then used to calculate the number and type of extinguishers required. Ideally, experienced or certified supplier used to carry out these surveys as this will ensure a high installation and maintenance standard. n

JAN-FEB 2019 SPACES / 39

INTERNATIONAL

CONTEMPORARY PARADIGM OF SOCIAL SPACE: SHOPPING MALLS IN KUWAIT. Text: Brinda Shrestha

Introduction With continuous changes in urban life, the complex relationship of shopping malls, thus, is being reconsidered as public spaces. But, the objective of this article, is not to participate whether shopping malls are considered to be public space or not, however, amidst these discourses, the article here tries to shed light on how an attempt to modify the paradigm of social space, have been made through conceptualization of shopping malls, in contemporary Kuwait, descending from its closed historical urban settings and making it, as a predominant social space, in contemporary society of Kuwait. Shaped through its religious and cultural belief, dominance of public life in ancient Islamic cities like Kuwait, differs from other cities and is well limited with mosques, souk

40 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

and Diwaniyas along with private inner courtyards for family. Separation from public and private life, male and female users and social division based on blood and kinship are the key elements of Islamic city organization. (source: Introduction to Islamic cities: foundation for science, technology and civilization) But with time, the cities had transformed from its closed social organization to more open social belief and interaction, and the city underwent different changes echoing changes in society, economy and politics and in some cases overlaying of century old customs with new values and lifestyle of contemporary world. Today in Kuwait, we can see many elements of public life derived from the international concept and theories, and shopping malls are one of them.

INTERNATIONAL

Souk Al-Mubarak, set in Traditional souk concept.

Rationale of growing shopping Malls in Kuwait Malls are part of social life in Kuwait. History of shopping malls is as old as history of modern planning concept.

They have been the replica of modern zoning concept of city planning derived through various forms of its consequences such as crowding, traffic problems, lack of pedestrians safety in the city centre served to create demand for the new areas of shopping malls (Erkip 2003) Also lifestyle changes of the society and the people have further catalyzed the need of Malls.

Traditionally, souks were part of mixed land use concept, which cater the basic needs of people and it was accessible by foot. But in todays, Kuwaiti city of highways and ring roads, Malls are developed as part of urban expansion project, mostly approachable by cars, as stated above the Kuwait modern planning follows the concept of post European war, concept of zoning and suburbanization. The influx of people of different nationalities not only contributed to manpower for Kuwait’s development but directly or indirectly they demanded new form of social requirement and place for their gathering, recreation, relaxation and other daily needs.

As predominate Islamic city, the city is abided by the Islamic philosophy and principle and hence to continue the closed social form amidst the backdrop of changes, malls contributed to some extents. The other prime reason for flourishing malls development could be the local climate context of Kuwait. Coming to 2018, there have been drastic changes in society brought by technologies, modern developments, globalization and educations.

Today women activities are not only limited within the house, children have various technological exposures and lifestyle of men have changed as well. People today

have opportunities to choose between various types of activities. Dining, clothing has now been more than the basic requirements. Travelling, socializing, shopping and dining are part of contemporary lifestyle of people of Kuwait today.

Malls as social space in Kuwait In globalized world of today, Kuwait have witnessed many developments of shopping malls to attract more and more people where these malls not only serve as providing uniformity in shopping experience but also they compete each other to provide people with new amenities to cater all type of people .It seems that these malls are trying their best to cater the public realm targeting activities to all age groups and genders.

Though the malls do not exclude public in terms of age group, genders or nationalities but since the primary objective of these malls are to attract people who have the purchasing power, so the poor people or urban poor people do get excluded from these malls. Presence of coffee shops, children play area, multiplex, food cafes, malls service of escalators, baby friendly environment does make these malls more on the visiting list of every people, despite their nationality, age or gender. “Kuwait cannot avoid shopping malls if we want to keep our social lives afloat” (Source: The society of Kuwait’s shopping Malls, The Kuwaiti Times, daily newspaper, October 19, 2016.) Malls have been the place for social interactions. Through coffee shops, food cafes, and many chain restaurants, social gathering among friends, family, business colleagues are well observed in these malls. In a country where most of the population relies on private cars as the mode of transport these shopping malls have become easy and comfortable destinations.

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Prestige district of Avenues Mall.

SOME POPULAR SHOPPING MALLS IN KUWAIT: 1. Avenues Malls: Avenues is the largest mall of the Kuwait and is one of its kind in the gulf regions and the world. Inspired by the open street boulevard shopping experience from the international world, Avenues mall is one of the most visited malls among the residents and visitors in the Kuwait. The mall which is stretched almost 2.5 km length has major three zones: Prestige district; Street Boulevard and Souk district.

Prestige district, which showcase the world-renowned international highend brands, is the zone for luxurious shoppers.

Prestige is followed by grand avenues, designed and built in the concept of Open Street

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Boulevard shopping experience.

Retail shops are built in three major architectural style i.e. European, local and contemporary style. The penetration of diffuse skylight through transparent roofing materials gives the shoppers the feeling of under sky shopping. 22m wide boulevard, with double storey retail shops designed in concept of row housing of European style, and the lined of trees with the distinct separation of paths through materials differentiation, placement of outdoor landscape furniture, public information all gives the feeling of lively outdoor shopping experience in hot and arid climate of the desert.

Souk district: this district is designed as replica of traditional souk concept

and lifestyle. Unlike modern shopping experience this area is built with traditional Kuwaiti style with compact planning of retail shops, narrow street concept, low height, and sandy and wooden material finishing. Cafes and restaurants feature the characteristic living style of older days. This district is built to interpretate the local architecture and lifestyle incorporated inside the global mall architecture.

Avenues mall does succeed in breaking the stereotype concept of mall as most of the people think.

The fact that the mall has been constructed boulevard city concept, it does make people enjoy visual communication among different age groups, genders and nationalities.

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Marina Mall with its landscape setting.

2. Marina Mall Designed in Islamic design concept and Constructed along the coastline of Kuwait, Marina mall is one of the landmark centers of Kuwait. Unlike Avenues, Marina mall is targeted for average shoppers along with few family activities for socializing and for kids. The marina mall is one of the elements in the mixed-use coastal and development project along with Marina hotel, Marina yacht, Marina waves and marina walk. The direct linkage of the Marina mall with Marina

walk is one of the most appreciated design feature of the mall where indoor recreational activities among families and friends are linked with outdoor social activity. Outdoor cafes and restaurant in the Marina mall are famous among the public who can choose between outdoor views along with indoor service of the restaurants.

Marina walk is one of the Kuwait’s famous and well-maintained outdoor public space, with parks and other landscape and recreational elements.

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3. 360 Mall The mall is the luxury shopping destinations for people who live with brands and class.

Strategically Located around the growing residential areas of national population, the mall is especially targeted for the people who have the purchasing power for expensive materials.

The mall has been designed to provide shopping experience synonymous to luxury, style, elegance and lifestyle. It tries to symbolize the modern interpretations of the historic Arabic architectural essence through its use of wooden frame, continuous design elements, rhythmic arches, and water bodies.

The interior garden walls, boulevard and the main atrium are major components of the malls. Mixed with sophisticated dining, a cafe, hypermarkets, luxury shops and mother baby lounge, the mall is one of its kinds as social space.

4. Alkout Mall The mall is located in the southeast coastline of the Kuwait and is built in Arabic design concept. Spread horizontally, in the mall is two storey .The beautiful water fountain with surrounding deck of cafes and dining space is the major social attraction of the mall. Along with this, the mall consists of mix of entertainments like multiplex, food cafes, retail shops; hypermarkets and children play area .The mall provides a unique shopping experience in an Arabic ambience.

Central atrium of 360 Mall.

5. Boulevard mall The newly opened boulevard mall is spread in 30 hectares of land in the center of Salmiya city, popularly resided by expats. It is in fact Alkout Mall, Kuwait.

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INTERNATIONAL malls in Kuwait if he or she wants to sustain his social life.

Uniformity in global international markets, great escape from the scorching daylight and the increase purchasing power of the national populations and commodification of land markets are what driving the growth of malls as a social life. But having said that, one cannot deny the fact that they are targeted to attract people who are ready to spend money and their core objective is to increase consumption through economic transactions. Despite the fact that malls are making every effort to incorporate all kinds of age group or gender or nationalities which otherwise someway or other separated in Kuwaiti society, they do have limitations as supported with public space theory, such as privatized closed space, socio-economic class division, inclusiveness, monotonous activities and less visual communication which should have been part of Public space. According to Dr.Farah Al Nakib , Asst. Prof. of History and Director of the center for Gulf studies at the American University of Kuwait,( Source : The society of Kuwait’s shopping Malls ,The Kuwaiti Times ,daily newspaper, October 19, 2016), before the invasion , Kuwait had integrated areas with multiple functions.

Decline in availability of alternate public space and high purchasing power of the national population have attracted more and more shopping malls in Kuwait.

Hence its matter of discourse whether Malls in Kuwait are to be considered as public space, pseudo public space or market place but based upon the general lifestyle of the people in Kuwait, malls have certainly succeeded to be the predominant social space in Kuwait so what matters the most is to focus on public life than space! n

REFERENCES :

Boulevard ,Salmiya , Kuwait.

the recreational center with intermix of mall, health clubs, the cricket ground, lawn tennis court, basket ball court, landscapes, cultural centers, and amphitheaters, the major attractions of the boulevard mall is the large parks and landscape for the people to encourage outdoor activities specially during winter where temperatures goes down.

Built in boulevard concept the mall premises even consist of train service stretched in 2.5 km .It is one of the largest recreational centers in the city. Through mix of health, sports and shopping facilities, the center is unique, to provide exceptional socializing experience for all kinds of residents.

REFLECTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Availability of Multiple activities for different age group, gender and nationalities along with cooler modern amenities and facilities under one roof, are what makes the shopping malls popular default destinations for many people in Kuwait and one cannot avoid going shopping

1. Patricia ,SimõesAelbrecht. (2016) ‘Fourth places’: the contemporary publicsettings for informal social interaction among strangers, Journal of Urban Design.

2. M. Carmona.( 2015). Re-theorizing contemporary public space: a new narrative and a new normative, Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Place making and Urban Sustainability.

3. Giampino, Annalisa., Picone,Marco.,Schilleci,Fillippo., 4. Nakib,FarahAl.,Towards an Urban Alternativefor Kuwait: Protests and Public Participation.www.academia.edu 5. Alissa,Reem.,(2009).Modernizing Kuwait: Nation-building andUnplanned Spatial Practices. Berkeley Planning Journal, Volume 22, 2009 6. Y. Maghoub. (2006). Architecture and Expression of Cultural Identity in Kuwait. People in Place in People.1st International Symposium on Environmnet, Behaviourand Society.The University of Sydney.

7. H. S. Bukhamseen, Kuwaaitcity , An Appendix to Oil and Ink. 8. Y. Mahgoub. (2007) Hyper Identity: The case of Kuwaiti Architecture.

IJAR vol.1 no.1 March .

9. The society of Kuwait’s Shopping Malls.(2014).www.news.kuwaittimes. net.

10. Dualag,OsamaAl.Kuwait Contemporary Architecture.www.archnet.org.

11. Safran,Linda.,Holod,Renata.,Khan,Hasan-Uddin.,Katz,Jonathan G.(eds). (1980). Places of public gathering in Islam.Preceedings of Seminar Five in the series Architectural Transformation in the Islamic World. Held in Amman, Jordan.Printedby Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 12. Benerjee, Tridib.,( 2001).The Future of Public Space,Beyond Invented streets and reinvented places.APA journal, 2001.Vol.67.

13. Malls: kuwait’s other social space.(2012).www.news.pakistanisinkuwait. com.

14. Official websites of Avenues Malls, Marina mall, 360 mall and Alkout mall.http://www.the-avenues.com; www.themarinakuwait.com; www.360mall.com; and www.alkoutmall.com.

Note: Pictures without source has been taken by the author herself.

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TEXT & PHOTO: Creative Group

TIMES SQUARE MALL 46 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

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“A Mall That Breathes Without Air Conditioning”

Short brief of the project

THE MALL IS ALL SET TO GET INAUGURATED ON 21ST AUGUST 2018. A SLEW OF ENVIRONMENTFRIENDLY INITIATIVE MAKE THE PROJECT UNIQUE.

Times Square Shopping Mall is a project designed for an entire microurbanism. Spreading across an area of 11,000 square metres, the identities of the mall, both as a commercial space & a sustainable complex are understood to be symbols projected onto the administrative capital of the State of Chhattisgarh representing Naya Raipur as India’s fourth prosperous & planned smart city. A Mall, being a commercial building, requires a critical approach towards positioning and zoning. After a deep insight towards these critical factors, the architects took forward the planning & design of a mall with a sustainable and charismatic approach which pleases not just the client but also the visitor. It is aptly placed around the administrative buildings in the vicinity serving as a landmark and a turning point for the otherwise structured building envelopes. As the city of Raipur is still growing, affordability is still a criteria. Thus, the ideology behind this commercial complex was to apply basic design principles like mutual shading and building orientation, so as to conceive a sustainable mall with minimum energy consumption.

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PRINCIPAL DETAIL

FACT BOX

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

Ar. Gurpreet Singh Shah

BUILD AREA

11,000 sq. m

CIVIL CONTRACTOR

Avinash Developers

SITE AREA

8100 sq. m

CLIENT

Avinash Developers

DESIGN TEAM

Creative Group

LOCATION

Naya Raipur, Chattisgarh

LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT

Creative Group

YEAR OF COMPLETION

2018

PRINCIPAL DESIGNER

Prof. Charanjit Singh Shah

PROJECT COST

35Cr.

CARPENTRY

Avinash Developers

PHOTOGRAPHY

-

TARGETED OVER TO FIT-OUTS

-

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Creative Group LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT

Creative Group

PROJECT NAME

Times Square Mall, Naya Raipur

MECHANICAL & ELECTRIC CONSULTANT

R S Consultants

FAร ADE ENGINEERING

Creative Group

CONTRACTORS

Avinash Developers

Brands / Products Product :- Light Fictures / Kitchen / Exterior Wall / Paint / Veneers / Wire etc.

Tiles : RAK Ceramics Paint- Asian Paints Lighting- Philips Laminate-Formica

Product Description: Jaali: MS 240X120 Ar. Gurpreet Shah accommodates an abstract use of Jaali work as an elevation feature with a dynamic built form where the building facade changes at every viewing angle. The concept is based on an emerging curve which rises from the ground and showcases the aspirations of a development of a new city Naya Raipur.

Faรงade Lighting (Between Building & Jaali) Metal Mesh (At the periphery of Atrium of Building) False Columns (Polycarbonate Sheets) Tensile Fabric at Entrance Water Feature- Fountain at the centre of Atrium

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Project Description Times Square Shopping Mall is a design project for an entire microurbanism. Spreading across an area of 8100 square metres, the identities of the mall, both as a commercial space & a sustainable complex are understood to be symbols projected onto the administrative capital of the State of Chhattisgarh representing Naya Raipur as India’s fourth prosperous & planned smart city. A Mall, being a commercial building, requires a critical approach towards positioning, zoning & magnetic aspects. After a deep insight towards these critical factors, Creative Group took forward the planning & design of a mall with a sustainable & charismatic approach which pleases not just the client but also the visitor. It is aptly placed around the administrative buildings in the vicinity serving as a landmark and a turning point for the otherwise structured building envelopes.

Breaking away from the age- old philosophy & concept of a mall to be a conventional glass building with no play of forms, Ar. Gurpreet Shah, Principal Architect, Creative Group accomodates an abstract use of Jaali work as an elevation feature with a dynamic built form where the building facade changes at every viewing angle. The concept is based on an emerging curve which rises from the ground and showcases the aspirations of a development of a new city Naya Raipur. Hoardings solve purpose of acting as a second sun screen apart from being a decorative element in the building; imbibed in the niches of metal jallis. The helical form of the building emerges from the ground floor, as if originating from the surrounding landscape.

Creative Group worked across scales to doubly awe visitors with vast spaces and welcome them with

“AS THE CITY OF RAIPUR IS STILL GROWING, AFFORDABILITY IS STILL A CRITERIA. THUS, THE IDEOLOGY BEHIND THIS COMMERCIAL COMPLEX WAS TO APPLY BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES LIKE MUTUAL SHADING AND BUILDING ORIENTATION, SO AS TO CONCEIVE A SUSTAINABLE MALL WITH MINIMUM ENERGY CONSUMPTION,” EXPLAINS PROF. CHARANJIT SHAH, FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, CREATIVE GROUP

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INTERNATIONAL “WE IMAGINED DESIGNING AN ENVIRONMENT FULL OF GREENERY, RETAIL SHOPS AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES; AN ENVIRONMENT THAT COULD ACT AS AN ENCLAVE OF CONNECTION AND WELCOME PEOPLE INSIDE. IT IS A MALL TO BE EXPERIENCED TO BE UNDERSTOOD,” ENVISIONS AR. GURPREET SHAH, PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, measures of comfort. In following, coherence and hierarchy were critical to the mall’s planning.

The architects have delivered a highly sustainable and viable contemporary built-form which is enhanced by their capability to engage themselves right from the initial phase of the project. The design creates open spaces and stepped terraces with the view of providing maximum commercial viability.The stepped terraces add extra area to each floor, thereby increasing the saleable areas and acting as recreational spaces.

At smaller scales, architectural details provide a visual dynamism that extends through each of the mall’s spaces. It is interwoven with all characteristics of an iconic marvel which are responsive to its environment.

Vastu Considerations have played a very important role in the design process. The rising and dynamic form of the mall places its highest point on the south, adhering to Vastu analysis. The placements of various functions within the commercial building have also been planned as per the client’s vastu requirements.

Shaded courtyards in the centre create recreational relaxing spaces.

Wind tunnels are created in the central courtyard for the flow of air and the kiosks are placed 50 / SPACES JAN-FEB 2019

around the courtyard for the ease of consumers. Food and beverages are provided on the ground –floor for convenience. The highest point of the building being at the South-West protects the building from harsh summer sun. The lake & the central park, right across the mall further enhances the cooling effect.

In a city where infrastructure facilities are already accredited as “smart city facilities”, Creative Group takes a very interactive and professional approach in contributing towards the smart city development of Naya Raipur. The architects feel that it is important to celebrate what makes these buildings a step ahead in the ever talked about “smart city developments.”

Having developed the smart and sustainable Raipur Airport, the architects are also designing world class facilities like Railway Stations acting as the missing link between Raipur and Naya Raipur, Affordable Housings and a green and futuristic private hospital in the future smart city, apart from Times Square Mall.

Creative Group projects Times Square mall as a step towards responsive architecture and design for the next- GEN catering to all aspects of sustainable and affordable design with economic viability and commercial feasibility. n

CREATIVE GROUP.

S-21 Hargobind Enclave, Main Chattarpur Road, Chattarpur bd@creativegroup.co.in 09818678945 ARCHITECTS

Prof. Charanjit Singh Shah

Ar. Gurpreet Singh Shah

CONSERVATION

TIMBER ARCHITECTURE OF

JHAPA text : Kai Weise

THIS IS ONE OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THE ARCHITECTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE CENTRAL HIMALAYAS. THE CENTRAL HIMALAYAS, WHICH IS ROUGHLY DEFINED BY THE POLITICAL BOUNDARIES OF NEPAL, CONTAINS AN EXTREME RANGE OF PHYSICAL SETTINGS WITHIN A BELT THAT IS LESS THAN 200 KM WIDE. THREE CASE STUDIES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO ROUGHLY DEPICT THE THREE CLIMATIC AND ETHNIC ZONES OF THE CENTRAL HIMALAYAS. UPPER MUSTANG HAS A COLD-DRY CLIMATE AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 3500 METERS WITH THE INHABITANTS BEING CULTURALLY LINKED TO TIBET. LOWER DOLAKHA REPRESENTS THE COOL-WET CLIMATE OF THE FOOTHILLS AT AN AVERAGE ALTITUDE OF 2000 METERS WITH INHABITANTS ORIGINATING FROM BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH. JHAPA HAS A HOT-WET CLIMATE AND WAS ORIGINALLY INHABITED BY TRIBES CLOSELY RELATED TO THOSE OF THE GANGETIC PLAINS IN NORTHERN INDIA. THESE ARTICLES ARE DERIVED FROM A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ICOMOS CONFERENCE “SEISMIC PERFORMANCE OF TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS” IN ISTANBUL IN NOVEMBER 2000.

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Jhapa, is the south-eastern most district of Nepal, bordering onto the Indian State of West Bengal.

This area in the plains of the Terai used to be covered with dense tropical jungle. During April and May thunderstorms hit the area bringing with them strong winds, felling trees and blowing away light roofs. The temperatures rise up to 35 oC. When the Monsoon rains sweep in from the south-east, the temperature drops a few degrees,

Open space under stilts closed off to be used as a shop

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but humidity rises into the 90’s.

The flat land at around 100 meters above sea level gets flooded during the Monsoons, when rivers flowing south from the foothills rise above their banks, often changing their course entirely. Winters are dry, with temperatures averaging 17 oC. The original inhabitants of the Jhapa area were the Rajbansis, the Satars, the Dhimals and the Bodos. The hill people were not

CONSERVATION

able to live in the malaria infested jungles of the plains, though some did come for seasonal logging of the Sal forests. It was only in the 1960’s, after malaria was eradicated in the Terai, that the hill people such as the Bahuns, the Chetris, the Newars and the Rais were able to settle down in the plains. The Rajbansis (or Kochs) were a powerful race with their own kingdom during the 17th and 18th centuries. They were subjugated partly by the British in India and partly by Prithivi Narayan Shah of Nepal around 1774.

The Rajbansis lived in villages consisting of some 10 to 15 thatched huts encircling a central courtyard.

The whole community helped in the construction of houses. Nevertheless the Satars, the Bodos and the Dhimals tended not to settle in one place, for more than a few years. They did not own land. Clearing an area in the jungle, they cultivated it for a few years and then moved on, possibly to keep the soil fertile.

They were mediocre farmers, and had to supplement their diet through fishing, hunting and gathering. Now that these semi-nomads have had to settle down, their temporary constructions are not adequate for permanent shelter.

It was in the 1940’s that the wooden structures on stilts were introduced into the Jhapa area. The original shelters of the indigenous inhabitants of the Terai were single storied bamboo structures, with woven bamboo mat or thatch roofs constructed by the inhabitants

Open space under the stilts used as covered area

themselves. The wooden “Assam House” was developed out of experiences gathered after the Great Assam Earthquake of 1897 of magnitude 8.7. This style of wooden building was supposedly brought in and adapted to the area by Bengali builders hired by the local landlords. Later, the hill people migrating down to the plains adapted the style to their own skills and requirements. The buildings were put on stilts often over 3 meters high for safety from the jungle animals such as wild elephants, to raise the building to catch the cool wind and as protection from the ground humidity. The space below

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Stilts constructed out of prefab RCC telephone poles

the building was also a covered area used for household activities and to tie the cows and water buffaloes.

The wooden building is supported by stilts of round Sal tree-trunks of diameters of approximately 30 cm, fixed up to 1.5 meters into the ground. Two rows of stilts approximately 3 meters apart support the main structure. Balconies extend another meter on either side, supported by further rows of stilts. The length of the building depends on the number of bays, each bay being about 1.5 meters wide. The main beams (10/15 cm) that run along the width of the building are fitted into a notch cut 5 cm into the main stilt and then bolted together. The main stilts extend all the way up the roof.

Variations to this construction method can be seen where the building itself is constructed as a separate block supported by the stilts that extend only up to the floor. The joists (7/10 cm) are then covered by 2.5 cm thick wooden floor planks.

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At roof level, two layers of ring beams tie the main posts together along the outer periphery. The lower one, just below the main beams supported the roof over the balconies. The higher one supports the pitched roof.

These roofs used to be covered with thatch or shingle, but today have been replaced by corrugated galvanised iron sheets. The walls are of horizontal overlapping wooden panelling nailed to wooden frames fixed to the main posts. Newer buildings have flush vertical panelling or in some cases, “ikra” panels of woven bamboo in wooden frames plastered with earth.

Jhapa’s development is very much based on the crossborder trade. The East – West Highway, the main artery of Nepal, connects Jhapa to the rest of the country. The airport at Chandragadhi is being upgraded for regular commercial flights to Kathmandu. The easy access to the Indian market has a great impact on the building industry. The devastation of the 1988 earthquake has

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Handicrafts of making bamboo mats for walls and partitions

Cut timber lying around wet jungle area

given the people the false impression that reinforced concrete frame structures are most durable. The high cost of wood and its restricted availability has also been a major factor for the decreased use of wooden structures.

The wooden buildings on stilts have performed well during earthquakes. Nevertheless certain elements are known to have been damaged during the 1988 earthquake. The main problem seems to be the stability of the stilts. The foundations are not sufficient and would need to be improved by giving a sufficient footing base. The stilts are often too tall with no intermediary bracing. With diagonal bracing, stability could be improved greatly and sections could be reduced to an appropriate size. The height of the stilts should be reduced as far as possible to lower the centre of gravity. The stability of the structure is often weakened by inadequate quality of joints. The use of alternative materials such as bamboo should be considered to replace wood that is often under dimensioned and of bad quality due to restricted availability. n

The lack of wood for the construction of these buildings on stilts is the main restraint for further developing these buildings for general use. The use of wood needs to be minimised both for the structural and non-structural elements. Certain new developments can be observed with the use of smaller square sections. The stilts could be reduced to raising the building only slightly above the ground. An alternative material should be introduced. The non-structural wooden elements can easily be replaced by bamboo. Depending on acceptance, the whole structure can be built of bamboo. It is essential to study means of upgrading bamboo as a construction material.

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Festival time: DB Chitrakar (late)

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ART

WATERCOLORS ON THE RISE, AGAIN Welcoming of Newar Bride: Chandra M. Maskey (late)

WATERCOLOR IS IN THE NEWS AGAIN. UNDER THE AUSPICES OF IWS – NEPAL (INTERNATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY – NEPAL), A GRAND ‘INTERNATIONAL WATERCOLOR FESTIVAL 2018’ IS JUST BEING CONCLUDED IN KATHMANDU WITH GREAT FANFARE AND ENTHUSIASM. AS A HOST COUNTRY, THERE REMAINED AN IMPRESSIVE PRESENCE OF NEPALI WATERCOLOR WORKS – AT ITS BEST. AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE NEPAL HAS HAD HOSTED THIS INTERNATIONAL EVENT, WITHIN AS MANY YEARS – LAST TIME IN 2016. UNDOUBTEDLY, FOR THE NEPALI ARTISTS AND THE ART-ENTHUSIASTS, THE EVENT PROVED AN AMAZING SHOW – WITH MANY REASONS TO BE PROUD AND HAPPY. IWS – NEPAL THUS, UNDER THE ACTIVE LEADERSHIP OF N.B. GURUNG, THEREFORE, DESERVES HIGH KUDOS AND WARM APPRECIATIONS FROM ALL THE ART LOVERS.

Text: Madan Chitrakar Photo: Bijaya Maharjan

Like in the first edition, the second Festival also, therefore, must be regarded as part of continual struggle to regain the due esteem of the medium. And it did prove very meaningful in propagating the beauty and the power of watercolors. Moreover, it also allowed a useful platform to update with the current state of watercolors in Nepal and elsewhere.

And in this context, it becomes only relevant to know why such an event, a festival has had become a need in Nepal, at the first place.

Since some time in the past, a need for such an event was badly felt. Not long ago, Nepali Art has had began to experience a strange new trend, extremely unfriendly to Watercolors. The period during mid-sixties to late eighties of the last century, was known for and was overwhelmingly dominated by forms and style - lifted straight from the big cities abroad. The emphasis was visibly on the use of Oil colors as the premier or all important medium for painting then.

People have had begun to lose respects and interests in watercolors. Unknowingly, Watercolor artists and the medium itself had had begun to be relegated as inferior and worthy of practice only by the students or the novices. To address and confront such an ugly scene, the stated Festivals, indeed did a great job; and achieved miracles of a sort. It not only helped dispel such wrong notions, but also restored the earlier glory and the esteem, ‘Again’.

As a result today, there’s an unmistakable surge and growing popularity of Watercolors and is in visible rise at all levels. Several informal groupings are also seen organizing or conducting open landscape movement at given regular intervals. A name worthy of mention and appreciations, in this regard is ‘Saturday Pleinair Watercolors Workshop’ informally led by Dibesh Shrestha. What has been unique about these movements is their tireless continuity and regularity.

Historically Important But looking back in retrospect however, historically, Watercolors has had always remained all important, in the annals of Nepali Art. Some of the historically important works are found created in Watercolors.

The first and historic appearance of Rajman Singh Chitrakar the patriarch of pre-modern era of Nepali Painting, is essentially associated with the Watercolors, in his historic drawings. Most of

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his works including birds, animals and the human forms, have the unmistakable earliest footprints of Watercolor dating as early 19th century. In fact, a new era of Nepali Art herald with Watercolors as the important medium then.

In academic terms, earliest works of Head Study, Life Study from life and open air Landscapes were pioneered by Tej B. Chitrakar as early in 1926, in Watercolors. And social portrayals were pioneered by yet another pioneer, C. M. Maskey. The pioneers proved so versatile, regardless of their need to struggle to survive by painting, they had the audacity and courage to not only paint outdoor landscape paintings and also began to create some of the iconic social portrayals. The subjects are being described as ‘Daily Life’ in the modern parlance of art-teaching today. Similarly, no less important are the fabulous contributions made by two later illustrious artists Amar Chitrakar and D.B. Chitrakar in enriching the Watercolors of Nepal today.

Even during the times when Watercolors was going rough and on the steady decline, few artists dedicated to the love for the medium, gathered courage and made daunting efforts to defy the contemporary trend. And they sought to revive the glory of the Watercolors, continually for a long time. The series of popular exhibitions exclusively in Watercolors, made by late R.N. Joshi, Madan Chitrakar, Shyam Lal Shrestha, Durga Baral and

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Father: Tej B. Chitrakar ( 1926)

few others, all during 70s-80s, have remained phenomenal: and they did prove the game changers. Nearly immediately, series of watercolor works with promising notes appeared in the scene, thanks mainly to a group of dedicated watercolorists. To name a few, Sharad Ranjit and late Mohan Khadka remain the prominent names.

In many respects, the works initiated and practiced by the above stated artists did set a new

trend not only to depict urban cityscapes but also to explore the hinterlands of the country. What’s more, they also set a brand new trail ‘Watercolors could also be explored for individual creativity, or for modern compositions aside from the stereotype streetscapes’.

Thus in many respects, the early efforts or the contributions of the artists stated above, must be regarded as essentially instrumental in helping shape a new era in Watercolors of Nepali Painting.

ART

Countryside: RN. Joshi (late)

And fast forward to the present modern times. While we talk about the revival of the medium, in this regard the early efforts of earlier Nepal Watercolor Society led by artist Ratan Kumar Rai must not be forgotten or ignored. Rai must be credited for organizing a first ever an exclusive ‘Nepali Watercolor Painting in Retrospect (1850-2003). In fact, it was a historic task a compilation of historic paintings - beginning with the works of legendary painters including Bhaju Man Chitrakar (c.1817-1874), and of course, more important rare works of Tej Bahadur Chitrakar (c.1898-1971), C.M.Maskey (c.1899-1984), to the later artists engaged in the medium.

Again in 2004, to make the Retrospective more comprehensive and inclusive, Rai again organized the second edition of the Show. The second edition also covered a period between c.1908-2004.: and it also did remain an event of historic importance.

In the second edition he sought to include more historic painters left out in the first. They included historic works by Dirghaman Chitrakar (c.1877-1951), Siddhimuni Shakya (c.1932-2001) and many other hitherto hidden works. It was indeed a result of a long tedious research work unveiling an unbroken chain of Watercolors in Nepal. For sure, this series initiated

by Ratan Rai will go on as a great contribution not A Bird: Rajman Singh Chitrakar (1842)

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Baeesh-dhaara: Amar Chitrakar (late)

Kathmandu Durbar Square: Madan Chitrakar (1992)

only as an early effort to glorify the beauty of the medium but also, a great work of documenting the history of Watercolors in Nepal.

Tamang lady: NB Gurung (2018)

And now back to the present series of Festival, as the festivals have well demonstrated, over the years today, Nepali Watercolors has been taking many new long strides by every account. Now no one dare say Watercolors is an inferior medium. Works in Watercolors are taken seriously as an independent and a respectable genre; in any major art show. The Show or the Festivals greatly helped emerge many up and coming Watercolorists to come in front without any sense of inhibition. Artists like N.B. Gurung, D. Ram Palpali are often participating in international platforms and accorded as the best watercolorists of the contemporary times something all the Nepali should be proud of.

Moreover, many new names artists are being continually added as the representative young watercolorists of Nepal today. Roshan B.K., Suresh Syangtan and many more hidden names are in this open list.

Conclusively however, all these new successes should not let allow Nepali Watercolor artists to be content and complacent. Rather it is time for soul-searching the

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ART

Kathmandu Street scene: DB Rai, 2019

Kathmandu Durbar Square: Suresh Syangtan (2019)

shortcomings in the present exercises. First and foremost, is in the presentation a long monotony in the choice of subjects and styles. The choices of subjects still are found unmistakably limited to open air landscapes with a mix of hills or human dwellings. The style is confined to spontaneous flow of colors and dark patches to give a finishing touch. And more often, the artists are found more interested in the flow of colors rather than following the basic grammaticism of painting as for example, due respects to drawing or the proper care for perspectives and proportions.

But let’s not forget that Watercolor is a versatile medium with immense possibilities to explore from human portrayals to creative modern compositions. It is high time that Nepali artists need to engage in diverse explorations in all fronts: and let’s seek to present a mosaic of diversity. In the past, to great extent, Nepali Watercolorists had had achieved that. One does not need to go too far just look back at the diversity in the works of great masters like Tej B. Chitrakar, C.M. Maskey and D.B. Chitrakar. n A modern Composition: Durga Baral

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INTERIOR

MODERN COLOR MODERN ARCHITECTURE text : CHHAVI VASHIST WHEN YOU THINK OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE, YOU MAY THINK OF A SLEEK, WHITE BUILDING, OR MAYBE A SLEEK WHITE BUILDING WITH GREY ACCENTS SO LIGHT THEY MIGHT AS WELL BE WHITE. THE COLOR COMPOSITION IN MODERN ARCHITECTURE HAS BEEN OFTEN CHARACTERIZED IN A SIMPLISTIC MANNER. IN FACT, THIS IS A COMPLEX PHENOMENON TO BE UNDERSTOOD BECAUSE OF THE DISPARITY OF PROPOSALS AND THE UNIQUENESS OF THE DESIGN IS TO BE ACHIEVED. ADMIRERS OF A MODERN DECORATING STYLE LIST MAY ATTRIBUTE AND ENDORSE ITS CLEAN LOOKING, SOPHISTICATED, AND CALMING APPEARANCE. TO GET THESE QUALITIES AND A MODERN LOOK FOR YOUR HOME, HERE ARE SOME COLOR APPROACHES YOU MAY WISH TO CHOOSE.

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INTERIOR

EARTH TONES Most modern color schemes mix hues together. Earth tones offer a subtle, organic backdrop that suits the sophisticated aspirations of a modern room.

These hues have undertones of brown or gray or black, and they are derived from the natural environment.

Other natural elements, such as stained wood furniture, natural fibre rugs, woven baskets, and artful pottery are at home in earthy palette color schemes. In living room, a sofa with charcoal upholstery melds easily with the espresso-stained kitchen peninsula, a sisal rug, and chairs the color of newly grown tree leaves.

Brown is a favourite façade colour. It never seems to go out of trend. You may choose brown paint, stone veneer or wooden sidings to give the façade of your home a chic brown look. But don’t forget to vary between the shades.

An attractive combination

of different materials, tones and textures should be used to define and design façades.

The combination of grey and white looks sleek on the façade of a modern building. The designer can go playful in varying shades of grey and white to deck up the exterior walls. Glass windows with black frames accentuate its beauty further.

The playfulness of light and shade makes the façade look simply

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INTERIOR

the lower one. A clean look and careful design front yard makes the appearance more charming.

By using different materials like exposed concrete, brick, stone and wood you can easily vary the colours of the exterior of the house/ building. The designer here utilised an array of materials to decorate the exterior walls. Its dark accent makes it look even more eyecatching.

stunning. The colour palette is dominated by dark grey and white. The warmth the interior is palpable from the glowing light that beautifies the interior of the building as well as its exterior.

The faรงade of modern building is decked up in a variety of shades.

Those belonging to the brown family, black, white and grey are most conspicuous among them.

The upper part of the building can be of predominantly dark tone than

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Charcoal grey faรงade happens to be another contemporary favourite. This color requires less maintenance. Moreover, design itself is sufficient to explain the reason behind the popularity of this shade for the exterior of a dwelling.

The green lawn takes away some of the edges from its dark look.

The slate black appearance of this family home gives it a very sleek and trendy appearance.

Its green surrounding makes it look even more stunning. The monochromatic colour scheme has been enhanced by the clean and contemporary design of

INTERIOR

the home. Large glass windows also make their contributions in the transforming effect of the contemporary façade design.

BRIGHT SCHEMES Another melting pot palette for modern interiors comes from international influences and typically includes bright hues. These lively spaces feature colors that may be inspired by a Chinese silk tapestry, a Moroccan lantern, or an Afghan rug. The result is saturated tones with depth and intensity. A worldly palette can exist in any decorating style, but in modern interiors, the rich colors are paired with minimalist collections, spare architecture, and clean-lined furnishings designed to highlight the artefacts. In living room, salmon-pink pillows can be balanced by deep cerulean in the vases, silk chair cushion, and upholstery. One more dash of equal-value color comes in the curry orange throw draped over the chair.

The most ravishing colour for the exteriors of any building is red.

The Pop Art and post-modern influence on the development

of contemporary architecture motivates the use of bold color in modern architecture. Most of us think that bold colors like yellows and reds are eye hurting. The visualisation reveals that if reddish shade is being incorporated in the color scheme it gives out a stunning effect. The designer can nicely balance the striking effect of red with a warm white tone or a contrasting tone. Strategic use of red shall be planned or invest in such materials as brick and terracotta tiles to increase the warm look of the façade of your house. Both of these materials can easily be used on modern buildings as well as the classical ones.

THE KEY OF MODERN DESIGN MONOCHROMATIC SCHEME The monochromatic, or onecolor, palette is the easiest way to create a clean-looking and calming environment. However, it’s difficult for most people to achieve this highly edited look. The most common color for a modern scheme is white, but it can be any hue -- gray, tan, blue, or red.

A modern interior often looks

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into the past. The furnishings, collectibles, or accessories from another era spark the color palette for the space. Every period in time has distinctive colors, which you can choose to replicate accurately, or update with newer, more contemporary tints. For example, you may collect Victorian glassware, so your kitchen could be done in the same jewel-tone ambers, purples, and greens.

In living room, mid-century lamps with happy yellow bases kick off a palette that combines period leathers and wood tones with velvet upholstery in an oh-so-current peacock blue.

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Sometimes artwork serves as a catalyst for a modern color palette. The source for inspiration for comfortable living room comes from the poster-size photograph over the sofa. The bright orange paint on the bicycles spurred pillow choices and two leather-covered storage cubes in the same punchy color. A striped rug incorporates the orange, as well as the sky blue and sandy tan hues. Neutral color slipcovers and upholstery can be receded into the background, so the art -- and the accents it inspired - can take centre stage.

INTERIOR

It’s the beginning of New Year and time to refresh your spaces by remodelling your adobe with a modern look. The trick to design a mesmerising modern appearance is to pick one hue that you can live with in large doses, day in and day out. Then choose wall paint, flooring, and furnishings that lie in that color band.

The shades can vary as much as you like, from pale to dark. For interest, work in various textures and surfaces, such as slick, glossy woodwork, nubby carpeting, and rough linen upholstery.

Any deviation from the palette makes a powerful statement. In common area, a large painting boldly pops to attention within the nougat-white space. You can achieve the same sense of drama with a bright accent pillow or a boldly painted piece of furniture.

Keep the look modern by maintaining clean lines and simplicity. n

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MUSICOLOGY text : Hemantika R.L. Palikhe

T

he most essential aspect that architecture and interior design revolve around in today’s time is creating functional and aesthetic spaces out of existing structures/ areas.

Musicology is a restaurant tucked in the ground floor of a once residential building located at Bakhundole, Lalitpur.

The space showcases a minimal and rustic design and incorporates the eclectic collection of our clients.

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INTERIOR

The interior design elements used here has been tastefully selected to fully accept the nature of the existing space and structure and to honor the theme of this café named “Musicology”.

Space: Connect, open planning and bring the outdoors in Big windows give us the view of the greenery outdoors. Open planning endorsed maximum space optimization.

Color: Instead of neutral tones; a splash of color The wash of the mint green shade on pine wood on the furniture brightens up the space and makes it livelier. It also adds a cool contrast to the warm tones of the raw wood and exposed brick wall.

The abstract pattern painted on the floor acts as an element of surprise and adds energy to the overall space.

Texture: Amalgam of different texture to create a unique and cohesive space Clad in an assortment of various woods, the exterior wall adds interest to the people walking by. Further, the continuation of the same on the counter not only acts as a connecting feature but adds warmth and lingers the interest in the interiors.

Raw brick wall with patches of plaster acts as a feature wall while breaking the monotony of the otherwise flat and clean surfaces.

Music notes on the wall capture the theme of the design while creating a backdrop for the performance area.

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Foldable windows: Connecting the indoors with the outdoors Swapping out the old window panels that divided the indoor seating area with the outdoor seating area with foldable French windowsacted as a bridge between the two spaces and helped communicate the indoorambience to the outdoors whilst giving the space an airy and light vibe. We also added a wooden ledge onthe sill to act as a table for outdoor seating.

Furniture: Minimal with music theme Use of minimal furniture made the space feel less crowded, light and airy and visually maximized the space. All furniture had been custom designed for the space.

Tables with framed old music cassettes and CDs work as a visual and mental stimulator and also a conversation starter.

A table with framed traditional Nepali drum (Dhime’) topped with glass gives homage to the traditional music. The table can be taken apart and the Dhime’ is then fully usable for its actual purpose.

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INTERIOR

A multilayered display shelf by the entry creates surface area to flaunt the collection of the clients and acts as a visual anchor to the space.

Lighting: Light with a design twist Big windows on three walls of the space give ample light during day time.

The exposed wiring saves us from the hassle of chipping the plaster while giving the space a unique character. And as a bonus, it mimics the look of guitar strings which goes along well with our theme for the space and also adds another element of interest.

The sculptural central light piece is built using the client’s old symbals; it reflects the light to the ceiling and gives soothing diffused light to the whole space.

All of these elements make up the space and brings the whole space together to its final form.The design of musicology tries to express how creative design solutions canhelp overcome the challenges that can come with designing in limited spaces. Further, the space has expanded its boundary (quite literally) and has in a way set an example of inter connecting spaces and how the interior and the exterior can blend together to create a lively ambience.

Design /Renovation / Interior / Furniture

by Metalwood Nepal Pvt.Ltd Construction

by Metalwood Nepal Pvt. Ltd and Metal Shaper Supervision by Niraj Joshi (Co-director) and Hemantika R.L.Palikhe(Architect) • • • • • •

Total Area : 400 sq. ft.

Style: Minimal + Rustic Concept: Space optimization Furniture: Metal + wood + Upholstery + Glass Theme: Music Project status: Completed.

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PERSONALITY

ARCHITECT JOHN HARRISON text: Prabal Dahal

British Architect John Harrison was invited for the TARAGAON LECTURE SERIES – 6 on November 01, 2018. He talked about his works he did in Mustang. His Lecture was followed by an exhibition of his Mustang drawings.

Born in 1941 in the north of England, between the Pennine Hills and the Irish Sea, John studied architecture and town planning at Liverpool University, and then worked on historic buildings in architectural practice and at Liverpool City, and later in Pakistan, China, Russia and Jamaica. He lives in a stone cottage in Snowdonia in the “mountains” of Wales.

Harrison says: “Nepal for me meant the Himalaya and a dream of high mountains. In the autumn of 1985 I had been travelling east for half a year after getting on the train in Liverpool Lime Street, through Turkey, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, and then the sight of the mountains: the Hindu Kush, K2 and Rakaposhi, Kashmir and Ladakh, Darjeeling and Kanchenjunga.

Freak Street in Kathmandu still had remnants of the hippy trail I had missed as a student twenty years before, but it was the dense brick town-scape and the building crafts being practiced around Hanuman Dhoka,and in Bhaktapur, which fascinated me.

Then I trekked from Pokhara through the middle hills, up the Kali Gandaki valley between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and into the Tibetan Buddhist world of

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Mustang. North of Kagbeni was still the Forbidden Kingdom’ in 1985, but I knew it was a land I had to see.

I went on for a couple of years through Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas, and home to Britain, but everywhere, at Borobodur or Antigua Guatemala or Chan Chan, or at Lime Street station again, there was the question of how to get back to the Himalaya, and what I might do there. The answer came by chance in London, when I saw an exhibition of measured drawings of village houses in Mugu, northwest Nepal,

by Ada Wilson, who was teaching at the Architectural Association. That was it. Historic buildings work in Lahore and Multan in Pakistan enabled me to return to the idyllic pagan valleys of the Hindu Kush on the Afghan border, and to start measuring and drawing the buildings of the Kalasha people there.”

At the event a “Chimang Village Survey” catalogue by John Harrison and Mohan Murti Pant was also launched.

The Exhibition also featured ten Mustang Photographs

by Kevin Bubriski.

John first came to Nepal in 1985; he missed the hippy trail while he was 20 years. He was caching up for lost times. It was Nepal and mountains that took his imagination and was looking for wys to get back here.

He started documenting vernacular mountains in the Hindu Kush region, north of Pakistan in late 80s. He

PERSONALITY

first worked in Pakistan in World Bank project. He met Neils Gutsaav in Kathmandu. He got into Nepal-German research project in 1992. He brought in number of people including archaeologist, anthropologist, architects for documenting southern Mustang.

What attracted him was the landscape, the mountains and the Tibetan architecture in north of Mustang. The way in which the buildings grow out of the landscape with tapering walls. He was photographing, measuring and drawing the buildings/paragons of Mustang and in the north. He had read Michelle Pasaeo’s book before he started travelling to Asia and that had fascinated him.

Michelle’s rather romantic reclusive view of the east was interesting and the documentation with photographs and sketches captured John’s interest. John was aware of Mustang a long time ago but after he actually got there he was balled over by the place. In 1993, the change was beginning because of tourism and hotels opening up. House owners were knocking holes on city walls to expand the hotel outside.

John started some of his Mustang drawings in 1993 (chapel academy and chortens). He was part of the Nepal-German project on the high mountain archelogy which brought in German academics from various German Universities to work with the department of archelogy on studying various aspects of Mustang.

The title was the settlement process. So the team was particularly interested on the archaeological side, what could be found in the original settlements in Mustang and

how they were used. Architectural side of documenting the standing buildings and monuments was also of great interest to the team. He later went back to Mustang in 1996 with the Nepal-German project. Yara Ponza was the photographer then. Ponza was documenting the deities in the temples. In 1993, Rob Powl, well known painter and architect was with them and John was measuring buildings in Mustang with him along with Roberto Vitali, a historian.

After 1996, there was a long gap up to 2005, when John got research money from Cambridge to go up again. On that occasion, he was able to complete his drawing with city palace, guest house, squares, chortens and city walls.

He mentions how difficult it was to reach the foundation level even by crawling and at times, inaccessible. He was able to put together a town plan of Lo Mantang from various sources. A number of people had done bits of measurements and aerial photographs available.

John remarks how the Himalayan settlements have changed now with access roads and more hotels. With easy access, many more Nepalese are going to Northern Mustang. Now, RCC structures, tin sheet roofs are being built there with the materials being transported by trucks.

The landscape and architecture of the place will most definitely change at an increasing pace. Therefore, the documentations made by John will be highly important and records something which might not be existent in 50 years’ time. n

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FROM THE SHELF

THE SECRET TO ACHIEVING MORE WITH LESS THE PRINCIPLE HAS NEVER BEEN AS UBIQUITOUS OR IMPORTANT AS IT IS NOW. IN THE PAST, THE PRINCIPLE GAVE THOSE WHO USED IT A SERIOUS ADVANTAGE. IN THE FUTURE IT WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL TOOL AND PROBABLY THE ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SUCCEED OR BE HAPPY.

Top-down and large organizations are giving way at least in the ability to generate high growth, profits, and cash to networks, and to network ventures such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Uber, Amazon, eBay, and Betfair. These kinds of networks and network organizations are coming to dominate society and this is why 80/20 is becoming more prevalent.

All networks exhibit positive feedback loops the big get bigger, the rich get richer, the famous get more famous, and networks benefiting the world (such as network businesses and the philanthropic organizations they often spawn) and those not benefiting the world (such as drug gangs and ISIS) become wealthier and more powerful.

The 80/20 Principle is marching on not just this book, but the principle itself. In the past ten to twenty years, there have been incredibly significant changes in business, society, our personal lives, and in our understanding of how and why the 80/20 Principle operates. This has required a major addition to the book.The 80/20 pattern

that we have come to recognize for over a century and which has been remarkably consistent, varying mainly between, say, 70/30 and 90/10 is rapidly increasing to 90/10 and 99/1.

There are a few rules of thumb that make all the difference between success and failure, between personal fulfillment and personal angst, and between happiness and misery.

There is one more thing that I have discovered. The greatest manifestation of 80/20 was not included in the early editions of this book. A new Chapter 16 describes “Your Hidden Friend,� which can exert a super-potent and amazingly favorable influence on your life. The hidden friend operates at extraordinary speed and impact for no conscious effort at all. And properly trained, your hidden friend can transform your life. This requires a little effort the trick is to know how to do the training, the coding, of your hidden friend.

So there we have it. Go forth and shout the good news about the principle from the rooftops. n

This is not a Book Review; This is just an effort to convey information to the readers on rare and valuable books. This column aims to give a helicopter view on such books and thus presents the excerpts and illustration either from the preface, introduction, jacket or main contents of the book from the shelf. The book was kindly provided by Mandala Book, Kantipath, Kathmandu Tel:01-4227711

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ARTSCAPE

MATRIKA DEVI RUDRAYANI The Experiment with his artistic new composition, medium and the highly decorated Agni in the background is one of the Udaya Charan’s versatility in the contemporary Paubha painting. Created in 2004, he has skillfully done this painting on transparent method based in watercolor and using pencil as the decorative linings. n

ASHA DANGOL

Udaya Charan Shrestha Born in Kathmandu (1964), Udaya Charan Shrestha, one of the experimental Paubha artists did his Bachelor in Fine Art from Lalit Kala Campus.

He has participated in numerous group shows including “Paubha painting in Nepal”, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum Fukuoka, Japan 2011, Traditional Arts and Crafts of Newar, Kampo Museum, Kyoto, Japan 2007, “Master Works of Newar Art” Exhibition, Tibet House, New York 2007, Master Works of Modern Tantric Art, Maha Devi Gallery, San Anselmo, USA 2006, and has received many awards and recognitions and selected are: Narottam Das Indiradevi Shrestha Puraskar 2013, Best Artist of the Year 2012, Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal, 1st PositionNepal-Japan Friendship and Centenary Program 1999, 1st Position-National Art Exhibition NAFA 1997, Gold Medal in Hindu Religion Art and Culture Exhibition 1988.

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