SPACES Nepal JAN-FEB 2011

ART - ARCHITECTURE - INTERIORS - ACCESSORIES

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2011

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Heaven Here On Earth Lodge Thasang Village

Resorts World Sentosa Where Context Meets Context The Courtyard Houses of Upper Mustang

Changing Times Kathmandu Dubar Square

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'Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project' January-February 2011

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CONTENTS Vol 7 Issue 2 / January - February 2011

Cover Story:

38 ARCHITECTURE

Heaven Here On Earth - Lodge Thasang Village

62 INTERIOR

by Ar. Swati Pujari In the valleys of the Kaligandaki River live the ethnic group called Thakalis. Lodge Thasang Village, built by A.S. Tulachan, a local resident of the nearby Tukche Village, portrays their culture in all its uniqueness, both in terms of the place and the experience.

by Ar. Kalpana Bhandari A civilization like ours serves as an arboretum of architectural styles. It is interesting to observe how different styles blend under the same hood expressing their own story.

Where Context Meets Context

70 HERITAGE

48 ARCHITECTURE

The Courtyard Houses Of Upper Mustang

by Ar. Kai Weise Upper Mustang is one of those fascinating places where the traces of the evolution of human civilization are presented through the diverse forms of shelter that have developed over the centuries. However, the essence of dwelling is expressed through its simple but effective courtyard houses.

56 INTERNATIONAL Resorts World Sentosa

by Ar. Bansri Pandey Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) , designed by Michael Graves and Associates is one of the world's most extensive and expensive multi-recreational luxury park at Singapore.

COVER PHOTO :

A view of the Dhaulagiri range from the entrance Lodge Thasang Village PHOTOGRAPH: Ashesh Rajbansh

24 IN FOCUS - CIVIL GROUP 7 ways to reduce RISKs in House Investment

28 SOLUTIONS • 7 Secrets to Sustainable Architecture • Save on your Building Cost • Build Your Own Solar Water Heater for Rs. 12,000

Changing Times The Kathmandu Durbar Square

by Ar. Swati Pujari The Kathmandu Dubar Square has been built, destroyed and rebuilt through centuries to get to its present situation. In its grandest form, approximately 150 years ago, the Hanumandhokha Palace Complex had 35 Chowks; now only 12 remain.

79 ANALYSIS/OPINION

Sustainability of “Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project”

by Ar. Yatra Sharma Much has been about the condition of our roads and traffic, but very little has been done to improve its condition. Amidst this dire situation, a proposal from ADB called “Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project” comes as a beacon of hope. Or is it?

86 ART

Syed Iqbal Geoffrey: artist with a double life

by Madan Chitrakar Barrister Paris Biennale laureate Syyed Iqbal Geoffrey, who recently held his first exhibition of collages in Kathmandu, leads a double life -an artist with unusual thoughts and expression, and the other, a fearless and highly sensitive barrister.

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 2 Regd. No 30657/061-62 CDO No. 41

January-February 2011

INBOX Managing Editor / Editor Uday Sunder Shrestha, B.E, B.Sc.

ongratulations on a wonderful issue. The additions on ‘Solutions’ and ‘Accessories’ were very informative.

Ar. Smita Shrestha ( syangboshrestha@yahoo.com)

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Photography / Production Control Ashesh Rajbansh Assistant-Marketing & Sales Pratima Bhandari Public Relations Prakash Bahadur Amatya Editorial Assistant Swati Pujari, B. Arch.

Contributing Art Editor

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finally had some free time to catch up with past Spaces issues. Congratulations on another great year of Spaces. I really enjoyed the articles on foreign architects, the Vastu essays, and the new focus on interior design. I agree that interior design has exploded in the last few years in the Valley and is in need of critical attention.

Andrew Nelson (asn8p@virginia.edu)

Contributing Editor

Correspondents Ar. Bansri Pandey Ar. Kalpana Bhandari Design / Colour Separation Digiscan Pre-Press Naxal, Kathmandu. Phone: 4436817 Printed at Format Printing Press Hadigaon, Kathmandu, Phone: 4010160 Published by IMPRESSIONS Publishing Pvt.Ltd. Kupondole, Lalitpur Post Box No. 227, DPO Lalitpur Phone: 5544606, 5526040 DISTRIBUTION Kathmandu East Nepal

Mid & West Nepal Delhi

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- Darjeeling Hills Barun Roy - Delhi Ar. Jinisha Jain - Sikkim Ar. Chetan Raj Shrestha

Accounts / Admin Rajesh Dali

M

any congratulations on both articles – and a very good issue of Spaces – you have a great magazine. Lovely stuff! Many thanks.

Marcus Cotton (marcus.cotton@tigermountain.com)

- Madan Chitrakar - Kasthamandap Art Studio

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SPACES is published six times a year at the address above. All rights are reserved in respect of articles, illustrations, photographs, etc. published in S P A C E S . 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 editor@spacesnepal.com or sent to the address mentioned above.

EDITORIAL ast year in December 2010, a photo competition was organized on the theme ‘Photos of Risk’ by the Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium at Kathmandu – a commendable effort towards getting photo enthusiasts to think and advocate about the need to address disaster risk. Yes, all and especially us Kathmanduites, must realise the gravity of the situation. It is a known fact that Kathmandu sits on a veritable time bomb. And going by what experts have to say, we do not have more than three years before the next big earthquake brings down hell on us! Besides, this, another disaster we are inviting upon us city dwellers is the mad rush to build taller and taller. No doubt, each developer/designer has his logic for such enterprises, both technical and commercial, but what we must be able to question is the status of the safety infrastructure available in case of a disaster – especially earthquake and fire! We also need to take into account the cold facts that the earthquake is imminent; that most of Kathmandu lies on sand which will liquefy in case of an earthquake; that the earthquake preparedness is flimsy if not superficial; the fire brigades are very poorly equipped and have practically no control over 30 metres height (they are so helpless that they need to look for donations to improve their infrastructure!). The situation no doubt is grim......

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On a more positive note, the Nepal Tourism Year is finally on us and everyone has their fingers crossed. As for us, we travelled up to ‘Lodge Thasang Village’- a wonderful hotel with a magnificent view of the Dhaulagiri range right in front of your nose. Lovingly developed by a local, Arjun Tulachan, a man so infectious with his positive attitude towards life and the country, the hotel, coupled with the ambience of the surroundings, truly makes it a ‘Heaven, here on Earth’.

Students practicing an earthquake drill in Lalitpur (Photo: Kiran Panday)

But speaking about Lodge Thasang Village was not enough information on Mustang, which brought us to Kai Weise, who has managed to rummage through his travel diaries and speaks here about the Courtyard Houses of Upper Mustang. And combined with our photographer, Ashesh’s magnificent photos, the article will surely give you a taste of what nature has in store for you in this wilderness.

And finally, to add (or compare) to the resort theme, The Resort World Sentosa at Singapore will give you a taste of what indulgence in luxury would mean – not doubt, a far cry from what we have, but nonetheless the natural luxury factor up our sleeve will surely tip the scale.

However as we come back to reality, and in spite of the happy endings and happy new year greetings, the ground reality, as stated above still remains grim...

Until the next resort....

House set ablaze by leaking cooking gas in a crowed area of Kathmandu. (Photo: Nipendra Pradhananga)

Editor's Note : Looking For A Platform?

• To publish your Architectural / Interior Design / Research Works.

• To explore your writing abilities on Architecture and Interior Design.

• To voice your opinion on Planning, Environment and Design Issues.

Write to editor@spacesnepal.com

CONTRIBUTORS

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Ar. Yatra Sharma

Ar. Kai Weise

MESSAGE FROM SONA

was on a good sunny day, Dec 23th , that we all in the executive committee of SONA decided to head towards Bhaktapur Durbar Square from our usual place at De Valley Restaurant in search for a venue. As the head count increases beyond a dozen it has been a usual ritual in the Society to hunt for a table for meeting as we are mired by lack of space since the beginning. The dire situation of the Society may be better explained by the small den we occupy at Kalmochan Ghat, Tripuresor, although we ought to be thankful to Guthi Sansthan. Nevertheless, we ardent fans of the architectural community in the executive committee are always in the mercy of the monkeys who aimlessly loiter around the premises.

The last few meetings of the Society has been very peculiar as we decided to embark on a momentous journey to find our own space in spite of limited means. Our predecessor must have tried umpteen number of times to get solace from the government for the basic dwelling rights of SONA, which could be a discarded plot - a space which could possibly fit a few tables and chairs - but only in vain, always finding cover in the shadow of Narayan Mandir at Kalmochan Ghat. With the resources that we have, owning a footprint for the building is beyond imagination, but possibly we can buy a space in an Apartment or Commercial building or develop some land on lease on charitable basis. Now the biggest concern has been that are these available spaces governed by the legislation for commercial office setup?

Ar. Sachin Baral

Ar. Kai Weise is a Nepali national of Swiss origin. He completed his Masters in Architecture from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich in 1992 and has been working as a Planner and Architect in the Himalayan Region.

Ar. Weise has been working in various capacities as a UNESCO consultant and advisor to the UNESCO office in Kathmandu since 2004. He has been involved in preparing Management Plans for various World Heritage properties; Kathmandu Valley, Lumbini and the Mountain Railways of India. (paharnepal@gmail.com)

Going back to the venue of the meeting at Bhaktapur Durbar Square, I was rather amazed to see some instances where small traders operate in the plaza of Taumadhi around the majestic fivetiered Nayatapol and Sidhi-Laxmi Temple. The fortress built during Malla Dynasty still glorifies the richness of Nepalese traditional architecture. Presumably we should be borrowing the essence of our mindset by the virtue of our heritage and culture. The traders operating there since generations have been enjoying equal rights and commands on business as the shared owner of the property. Their business running through centuries must have been pivotal for the economy and a predominant factor defining courtyard architecture of the old cities. Unfortunately these days the primary owners of the dwellings in many part of the city are lost into oblivion by limitation of the law. Alas! They were the ones to imbibe ’Athiti Devo Bhava’ by subletting the space to traders on lease, literally succumbing to the cruelty of legislation with the limited option

Ar. Yatra Sharma is a post graduate in Urban Management and Development studies from the Netherlands, Institute of Housing Studies. After graduating in Architecture from Pulchowk Engineering College, she was involved in various architectural projects in both government and private sector. Currently, she is teaching at Khwopa Engineering College and is involved in a range of architectural and urban research works. (yatrasharma@gmail.com)

The usual slim dwellings we bump around in many areas of the city are the byproduct of ownership act. The properties are divided and subdivided ending to a situation which merely fits the stair lobby as if people are never meant to lose their building foot-print by the interpretation of the existing law.

Here I shall quote a fable where a king tells his peasant that he shall own the entire stretch of land he fathoms in a single day; the desperate man covered such a large distance, ultimately leading to heart failure by exertion and gained nothing. The sporadic emergence of commercial activities around the nooks and corner of the valley is one of the biggest culprits for outward migration of true dwellers of the core area. The basic problem at this juncture is our legislation which rarely allows vertical ownership of the land. The sentimental value of the owner never allows people to leave their property if their rights are protected by law, irrespective of the price it can fetch. In earlier times, the dwellers and the traders used to coexist and own it jointly as in Taumadhi, Bhaktapur. Albeit things are changing slowly with the emergence of Nepal Apartment and Housing Act which allows owning and sharing common facilities in multiple levels. But can it be applied to commercial setup is a big question to be answered.

Ar. Sachin Baral obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Shivaji University, Maharashtra, India and Master’s in Urban Design from University of Hong Kong.

He has been associated with the Kathmandu Engineering College since 2002 in different capacities and also practices through his architectural firm Neo-Praxis Consult (P). Ltd. Ar. Baral plans to further his professional practice in Australia in the near future. (sachinbaral@hotmail.com)

But surprisingly, the limitation on the legislation for the ownership of vertical space for different use has created smart ways to float building as transactional shares. There are numerous examples of property being owned in that fashion. The repercussions are yet to be seen for nuisance reasons if people are not allowed to own spaces vertically as evident from existing property ownership laws.

The government shall have to act swiftly to revive the existing building ownership act for commercial property for better reasons - the very fundamental aspect hindering the growth of good urban spaces in Kathmandu valley.

With this note, as the Society is embarking on an ownership spree, I shall advise the authorities to act judiciously to protect the rights of so many buyers and the investors, who have started enjoying the benefit of coexistence in the commercial setup before it is too late! And lastly let me conclude this as a food for thought that the society has envisaged for a better Kathmandu.

Debesh Raj Bhattarai, General Secretary, Society of Nepalese Architects

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January-February 2011

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS

14th ARCASIA STUDENT’S

JAMBOREE 25th – 30th October, Lahore, Pakistan The 14th ARCASIA Student’s Jamboree with the theme ‘Dynamism in Architecture –The Asian Spirit’, was held at the University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.

At the same time, the 14th Asian Congress of Architects (ACA-14), with the theme “GO GREEN – The Architecture of the New Order”, was hosted at Lahore by the Institute of Architects, Pakistan (IAP), organized by its Lahore Chapter, from October 25-30, 2010.

The ARCASIA Architectural Students’ Jamboree was held concurrently.

In connection with the Jamboree, IAP also organized the ARCASIA Students’ Architectural Design Competition for “Student’s Resource Centre” 2010 in conjunction with ACAE. The competition was open to the third and fourth year students of all the architecture schools that are recognized by the respective Institutes of Architects in the ARCASIA countries.

The Architects’ Regional Council Asia (ARCASIA) is a Council of the Presidents of the National Institutes of Architects of 17 Asian countries that are members of ARCASIA. Every alternate year, an Asian Congress of Architects (ACA) is hosted by one of the member countries of ARCASIA. Parallel to the ACA is the ARCASIA Architectural Students’ Jamboree at which student representatives from the seventeen countries meet to exchange ideas, discuss, debate and celebrate. They also get to attend the Congress sessions and official dinners, and have the opportunity to mingle with the region’s leading architects. The Jamboree is organized by the host Institute under the aegis of the ARCASIA Committee for Architectural Education (ACAE).

& Students throughout the Asian region to foster friendly, intellectual, artistic, educational and scientific ties, research and technical advancement in the field of the built environment & society. - Anand Gupta

The 15th ARCASIA Students Jamboree will be held in Japan after two years, which will unite the National Institutes of Architects

Nepal was represented by the student body Presidents from Acme Engineering College, Sitapaila and Nepal Engineering College, Bhaktapur respectively, along with the Society of Nepalese Architect’s (SONA). Getting an exposure to the regional architecture and culture of Pakistan, the students from India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Nepal, visited different architecture schools and shared their ideas and experiences. The students from Nepal gave a presentation titled ‘Overview of Nepal & Traditional Architecture of Tiered Temples of Nepal, Architecture, Culture, Naturescapes & Tourism for 2011’.

Apart from ARCASIA members, Architects from UK, Austria and other countries were also invited for this event .

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NEWS and HAPPENINGS

every artistic medium, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints, his dedication to the art of making posters is unique and inspiring.

Chagall in Nepal THE MAGIC OF COLOUR Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka, 12-21 November, 2010 On the 12 November, 2010, a three part exhibition of a few of Marc Chagall’s works were showcased at the Yala Maya Kendra in Lalitpur. The exhibition, organized by Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC), Kavre, included his original posters besides copies of his prints and his life story.

Marc Chagall ( 7 July 1887 – 28 March 1985) was a Belarusian French artist, who was associated with several key art movements and was one of the most successful artists of the 20th century. Although he created in virtually

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Before the formal opening of the exhibition on 12 November, 2010, an informal preview and workshop was organized on 11 November, attended by Nepali artists and media persons. At the workshop, Chagall was introduced by Mr. Madan Chitrakar, a well known name in the Nepali art society, and the first tour of the exhibition was guided by Ms. Meyer, the curator of the exhibition who incidentally is also the granddaughter of Marc Chagall. The workshop ended with the screening of a documentary - 'The Gift: Four Seasons Mosaic of Marc Chagall', showcasing the design and installation of the mosaic 'Four Seasons' at the Chase Tower Plaza, Chicago.

Meret Meyer shared at the preview that she was interested in bringing this exhibition to Nepal after a patient at Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre painted a flying figure during an occupational therapy session. She was reminded of a similar flying figure of a man created by her grandfather and

January-February 2011

was hence interested in bringing the exhibition to Nepal. After Yala Maya Kendra, the exhibition was carried on for yet another week at the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Kavre.

– Swati Pujari

NEWS and HAPPENINGS

“I will never stop creating art because this is the responsibility God has given me.

And duty is God.” - D. B. Chitrakar (SPACES -Jul/Aug 2008).

PASSING OF A LEGEND D. B. Chitrakar, 1929 - 2010

same period when the mentor christened his favourite young pupil with the initials ‘DB’ so as to make him distinct from other students with the same name, little may he have guessed that this short name would remain immortal as one of the greatest artists of Nepal.

DB did not disappoint his mentor. During the exams, DB almost created a kind of panic amongst the regular students while doing a life study of a Buddhist monk as an exam paper. His work, a water colour painting, shined so bright and displayed such an impressive strength, that the regular students were confounded into jealously, and stooped so low as to resort to damage his exam work after the office hours – simply to vent their anger.

An important chapter of modern Nepali Painting came to a sad end with the demise of the legendary DB on 22th Dec.’10 evening. It was a sudden mild respiratory complication which took away the great master from us. Dil Bahadur Chitrakar - popularly known simply as DB to many of his fans and the entire art fraternity, and lovingly addressed as dear ‘Dil Dai’ (dear brother) to many of his juniors including truly yours - remains one of the last great painters who ushered in and consolidated Nepali Painting to a modern era. Born in 1927 to a traditional artist family from Patan as the second son of Jagat Bahadur Chitrakar, the life and art journey of DB Chitrakar resembles an exciting fairy tale with many interesting twists and turns.

A strange but remarkable beginning was made when his mentor since his early days, the legendary Tej Bahadur Chitrakar ( founder of Western Realism in Nepal and also the then head of Nepal Art School - the predecessor of the present day Fine Art Campus), highly impressed of DB’s early talents, decided to make this young protégée appear straight in the fifth year final exams of the six year Fine Arts course! To Tej Bahadur it was for two valid reasons. For one, he was sure that DB had already possessed more skills and ability than what was needed for the said exams.

And secondly, he wanted DB to possess an academic credential so that he was well armed to fight social battles in the days to come or when needed. But not all were happy with the decision then. And coincidently, during the

Thus began the art journey of DB. The rest is history. As the days passed, DB continued to shine regardless of all the adversities and hardships he had to face in pursuit to become a dedicated painter. Initially he outpaced all his contemporaries as an excellent magician in water colours and then, he began to create series of equally strong works in oil too. And his subject matter always revolved around what he loved the most - the life, people, culture and the natural scenic grandeurs of his country and the city he lived in. And throughout, he was true to the core of what he learnt from his mentor – the exquisite display of consummated understanding of academic fundamentals in forms and colours – and a magnificent panorama of works all based in Western style Realism. Although he was within the realms of realistic forms and colours, his works began to redefine the meaning of figurative forms and an individual affinity of colours – an obvious love for warm colours specially ochre and brownish tints.

A real breakthrough and a visible shift of his perception of art is seen after his three month long stint in Paris and London during the late sixties under a UNESCO grant. Highly inspired and bombarded with the diverse images of great masterpieces of the Western masters, DB began to explore wider within his own earlier forms and style – a strange panorama where one can see the influences of many of the important phases of Western Art like – traces of Impressionism, Post impressionism, Expressionism and so on. And he always liked January-February 2011

to describe all the works within these thoughts as ‘Semi-abstracts’.

But the truth is that DB in his heart always remained fascinated and a true master of academic forms to the core. This is probably the reason that even after he remained well celebrated for his ‘Semi-Abstracts’, he is found to be coming back with strong works based on Realism. Here he reminds one of a free bird who is capable of soaring well high on the sky but in the long run finds more comfort in his own nest. DB‘s saga reads exactly the same.

And many of the naïve observers mistakenly began to interpret this transformation and his return to nature and people in his powerful figurative as waning of his creative strength in later times. But the irrefutable truth is that DB remains in the art history of Nepal as one of the most versatile and true artist who has a unique understanding of art in thoughts as well as in his expressions. Moreover, DB presents a unique example of skills of an artist - equally comfortable and consummated in any medium he chooses to dabble –oil, water, pastel, crayon or a simple piece of charcoal.

Conclusively speaking, the most striking and the important facet of DB’s persona which makes his head high in the crowd is his sense of pride and dignity as needed in a creative person. Today, when many so called new generation modern painters have shown how they can switch their political allegiances and transforms themselves into common sycophants, DB has left us some meaningful examples on how to remain a true example.

An episode which occurred in the late sixties during the final phase of Narayanhiti Palace construction, describes how DB displayed a courage and strength of an artist when he was denied a promised task. He then and there flatly refused to paint any more for the Palace and the Royalty – and instead asked to return to a humble job back in the Education Ministry.

But another artist who was also with him during the period – later ended as an honourable member of the then Royal Nepal Academy.

DB could have also chosen to capitalize his royal connections to serve his interests, but his sense of dignity and pride prevented him from stooping so low. It is really hard to imagine anyone with such a sense of self-confidence and dignity. Salute to the great artist and a great human being.

Alvida dear brother! - Madan Chitrakar

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NEWS and HAPPENINGS

Upcoming Exhibition of ‘Paubha Art’ in Japan

21 November – 5 December, Kathmandu On the 21st of November, an indigenous art exhibition, Balgo-Contemporary Art from the Balgo Hills, was held at the Siddhartha Art Gallery in Kathmandu, as part of a series of events to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Nepal.

2nd January – 22 March, 2011 Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan – the Museum well known for its unique Art collections from all over Asia and its active efforts to promote Asian Art tradition and the contemporary Asian Art, is organizing a special exhibition of ‘Paubha Art’ of Nepal, between Jan 02 through March 22, 2011 in the Asia Gallery B of the Museum. This exhibition, the fifth in the series of the exhibition “Contemporary Asian Artist”, is seeking to showcase how this unique medieval art tradition has developed with new materials and methods such as oil and chiaroscuro of Western Paintings, while being traditional and religious paintings. The exhibition will feature about fifty paintings including 15 paintings from the collections of the Museum itself painted by the some of the eminent Paubha painters of Nepal today, namely, Uday Charan Shrestha, Dinesh Charan Shrestha, Lok Chitrakar, Deepak Kumar Joshi and Prem Man Chitrakar among others.

While the exhibition, featuring artists from the remote Balgo Hills region in Western Australia, was intended to promote greater understanding and awareness of Australia’s indigenous cultures, the artworks consisted of paintings and etchings, besides presenting a range of stories demonstrating the strong connection that the Aborginal people have with their traditions. - USS

To coincide with the occasion, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum is also making a special publication on the ‘Paubha Art’, which will include an analytical essay on the Paubha tradition and its current nuances written by Madan Chitrakar – artist and art writer of Nepal, in addition to the descriptions of the exhibits.

It is widely believed that the exhibition will remain a unique opportunity to showcase this rich artistic tradition of Kathmandu Valley in Japan and would greatly help understand the Nepalese culture. – Madan Chitrakar

BALGO – Contemporary Australian Art from the Balgo Hills

Let’s talk about ART baby!

17th. December, 2011, Kathmandu A work of art, as Madan Chitrakar rightly puts it, is merely a physical object created by an artist as a product of his or her natural instinct, which, in the long run, and in the absence of its creator, would be left to make dialogues with the viewer irrespective of the time it is viewed and judged. And to this date, these lifeless, yet timeless works, continue to be glorified and debated upon.

“So why do we need to talk about ART?” further writes Madan Chitrakar, an artist and an art critique, in his opening lines as he introduces Sujan Chitrakar, the artist advocating the statement – “Let’s talk about ART baby!”

The answer is simple Sujan says, and explains thus: “...I believe art to be the output of a fundamental human characteristic. The appreciation of art and the production of art are both essentially human, but art suffers from a misunderstood elitism... what I want to do is bring out the fact that art is all around us and

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we should talk about art. As an artist, I think it is my responsibility to bring this out into the public and show that art could be accessible and should be everywhere. Thus ‘Let’s talk about Art, baby’.”

Sujan Chitrakar is an artist, an educator, a thinker and above all a staunch ART – activist.

His solo exhibition, which he prefers to refer to as ‘Collaborative Solo’, took off at the Siddartha Art Gallery, amidst a very large audience - probably the highest number ever seen in an art exhibition! - USS

INFOCUS

CIVIL GROUP

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7 WAYS

– E . I R T , E C , C H

to reduce RISKs in House Investment

Text: Ar. Bansri Pandey

Buying or selling a house is one of the largest financial transactions in most people’s lives. Hence, the impact of a bad decision could turn out to be very costly. Buying a house is not a simple task, but it need not be very difficult either. The key is to know what to do, what to look out for and what questions to ask.

Knowledge is the best way to reduce the risks involved in a house investment. Thus, today, we bring to you 7 ways to reduce risks while investing in a house:

1. Know the purpose of your Investment Good preparation is the most crucial aspect whether it is a war, a job interview, a football final or a Real Estate investment. The first thing to understand is your needs, whether you are investing in a house for your own use, for your future generation, for a long-term investment or for lease purpose.

preferences, listed below are some of the common things to check out before investing in the house: • The layout • The location • Quality of Construction • The builder's reputation and his financial status • Finishes and specifications • Possession time • The current market rates • Maintenance cost • Taxation and other hidden costs

3. The Transaction

Now, you have selected a suitable home and have agreed on the terms with the seller. But before you start celebrating, check your documents once more. Make photocopies of everything and store The second thing to clarify is the kind of house you are looking for. them carefully as these documents can be very difficult to replace.

How many rooms will you require? Will you consider Vaastu? What Following is a checklist of a few important documents that are kind of neighborhood and location will you prefer? What is the range required during the purchase of a house: of your budget? Try to answer as many questions as possible. This • Lal purja (Land-ownership certificate) will save you a lot of time, money, energy as well as risk of falling into • Char killa (Four boundary certificate) lucrative offers and traps of the real estate market. • Blueprint • Planning permit from concerned Town Development 2. What to look for?

Committee Little conveniences make significant differences to the level of • Approval from IEE or EIA or Ministry of Environment comfort and utility in a house. Though everyone has different • Approval from concerned division office www.spacesnepal.com

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INFOCUS About Civil Homes: A city with the city • Required certificates and Drawing approval from the local authority (VDC/Municipality) • Sale agreement • Rajinama • Construction drawings of the building • Receipts of payments made like Property Tax, Electricity, Maintenance payments and registration fees.

You may check the originality of the above documents in the official records at the respective authorities/government offices.

4. Understand your finance schemes The dream of the older generation was to pay off a mortgage.

The dream of today’s young families is to get one.

Loans come in plenty of different packages these days. It is like a supermarket, where you can examine, evaluate and then choose what to buy. To safeguard your decisions, you should not only look at the low interest rates but also study the features and the flexibility offered by the loan. Following is a small checklist for things to look out for while choosing your home loan: • Rate of Interest • Calculation of Interest (whether the interest is calculated as per reducing balance method or flat interest basis; whether the interest is calculated annually, quarterly or monthly) • Processing and administrative charges • Commitment charges (It is levied when the loan is sanctioned, but you don’t withdraw the loan amount for an extended period.)

• Penalty for early repayment • Add-on Facilities (such as discounts, free property insurance, waiving of pre-payment penalty or the processing fee, etc) Most financial advisers warn against spending more than 30% of a household’s income on housing costs as it can crimp other expenditures and savings. It also leaves little room for unexpected shocks to income such as illness or unemployment.

Civil Group is one of Nepal’s rapidly growing business companies.

The Civil Group, an ISO 9001:2000 organization, has seen a decade long success. The group currently operates into Real Estate, Housing, Finance and Trading.

Civil Homes was one of the first in Nepal to commercialize the idea of owning a well-serviced house within a gated community.

After completion of Civil Homes Phase I in Bhainsepati, Phase II in Tinthana, Phase III in Sunakothi, they are now ready with phase IV in Dhapakhel. These projects undertaken by Nepalese for the Nepalese people show a conscious effort made to provide good infrastructure, healthy community living and state-of-the-art lifestyle.

Located at Dhapakhel, Civil Homes Phase IV project is a two in one project, consisting of Civil Homes Phase IV and Civil Apartments, in an area of about 135 ropanis. It comprises of 90 individual bungalows, four 17-storied and two 13-storied apartments, along with a community centre, club house, swimming pool and also a day care center. The project is designed to accommodate about 394 families. The complex also has large common parking areas and play areas. As urban planning is a beauty of any city, Civil Homes is a conscious effort of improving this urban landscape of Kathmandu valley with its planned development.

Civil Homes - Phase IV at Dhapakhel, Kathmandu

5. Amenities and Location As it is popularly known, “There are three most important aspects of Real Estate – Location, Location and Location.”

Location plays a major role in deciding the price of the house.

Builders sometimes charge a premium for the location of the property which is at a junction of two roads, conveniently close to a bus stop or a shopping area. On the other hand, houses close to sewage plants, railway lines, chemical factories has low rates. Every building may have a different view or a different look.

The differences in flooring, fittings and amenities like children’s playground, swimming pool, gymnasium, parking spaces and other infrastructure developments also demand a premium. Thus, it is advisable to take help from an approved valuator to receive an indication of the price of the house.

6. Selling decision The selling process is a mirror image of the buying process. This means that there is an equal amount of risk in selling a property as in buying. If you are still paying back mortgage on the property that you are selling, you will need to pay off the outstanding amount. The seller also needs to be conscious of the many expenses required during the sale process such as broker’s fee, advertising, pre-sale repairs in the building, taxation, etc.

Before you start the process of transferring your property in the buyer’s name, it is important to verify the financial capacity of the purchaser, particularly if the transaction is going to take place through installments. Also, no original documents like Lalpurja and Blueprint shall be transferred to the purchaser till the sale is complete. www.spacesnepal.com

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7. Cautions during Leasing/renting Renting out your house is one of the most common methods of earning a little extra money from your vacant property. But the main fear is that tenants may not vacate the premises at the end of the agreed period.

Thus, to safeguard your investment, the owner should ensure that required precautions have been taken, such as: • Ensure that the agreement contains a clause forbidding subletting.

• Shorter term agreements are safer. A 11-month leave and license agreement is considered safer and is more popular amongst house owners.

• Notice period for either side must be specified.

• Before renting out your property, you must do a background check of the occupant.

• When you take back the possession of your house at the end of tenancy period, you should return the deposit only after you have checked that everything is in order and no damage has been done.

Buying, selling and renting a house not only involves a lot of money, but one also has to deal with series of rules and regulations. Even worse, one has to deal with various entities like registration office, tax department, banks, lawyers, valuators, real estate agents, builders, municipalities, housing finance companies, etc. The only factor which can reduce our stress while dealing with a house investment, is the correct knowledge. If we are more informed, we can take decisions that will reduce risks in one of the most important transaction of our lives.

SOLUTIONS

A synopsis on

Sustainable Architecture Text: Ar. Sachin Baral, Images: Google

Map showing Contributions to Global Warming Credit: World Resources Institute

Sustainability There is this long running belief amongst many naturalists that the carrying capacity of the world’s ecosystem can sustain indefinitely through what is known as regulating factor, which takes into account the reciprocity of abundance and population growth to achieving equilibrium. It was questioned time and again as we moved across the 20th century. The changes in lifestyle leading to higher consumption of resources per capita, mainly by the urbanites of the world, have had severe impact on the otherwise assumed abundant resources, leaving behind a huge ecological footprint. In other words, the rate of consumption has been significantly higher than the earth’s capacity to regenerate and the process to neutralize the corresponding wastes.

W

The result is Global Warming and the consequential climate

. change, which we, no matter where we live, are observing each passing day. The unusual variations in temperatures, the depleting icebergs, the melting glaciers, the drying springs, the unseasonal flooding and the acid rains are just some of its exponents. The irony is that, the rapid growth in global economy and subsequent rise in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a direct indicator of rise in Green House Gas (GHG) emission. GHG mainly constitutes of Water Vapour, Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide and Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and its cumulative emission is the cause of global warming. Reducing GHG emission substantially is the only way out.

The solution is sustainable development. It is about strictly following a development strategy that ensures continuity and maintenance of resources, while we continue to avail the comforts we desire. This invariably requires us to be environmentally aware and product conscious. We need to understand that the total environmental impact on our planet is a sum of the impact of each one of us. Ethically, it is our responsibility; while meeting our needs, we do not compromise the ability of the future generation of meeting theirs. And this obligation of ours extends to the non-human world as well. To prolong the support of nature as a resource and to reduce impact of the adversities on human as well as non-human existence, our time and concerted efforts have been drawn in search of renewable alternative energy sources (sun, wind, water, geo-thermal) with the purpose of minimizing if not completely stopping our reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, natural gas), which one estimate suggests has been steadily over 85%. There no doubt is a lot more that can be achieved if we care to manage our workplace and home sustainably; when we care to pick efficient appliances and other products we use. Today’s need is to adhere to Green Design, which is based on the principles of economic, social and ecological sustainability and Green Building, which intends to reduce the impact of the built environment on health and natural environment. www.spacesnepal.com

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Effect of Global warming - Muir Glacier, Alaska

Global Commitments Agenda 21 of United Nations (US) at Earth Summit 1992 in Rio de jeneiro, Brazil with the goal, ‘Halt and reverse the environmental damage to our planet and to promote environmentally sound and sustainable development in all countries on earth’, paved the way for a global commitment. In June 1993, Union of International architects World Congress of Architects (UIA) followed the lead.

Later, in 1997 an international environmental treaty was adopted, popularly known as ‘Kyoto protocol’ which came into effect in 2005. Its primary goal is to stabilizate greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. More governments around the world have set their own development regulations in line with these goals. Besides, there are other independent bodies who have established global standards, which are more of a voluntary in nature.

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification is an initiative of USGBC formed in United States, while BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEM) is setup in the UK by Building Research Establishment. There are others like; Haute QualitĂŠ Environnementale (HQE) based in France, Green Star rating

by The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), BASIX (Building Sustainability Index) for Residential buildings in New South Wales, Australia.

SOLUTIONS

S

,

,

.

A

.

Despite a high level of general awareness and quite a few measures being put in place, our efforts towards sustainability so far, have been desperately short. It is loud & clear that things need to move in a different pace to bring about a lasting impact. Since energy consumption is part of the way we live, work and travel today, changes we adapt to in our energy use pattern can make a huge difference. And architecture we practice today has the potential to make a greater contribution. To begin with we need to reconfigure our existing planning methodologies and values while managing the spatial, socio-cultural, ethical and technological intricacies. The other challenge is to address core issues to architecture which are seldom compromised: economy, utility, durability and comfort.

A sustainable architecture would ideally incorporate the revised processes or modify the current practices all the way from Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance to Demolition phase - the latter, considering that each building has a fixed life-span. These aspects can be divided into the following seven folds:

7

Secrets to Sustainable Architecture

1. Policy & Planning Sustainable development initiatives ideally begin at the policy making level. Planning strategies under the Land-use plan, like identifying and using recycled land for new development, i.e. abandoned industrial areas, desolated urban pockets and urban infill, taking measures to preserve wetlands, incorporating gardens & greenbelts under neighbourhood planning are some good policies.

Planning of more compact cities and efficient public transportation system leads to lesser overall commuting time, resulting in huge overall savings on fuel.

Policy of certain leverages by the Municipalities/ Councils on Building FAR (Floor Area Ratio) and tax rebates for Green buildings and other green initiatives are winning strategies.

2. Design/ Innovation Building efficiency starts on the drawing board. Design decision based on ethics and true understanding of objectives and procedures involved results in a complete ecological solution.

An efficient building design comes in 3-folds; • Incorporating Passive design • Building resistant envelope • Using renewable energy source Passive Solar Design is a natural process of collecting, storing and distributing solar energy without the use of mechanical or electrical devices. The idea is to maintain thermal comfort inside the building; keeping the rooms cool in summers and warm in winters. Building orientation, fenestration (windows/ openings) sizes & locations and strategic placement of shading devices are keys to achieving efficiency through design. It basically takes into consideration; the local climate, the summer and winter solar paths, the prevalent wind directions, the existing site forces and site surroundings. It also involves selection of appropriate insulated wall sections, roofing material and type of glazing such as tinted-glass, low-e glass or double glazing.

Following are 5 Elements considered for Passive Design, which though each function individually, all must work together for the design to be successful: • Aperture (Collector): Large glass (window) area through which sunlight enters the building. Typically, the aperture(s) should face within 30 degrees of true south and should not be shaded by other buildings or trees from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day during the heating season. • Absorber: Hard, darkened surface of the storage element, which could be a masonry wall, floor, or partition, or that of a water container, and which sits in the direct path of sunlight.

Sunlight hits the surface and is absorbed as heat. • Thermal mass: Materials that retain or store the heat produced by sunlight. The difference between the absorber and thermal mass, although they often form the same wall or floor, is that the absorber is an exposed surface whereas thermal mass is the material below or behind that surface. • Distribution: Method by which solar heat circulates from the collection and storage points to different areas of the house.

A strictly passive design uses the three natural heat transfer modes—conduction, convection, and radiation—exclusively.

In some applications, however, fans, ducts, and blowers may help with the distribution of heat through the house. • Control: Roof overhangs used to shade the aperture area during summer months. Other elements that control heat include fans, vents and dampers that allow or restrict heat flow; low-emissivity blinds; and awnings.

To support the above five elements, few methods are as follows: Stack effect a ventilation system that takes advantage of the fact that warmer air is lighter than the coller air. When the indoor warm (lighter) air is let out from the roof the negative pressure created in the room draws in the cooler air from the outdoor through wall openings. Eco-powered roof vents which are popular in factories as well as residences are based on the same principle. A commercial building with atrium can readily benefit from adopting the system.

Terrace gardens and Green walls/ Living walls as part of landscaping are fast becoming popular in the urban areas.

Selected plants/ vegetations are literally grown along the wall face January-February 2011

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SOLUTIONS Air Extractor on roof to draw out warm air in building - works on wind energy

or flat terraces of a building on a layer of soil and fertilizers. While a water tight roof is desired and some added cost is involved, it is a new found way to giving back the otherwise vegetative land, occupied by the building.

Achieving an airtight indoor environment with minimum heat loss or heat gain to the outdoors through conduction, covection or radiation is a priority. Proper insulation of the external walls & roofs, use of gasket and sealants along window frames and floor finished with soft materials are important ways to conserving energy.

Summer Sun

Distribution Winter Sun Control

Absorber Thermal Mass

Aperture

3. Energy management The main energy usage in a building is for heating / cooling, lighting and ventilation. Activities like, cooking, washing & ironing require steady flow of energy in the house. Entertainment gadgets and electrical appliances consume some more.

The most popular energy source for household usage is electricity and LP Gas. Besides, sun and wind also substitute as alternative sources but in negligible amounts. Electricity produced using water (hydro), wind and sun (solar) is considered renewable while that produced from coal, natural gases, diesel and even nuclear are considered non-renewable. Nuclear power though does not contribute directly to Greenhouse Gas emission, disposing off the harmful radioactive by-products is a big problem. Hydro power produces electricity through the force of moving water. The other is Tidal/ wave power at the sea, which is recently being explored more seriously. While there are some socio-ecological issues related to hydro power plants with reservoir location, sedimentation, erosion and drying river beds, it is still considered a greener option.

In the context of Nepal, the numerous rivers that run across the country carry huge potentials for generating green electricity to the extent of not only fulfilling our local needs but also exporting the surplus.

Though today’s reality of hours of loadshedding does not reflect it, the prospects are still enormous. At the minimum, it could potentially replace all LP Gas widely used in our kitchens.

Yet the best form of renewable energy source available to us is the sun. Basically, it comes in two forms; Solar Panel – Photovoltaic (PV) Cell and Solar Heater. Solar Cells come in solar modules, fabricated in different sizes to suit the purpose and the requirement. Solar heater on the other hand is a system of trapping heat from the sun onto a panel which is then transferred through a piping system toTransit be used heating, mainly and San Francisco Bus withfor Konarka Power PlasticŽwater

by Ryan Hughe rooms.With the advancement in the tecnology of PV cells, today it has become possible to imagine a house with no connection with the national/ regional grid.

When it comes to energy efficiency the key is reduce and recycle.

Reducing energy consumption at each household contributes to a large amount of energy saving. Measures like using compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), light-emitting-diode (LED) lamp in place of incandescent lamps and energy efficient appliances not only save on energy but also the incurring costs.

There is plenty of energy saved simply by minimizing the use of artificial lighting during day-time through design as well as developing habits to switch off lights and appliances afteruse and during off periods.

4. Water Management Freshwater used for residential, agricultural, industrial and recreational purposes, is normally a renewable resource.

However, this natural supply source is unable to keep up with the present excessive demand. And unfortunately, the abundance of salinated water in the oceans cannot be a direct substitute. The process of desalination, i.e. converting it into fresh water, which is being tried, at best is cumbersome. While water rationing is being adopted in many parts of the world, recycling water is being seen as a promising method to overcoming the shortage.

Water harvesting is a process of recycling rain water. Collected water in the roof is taken through a pipe/ filteration system into a tank for storage and used for taking shower, dishwashing, laundry and cooking. Collecting rainwater through this process alone saves thousands of litres a year per household that is otherwise extracted from ground/ rivers.

Besides, the wastewater that come out of the basin, shower and WC are retreated to remove contaminants through a series of physical, chemical, and biological processes, where the effluent can re-enter the household water system. Advanced filtration systems are available to even recycle wastewater that come out of the toilets and make them drink worthy. While the difficulty to get our heads around it is understandable, it is safely being practiced in some parts of the world.

Ground water recharge is a natural process of deep percolation of surface water through the top soil reaching the ground water.

Ground water which breaks into natural springs and wells has

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SOLUTIONS Gutter

Sustainable building materials which are low-technology materials like stone, brick, tile and aggregate, are inert & non-toxic and preferred over synthetic materials like plastic, acrylic, fibreglass, etc. Use of recycled materials, lower volatile organic compounds and Low-emissivity (Low-E) glazing are recomemded.

Down Pipe

Hand pump

Foul flush reservoir with screen

Drain tap Overflow Screen

Below-ground reservoir

A schematic diagram of a rooftop rainwater harvesting system

been the major source of fresh water and has supported many civilizations. Today, it is also being tapped artificially for household as well as industrial usages through well, hand pumps, bore pumps and jet pumps. The excessive extraction of ground water has resulted in receding water table, drying wells and springs. Increased paved surfaces in the urban areas and high surface run-off have greatly reduced the opportunity to refill the subsurface aquifer. Increased garden areas over paved surfaces and surface/ waste water let onto the gardens rather than connected to municipal drains, not only saves on water for gardening but also assists in ground water recharge. Moreover, strategic placement of recharge pits can help excel the process further.

Adopting new technology, installing low-flow plumbing system/ half flushing system, front loading washing machine & waterless urinal and sun-drying laundries are some other examples of water saving practices. Xeriscaping, which is a landscaping method of using drought resistant plants, is another excellent way to maintaining a low water utility garden. It uses techniques to minimize loss of water through evaporation and run off. Rock garden, for example, which has low consumption of water, is fast becoming popular.

5. Waste Management There is a range of solid wastes that come out of a house. They are usually garbage, paper, plastic and glass. A simple practice of seggregating those into separate bins can help to manage wastes effectively. It means lesser time & effort spent for seggregation at the treatment plants. The garbage goes to the treatment yard and the rest are taken to respective recycle plants and processed for direct or indirect reuse. Garbage along with sewage can also be subjected to domestic waste treatment procedures producing solid wastes which are inturn recovered as farm fertilizers. The treated effluent is let into a soakpit. A practice of Septic system which is stll prevalent in many parts of our country, mainly in the rural areas, is an effective way to assure that no sewage leaves the site.

6. Material Management Green building materials are evaluated for life-cycle impact; energy consumed & GHG emmitted during extraction, fabrication/ manufacturing, transportation, installation and the effects of the by-products. The idea is to use products/ material fabricated/ manufactured through green processes. The selection is mainly based on the principle of closed-loop material cycle (CLMC), which is a construction constituting of materials and building elements that can be recovered and infinitely recycled through natural or industrial processes.

It is also a good practice to meet the material needs of a building from the resources at and around the site. Use of locally available products including construction materials means less energy & cost spent on transport and saved time. Aparently, these are natually occuring materials as well. Bamboo for example is a popular scafolding material.

Use of natural materials that come from plants/ animals and minerals/ metals extracted from the ground for construction is common. It is adivisable that they be grown purposefully or extraxted in controlled amounts without costing the environment.

Biotic materials include soil, wood, bamboo, porcelain and natural metalic fibers (copper, bronze, iron, gold, silver, steel).

Use of plantation timber or Composite wood (Engineered wood), manufactured by binding the strands/ fibers/ veneers of wood/ sawmill scraps together with adhesives, is the way ahead. Other similar engineered cellulosic products/ vegetable fibers composed of straw of rye, wheat & rice and sugar cane residue are equally preferred. It is critical that we avoid rainforest timber. Deforestration has brought about a major setback to our natural environment.

7. Building Management An efficiently managed building follows a set of building regulations throughout its entire life, including the period of its construction.

Managing construction site efficiently deals with: • Avoiding material wastage through proper storage, handling and calculations, • Avoiding wastage of energy for lighting, heating, fabricating and transporting and • Using natural & recyclable materials for temorary constructions (underpinning, scafolds, formworks, shuttering/ centering) Running a building efficiently means: • Avoiding wastage of energy; lighting, heating and air conditioning • Maintaining services; plumbing, wiring and ducting • Maintaining machineries and fixtures • Adopting sustainable technologies

WEBSITES WORTH VISITING: www.greehomebuilding.com www.inhabitat.com www.greenbuilder.com www.sustdev.org www.wbdg.org www.treehugger.com

www.sustainableabc.com www.sustainablebuild.co.uk www.naturalspace.com www.sustainablebuilding.com www.sustainablesources.com www.greenchoices.org

REFERENCE BOOKS Sustainable architecture: principles, paradigms, and case studies - James Steele – 1997 Big & green: toward sustainable architecture in the 21st century - David Gissen, National Building Museum (U.S.) - 2002 Understanding Sustainable Architecture – Terry J. Williamson, Antony Radford, Helen Bennetts - 2003 Sustainable Building Design Manual: Sustainable building design practices, Vol 02- Energy and Resources Institute, Institut Catalá d'Energia, Asia Urbs Programme – 2004 The green house: new directions in sustainable architecture: Part 3 - Alanna Stang, Christopher Hawthorne – 2005 Strategies for Sustainable Architecture – Paolo Sassi - 2006 The Green house: new direction in Sustainable Architecture – Alanna Stang, Chistopher Hawthrone Sustainable Construction - Charles J. Kibert, 2008 Living Homes: Sustainable Architecture and Design - Suzi Moore McGregor, Nora Burba, Trulsson, Terrence Moore – 2008 Green Building: Guidebook for Sustainable Architecture - Michael Bauer, Peter Mösle, Michael Schwarz - 2009

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SOLUTIONS

Build It Yourself

SOLAR WATER HEATER Text: Ar. Kalpana Bhandari

The present scene of global energy crisis has successfully drawn the attention of the people surviving on it - and affecting it directly and indirectly. The hurdle for adaptations of innovative green technologies and to preserve the non-renewable resources, has become essential, especially in the urban cities. A green set-up with minimal interventions on natural cycle - the passive solar heater - is easy to understand and build. The following is a simple working model of a solar water heater developed by Ar. Debesh Bhattarai.

WORKING METHOD: The working model is based on thermosyphon - a method of passive heat exchange based on natural convection which circulates liquid without the necessity of a mechanical pump. Its intended purpose is to simplify the pumping of liquid and/or heat transfer, by avoiding the cost and complexity of a conventional liquid pump – as simple as joining two ends in a pipe.

WORKING MATERIALS: • • • • •

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), PVC or regular black pipe A non-insulated water tank, EPS Styrofoam board, Base of bamboo base / brickwork / mild steel angle, Plastic.

CONSTRUCTION METHOD: The PVC pipes’ ends are used as cold water inlet and hot water outlet. The concentric pipes are tied as a helical spring to shape it like a saucer, with the outer fringe raised and the inner fringe lowered at an angle of 25 degrees, elevated at certain height from base on a stand made of bamboo, brick work or mild steel angle. The storage tank is insulated and the absorber has EPS Styrofoam insulation and plastic heavy gauge cover with a drain outlet in the middle.

WORKING MODEL

ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON The following table (observations taken in September, 2010) demonstrates the performance of this innovative solar water heater against the normal plated solar water heater:

(A) Incomplete solar, without bottom insulation, and black Japan paint on pipes and top glazed cover Day

Sky Condition

Ambient water temp (~6-7pm)

Solar Hot water reading

Thermal gain in Celsius

Minimum temp

Maximum temp

Thermal gain wrt minimum temp

1

Partly sunny

23.89

40.56

16.67

18.40

31.00

22.16

2

Cloudy

24.44

34.44

10.00

19.70

29.60

14.74

3

Partly sunny

23.33

41.11

17.78

19.50

31.40

21.61

4

Cloudy throughout

21.67

31.11

9.44

19.70

27.00

11.41

6

Sunshine

21.67

38.89

17.22

20.00

29.50

18.89

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SOLUTIONS (B) Complete solar, with insulation, black Japan paint on insulation top and pipes with top glazed cover of heavy gauge plastic sheet: Day

Sky Condition

Ambient water temp (~6-7pm)

Solar Hot water reading

Thermal gain in Celsius

Minimum temp

Maximum temp

Thermal gain wrt minimum temp

14

Cloudy throughout

21.39

32.78

11.39

19.90

25.70

12.88

15

Cloudy throughout partly rain

20.00

27.50

7.50

19.50

23.50

8.00

16

Intermittent sunshine after 12:45 pm

22.22

41.11

18.89

18.40

29.40

22.71

17

Good Sunshine

23.33

46.67

23.33

18.00

29.20

28.67

COSTING: • The cost of the solar is Rs. 16,500. Its breakdown is as follows: o Mild steel tank 12 gauge 200 liter capacity = Rs. 7200, o Glass wool insulation with aluminum sheet cover = Rs. 4100, o Solar heat absorber panel with plastic sheet cover and styrofoam insulation = Rs 4100, o 1/2"stop cock 3 nos = 1100. approximately, • Replacing MS tank with 200 litre plastic drum, the cost of the solar shall be around Rs.12000.

Innovative solar water heater is simplified and has an easy-to-install mechanism to host the necessity of hot water, especially in areas where there persists difficulty in sustaining low temperature, and also for prolonged usage of renewable energy and to conserve the non renewable energy.

Similar simple mechanisms have been practiced all over the world, and most of them are practical in places where development and infrastructures are either limited, or haven’t been ever implemented.

• For a solar water heater of 200 litres capacity, the vacuum tube solar water heater costs almost 8 times and normal plate solar water heater costs almost 5 times more than this innovative passive solar water heater.

(Reference: study and experiments carried out by Architect Debesh Raj Bhattarai for GE Ecomagination Challenge, You Tube link http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EYytBzfrrw4)

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SOLUTIONS

How to Save on your building cost Text: Er. Uday Sunder Shrestha

Building a house?

Welcome to the Club! You are now among those fortunate few who have had the luxury to dream of a ‘dream house’. Unfortunately by the time you finish the building, your happiness level may begin to dwindle and may even crash down, as the house may not look like what you had dreamed of – simply because you ran out of funds.

With the ever increasing cost of building construction materials, constructing a house could become a financial nightmare, especially for those with a limited budget. Within the last decade, the cost of construction for a normal residence has literally doubled to more than 3000 rupees per square foot! And as there are no signs of this trend abating, exploring alternatives to reduce building cost could bring you closer to realizing your ‘dream home’.

Penny-wise Pound foolish First and foremost, choose a good architect. By good, I mean someone who has the time for you, is a creative designer and yet practical.

Some people are also of the opinion that hiring an architect would be expensive. But then, think about the amount of money, which is your life’s savings, that you are going to pour into your dream house, irrespective of whether you employ an architect or not. Wouldn’t it be wise to spend a little more and have a professional to channelize this investment rather than to regret later?

Don’t build castles in the air Bringing down your building cost starts from the plan of your house. As you spin off your dreams to your architect, he/she will interpret them into spaces, linking them with a flow as you want them to be. But hold on – remember that the larger the house, the costlier it becomes. The following are a few pointers on squeezing your total floor area without compromising on its comfort: • Locate the common areas (living / dining / family room / staircase) at the central portion so that the private areas around it do not require a separate corridor (see plan).

• Cut out the frills as much as possible. It is good to take ideas from your friend’s home, but do you really require a 18 x 25 feet living room?

• See if you can cross-utilize spaces. Maybe the family room can double as a guest room if your guests come once in a blue moon.

Or maybe an attached bathroom can also be accessed from the common area, doubling as a common bathroom when required (see plan). A standard bathroom/toilet can cost a minimum of one lakh rupees!

• Try to minimize the floor area at the ground floor. As the ground floor area increases, your foundation cost increases.

• Once the concept plan is finalized, and before your architect starts with the construction details, multiply the total floor area with 3000 to get an approximate estimate of your house. If your are happy with the figure, go ahead, but keep 10% as extra for unforeseen costs that may arise during the construction period.

• Ask for a detailed estimate from your architect to confirm on the final cost, as well as to weigh your options regarding materials during the finishing stage.

Small drops do make an ocean • Stick to the original design. If changes are to be made, consult your architect as it could have an impact not only on the cost, but also disturb the use of the room or the circulation flow. For example a simple addition of a window on a wall could mean losing out on a planned cupboard or a closet.

• Use windows as they are meant to be for – natural light and ventilation; not simply because it looks good. Larger the window, higher its cost as more quantity is required for the frame, shutter, glass, hardware, mosquito net and yes, the curtain.

• Review your detailed estimate as work progress, especially in the finishing stages. Changing the plaster punning finished floor to a marble floor can incur an additional cost of more than 100 rupees per square foot.

Choose the correct building system The structural cost of a building is about 60% of its total cost. The structure would include the reinforced cement concrete (RCC) frame (foundation pads, columns, beams and slabs) and the infill / curtain brick walls bonded with cement mortar. As the frame takes up the load of the building, it is but natural that the lighter the load, the lower the cost of the structure – which means that by using a bonding system which can reduce the quantity of bricks used for constructing the same wall, without compromising on its stability and strength would logically lead to a reduction in its structural cost.

The Rat Trap bond is one such system. (Find more information on the following pages) On a final note - dreams do not cost money; in fact the happiness generated probably will add to a healthier life – until the bubble bursts.

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SOLUTIONS

Reduce your Building Cost by

30% The Children’s Home designed by Design Cell at Tathali and constructed using the Rat Trap Bond

Upto the turn of the 20th century, the Rat Trap Bond (RTB) was commonly used in England for building houses lower than 3 stories. However, as the system was inadequate due to it being non-load bearing for multiple stories, the traditional English and Flemish bonds gained popularity (and is still the most common bonding system used today). After decades, late British architect Laurie Baker, reintroduced the system towards cost effective housing in India proving it to be an economic walling technology with good insulation properties. The origin of the peculiar RTB name is not known, but is probably due to the 'trap' formed inside the wall by brick arrangement.

The Rat Trap Bond is a brick wall construction technique in which bricks are laid on edge such that the shiner (S) and rowlock (R) are visible on the face of the masonry (brick cross) creating an internal cavity bridged by the rowlock.

Advantages over other bonds

Economical

• • • • •

Environmental Uses 130 MJ/m2 less energy than English Bond Saves 30 kg/m2 CO2 than English Bond Reduces the green house gases A normal two and half story house with total floor area 150 m2 has approx. 241m2 wall area. Using VSBK brick in Rat Trap Bond masonry, it saves 1.56 Ton CO2 compared to English Bond

• Cost of masonry is reduced by 25-30% as this technique uses approximately 35% less bricks and 50% less cement mortar as compared to English Bond • Construction speed of Rat Trap Bond masonry is equal to that of English Bond • Concealed concreting, bands or beams for earthquake resistance is possible in the Rat Trap bond masonry without shuttering • Concealed plumbing and electrical layout is possible through the cavities, thus avoiding and reducing the cost of masonry cutting

Technical

For Earthquake resistance

• I.O.E Pulchowk Campus lab test report confirms the load bearing capacity of Rat Trap Bond for H2 mortar is 10.52 kg/cm2 • Cavity provides good thermal and sound insulation • Modular masonry reduces wastage of bricks • Cavity can be filled with steel bars and concrete for earthquake resistance • Reduces approx. 40% dead weight of wall as compared to English Bond, hence the building can be designed to save steel and concrete

• Reinforced concrete bands are to be provided at sill, lintel and roof levels.

• Corners, sides of openings, T- junctions of load bearing masonry are to be reinforced with 12mm steel bars grouted in M20 concrete filled in the cavity • Vertical mortar joints must be applied directly to the brick before placing it • “Brick Cross” pattern must be maintained at all times for a proper Rat Trap Bond masonry

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SOLUTIONS

Construction Detail

Limits of application

Mortar (Cement: Sand) • For single story building – 1:6 • For double story building – 1:4 for ground floor; 1:6 for the upper floor

• Load bearing structure up to 2 stories is possible with RTB masonry. There is no limitation if used as in-fill masonry in framed structures • Thickness of the wall is approximately 9”. Half brick (4”) or one and half brick (14”) thick wall is not possible in RTB masonry • Skilled mason required • Architects / Engineers have to calculate the modular length and height of the wall • Requires exact planning: Size (length, breadth, height) of a room, and even the size and position of the opening has to be according to the RTB module size

Corner

Cross- Junction

T-Junction

Reinforced corner

Reinforced Cross- Junction

Reinforced Sill or Lintel Band

Achievements This technology has been adopted in a wide variety of building uses. Forty-three houses have been completed in different parts of Nepal within the last two years (2008-2009), some of which are as follows: • Mid Point Community Hospital (Kawaswoti, Nawalparasi) • School building (Room to Read) • Community Building (Practical Action, Rupandehi) • Children's Home (Tathali, Bhaktapur, designed by Design Cell) • Hotel Building (Birtamod, Jhapa) • Canteen Unit (Illam Hospital) • Panchakanya Housing, Kathmandu • Bajeko Sekuwa, Kathmandu Data source: VSBK/CESEF Project Nepal is a bilateral technology transfer project between the Government of Nepal and Switzerland, implemented by skat_Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation. (www.vsbknepal.com)

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The sun does not just rise here, instead it raises the curtains for a play. Before the first light of the day hits the peak of Dhaulagiri, the clouds above it hover in gold.

Lodge Thasang Village arly in the morning as you get off the bed, you feel a sudden chill in the air. You rub your eyes still half asleep and walk over to open the windows. As you breathe in a deep fresh breath of pure mountain air, you open your eyes, and what you see can make your heart skip a beat - behold the mighty Dhaulagiri range right in front of you, so close; you feel you can almost touch it if you extend your arms.

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Heaven

Here on Earth Text: Ar. Swati Pujari

Then appears the first sign of daybreak, long before you can see the sun in the sky or even before it peeps out from the mountains in the east. The peak of Dhaulagiri receives the first light of the day. The snow slowly turns into fiery red, and as the sun rises, the fire in the peak flows down towards the snow below.

These first few magical moments can only be described as a blessing from nature, an indescribable feeling of having seen heaven, here on earth!

This is a typical clear morning at ‘Lodge Thasang Village’, a short hike (or drive) off the trekking route in the Annapurna Region. Located in the vicinity of Naurikot village, Lodge Thasang Village takes its name from the local name of the area comprising of Naurikot along with the neighbouring Tukche, Kobang and Larjung villages. With Dhaulagiri in the West and Nilgiri in the East, along with the vast flood plains of Kaligandaki, Lodge Thasang sits comfortably in the crown of a hill, enjoying the magnificent views of the stunning vicinity.

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ARCHITECTURE From the flood plains of Kali Gandaki to the peaks of the Nilgiri range - a serene backdrop to Lodge Thasang Village

The Local Effect: In the valleys of the Kaligandaki River live the ethnic group called Thakalis. The area, also called Thak Khola region, has a rich history in trade with Tibet, enriching the cultural and historic significance of the Thakali clan. Lodge Thasang Village portrays this culture in all its uniqueness, both in terms of the place and the experience.

The rough roads of the Kaligandaki plains that lead to the Lodge Thasang Village (circled) at the overlooking hillock.

The owner, Mr. A.S. Tulachan, is a local resident of the nearby Tukche Village, who started the lodge as he simply wanted to stay close to his origins. As a person who believes that the only viable economy in Nepal is through tourism, he is interested in helping visitors explore his unique home and in turn, help this unique home too.

Designed by a Japanese Architect, Nariya Kurmizawa, Lodge Thasang is a blend between Thakali and Japanese architectural expressions that merge in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape. Although the building framework is constructed using reinforced concrete, the materials transported all the way from Beni on mules, the expressions are created using the local stones and wood. Some parts of the building have exposed concrete portraying a modern Japanese architectural sense. www.spacesnepal.com

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Mr. Tulachan recalls one of the many co-incidental incidences that have lead the lodge to be what it is today. "The initial site for the project was not here; from the initial site we could only see Dhaulagiri but not Nilgiri. One day, I along with Mr. Kurmizawa and some other friends, were hiking to this part of the village - a site I had never been to before. The local villagers were having a feast and we were invited to join in. Eventually everything worked out and we ended up building the lodge here."

The central theme in the design of this lodge, according to the architect, is the life and culture of the Thakali people. The architect emphasizes 'conventional culture of Nepal' to be an important concept. He remembers trekking around the Kaligandaki area together with Mr. Tulachan, taking food in Nepali style and making friends. His experiences of the culture, history and people of the Kaligandaki area have given him the needed insight for designing in such a conventional and cultural theme.

The entrance lobby to the lodge has a fireplace that burns local firewood; adjacent to the lobby in the ground floor are three dining areas, kitchen and other utilities. The three dining areas are presented in a Japanese fashion, an authentic Thakali kitchen concept and in a European arrangement respectively. Each dining room provides magnificent views of the Himalayas and the Kaligandaki flood plains. Tables in the Japanese dining hall are equipped with local coal burning oven beneath them, which heats the table to the comfort of the users. An L-Shaped stone staircase leads from the lobby to the first floor where the rooms are arranged around a corridor overlooking the ground floor lobby. All rooms provide views of either Dhaulagiri or Nilgiri or the river valley below, but the most splendid views are perhaps experienced form the terrace above. A timber staircase leads to the flat terrace which serves as a viewing deck, from which the Dhaulagiri range stretches from North-West to South-West, and directly opposite it, the Nilgiri. Sunrises and sunsets are best experienced from this platform.

The entrance to the lodge frames the Dhaulagiri range and the Dhaulagiri Ice Falls

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The warmth at the entrance lobby of the lodge is obtained by careful use of mud, stone and wood

Procurement: Lodge Thasang Village (at 2650 m above sea level) has been running for almost ten years now, and it has only been a year and a half since the gravel road from Beni (at 799 m above sea level) has reached the village. During construction, transportation of 'modern' materials was a challenge in itself.

From cement to reinforcement bars, all were carried on mule backs - all the way up to the site. But in the years between procurement of land and the actual construction, all necessary local materials like stones and wood were collected, thanks to a massive avalanche.

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A few years after the land was purchased a massive avalanche from the Dhaulagiri range hit the area felling a large number of trees. The required wood was procured from these trees and a couple of years later, when all the snow melted, unwanted amounts of stones and rocks were present in the locality. This too was purchased for construction. All the processing done to these materials, like cutting the stone or making wooden planks, were done using simple hand tools, hence each piece is different from the other. Other little details, from the furniture to the lamp post, were constructed on-site.

ARCHITECTURE

D J A , N K , L T

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LOCATION MAP © Lodge Thasang Village

Kagbeni TO MUSTANG Dhampus Peak 6012m

Jharkot Eklai Bhatti Shyang

Marpha

Tukuche Peak 6920m

Dhaulagiri 8167m

Jomsom

Tukche

LODGE THASANG VILLAGE

Nilgiri North 7061m

Kobang Larjung

Nilgiri 6740m Nilgiri South 6839m

Kalopani

TO POKHARA

Tilicho Peak 7134m

Ghasa

Roc Noir 7585m Annapurna I 8091m Fang 7647m

The European style dining hall, with full height glazing and a spread out deck, overlooking the Nilgiri range and the Kaligandaki plains.

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ARCHITECTURE The panorama of Thasang, the river plains, villages and the mountains, seen from the terrace of Lodge Thasang Village

Other Services: Experiencing the Himalayas is the highlight of the Lodge Thasang Village experience, and for that there are several different ways. Visitors are encouraged to take hikes in the afternoon, to experience any of the multiple natural and cultural experiences the locality has to offer.

Guided tours of the nearby villages as well as hikes to the nearby lakes and caves can be arranged. Some of the holy lakes of the Thakali clan are located a few hours walk from the lodge. These hikes not only provide newer experiences to the visitors but also allows for the experience of the Himalayas from different locations.

The Sekong Lake, one of the holy lakes of the area, which is only an hour and a half's walk from the lodge, provides

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The suite room at the lodge - the rooms provide magnificent views of the Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri or the plains of Kali Gandaki

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magnificent views of Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri and behind Nilgiri, the Annapurna range. For visitors who wish to get closer to the Himalayas, a 2-3 days trek to the Dhaulagiri Base Camp, which also allows one to get close to a massive glacier - the Dhaulagiri Ice Falls, can also be arranged.

In all its essence, Lodge Thasang provides its guests with an up close and personal experience with the Himalayas, a connection one may not find anywhere else in the world. With an aim to experience and understand the sanctity of the place, Lodge Thasang plans to include meditation camps in its programs in the near future.

The heated Japanese style restaurant, and the Thakali dining room (below)

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Contact: www.lodgethasangvillage.com

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THE COURTYARD HOUSES OF

UPPER MUSTANG Text: Ar. Kai Weise

U

pper Mustang is one of those fascinating places where it is possible to witness the results of the impressive geological process that created the Himalayas. In this barren but expressive landscape, the traces of the evolution of human civilization are presented through the diverse forms of shelter that have developed over the centuries. There are abandoned cave settlements which have been exposed through erosion of the cliff faces. In the higher pastures the nomadic tribes live in yak-wool tents (drop-pa) which they dismantle when moving on with the seasons. The ancient route along the Kali Gandaki is lined with the ruins of great earthen fortresses (dzongs) that were once used to control the lucrative trade but have long since succumbed to the harsh winds.

People have lived here for centuries, adapting to the harsh topography and climate. The compact settlements with their narrow winding paths between the massive earthen walls were strategically located near sources of water. There are traces of many settlements that were abandoned due to springs drying up, leaving only the chhortens and mani-walls as testimony of their existence. www.spacesnepal.com

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View of Lo Manthang looking north with the ruins of Ketzu Dzong in the background

The Monastery at Tsarang

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In the ancient kingdom of Lo, gigantic earthen palaces (phodrang) and monasteries (lakhang) were constructed. The exquisite walled city of Lo Manthang was built in the 15th century. These are all the superlatives of Upper Mustang. However, the essence of dwelling is expressed through the simple but effective courtyard houses.

The sketch plan prepared by pacing around the settlement during the visits in 1991, 1993 and 1997 © Kai Weise

Upper Mustang district lies on the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. From here the Kali Gandaki River flows south, cutting through the Himalayan range. The river flows through the world’s deepest gorge, flanked on either side by mountain massifs rising over 8000 meters. The gorge functions as a wind tunnel and the barren cliffs are eroded by the strong winds. This region north of the Himalayas, lies in the rain shadow of the summer Monsoons and the average annual rainfall is only around 150 mm. The settlements of Upper Mustang lie at an altitude between 3500 and 4000 meters. The solar radiation in summer is intense and temperatures can rise above 20 C. In winter, temperatures can drop below -20 C with relative humidity dropping below 50%. In January it often snows. Settlements depend on water, which is scarce and when sources dry up, settlements are moved to a more advantageous location. The eroded remains of the earthen walls of old settlements can be seen throughout Upper Mustang, blending in with the wind-beaten cliffs.

© Kai Weise

PLACE

Upper Mustang Lo-Manthang

© Google

© Kai Weise

View of Lo Manthang from the flanks of the Ketzu Dzong hillock looking south

CHINA LO MANTHANG

MUSTANG DISTRICT

JOMSOM

POKHARA

NEPAL

KATHMANDU

The southern wall of Lo Manthang in December 1991 with the winter gate - at that time, the only other opening in the wall other than the main gate in the north

INDIA

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Villagers dancing during the Tiji festival

Š Kai Weise

PEOPLE Upper Mustang is closely linked with Tibet, both culturally and historically. The Kingdom of Lo was under the domination of West Tibet, Ladakh and Jumla in turn. It was only in 1795 when the Gurkhas took control of Jumla, that Lo became a part of Nepal. The inhabitants of Upper Mustang, the Lobas and the Baragaonlis are of Tibetan origin.

They practice Tibetan Buddhism and the ancient Bon religion. The economy of the region was based on the trade route between Tibet and India, which wound up the Kali Gandaki valley. Trade died down to a trickle when the border to Tibet was closed in 1950. Agriculture is restricted to the summer months and only to the places where artificial irrigation is possible. Most people move down to the cities in the south to find jobs during the winter months. Since 1992, a restricted number of tourists have been allowed to visit Upper Mustang.

Wooden ladder made of steps cut into a log

Š Kai Weise

SHELTER Upper Mustang has a rich culture of courtyard dwellings. Adapted to the harsh climate, the courtyard houses give protection and security.

Numerous variations of this building typology can be seen throughout Mustang. The ground floor is generally used for storage and stables. One enters the courtyard through the main gate, where the ponies are tethered and unloaded. The kitchen, the living room, the prayer room, the bedrooms and the toilet are on the first floor. The flat roof is used for household functions including the storage of fuel wood. The windows of the rooms open out onto the courtyard. There are only few openings on the external walls. Steps are carved into a single log, which is generally used as a ladder.

View of Tsarang looking west over the settlement from the Monastery

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One side balcony courtyard in Lo Manthang

VARIATIONS IN LAYOUTS There are variations in the layout of the courtyard houses. These often depend on the size of the houses and the number of rooms that need to be linked directly from the balcony around the central courtyard. The main components of these houses are the courtyard, the balcony, the staircase, the kitchen and the prayer room. Additional rooms are used as bedrooms. Many of the houses have toilets that have usually been added later. One can also note that the staircase going up to the roof is very often next to the toilet.

The sketches show various examples of these layouts. The example from Lo Manthang shows a balcony only on one side of the courtyard which links to rooms on either end as well as the toilet block which was added later. This requires one to pass through one room to get to the next. The courtyard house in Tsarang has balconies on two sides of the courtyard which connect to four rooms and the toilet block. Here the staircase is located within the balcony and not in the central courtyard.

The example from Yara is similar, however only connects to three rooms and the room used for the staircase to the roof is linked to the toilet extension.

The example in Dhi has balconies on three sides which connect to all the rooms. However, this house did not have an attached toilet. In Samar the balcony has been widened by a grid to allow for a covered sitting area. www.spacesnepal.com

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Three side balcony courtyard in Dhi

Building extensions to house in Tsarang

Two side balcony courtyard in Yara

Š Kai Weise

January-February 2011

Extended balcony in Samar

Š Kai Weise

Š Kai Weise

ARCHITECTURE

Chaile

Interiors of the main dining/living room

T

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Š Kai Weise

Constructing an earthern wall

TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION The main construction material in Upper Mustang is earth. The earth walls that are 45 cm thick are constructed either of sun dried earth blocks (pop) or rammed earth (gyanka tha). The sun-dried blocks are often strengthened by mixing cut wheat or barley stalks and husk. The walls are then constructed using mud mortar with the vertical joints being filled with small stone pieces. Only few stone rubble masonry buildings can be seen, which is more predominant in lower Mustang. Earth construction is preferred wherever the soil quality allows. Rubble stone masonry, when used is of low quality. The foundations and plinth are nevertheless always of stone rubble masonry. The foundation depth is a maximum of 60 cm. The rubble masonry is often raised up to one meter above the plinth level.

The flat roofs give the freedom to construct irregular shaped rooms and add extension.

Each room is enclosed with earthen walls, the roof or next floor being supported by central wooden posts. Wooden brackets on the posts give better support to the main beam, which are supported on the ends by additional posts or stone wall-plates. The joists are usually round sections of 15 cm diameter, placed 45 cm apart. The joists are covered with planks or split wood, a layer of wheat stalks and twigs covered with approximately 10 cm of packed white clay. The side walls are raised slightly above the level of the roof to clamp down the beams and joists.

These parapets are often covered with stone slabs and are used to dry firewood for the winter.

The openings along the external walls are usually small. In some cases a double frame is used to support the thick rammed earth walls. Nevertheless, the larger windows that open onto the courtyard use the traditional Tibetan design. A single frame is used, often carved and painted.

Wooden blocks that span the width of the wall are fixed perpendicular to the top member of the frame, which is then covered with wooden planks to hold the earthen wall.

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Š Kai Weise

First concrete building in Jomsom in 1995

The palace at Lo Manthang

The wood used is most often pine, though in the older buildings the main structural elements were constructed of juniper. The forests that supposedly covered certain parts of the slopes of Upper Mustang are no more, and wood has to be carried up from the community forests of Lower Mustang.

CHANGE Upper Mustang is accessed easier from the Tibetan Plateau than from the rugged terrain to the south. A road is being constructed along the Kali Gandaki River, to connect the road-head at Beni with the Tibetan border. In the meantime a road has been built from the border in the north up to the walls of Lo Manthang and on towards Tsarang. From the south, the road has been built practically to Kagbeni with various bridges missing along the way. Motorcycles and tractors are being used for local transportation. Transportation used to be restricted to pack mules or porters taking 7 to 10 days from Pokhara, the nearest city. Transportation was expensive and prices of materials brought in from Pokhara become 3 to 4 times more expensive.

The closest airport is in Jomsom with regular flights to Pokhara.

The main impact on the region is caused by tourism. In Jomsom, luxury resorts have already been constructed using reinforced concrete. Nevertheless, the local people are only able to upgrade their traditional buildings to cater to the tourists. The main reason for rooms to be added to the courtyard houses seems to be for tourist accommodations. These extensions were either as an additional block added to the building (such as the example in Tsarang) or an additional floor (such as the example in Gemi).

These new additions are constructed in similar construction techniques and materials. However the major change seems to be that the openings are larger. This is of course possible since the windows can be glazed, in contrast to the traditional openings. The greatest developments to the courtyard houses are found in Jomsom which has been a tourist area for several decades. In an example from Jomsom, one can see the stages in the evolution of the building. First the courtyard was covered for it to be used as a hall. Further extensions were constructed towards the front and back.

Phase-wise expansion of a courtyard building in Jomsom

IMPROVEMENTS The traditional buildings of Upper Mustang are ideal for the place.

The materials are locally available, and are cheap. Construction can be done without very skilled labour. The thick earthen walls and the packed earth on the roofs are good for insulation. www.spacesnepal.com

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Metal bridge over the Mustang Khola

ARCHITECTURE

These same buildings can be adapted for the accommodation of tourists, especially the beautiful courtyard houses.

ensuring a minimum impact on the area. At the same time roads were being planned up the Kali Gandaki River to Jomsom and from the border through Lo Manthang on down the valley. These conflicted approaches There are nevertheless various points that would need to be looked into. Wood for the planning of Upper Mustang have not allowed an appropriate needs to be used efficiently and the wooden elements need to be minimised. development strategy to take root.

Community forestry geared for the building sector needs to be supported. It would be possible to look into improving the earth used for construction. The Upper Mustang has a lot to offer to tourism. It is clear that there is also harnessing of passive solar energy needs to be studied. Solutions are needed a need to develop the area to allow for better living standards and to for the appropriate installation of sanitary facilities and disposal systems. ensure that the villages are not left to those that are too old or too young to migrate away from the hardships of living in this forgotten area.

When seismic forces act on rammed earth walls, one usually finds the Considering the importance of a long-term sustainable strategy for the formation of cracks and separation along construction joints. All wall joints development of this region, the various sectors of the government need need to be reinforced. The flat roofs, which are covered with earth, are heavy, to coordinate their visions and find an approach which is appropriate for and the wooden structural elements need to be securely anchored into the the inherent identity and characteristics of the place. walls. The posts should have proper foundations with spread footings. Flat roofed buildings give the freedom for irregular shaped buildings and easy Till now, focus has been given to restoring the major monuments in and extension. The various parts of the buildings should be separated using crush around Lo Manthang. The wall around Lo Manthang was overlooked joints. until it was too late to preserve. Even till 1993 there were only two entrances to the city: the main gate to the north and a winter gate CONCLUSION to the south. Today the wall has been poker-marked with openings, The rough, rugged landscape of Upper Mustang cradles a very delicate losing the very identity of the walled settlement. It must be clearly environment and an even more fragile culture. It was preserved over decades stated that even less efforts have been undertaken to preserve the due to the restrictions set on foreigners to visit the area due to the political traditional dwellings. The earthen courtyard houses are the very fabric sensitivity during and after the Kampa resistance skirmishes. This however of the settlements in Upper Mustang. Should these be replaced by also led to the neglect of numerous monuments. People started moving away the concrete frame structures that have multiplied wherever there as the cross-border trade dwindled. Restricted numbers of tourists were are roads, Upper Mustang will have lost its most treasured and unique allowed to enter Upper Mustang from 1991 onwards with the objective of quality.

View up the Kali Gandaki with Kagbeni in the foreground

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INTERNATIONAL

Resort

World Sentosa Text: Ar. Bansri Pandey Images: Michael Graves and Associates

O

nce upon a time, luxuries were what the kings and the rich consumed: houses in the country, staff to serve, big cars, weekends in foreign lands, lavish delicacies to eat and drink, etc.

But today, we live in a world where luxury experiences come in all sizes - small, medium, large and extra large. Today, an average person can walk down a road listening to better quality music than a king could have enjoyed centuries ago.

Luxury is common.

And thus, market for luxury goods have increased manifolds. This falls true for luxury resorts too. People travel abroad more than they travel in their own countries these days. Their definitions of luxury are being stretched higher and higher every day. But architects all over the world take this as a challenge and fulfil their expectations to the maxim. www.spacesnepal.com

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“S

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- M G , F

M G A

This grand resort landscape housing 1800 guest accommodations, along with conference rooms and ballrooms, are divided among six hotels, each with a unique personality and function.

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is one such example of the luxury one can dream of.

It is one of the world's most extensive and expensive multi-recreational luxury park at Singapore. This 3.5 million sqft of new global vacation destination has Southeast Asia's only Universal Studios theme park, six hotels, casino, spa, 1600 seat theatre, outdoor performance venues, retail, food & beverage outlets, convention centre, one of world's largest marine life park and the maritime xperiential museum.

Designed by Michael Graves and Associates, the Resorts World Sentosa is one of the first two projects to be certified with GoldPlus award from Singapore's Building and Construction Authority's Green mark program.

The US$4.32 billion project was conceived in two parts: first, in the north-eastern corner of Sentosa island, a Universal Studios theme park designed by others, which finished construction earlier this year; then, just west of that,

Michael Graves & Associates(MGA) has been in the forefront of architecture and design since AIA Gold Medallist, Michael Graves, founded his practice in 1964. MGA has designed many master plans and the architecture and interiors of over 350 buildings worldwide, including hotels and resorts, restaurants, retail stores, civic and cultural projects, office buildings, healthcare, residences and a wide variety of academic facilities. Resorts World Sentosa is a major accomplishment for MGA - the largest project in the firm’s 46 year history, and the best example of its unique integrated design practice, with master planning, architecture, interior design, furniture, products and graphics all from the minds of acclaimed designer Michael Graves and Principal-inCharge Patrick Burke.

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Resorts WorldTM Sentosa Overview

building design. Preservation of an existing jungle within the west zone allowed the existing habitat to flourish. RWS buildings reduces their reliance on air-conditioning with the usage of ETFE canopies and the eco-coolers. The complex also includes the largest solar panel array in Singapore, within Universal Studios that can generate 500,000kwh of energy annually.

Inside this grand resort landscape, the buildings that stand out are the signature Graves buildings housing the guest accommodations.

About 1800 rooms, along with conference rooms and ballrooms, are divided among six hotels, each with a unique personality and function.

Hotel Michael

a resort with a mixed program of leisure and hospitality facilities including a casino, a museum, high-end retail and more, all aimed at attracting a diverse clientele from around the world. The MGA submission was selected from among contributions by some of the world’s most prominent architects in a competition sponsored by the government of Singapore. Rather than creating a resort that looks as if it could be anywhere in the world, MGA emphasized the local tropical character and created an evocative context where buildings and landscape are integrated into a warm, familyoriented resort.

Hotel Michael is a unique example of how best an architect can be given recognition for his works. The 350,000 sqft hotel is named after the architect Michael Graves, giving tribute to his design journey. Located on the north side of Sentosa island, it comprises nine stories of guestrooms above two levels of public spaces. The facade has a regular rhythm of elements whereas the signature roof is a series of vaults of various heights inspired by the undulating hills of the tropical island. Hotel Michael is fully outfitted with Graves furniture and furnishings, including artwork in the public spaces and guestrooms that he created for the hotel, and an original typeface for the signage and graphics. The hotel also includes the first-ever Michael Graves Gallery, an emporium where guests can purchase a wide assortment of Graves products. From the planning to the painting – the hotel demonstrates an engrossing experience and celebrates the journey of MGA with rich and welcoming environment for people of all ages.

Crockfords Tower From the green domes to the green design, RWS has incorporated environment-friendly concepts into both the master plan and

Extending the harmony of Hotel Michael and framing the view of Sentosa's iconic Merlion statue, the cylindrical Crockfords Tower

While Hotel Michael (building at left), named after the architect, is outfitted with his signature designs from furniture to art to the cutlery, the Crockfords Tower (building at right) framing the iconic Merlion statue, extends the harmony of Hotel Michael

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The interiors of Hotel Michael and the Crockfords tower display a level of personalized luxury.

features a hill-like green dome roof. 213,500 sqft of hotel is designed as a nine-storey building with 120 suites and mansions on the penthouse level.

It also consists of the hotel restaurant and bar, the casino and numerous restaurants located below the hotel.

To enhance the experience of luxury, each suite at the Crockfords is lavishly furnished and dressed in rich intense reds and gold fabrics with the finest materials and comes with 24-hr personalized butler service. The interiors display a level of personalized luxury that reflects both power and pampering, reinforced by features such as adjustable lighting that allows a variety of moods and sensuous experiences.

Festive Hotel The L-shaped 360,000sqft Festive Hotel creates a large courtyard to the west of the Crockfords Tower. The 390-room hotel includes deluxe rooms, super deluxe rooms and suites designed to appeal to families. Its pitched roofs, terraces, awnings and the use of lattice and other small scaled wooden elements reinforce the building's tropical character.

Like its name, the hotel interiors are vibrant and colourful, reminding of a carnival. With many design surprises and delights, the hotel restaurant, guest rooms as well as the lobby leaves a lasting playful mark on the visitor. Associated with the hotel are a high-end retail arcade and the 1600 seat Festive Grand Theatre, which doubles as a theatre for the resort’s resident show and a convention hall.

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INTERNATIONAL

The interiors of the Festive Hotel are vibrant and colourful

Hard Rock Hotel

Equarius Hotel and WaterPark

The 270,000 sqft Hard Rock hotel has a rock and roll attitude and personality. With 360 guest rooms, 26 meeting rooms and one of Asia's largest ballroom with seating 7300 visitors, the Hotel is a breathtaking experience located adjacent to the RWS ballroom and convention centre. In this hotel, the tropical character of the resort’s architecture combines with dramatic light features that suit the glamorous, entertainment-based Hard Rock brand.

The West Zone of the Resorts World Sentosa, beyond the Marine Life Park, is a landscaped development, quieter and smaller in scale than the central zone. The West Zone will be a more exclusive setting for visitors to Sentosa looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoy the landscape or the beach. Here one finds the Equarius Hotel, the exclusive ESPA Spa and Spa Village, and the luxury Spa Villas guest quarters. The Equarius hotel, with 360 keys, is located at the edge of the Marine Life Park and very much part of the landscape experience.

The adjacent Equarius Water Park merges with the rising terrain of an existing park with its beautiful trails and heritage trees. Located between the main hotel building and the rising slope of the hillside are two tree house suites, elevated on stilts and featuring rustic wood construction. The rustic architectural character of the Equarius property thus reinforces the experience of its tropical forest setting.

The RWS Ballroom and Convention Centre below the Hard Rock adjoin the Festive Grand Theatre and share pre-function space. The 65,000 sqft ballroom seats 7300 visitors and 5500 for banquets. Its gridded ceiling with custom-designed star light fixtures, organizes the space, even when subdivided. The associated 30,000 sqft meeting complex has a bright and airy interior open to private terraces and gardens.

The Hard Rock Hotel with its rock and roll attitude

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INTERNATIONAL

ESPASpa and Beach Hotel An extensive ultra-luxury spa operated by internationally acclaimed ESPA is located in the southwest corner of Resorts World Sentosa, nestled against the hillside and facing the beach. The spa’s main building of rough stone and wood continues the association with the natural environment seen in the Equarius Hotel. The adjacent Spa Village of freestanding structures, with deluxe treatment suites, palace suites, and a wellness centre redefine luxury. An exclusive beachfront hotel contains 40 guestrooms either constructed on the beach or standing above the water on stilts. The villas are constructed of natural materials and designed to be as open as possible, with wooden louvered sliding walls. Their architectural character and informal lifestyle reflects the relaxing atmosphere of beachfront living.

When your future dreams are made a reality into present, and the past memories are woven around you in every moment, you will know you are in the Resorts world Sentosa.

Making the kings and the rich of the past envy the luxury we shall enjoy in this new destination, Michael Graves and his team has made a new mark of excellence in hospitality designs.

The Spa Village with deluxe treatment suites, palace suites, and a wellness centre redefine luxury

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INTERIOR

Where Context Meets Context Text: Ar. Kalpana Bhandari

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INTERIOR

A

civilization like ours serves as an arboretum of architectural styles. With irregular patterns in settlement and planning, buildings do not share

a similar kind of envelope and neither do their interiors. It is interesting to observe how different styles blend, how an expressionists’ artwork meets a vernacular artefact under the same hood; each residence expresses its own story, as if they were a museum housing more than one asset to comfortably accommodate the inhabitants, or be it the visitors.

At Chabahil downhill, approximately 200 meters from the approach road of Gaurighat, the architect stands as an opportunist in the design of an abode. Initially designed by Ar. Binayandra Shrestha, the interior design was further taken forward by Ar. Siddartha Gopalan, introducing his creativity to what it has become now.

As one enters into the telia tile finished lobby, it bifurcates to a well furnished living room to the left and a floating waiting space to the right

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INTERIOR

The staircase, guided by foot-lit steps and wall niches, is an interesting alternative to the intimidating structural slabs and acts as transition spaces between the split areas.

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INTERIOR The traditionally set eating area and the formal dining acts as a transitional space between the waiting area at the ground floor and family room at the first floor.

Splitting Spaces The planning, done in split levels, suits the profile of the plot, and division of spaces is done accordingly - for parking, lawn, and the building. Stretched in an area of 1695.6 square feet, the architect has held the exterior of the building different than its surrounding, and yet not deceitful. The plot is planned in four levels: level one is for the parking, two for lawn, three for the detached kitchen and fourth in the sit-out from the dining area.

As the entrance of residence is approached from the east, it has a screening wall with punctures that separates as well as connects the private and semi-private essence of the dwelling.

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INTERIOR

Details and details The identities of the spaces are made transparent to idealize them to their particular usage, yet separation to their architectural demonstration has been wisely planned. As one steps on the telia finished lobby, to the left is a well furnished room furnished with custommade furniture. This living room, with three walls having textured paint, the fourth wall is finished with rough textured tiles.

The ceiling has horizontal rafters running longitudinally through the room, like the support members that gives impressions of traditional Nepali homes. The furniture and furnishings fill up the empty spaces between the traditional and contemporary entities. The architect has been precise on detailing, avoiding any kind of constraint in identity, which otherwise would deteriorate the intangible value. To the right of the lobby is a slightly elevated waiting space that is visually connected to the living as well as the dining area at the first landing level.

The building design in chore of complimenting the land profile has been planned in a split level. The first landing, at 4’-8” is the dining area, the dry kitchen and the wet kitchen (the detached wet kitchen is connected to the dry one and is also approachable from the outer lawn).

The traditionally set eating area between the dining and the kitchen is as justified as the contemporary dining hall with furniture appearing as wooden planks, and a chandelier elevated parallel to the table.

The dining is merged with the ambience of a garden to the east, - a multi-functional space that can also host as an eat-out area.

The staircase, guided by a wall with niches, is an interesting alter to the intimidating structural slabs and acts as transition between the split areas, as well as recesses to plan for. As the foot-lit timber finished stairway leads to the first floor level at 9’4”, at the second landing, beyond the partition wall with niches, it opens out to a family room. This intermittent landing lobby space, acts as transition space as well as a barrier, in between the semiprivate ground floor to the private upper floors. From this space, the visibility to the master bedroom and the upper gym area is enhanced with a chandelier hung in the open well staircase.

This three storey building envelope has pergolas, recesses and projections, with the play of mass and void and the detailing in and out.

The guest washroom at the ground floor in a polygonal shape compliments the planned spaces.

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INTERIOR The stairway opens out to a family room, in transition as well as a separation of the semi-private ground floor and private upper floors

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INTERIOR The three storey building envelope with a play of pergolas, recesses, projections.

Details and details - designed aluminium door sections with painted wrought iron bars for security purposes.

The landscape has freestanding retaining walls that harmonize with those of the building. The openings of the residence are braced by aluminium doors and windows.

The sections are designed wider, with painted wrought iron bars in the inner part and glass panels on the outer, as a functional intervention induced to meet security concerns.

The context meets the context as the topography of site fits its planning, and unifies the splits in the interiors. The residence has been designed, with the imagination of the architect led to take off, adding much more essence, optimized towards a better living, opt that every designer should provide to their client. The interior spaces and their ornate decoration, an exclusive travel gifts and souvenir collection, bond with each other to create a cozy living, the technicalities remaining yet precise. The function demands and form follows to embrace it aesthetically. www.spacesnepal.com

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HERITAGE

Changing

Times Text: Ar. Swati Pujari

athmandu Valley has been a densely inhabited urban centre through history.

There have been at least four major independent dynasties to rule the Valley, and although the accounts of the Kirat and pre-Kirat times are shrouded in mystery, the essence of the Licchavi times can still be seen in records.

The Malla times however are well preserved in the historic centres of the three ancient kingdoms.

The three major Malla cities Bhaktapur, Patan and Kathmandu, acted as three independent fortified kingdoms, mutually competitive in terms of art and development. Each kingdom witnessed its times of peace and war, including attacks from each other as well as outer invasions by dynasties from northern India. The political and consequently the economic situation of the kingdoms have shaped the lives of the rulers and hence also the development of their kingdoms and palaces.

K

The central core of each of the ancient kingdom is comprised of the royal palace; it is interesting to note that ancient inscriptions of Vaastu Shastra recommend the Rajkul or the royal palace to cover either one-third or one-fourth of the area of the city, which perhaps justifies their spread and grandeur. Interestingly both the city and the palace are constructed in the form of a fort; the cities were walled with moats and specific entrances. In times of peace, the entrances were kept open but during attack, the heavy gates of the city were closed, blocking out the attacking force. Similarly even the royal palace was constructed as a fort, with interconnected squares and towers. Although the city walls have not survived through time, the presence of fortification and tower like structures in the three Malla palaces of the valley can still be seen.

The circular platform in the top of the Pratap Dhowj has images of different animal heads protruding out and the golden images of Pratap Malla, his four sons and his two wives, sitting on a golden throne carried by images of lions and elephants.

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It is difficult to find any architectural entities that date to a pre-Malla era, yet many records, mostly stone inscription of the Licchavi times have helped envision the character of the city and the palace during the pre-Malla era. It is interesting to note that all the three major kingdoms of the Malla dynasties were densely populated cities even in the Licchavi times, with Patan being the most populated and Kathmandu being the administrative centre. Bhaktapur, however, had not developed to such extents.

HERITAGE The Area of Maru, with Marusatal, Kavindrapur and the temple of Maru Ganesh marks the current extend of the Hanumandhokha Palace Complex

Kathmandu in Licchavi Times: Today the term Kathmandu may encompass the vast spread from Budanilkantha to Kalanki and to the Bagmati River, or may also refer to the entire Valley. But the historic city of Kathmandu covered only the current core of Lagan, Bhimsenthan, Hanumandhokha, Indrachowk, Itum Bahal etc. Even the Bishnumati River to the west and Tundikhel to the east were in the outskirts.

In the Licchavi era, the city of Kathmandu was divided into two parts, viz. Koligram and Dakshin-Koligram. Dakshin-Koligram comprised of the present areas of Lagan, Yangal Tole, Brahma Tole etc., whereas the areas of Itum Bahal, Machindranath Bahal etc. made up the Koligram area. It is interesting to note that the two divisions of the ancient city are visible even today in the festival routes, like the chariot route of Kumari during the Indra Jatra Festival. Here the two directional routes of Kwone and Thane comprise mostly of the parts of Dakshin Koligram and Koligram respectively, with the Hanumandhokha Royal Palace area acting as the centre.

the gate of the palace. This image was placed in B.S. 1729, by King Pratap Malla, one of the most influential rulers in shaping the palace complex.

The Hanumandhokha palace became the official residence of royalty from B.S. 1541, when King Ratna Malla, separated from his brother Raya Malla, defeated the Mahapatras of Kathmandu and started his own regime.

It remained a royal residence until the reign of King Prithivi Bir Bikram Shah (1938-1968 B.S.), who later moved to the royal palace at Narayanhiti.

The image of Hanuman at the ‘Dhokha’ of the Palace

Interestingly a stone inscription dated B.S. 670, mentions the presence of a Rajkul or Royal Palace in the Dakshin Koligram area which was popularly known as the Dakshin-Rajkul. Another Licchavi inscription found below the Degutale Temple at Hanumandhokha mentions the renovation of an ancient Licchavi Palace by the Licchavi King Amshuvarma. If all these records are inferred, one can come to the conclusion that the Dakshin-Rajkul was in fact the palace that was renovated by Amshuvarma and that the palace extended from the present day Jaisidewal to Hanumandhokha. Another interesting fact is that during the Licchavi rule, people living in Thankot were required to pay taxes at Dakshin Koligram, which only proves its administrative power and hence the presence of a palace at the area is quite palpable.

Hanumandhokha - The Post-Licchavi Palace: Although the presence of a palace at the current Hanumandhokha area and beyond during Licchavi rule, is recorded in history, it is difficult to confer if the Malla palace was built in any co-relation to the Licchavi Palace or if it was only co-incidentally placed at the same location. But clearly what we see today has no architectural entity from the Licchavi time, and is a result of contributions by multiple rulers during the Malla, Shah and the Rana regimes. The name, Hanumandhokha, itself comes from the image of the monkey god 'Hanuman' placed at the 'Dhokha' or January-February 2011

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HERITAGE

Image of Narsimha, an important element of Malla palace which was established by Pratap Malla

Before Ratna Malla, the entire valley was ruled by his father Yaksha Malla from Bhaktapur. The administration of Patan and Kathmandu was under the Mahapatras, who, in Kathmandu, were defeated by Ratna Malla and he started his reign from Hiti Chowk.

Today, the Hiti Chowk and even the small temple of goddess Taleju, built by Ratna Malla near Tanadewal are nonexistent. As Ratna Malla's reign was shadowed by his quest in conquering Kathmandu and defeating the Mahapatras, the minimalism in construction was only to be expected. But it is notable that the very first structure constructed by the king was the temple of the goddess Taleju, the royal goddess or the 'clan goddess' of the Malla Kings.

After Ratna Malla, his next two successors were either not active in building or any structures they built have been lost in time; either way there are no monuments reminding of either Surya Malla or Amar Malla at the Hanumandhokha area. One of the first influential kings in building the palace complex is the successor of Amar Malla, Mahendra Malla. Mahendra Malla is credited to be the first Malla king to have successful trade relations with Tibet, and The temple of Mahendreshwor Mahadev, which has developed considerably through time

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The Octagonal Krishna Temple built by Pratap Malla, in the memory of his two deceased queens.

hence ruling in an economically prosperous environment. This prosperity is clearly visible in the structural contributions made to the palace complex.

In B.S. 1618 the Mahendreshwor Mahadev Temple was established followed by the temple of ‘Chaturmukh Vishnu’ popularly known as Jaggannath Temple in 1619. The following year, that is B.S. 1620, the extensive temple of Taleju was constructed. The Kotilingeshwor temple to the northeast of the current police station was also constructed by Mahendra Malla and the Tanadewal temple, to the northeast of Taleju was renovated by him as well. Except for the Taleju and Jagannath Temple, none of the other structures built by Mahnedra Malla are in their original form now. The temple of Degutaleju was built by Shivsingh, the successor and the younger brother of Mahendra Malla's successor Sadashiv Malla. Shivsingh was succeeded by his grandson Laxmi Narsimha Malla, whose reign saw attacks from Patan and Bhaktapur. His own son Pratap Malla was against him, hence it is not surprising to see a decline in building trends during his reign. It is, however very interesting The Palace complex developed by multiple rulers. In this image the three towering structures, Taleju temple, Temple of Panchamukhi Hanuman and the Bengal tower were built by Mahendra Malla, Pratap malla and Pratp Singh respectively.

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HERITAGE

Š KVPT

SITE PLAN: Kathmandu Darbar World Heritage Site

LEGEND Sr. No. Element/ Building 1 Kumari Chowk 2 Trailokyamohan Temple 3 Maru Satal 4 Kabindrapur 5 Singha Satal 6 Laxminarayan Temple 7 Majudeval

The temple of Taleju, built by Mahendra Malla in B.S. 1620.

8

Shiva Parvati Temple

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Bhagwati Temple Big Bell Stone temple of Vishnu Temple of Saraswoti Krishna Temple Jaggannath Temple Pratap Dhwoj (Stone Pillar) Degutaleju Kal Bhairav

18 19

Indrapur Temple of Kotilingeshwor Mahadev Temple of Maha Vishnu Mahendreswor Mahadev's Temple Majak Deval Kageshowr Temple

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Vishnu Temple Image of Hanuman Agamchen Nasal Chowk Temple of Panchamukhi Hanuman Mohan Chowk Sundar Chowk Mul Chowk Trishul Chowk Taleju Temple Dashin Ghar Nag Pokhari Bhandar Khal Basantapur Chowk

38 39 40 41

Dakh Chowk Lam Chowk Kanehol Chowk Nhu Chen Chowk

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Built By Jayaprakash Malla Parthivendra Malla Pratap Malla Queen Mother Riddhilaxmi during reign of Bhupalendra Malla Bahadur Shah Ranabahadur Shah Pratap Malla Mahendra Malla Pratap Malla Shiva Singh Established at Hanumandokha by Pratap Malla Pratap Malla

Year of Construction B.S. 1813 B.S. 1737 c. 14th century B.S. -

B.S. 1747 During the reign of Ranabahadur Shah (B.S. 1834-1855) B.S. 1854 B.S. 1705 B.S. 1619 B.S. 1727 -

-

Mahendra Malla Jagajaya Malla

c. 16th/ 17th cent. B.S. 18th cent. B.S.

Mahendra Malla Bhim Malla Queen Mother Bhuwana Laxmi Pratap Malla Perhaps Pratap Malla Pratap Malla

B.S. 1618 -

Pratap Malla Pratap Malla Pratap Malla Mahendra Malla

B.S. 1768 B.S. 1729 Developed through Malla and Shah Times

B.S. 1705 B.S. 1707 Before B.S. 1685

Mahendra Malla

B.S. 1620 During Shah Time During Malla Time

Pratap Malla Prithivi Narayan Shah and Pratap Singh

Started in 1826 During Shah Time During Malla Time Developed through Malla and Shah Times

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HERITAGE Nasal Chowk, currently housing the royal Museum, with the towering temple of Panchamukhi Hanuman

to note the effect of social, political and economic situations on the inclination towards construction as revealed by the construction trends during the rule of Mahendra Malla, Shiva Singh and finally the decline during Laxmi Narsimha Malla's reign.

The outer square of Hanumandhokha showcases the contributions of many rulers, including the Jaggannath temple by Mahendra Malla and the magnificent image of Kal Bhairav installed here by Pratap Malla.

Laxmi Narsimha Malla was succeeded by Pratap Malla, a very influential ruler, not only in terms of administration but also as a patron of the arts. His interest in literature, music, dance, art and architecture has not only helped him craft his popularity but has also secured him an important place in history. Most of the Malla monuments present in the Hanumandhokha Palace area were created by Pratap Malla, including the statue of Hanuman from which the entire complex gets its name. During the Malla rule the trade route from India to Tibet passed through the Valley, and tax collected from the traders was a major source of income. Pratap Malla captured most of the trade junctions and hence his rule was an economic success. Some monuments established by Pratap Malla were in fact looted by him during his attacks on Bhaktapur or collected from other different parts of the valley. Clearly, his economic and political influence played a major role in his quest towards building the palace complex.

The first monument established by Pratap Malla is the stone pillar with metal lion in front of the Taleju Temple. The pillar was constructed in B.S. 1699; in 1701 he placed a metal image of himself at the temple of Taleju. The image shows the young king folding his hands in respect towards the goddess. In B.S. 1705 he constructed the octagonal Krishna Temple, in the memory of his two demised queens, Rupmatidevi, the princess of Bihar Desh and Rajmati, the princess of Karnat Desh. This temple was constructed in competition to the famous Krishna Temple at Patan constructed by Siddhinarsimha Malla in B.S. 1693. Along with the Krishna Temple the construction of Mohan Chowk was also on way. After completion of Mohan Chowk in 1705, Sundari Chowk was also constructed by 1707. Other important elements like the Nasal Chowk, Bhandarkhal, Statue of Hanuman, Temple of Panchamukhi Hanuman (inside Nasal Chowk) and Sundhara (in Mohan Chowk) were also built by Pratap Malla. Kavindrapur, the grandest temple of Nasal Dev (Natyeshwor Mahadev) and an image of Narasimha at Nasal Chowk was established by Pratap www.spacesnepal.com

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Maju Degal, commissioned by Queen Mother Riddhilaxmi is the highest temple in the complex after Taleju and Degu Taleju

HERITAGE The Kumari Bahal built in the style of a Buddhist Bahal, was built by the last Malla ruler of Kathmandu, Jayaprakash Malla

The towers of Basantapur Chowk (Lohan Chowk) as seen from Nasal Chowk. The Stone Dabali at the centre was used for Royal Coronations during Shah times.

Malla in the memory of his stage performance as Narasimha. An interesting element at the palace complex is the structure used for water supply, on which are engraved words in multiple languages including Arabic, Persian and French. Another stone pillar was installed in B.S. 1720, in front of the Taleju Temple with the images of Pratap Malla, his mother and his two sons, Nipendra Malla and Chandravartendra Malla.

Besides building, Pratap Malla was also a fond collector of antiquities. The snake image at the pond inside Bhandarkhal and the stone lions in front of Taleju and at the palace gate were all brought from Bhaktapur during his attacks. Similarly, the images of sleeping Vishnu at Bhandarkhal, Kaliya-Daman at Sundar Chowk and Kal-Bhairav were all collected from different parts of the Valley.

Clearly the reign of Pratap Malla has been one of the most prominent times in the construction of the Hanumabdhokha palace.

Pratap Malla was succeeded by his son Nipendra Malla, but in his short and unstable term as king, he was unable to make any architectural contribution. After his demise his younger brother Parthivendra Malla rose to the throne. In his term, King Parthivendra constructed the temple of Trailokyamohan Narayan in the memory of his brother Nipendra Malla; his only other contribution to the expansion of the palace was a stone pillar in front of Taleju with his self image along with the images of his son Bhupalendra, mother Indramati and two queens Rajyalaxmi and Riddhilaxmi.

After Nipendra Malla the next two rulers of Kathmandu started their rule in infancy. Both Bhupalendra Malla and Bhaskar Malla were very young when they ascended to the throne.

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HERITAGE

The Temple of Shiv Parvati commissioned by Bahadur Shah. This temple is built in traditional Newari style and the first plinth acts as a dabali used for cultural performances.

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Incidentally the monuments erected during their reign were all commissioned by their mothers, queen regents, Riddhilaxmi and Bhuvanlaxmi respectively. During the reign of Bhupalendra Malla an image of Garuda was placed in front of the Trailokyamohan Narayan Temple by Queen Mother Riddhilaxmi (B.S. 1746). In the same year the huge temple of Lord Shiva, popularly known as Maju Degal was also constructed. Maju Degal is named so as it was commissioned by the Queen Mother and is the highest temple in the palace complex after Taleju and Degutale, both of which are the shrines of the Mother Goddesses. Bhupalendra Malla was succeeded by his four year old son, Bhaskar Malla. In his reign, Queen Mother Bhuvanalaxmi established the gold images of Ananda Bhairav and Ananda Bhairavi in the memory of her late husband; these images are displayed during Indra Jatra. The images of Ganga and Jamuna at the door of Taleju were also established by her. In B.S. 1765 the Queen Mother also commissioned the construction of a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is now popularly known as Kageshwor Temple. Although this temple was initially built in traditional Malla style, after the earthquake of B.S. 1990, it has been reconstructed in a hybrid fashion, merging the traditional Malla style with Shikhara Style.

Bhaskar Malla, being childless, appointed Jagajaya Malla as his successor. His reign saw the death of his eldest son and he erected a temple of Laxmi and Vishnu. In the earthquake of B.S. 1990, the temple was destroyed and the golden image was moved to the eastern wing of Nasal Chowk. Jagajaya Malla was succeeded by his son Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule the Valley. As his reign was filled with both internal conflicts as well as attacks by the forces from Gorkha, there was neither economic prosperity nor patronizing of arts and architecture. The only architectural entity created by Jayaprakash Malla is the Kumari Chowk, the residence of the living goddess Kumari. The Kumari Chowk built in B.S. 1813, is constructed in the form of a Buddhist Bahal.

When Prithivi Narayan Shah captured Kathmandu, he devised the policy to promote Nepali artists; his policy encouraged building in traditional styles as well as encouraged the promotion of local arts and crafts. Within this policy he commissioned the construction of Basantapur and Vilas Mandir within the existing palace complex in B.S. 1826. Following the policy of Prithivi Narayan Shah, his successors Pratap Singh Shah and Rana Bahadur Shah also

HERITAGE

The royal thrones used for coronation of Shah Kings, displayed at the Hanumandhokha Palace Museum

continued construction in traditional Nepali style. Pratap Singh extended Pritivi Narayan Shah's Basantapur and Vilas Mandir into a large Chowk and Rana Bahadur Shah established the image of Swet Bhairav and the huge Bell in the complex. During the reign of Rana Bahadur, the temple of Shiv Parvati, with the wooden images of the two deities looking out the window, was commissioned by Bahadur Shah.

Foreign Influence: In the southern wing of Mohan Chowk, established by Pratap Malla in B.S. 1705, is a room where an inscription, also by Pratap Malla, exemplifies the stone imagery of Nepali artisans. An interesting observation in the inscription is the fact that although the upper parts of the inscription portray images of Vishnu's ten incarnations and the life of Lord Krishna, the lower part of the inscription depicts images that could be of daily life. In these images a lady in western appearance is casted repeatedly and in multiple facets of life. In some images she is playing musical instruments, in some she is smoking, or weighing fruits. A male figure in royal Malla attire is also present in some of the images, and another male figure in western attire is found in the final image.

It is not clear what exactly these images portray, but the subject of the art as well as its style, which has a slight influence of western character, hints to the possibility of foreign correspondence in the court of King Pratap Malla.

Yet the authenticity of Nepali architecture has been maintained throughout the Malla reign, with no external influence in the development of their architecture. It was not until the Rana Regime, that European influence is prominently seen in the architectural characters of Nepali Palaces. The most interesting hybrid can perhaps be seen at the Hanumandhokha Palace where many of the later built monuments were constructed with the attempt of presenting popular European styles.

One of the first buildings in a semi-European style was built in 1881 B.S. during the reign of Rajendra Bikram Shah. The renovation of Bhandarkhal, Mul Chowk, Sundar Chowk and Mohan Chowk was also carried out during the same time. The building called 'Sish Mahal', literally meaning Mirror Palace, was built using specially imported mirrors. The building was built at the 'Kot' and was the

site of the infamous 'Kot-Parva' that started the Rana Reign in Nepal. The Sish Mahal is now nonexistent.

The European style gained popularity once Jung Bahadur Rana and the other Rana Prime Ministers started visiting Europe. During the reign of Surendra Bikram Shah, Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana commissioned the northern wing of Dakh Chowk, the northern wing and eventually all the wings of Dakh Chowk were built with European influence. In B.S. 1965, during the reign of Pritivi Bikram Shah, Chandra Sumsher commissioned the Gaddhi Baithak to be built in a Neo-Classical style.

Unlike the Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares, the Hanumandhokha palace remained the residence of royalty even after the capture by Prithivi Narayan Shah in B.S. 1825 and hence the development of the complex continued even further, including not just traditional Newari art and architecture but also prominent European influence.

The palace complex has been built, destroyed and rebuilt through centuries to get to its present situation. It is said that in its grandest form, approximately 150 years ago, the Hanumandhokha Palace Complex had 35 Chowks, now only 12 of them remain. Although many rulers and other politically powerful personalities have contributed to the form of the complex, the most influential personalities to be recognized in its development are perhaps the Malla kings, Mahendra Malla and Pratap Malla and the Shah King Prithivi Narayan Shah. The credit of maximum destruction to the old grandeur of the palace should perhaps be given to the massive earthquake of B.S. 1990, after which many of the buildings were destroyed and much of the palace area was lost. The present New Road and Bhugol Park etc., which were once a part of the palace, are now replaced by the urban wilderness.

Many chowks and buildings recorded from the Malla times like Chaukwatha, Bhutali Chowk, Dugucha Chowk, Tau Chowk, Vaidyakhana Chowk etc. have been lost in time.

Reference: Hanumandhokha Rajdurbar, Gautam Bajra Bajracharya, CNAS, T.U., B.S. 2033, Jestha Credit: Interview with Mr. Shyam S. Rajbanshi, Museum Chief, Hanumandhokha Palace Museum January-February 2011

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ANALYSIS

Sustainability of

“Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project�

Text: Ar. Yatra Sharma Images: KSUTP report

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The Project More people inevitably mean more movement and the striking increase in number of vehicles in Kathmandu Valley along with its soaring population is a live example before us. According to a survey

by ADB, there are almost 444,000 registered vehicles in Bagmati zone, most of which are concentrated in the Valley. It is estimated that the number of vehicles in the Valley has increased 13 times (from over 34,000 in 1991 to 450,000 in 2010) in the last decade and this rate is most likely to accelerate in the coming years!

Issues related to this dramatic growth in vehicular movement have had much negative effect on the residents of the capital city. Stories of struggling through the chaos in traffic have become something of a clichĂŠ. Much has been said and heard about the narrowness of roads, roughness of drivers, greyness of air, carelessness of traffic control and passiveness of policy makers. But very little has been done to improve the condition. Amidst this dire situation, a proposal from ADB called “Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Projectâ€? comes as a beacon of hope.

The proposal holds vision of efficiency in transportation system which is primarily focused in the central area of Kathmandu.

Boundaries of the central area is considered as Bishnumati and Bagmati rivers to the west and south, the Dhobi Khola river to the east and northern perimeter of the former palace to the north.

The scheme of actions incorporates four interrelated aspects whose expected outcomes are: • preference of public transportation over private mode, • improvement on traffic management in central area of Kathmandu, • promotion of pedestrian within the central area, and, • improvement in air quality within the urban area of Kathmandu and consequently throughout the Valley.

Part of a residential building designed by Prakash. B. Amatya (of SPADECO, a local architectural firm) General city routes– Congestion is worst in the city area of Kathmandu. Many journeys across the city are compelled to use the central area.

Technical assistance for this study was provided by Asian Development Bank’s Sustainable Transport Initiative (STI) which focuses in making positive interventions in transport sector by enhancing energy efficiency, improving transport infrastructure and reducing Green House Gas emissions. Out of the five pilot cities studied by this initiative, Kathmandu was one on which this proposal is based.

Formulation of the proposal began on the 5th of October 2009 under coordination of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and ended in mid- April 2010. The project is intended for four years to begin in February 2010. Financial support for implementation amounts to US$ 30.7 Million, out of which ADB shall provide US$ 10 Million as Grant and a further US$ 10 Million as Loan. Global Environment Facility (GEF) shall provide a grant of US$ 2.8 Million for environmental aspects and the rest shall be borne by the government itself. The proposal ensures a well-coordinated involvement of five related government organizations, namely Department of Roads (for main roads), Department of Transport Management (for public transport), Traffic Police (for traffic control and enforcement), Kathmandu Metropolitan City (for local roads and footpath) and Ministry of Environment (for air quality).

An Implementation/Steering Committee, chaired by the Secretary of Ministry of Physical Planning and Works has been established for initiating the execution and the process of hiring international consultants is currently underway.

Capacity Building Vs Infrastructure Development The proposal appears to present a big shift in transportation planning in Kathmandu by directly gripping on to the root problem of transport mismanagement and focusing more on capacity building rather than infrastructure development.

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ANALYSIS

This time around the proposal attempts to tackle the issue of congestion not by widening roads or constructing overheads but by enhancing public mode of transport.

Public vehicle vs private vehicle in relation to congestion

Such an approach has been influenced by the fact that widening of roads is not just unsustainable but also unaffordable (estimated to be 14,152,612,336 NRs) due to increased land prices. According to a study by Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), private vehicles constitute 71% of the operational vehicles and consume 53% of total energy but cater to only 41% of total travel demand in the Valley; whereas public transport comprise only 1.4% of the total vehicles, consume 13% of total energy and contribute to 37% travel demand . Hence public transport undeniably seems to be a better choice of transport in terms of energy consumption, traffic reduction and meeting travel demand.

public to favour public vehicles. Although the report presents ideas of subsidy for extending operating hours and cross subsidy to maintain fares, enhanced interchange ticketing system, improved service standards and route management, it all seems a bit ambitious with regard to the current capacity of government bodies. In such a scenario the task of creating a convincing public vehicle alternative still remains challenging.

The idea of operating trolley- bus within a larger part of Kathmandu is appreciable since it can facilitate mass –transit along pilot routes in an energy efficient manner. However, the issue of electrical supply and debate between public or private ownership of trolley bus is still unresolved. Similarly, the project emphasises on use of energy efficient electrical vehicles and also on improving traffic junction management by use of CCTV and traffic signals. Once again, the availability of electricity (be it solar or hydro) makes this proposal questionable. For instance the traffic signals installed at seven different junctions of the city with assistance from JICA in 2003 are today showpieces unable to function due to electric outage. Perhaps the government could think of introducing a micro hydropower supply, solely for the running of the proposed electrical vehicles and traffic management in the Kathmandu Valley. Another obstacle is the heavy tax ( over 130 % custom duty besides other taxes and VAT) levied on electric motor vehicles - an absurdity in itself despite the current energy consciousness due to its crisis Another essential aspect of sustainable transport is

The project attempts to make public transport a credible alternative by rationalising the fleet of public transport, i.e., creating pilot routes for cross city service, introducing regulatory system for fewer bus routes, fewer vehicles with larger operator, bringing public vehicle owners under one regulatory umbrella and upgrading the condition of the public transport. It also plans to make public vehicles accessible to poor and mobility impaired, reintroduce trolley-bus lines and improve the capacity of Department of Transport Management (DoTM). Second set of proposals related to traffic management include plans for discouraging private vehicles in central area through taxation, public vehicle parking facilities, improvement of junctions and traffic signals, training and scientific licensing to drivers, increasing traffic police efficiency, extension of Bishnumati Link road by Department of Roads (DOR) (as per inner ring road proposal by JICA in 1993) for traffic flow around central area.

Where the challenge lies By advocating such measures for encouraging public mode of transport, the project has taken a positive step towards sustainability. However, the challenge lies in actualising this advocacy. In the context of Kathmandu the physical condition of public transport (bus, minibus, microbus, safa tempo) is extremely poor due to mishandling and lack of maintenance. Most drivers are not adequately trained and lack discipline, especially in terms of stopping to pick up travellers at road segments other than actual stops. There is no proper calculation for travel fares as per distance and often fluctuate at different routes making it expensive to commute by interchanging vehicles. As such, public vehicles have a low status appeal among the general public, who on the other hand, yearn of owning a car and travelling in their own terms. So, a mere creation of public awareness will not provoke the general www.spacesnepal.com

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Pedestrianisation proposal in Historic core

ANALYSIS

pedestrianisation. A sustainable city has the highest number of pedestrians, slightly lower bicycle users, then public vehicle users and finally the least number of private car owners. However in the Valley, there are estimated to be only 19% regular walkers .

There is no doubt that this number needs to be increased for Kathmandu to sustain itself. The project does propose improvement of pedestrian movement in the centre area by restricting vehicle entry in major routes along historic core area (permitted entry to certain vehicles), creating pedestrian linkages, improving pavements and sidewalks and creating pedestrian bridge along Bishnumati River with support from Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). The approach is certainly appreciable but it fails to address the congestion created by street vendors. Informal economy is a major source of livelihood for urban poor and without creating better alternatives, the government cannot simply stop them from continuing their informal way of income generation. But on the other hand, informal means such as street vending, which relies on peak pedestrian flow hours, creating severe congestion on pedestrian movement. The government can perhaps strategise some traffic diversion or distribute pedestrian flow or create rotational street vending system to tackle this issue.

Pavements are also encroached by motor bike parking and extended activities of adjacent shops which need to be forbidden to allow walkability. Further on, civic sense towards prioritising pedestrian movement more than vehicular ones in crossing and junctions seems to be a fundamental necessity in contest of Kathmandu where all modes of commuters seem to be rushing at a rapid pace; and this can only be generated through moral education and understanding.

core but Tundikhel as well needs to be considered a heritage (given that it existed since medieval times) and preserved likewise.

Another important component of urban sustainability is environmental quality, which must be incorporated in urban transport system as well. The project takes this initiative with support from Ministry of Environment (MOE) by proposing to improve emission and mechanical testing, fuel quality, air quality monitoring and reduction in the number of vehicles. Although these approaches are of utmost necessity, their implementation once again is doubtful. For instance, six air pollution measuring stations installed in various parts of the Kathmandu Valley, under the assistance of DANIDA are defunct for the last two years. The Ministry of Environment was unable to supply constant energy to operate the stations due to extended load shedding hours and lack of proper maintenance. As such, proper functioning of testing equipments this time around still remains debatable.

Conclusion The Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project comes as a true effort towards creating sustainability. It does not try and create the concrete highway jungle of China or the US, but rather it abstracts from the pedestrian friendly policy of European countries. However, the approach is more curative than preventive. It focuses on solving the immediate problems of the central area and almost ignores the rest of the city and in that sense it is not truly sustainable. One can argue that a good initiation from the city core can trigger further developments outwards. But considering the implementation standards and almost non-existent monitoring process of the past, any resident of Kathmandu would be dubious about its implementation as proposed.

In fact, the design and monitoring framework of the report itself makes several assumptions of successful implementation based on political commitment, authorities support, effective law enforcement and transport entrepreneur’s cooperation which unfortunately are the downside of the country. Hopefully, the report draws an anti-corruption policy and implementation to be monitored by the international ADB consultants which can ensure a better performance. Nonetheless, the project is a positive initiative for the city and its implementation shall be the yard stick for judgement.e

References:

Historic core saturated with heavy pedestrian flow

Furthermore in order to restrict the vehicles inside the city core it has allocated four car parking areas in the outskirts - Social Welfare Council, Old Bus Park, Surface parking off street along Bishnumati Link Road and west side of Tundikhel (surface and basement parking for 401 vehicles) The design of Tundikhel parking shows a portion of Westside setback of the current area near New Road entry with ramps for basement entry and shops along it. Such a design of a car park in the only breathing space in the city, could be a controversial one. History is evident that Tundikhel has been defragmented and reduced over the years. Now a construction of car park can perhaps initiate further encroachment of the ground considering the hopelessness of law enforcement in the country. Arguable but most likely is that construction of shops along the ramps can attract more informal activities and congestion along the area. Perhaps not just the historic

MPPW and ADB 2010, “Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project”, Draft Final Report Pant Basanta (DSP), 2010, “Traffic Management of Kathmandu Valley and Present Challenges of Management”, presentation at Urban Dabali, CIUD Dhakal Shobhakar 2006, “Urban Transportation and the Environment in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal”, Institute of Global Environmental Strategies Adhikari Sharad, “Managing Urban Transportation in Kathmandu valley: Challenges, Constrains and Opportunities”, Workshop strategies, IGES, MOPE

Acknowledgements: • • • • • •

Mr. Kamal Raj Pandey, Joint Secretary at MPPW and Project Coordinator for KSUTP Mr. David Irwin, ADB Consultant and Team Leader for KSUTP Mr. Prafulla Pradhan, Regional Capacity Development Advisor, UN Habitat Nepal Dr. Jib Raj Pokharel, Heritage Specialist for KSUTP Mr. Sudarshan Ram Bhandari, Project Director for KSUTP Mrs. Archana Shakya, Kathmandu Metropolitan City

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KSUTP report, pp 2, section 1.2.3 KSUTP annex 2.1, pp.2 shows valley’s vehicular population in 1991 as 34600 and in 2010 as 450,000.

Five pilot cities are: Harbin (China), Changzhou (China), Dhaka, Colombo and Kathmandu GEF has been supporting sustainable urban transport projects since 1999 mostly in developing countries.

MPPW and ADB 2010, pp 2 “Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project”, Draft Final Report Annexes Dhakal Shobhakar 2006, pp xii, “Urban Transportation and the Environment in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal”, IGES Adhikari Sharad (Technical Director at DOTM) 2004, pp10 “Managing Urban Transportation in Kathmandu valley: Challenges, Constrains and Opportunities”, Workshop strategies, IGES, MOPE

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OPINION

Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project

SustainableTransportInitiative(STI)isanassistanceprogramlaunchedbyAsianDevelopment Bank (ADB) in 2006. This initiative aims to enhance interventions in transportation sector and incorporate issues such as infrastructure, services, energy efficiency and pollution reduction as well. Five pilot cities were examined under the STI, and Kathmandu was one of them.

Consulting with the relevant departments, the assistance, coordinated by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, began on 5th October 2009 and was completed mid-April 2010.

The Bank support for the project, which shall initiate in 2011, will be spread over four years time.

The support shall be forthcoming in the form of a US$ 10 Million Grant and a US$ 10 Million Loan.

An additional grant of US$ 2.8 Million shall be contributed by the Global Environment Facility.

The project, along with the contribution by the government, amounts to US$ 30.7 Million.

While an analysis on the project has been presented earlier in this issue, find here, comments and views on the project, of members of three important professional bodies of the country – Nepal Engineers Association (NEA), Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) and Regional and Urban Planners Society of Nepal (RUPSON):

Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project –

How Sustainable is it?

Implementation may be challenging - NEA First of all, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to David Irwin and his team for their arduous efforts in preparing this report. The report basically comprises the vision of sustainable urban transport in Kathmandu, focusing mainly on operations of public transport, traffic management plan, introducing pedestrian areas as well as improvement of air quality of the city. The report also attempts to reveal the present situation of traffic congestion of Kathmandu and its implications. Moreover, the report blames the managerial aspect for this result, which to a large extent is acceptable.

Regarding urban transport vision, the report suggests a model of public private partnership which may encourage all the stakeholders Er. Mukesh R Kafle for their contribution and participation resulting in the system to (mrkafle@yahoo.com) be more sustainable. To improve public transportation system in Dy. General Secretary, Nepal Engineers' Association.

Kathmandu, the report envisages promoting electric and trolley bus with conditions of scrapping existing buses or sending them out of the Valley. But, based on experiences as well as the electric power scenario of the country, its implementation may be challenging.

In addition, in component A: public transport section, a new bus terminal on the west side of Tundikhel and the plan for redevelopment of the old Bus Park for the Valley service is proposed as a part of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) in partnership with the private sector. The existing institutional capacity of KMC puts the implementation in doubt.

In essence, the proposed plan definitely helps to improve the traffic management system in Kathmandu Valley thus helping to ease the daily life. It may really contribute to improve the aesthetics of the city, thus converting the will of the Nepali people to see the capital as a "dream city". But, there are many constraints to achieve this goal. The Government of Nepal and all its stakeholders should have very strong commitments on it. Nevertheless, let us try to live in optimism.

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Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project OPINION

Pain killer rather than diagnosis of the disease - RUPSON In the present sorry state of urban transport in the capital Kathmandu and its numerous negative consequences, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) ‘Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport’ Project (KSUTP) makes a lot of sense. In fact, streets and sidewalks covering about one third of a city area and having multiple functions of both path (access and movement) and place (social setting) is the most important singular urban design element that shapes the built environment, gives neighbourhood character and regulates the people's daily activity. Urban streets in the historic core of Kathmandu were developed as ‘shared community spaces’ for performing multiple socioreligious activities, whereas other streets in the peripheral neighbourhoods were basically the ‘residual spaces’ left over after construction of individual buildings. Though they were historically planned for pedestrians, nonetheless, Dr. Bijaya K. Shrestha rapid urbanisation of the valley coupled with gradual shifting of economic (bkshrestha@hotmail.com) base from agriculture to service and commerce including changing lifestyles Member, of city dwellers have also transformed those streets with domination of Regional and Urban Planners Society of Nepal vehicular movement. Its negative consequences are numerous. The recently completed KSUTP has made a comprehensive study and recommended various measures. However, its study methodology and the suggestions are not convincing in many ways.

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Firstly, sustainable urban transport for Kathmandu can never be achieved by limiting the study within Kathmandu only with a focus on vehicular traffic with little consideration on the street’s function from sociocultural aspect and pedestrian movement perspective. Despite ADB’s requirement of urban designer’s input, none of the professional urban designer nor planners were involved in this project. As a result, the study has not only failed to see the urban transport from border-land use and density change within the context of whole of Kathmandu Valley, but also lost the opportunity to incorporate the pedestrian’s diverse needs. Failure to respect ‘professional expertise’ has derailed this project in understanding the essence of the program and thus took the wrong direction right from the beginning.

Secondly , this approach of facilitating vehicular movement through widening of streets, shifting the public vehicular stops, making vehicular traffic one way, constructing pedestrian overhead bridges, replacing the old three-wheeler tempos by micro-bus was also implemented in the Valley in the past, which provided some relief for a short time at the cost of the pedestrians’ comfort, convenience and safety. The past experience reveals that such myopic approach, on the one hand, and little control on buildings construction and their uses, on the other hand, had invited more vehicular movement, thereby creating traffic jams, noise and air pollution and more accidents in the long run. As less than 10% of the population own vehicles in the Valley, a majority of the population walk for short trips. Pedestrian’s activities at street level increases vitality, safety and enhances commercial sustainability. Hence, designing of footpaths and their smooth transition towards the ground floor activities of buildings (of both sides of the streets) is essential. Even in a car oriented society like the USA, many neighbourhoods are being redesigned by diminishing the width and making the street irregular to discourage vehicular movement. However, the case of Kathmandu is just opposite. Repetition of such failed model both in local context and international market means nothing more than making Kathmanduites a ‘guinea pig.’ Thirdly, proposals such as bus station and car park on the west side of Tundikhel, redevelopment of the old Bus Park along with the City Hall, underground car parking and multiple commercial complexes on the Social Welfare Council and along the riverfronts, might be feasible from a highway engineering perspective but they are a disaster from urban design point of view. Such acts will invite more vehicles, discourage pedestrian movement, destroy the existing social fabrics and above all they are not preferred options for the earthquake prone Valley.

Fourthly, urban transport is more like ‘social and cultural issues’ when it comes to implementation. Replacing the microbus and three wheelers by a single big bus, shifting of bus stops and transport route and encouraging the use of public transportation against the motorbike and private car have academic merit with little scope of practice due to lack of survey to check the trip generated in those routes (function of locational activities and density), people’s willingness to use public transportation and their eagerness to pay an extra fare for the improved services. Most of the public transportation routes of the Valley cannot accommodate large buses due to their narrow width and haphazard ‘transitional spaces’ between the foot path (if there is one) and the activities on the ground floor of the buildings along both sides of the streets. The social perception of considering higher status for car ownership and lower status for bicycle users has discouraged many from using bicycles on the streets. As the urban streets and vehicular population have already been overloaded by more than two times in the last few years, numerous proposed ‘technically sound and feasible’ recommendations cannot yield any tangible and significant result unless they are linked with the ever increasing population density, land use reconfiguration and urban design.

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OPINION Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport Project

Fifth, this study has shed little light on various ‘non-technical’ factors that are responsible for not implementing many past proposals having similar recommendations. Some of the ‘non-technical’ factors such as lack of political willingness, duplication of duties and responsibilities among different agencies and different acts and culture of ignoring traffic rules and encroachment of streets and footpaths in different ways are all to be primarily addressed first for smooth implementation of those recommendations.

A threefold urban design strategy of decentralisation of business activities from urban centres, improvement of transitional spaces between streets (footpaths) and ground floor activities of buildings on both sides of the streets, and strict enforcement of traffic management, all supported by flexible design guidelines, incentives and consensus (involving different stakeholders) can reverse the present situation of traffic chaos in Kathmandu, thereby leading to sustainable urban transport.

Validity needs to be clearly chalked out - SONA

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First of all the Society of Nepalese architects is highly indebted to SPACES for providing a platform for its members to voice their opinion on the contemporary issues on architecture, urbanism, interior design and many others, as the situation demands. We have been updating our members, readers, students and many other enthusiasts through the last two issues on the development in the architectural front related to society activities. But this issue has a little more dimension added to it, whereby we are allowed to add our concern on the issue of the Kathmandu Sustainable Urban Transport improvement project conducted jointly by MOPPW and ADB, which must have been an arduous effort to plan and project a workable proposition to mitigate the present urban chaos, as the entire city through the jumble of concrete, brick, hawkers, and narrow network of roads, bottle necks and many other pile-ons has become a real mess.

Ar. Debesh Bhattari (debesh.bhattarai@gmail.com) General Secretary, Society of Nepalese Architects

The task is very difficult and maybe it is more like pointing a telescope to the moon and wondering where it hits. The clutter has already reached a threshold and the solution might require an investment reaching up to trillions of Rupees. I can imagine limiting the central core of the city to certain limits as envisaged in the report, but the validity of the boundaries to seek a sustainable urban transport for years to come in a country in dire straits like ours, has to be clearly chalked out.

The precious investment we make does matter a lot, which is evident with the recent foundation laying of the overhead bridge in the New Baneswor junction by the PM of Nepal. It sounds like the overhead bridge meant for pedestrians had more room for shop-keepers than the pedestrians and consequently, the pivotal issue of security breach with respect to the Assembly Hall (earlier Conference Hall) across the road and the limitation of the six lane highway arose. We do require a safer passage for pedestrians in the crossing but the mere placement above or below the ground may limit the very essence of urban road planning.

The nodal points across the city, segregation of vehicular movement in and around the core area, creating pedestrian only area in the urban centre, running smaller vehicles for transiting and maintaining air quality within the city are few of the commendable starters. But limiting the ownership of private modes of transport can be very difficult unless some serious effort is made to create a reliable transport network.

The very idea of bringing the big sized bus to the core by limiting the smaller mode of transport may fireback as the present road condition has hardly any room for the same unless it is widened. In addition, creating a parking facility on the western side of Tundikhel may create one more bottle neck in the already congested section of the city and shall snatch the only remaining public breathing space of the urban core, thereby inviting a disastrous response from the civil society.

Finally, a city like Kathmandu, where new boundaries are built every other day by endless acquisition of the arable land for housing development, can only have reactive planning efforts. The proactive approach can only happen if the urban road networks are guided by Kathmandu Valley Urban Planning parameters, where the Society of Nepalese Architects can take a leading role. In fact, a section of the Society’s experts are already doing a serious homework to understand the present urban mess and the Society is very eager to get a larger participation to formulate the basic guidelines for the urban framework.

The Kathmandu Valley urbanscape, which did not falter till the mid-fifties of this century, lost its true glory in a mere three decades. Now there is an even bigger responsibility to all the sections of society to act judiciously. The present effort to improve the transport system in the core should definitely be a milestone to understand at least the chaos, if not solve it completely. We have to do a lot of home work in the years to come.

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Š Siddhartha Art Gallery

ART

Syed Iqbal Geoffrey:

artist with a double life Text: Madan Chitrakar

D

uring the last week of last October, Siddhartha Art Gallery treated Kathmandu art lovers with an art of a different kind – a collection of works entitled ‘Supra Collages’ by the internationally known Pakistani artist - Syed Iqbal Geoffrey. The collection, mostly collage works, is Geoffrey’s strange way of looking at art as an expression and his thoughts in art has earned him a charismatic reputation as an artist making strong waves in many parts of the world.

This is his first exhibition here in Kathmandu.

However a solo exhibition had been planned for way back in 1960; in of all the places - within the premises of Narayanhiti Palace Complex as an invitee of late King Mahendra! And it is a pity that although we talk so much of a global village and globalization, most of us remained unaware of this name – a near phenomenon, and that too from as close as Pakistan - till the moment his show was inaugurated and the local media also began to get drawn to him. But here too it is likely that the media expressed its sensitivity towards him not because of an understanding of his art, but rather because of the internationally known

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issues and debates he had generated one time or the other as an internationally known figure with a distinct but strange double life – an artist with unusual thoughts and expression, and the other, instead of a soft and delicate artist, a fearless and a highly sensitive barrister – ready to defend even the individual accused of terrorism in a court of law as far as in the U.S.!

So then let’s see who artist Syed Iqbal Geoffrey is. Born on the 1st of January 1939, in Chiniot, Pakistan (then in India), he first and foremost remains one of the very few non-European artists to be honoured with the coveted Paris Biennale laureate way back in 1965. The honour, bestowed upon him at the tender age of 25, remained so deeply ingrained in him that till today he never fails to mention it with respect, irrespective of the context he is in. Even when he needs to present his legal persona, he proudly presents himself as ‘Barrister Paris Biennale laureate Syyed Iqbal Geoffrey', which probably explains his honesty to the creative instincts inside him.

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Geoffrey’s artistic journey began in 1960 after his arrival in London, following which he chose to move to the US and remained there till 1985 – a long stretch of time, which he cleverly made use of to acquire a prestigious Law Degree from Harvard, and as an ambitious artist – to explore free expressions to the limit.

As a means of expression, ‘Collages’ have all along remained his forte and the mainstay. But what made and led him to earn a celebrity artist status are his convictions in art - the supremacy of thoughts over execution. He strongly opines, "An artist must essentially think and not merely create. The medium thus, is secondary." A short speech made during the inauguration of his exhibition at the Siddhartha Art Gallery reconfirmed what has been described in many of the writings as well as in a book published by National Book Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan - that Geoffrey is a strong believer of Dadaism. In his very opening lines he spelled the ephemeral character of our life and so is the real essence of art - indicating his strong disdain for the conventional notion of art. No wonder his art journey is known to characterize

bizarre forms and expressions. Unusual it may sound and look – in his early days in an exhibition, it is reported that he framed a piece of brick with an abrasive surface used for scrubbing during bathing, and titled it, ‘Portrait of an Art Critic”. In another exhibit, he caused an uproar which turned into praises when he put up a tattered old bag with a bold caption, ‘Anything you put in becomes an art! ’. This kind of artistic antics naturally remind one of anti–rational philosophy called Dadaism, propounded by the legendary French artist, Marcel Duchamp, who made an upheaval for about six years (1916- 1922) with his unusual display of mundane objects of daily use as a work of art in the French capital Paris as a display of protest against War and the futility of all established values then. And Mr. Geoffrey, some forty years later has sought to resurrect similar ideas with similar bizarre exhibits. In 1963, Duchamp himself is said to have visited his show and in a lighter view, was known to have remarked that “..compared to Geoffrey, I am a conventional artist ..” The comment made by the guru of Dadaism himself, speaks volumes of the extent of rebellious thoughts of Geoffrey.

Mercifully, the show in the Siddhartha Art Gallery was far more conventional. And during the show, many viewers as well as the reporters were seen to be seeking the meaning of the random pieces of pictures and text torn from magazines, the core elements of his expression, little knowing that he is an artist with an attitude of anything goes; one does not need to always draw or paint to create so long as the artist thinks it ticks and conveys what is intended. No wonder, anyone who approached him for explanations came back with his answer, “Art is meant to be imbued not to be described!”

But what makes Syed Iqbal Geoffrey more interesting is his facet of a barrister, which earned him more screaming headlines in the West than as an artist. Out of many, two events reveal his

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personal guts and attitudes towards the life in the West where he spent a reasonable span of time. During his stay in London, he managed to drag a reputed art gallery in London, The Hayward Gallery, to the court of law, suing it under the Human Rights Act on the grounds that he had been racially discriminated when the gallery failed to return some of his paintings. Goeffrey claimed a whopping amount of some 65 million Sterling Pounds as compensation for his lost paintings. In another instance, Syed Iqbal Geoffrey- an artist with avant guarde thoughts - came forward to defend a certain Mir Aimal Kasi - a Pakistani national accused of shooting two CIA officials - in a court of Law in New York, a place where no reputed lawyer dared to take up the defence case because of the existing public sentiments then. It does make a rare example of an artist defending a criminal case in a court of law – in of all the places - the United States of America !

So what Siddhartha Art Gallery offered in its gallery should not be treated simply as a row of paintings hung up on its walls, but rather a virtual panorama of vivid reflections of a mind simultaneously living as an artist and a barrister, always preoccupied with a multiple spectrum of thoughts on issues of social injustice, to gather courage to face the mighty and the powerful so as to defend the helpless.

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www.spacesnepal.com

90

January-February 2011

January-February 2011

91

www.spacesnepal.com

www.spacesnepal.com

92

January-February 2011

January-February 2011

93

www.spacesnepal.com

www.spacesnepal.com

96

January-February 2011