The content of this paper is based on a field trip to the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal in February 2020. Under the overarching topic “on continuity and identity”, this master’s dissertation investigates the damages following the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. In particular, this paper explores how ongoing reconstruction efforts are influencing the country’s development processes.
Not only through the severe damages caused by the catastrophe, but also as a consequence of rapid modernisation, a lot of Nepal’s cultural heritage has been lost and continues to fade. Since opening its borders in the 1950’s, the formerly isolated mountain state has suffered from uncontrolled urbanisation, especially in the Kathmandu Valley region. During this time, modern building materials, such as concrete, have been introduced, dispelling traditional housing construction materials and techniques in the process. This development is problematic on many levels and particularly from a sustainability perspective.
Thus, using the city of Nagarkot as an example, this thesis questions how construction material can be reused following an earthquake, and how both natural and manufactured resources on site can be the start of a more viable and sustainable reconstruction process. The analysis is based on a severely damaged settlement in the heart of Nagarkot and disassembles the structure of the village into different resources and their potential. In order to improve the overall quality of life, this investigation serves to relate local resources with lost knowledge and cultural identity. The continuation of this thought defines the concept of a research by design building-construction school, under the motto “soil and soul”.