Thesis Report: LIFE SCHOOL CENTRE, DHANUSADHAM

TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING KATHMANDU ENGINEERING COLLEGE

LIFE SCHOOL CENTRE, DHANUSADHAM

By SHIRSHAK BANIYA ROLL NO. BAE/69039

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE KATHMANDU, NEPAL

November, 2017

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this thesis entitled – “LIFE SCHOOL CENTRE, DHANUSHADHAM” submitted by Shirshak Baniya (069/B.Arch./039) has been examined and it has been declared successful for the partial fulfillment of the academic requirement towards the completion of the degree of Bachelor of Architecture. ___________________ Sr. Lec. Sweta Shrestha (Thesis Supervisor) Date: November, 2017 Department of Architecture Institute of Engineering Kathmandu Engineering College Tribhuvan University

DECLARATION I declare that this dissertation has not been previously accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. I state that this dissertation is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and understand that any reference to or quotation from my thesis will receive an acknowledgment. _____________ Shirshak Baniya (069/B.Arch./039) Date: November, 2017

Abbreviations and Acronyms

ARCA-N - Agricultural labour and Rural Craft People Association Nepal CBNRM - Community Based Natural Resource Management CBO - Community Based Organisation CF - Community Forestry CFUG - Community Forest User Group CSO - Civil Society Organisation CSRC - Community Self Reliance Centre (www.csrcnepal.org) DFA - District Farmers Association DFE - Danish Forestry Extension DFO - District Forest Office/r DSCO - District Soil Conservation Office FECOFUN - Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal Ha - Hectare JIWAN - Jalad Integrated Watershed Project Nepal JWAS - Janaki Women Awareness Society JYC - Jalad Youth Club LOPAN - Lok Pathsala Network LP - Lok Pathsala LSC - Life School Centre NFIWUAN - National Federation of Irrigation Water Users Association, Nepal NGO - Non Governmental Organisation RWCP - Rural Worker and Craft People SUYUK - Samaj Uthan Yuba Kendra, Janakpur TPFDA - Tarai Private Forestry Development Association UNDP - United Nations Development Programme VDC - Village Development Committee WRF - Women Right Forum

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Abstract

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 25.2% of the population live below poverty line.

Poverty is pervasive and chronic, and this state of pervasiveness is reflected by Nepal’s global ranking in the 2011 HDI at 157 out of 187 countries.

An average of around 48 people left Nepal for employment purpose every hour in the last fiscal year, as the country failed to create adequate job opportunities to absorb these workers. One of the main reasons for lack of employment opportunities in Nepal is slow economic growth of around four per cent on average for the last one decade.

It must be admitted that the overemphasis of urban demands has forced the villages to a state of complete neglect; in any case that was the state until recently. Now, we have started taking some interest in the problem. Unfortunately, what we are doing is in the wrong direction and, we may add, pretty disastrous. They are mostly architects and engineers from the cities whose one aim, it so appears, is to impose upon the villages third-rate suburban architecture.

Due to that lack of education and limited life skill capacity the natural resource, bases in the watersheds of the Churia Mountains and Terai regions have been extensively deteriorated through the decades. The causes are deforestation and unsustainable agricultural methods.

To the local population, it means that their very base for production of some of the most essential resources for the maintenance of life, such as food, clean water, fodder, timber and firewood is being reduced. The livelihoods of people living in the region today as well as of future generations are at great risk.

The Life School Centre (LSC) is a focal point for sustainable rural development - A Training and Demonstration center that aims to build the capacity of local communities and various institutions to Develop and maintain a professional learning and resource Centre.

The concept of the LSC is not only to provide space for meetings and trainings; it should become a teaching tool itself – as a demonstration center for sustainable design in a local context. The buildings and operation of the LSC itself function as a teaching tool guided by ecological and pedagogical considerations providing direct hands-on demonstrations.

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Acknowledgements

For this architecture thesis, I would first like to thank deeply my Thesis Supervisor and Senior Lecturer Sweta Shrestha. Without her kind acceptance of my thesis research plan along with her care, support and encouragement during the research and design period, this draft thesis report would not have been possible. My sincere thanks I would like to give to Ar. Sailesh Gorkhali, Ar. Sujeet Rai, Ar. Yazma Raj Bhandari, Dr. Bharat Sharma, Ar. Suman Meher Shrestha, Ar. Sagun Maharjan, Ar. Prabina Shrestha, Ar. Prajal Pradhan, Ar. Dip Pandey, Ar. Rabita Raj Karnikar, Ar. Pranita Sharma Pandey, Ar. Anjana Shrestha Baidhya and Lecturer Pratibha Manandhar for constantly motivating me during my entire five year academic architecture period and one year thesis journey.

I would like to thank entire panel of the jury members Principal Chand Shumsher Rana, Head of department Kailash Shrestha, Associate Professor Padma Jeev Tamrakar, Lecturer Ashim Ratna Bajracharya, Lecturer Subash Phuyal, Lecturer Suchita Bajracharya, Reader Rajesh Thapa, Er. Ashish Kc, Er. Harshikesh Karna, Er. Ramesh Kaphle, Er. Bimal Bhattarai, Ar. Umesh Dhimal, Ar. Anju Malla Pradhan, Professor Sriniwas BS Kansakar and Ar. Prajwal Hada who provided me critical review on my thesis plan during the entire thesis presentation series.

My best thanks also to managing director and staffs of library IHUB (Innovation hub at American space) for their kind support and assistance in providing digital learning space for resource and information collection. For general suggestions and motivations in the research and design I would like to thank senior and colleagues of Kathmandu engineering college especially Pratik Lohani for kindly reading and criticizing my thesis research proposal. Deep thanks goes to my partner Saurav Bhardwaj, Saurab Adhikari, Bhasan Gurung, Anoj Regmi and Swornima Shakya for providing me company and time during the architecture group task.

Also thanks goes to my intimate friend Gopal Dev, Anju Maharjan, Anami Bohora, Shirjana Shrestha, Hisi Lani Lasa, Anish Bhusal, Aakash Bhochibhoya, Gaurav Maskey, Ranjit Puri, Rojina Shrestha, Sadikchhya Bastola, Yam Rahadi Magar, Raju Rai, Prateek Ratna Shakya, Sujan Shilpakar, Shrinkhala Khatiwada, Chahana Paudel, Jayjen Shrestha, Amrit karki, Ambhu Prasad Shah and Nirjala Maharjan for constantly motivating me to strive excellence in architecture. My sincere thanks goes to my juniors Mandeep Shrestha, Aarati Thapa, Barsha Malla Thakuri, Bipina Bhandari, Nisha Pradhan, Krisha Shrestha, Shubham Adhikari, Sudeep Acharya, Aayush Shrestha, Ashish KC, Biki Sah, Bishop Shrestha, Lujja Manandhar, Priya Shrestha, Anugya Pradhan and Aadesh Raj Sharma for being a part of my thesis.

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I would like to thank to the entire team of Life school centre, Harsar and Mithila Wildlife trust, Dhanusadham for their help and assistance in providing resource material on Dhanusa and its architecture. My best thanks goes to Kamal Kumar Pankaj (Founding member) and Satya Narayan (Programme Officer) of Life school centre for providing me warm hospitality during my month’s long research period at Dhanusa, Nepal. Also I would like to thank to Dev Narayan Mandal, Rabindra Sharma, Ganesh Sah, Rabi Sharma, Amarnath Yadav, Kalpana Yadav, Lalita Mukhiya and Rambabu Sah of Mithila Wildlife Trust for site visit and guided tour at Dhanusadham.

My grateful thanks also go to my parents Rajendra Baniya and Sarita Baniya who always give me their tender carefulness from my hometown Hetauda, and to my Baniya family, sister Prakriti Bhandari and Jaya Shilpakar and my brother Saurav Shrestha, Anand Manandhar and Bikku Shrestha who gave me motivation and encouragement deep in my heart during my architecture journey. Also thanks goes to my respected senior Subesh Thapa, Toran Prasad Pandit, Satyendra Bhattarai, Robin Sah, Biswa Chaudhary, Sebak Shrestha, Pawan Rupakheti, Dwarika Bhattarai, Sanjay Neupane, Simal Shrestha, Sabin Maharjan, Sijan PJB Rana, Prabal Batajo, Pallavi Shrestha, Sadikshya Gautam, Sadichchha Shrestha, Garima Nakarmi, Sangita Thapa, Sandika Paudel, Kabina Pandey, Shristi Kuikel, Mukesh Shrestha, Samir Adhikari, Markendya Man Singh Pradhan, Mahesh Maharjan, Suman Limbu, Sainaz Bajracharya, Ina Sthapit, Dipesh Pradhan and Surendra Luitel. My deep thank goes to all the staffs and senior architect at Needleweave architect’s studio, A for architecture, Radiant consultancy and Build up Nepal. For the financial support I am very grateful to the ABC communication along with Prism color scanning and press support pvt. ltd Kuleswor, Kathmandu as a printing partner.

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This architecture design thesis is

Dedicated to all the Migrant Worker from Nepal who left their village and are working overseas

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Table of contents Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................................................. i ............................................................................................................................................... i Abstract ................................................................................................................................. ii .............................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................iii ..............................................................................................................................................iii 1.

Introduction of the project ............................................................................................... 1 1.1.

Background of the Thesis project ............................................................................. 1

1.2.

Theme of the Thesis project..................................................................................... 1

1.3.

Poverty .................................................................................................................... 2

1.4.

Architecture and empowerment ............................................................................... 2

1.4.1.

Empowerment and its process .......................................................................... 3

1.4.2.

Types of empowerment .................................................................................... 4

1.5.

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) ......................................... 5

1.6.

Foreign employment ................................................................................................ 6

1.7.

Rural architecture .................................................................................................... 8

1.7.1.

Present situation of Nepalese village ................................................................ 9

1.7.2.

The urgent need for Nepalese village ............................................................... 9

1.8.

Critical regionalism ................................................................................................ 10

1.9.

Study on forest degradation in Terai ...................................................................... 11

1.10. Study on Dhanusha district .................................................................................... 12 1.10.1. Geographic situation ....................................................................................... 12 1.10.2. River system and forest resources .................................................................. 13 1.10.3. Equity and Social Inclusion ............................................................................. 14 1.10.4. Education status ............................................................................................. 14 1.10.5. Unemployment and migration ......................................................................... 14 1.10.6. Health and sanitation issue ............................................................................. 15 1.10.7. Opportunities and challenges in Dhanusha district.......................................... 15 1.11. Study on watershed area in Dhanusha district ....................................................... 16 1.11.1. Context study of Jalad Watershed area in Dhanusha ..................................... 17 vi

1.11.2. Impact of watershed degradation in Jalad watershed ..................................... 17 1.12. Inititation of JIWAN Programme (Life Programme) ............................................... 19 1.13. Impact of JIWAN II Programme in Dhanusha ......................................................... 20 1.13.1. Lok Pathshala: ................................................................................................ 20 1.13.2. Jaladh Youth clubs: ........................................................................................ 21 1.13.3. Functional literacy: .......................................................................................... 21 1.13.4. Capacity building of Community Based Organisation (CBO): .......................... 21 1.13.5. Information and documentation....................................................................... 22 1.13.6. Rural workers and crafts: ................................................................................ 22 1.13.7. Whole watershed management (WWM):......................................................... 22 1.14. Development of Life School Centre (LSC), Harsar ................................................. 22 1.15. Success history of Life school Centre (LSC), Harsar.............................................. 23 1.16. Critical Analysis of Architecture of LSC, Harsar ..................................................... 24 1.17. Justification for the thesis / Need of LSC, Dhanusadham ....................................... 25 1.18. Project introduction ................................................................................................ 26 1.19. Target group .......................................................................................................... 26 1.19.1. Primary target group ....................................................................................... 26 1.19.2. Secondary target group .................................................................................. 27 1.20. Stakeholder ........................................................................................................... 28 1.21. Project programme ................................................................................................ 29 1.22. Objective of the thesis............................................................................................ 29 1.23. Methodology of the thesis ...................................................................................... 30 1.24. Data collection for thesis ........................................................................................ 31 1.24.1. Collection of primary data ............................................................................... 31 1.24.2. Collection of secondary data ........................................................................... 31 1.25. Scope of the thesis ................................................................................................ 32 1.26. Expected outcome of the thesis ............................................................................. 32 2.

Literature review ........................................................................................................... 33 2.1.

Parking .................................................................................................................. 33

2.1.1.

Cycle .............................................................................................................. 33

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2.1.2.

Tractor ............................................................................................................ 33

2.1.3.

Fork lift ............................................................................................................ 34

2.1.4.

Oxcart ............................................................................................................. 34

2.1.5.

Microvan ......................................................................................................... 34

2.1.6.

Jeep................................................................................................................ 35

2.1.7.

Car.................................................................................................................. 35

2.1.8.

Bus ................................................................................................................. 35

2.1.9.

Bike ................................................................................................................ 36

2.2.

Pavilion .................................................................................................................. 36

2.3.

Administration ........................................................................................................ 37

2.4.

Dormitory ............................................................................................................... 38

2.5.

Vocational school................................................................................................... 38

2.5.1.

Library ............................................................................................................ 38

2.5.2.

Class room and Studio.................................................................................... 39

2.5.3.

Faculty room ................................................................................................... 40

2.6.

Canteen ................................................................................................................. 41

2.7.

Training hall ........................................................................................................... 42

2.8.

Farm land .............................................................................................................. 42

2.8.1.

Demonstration farm land................................................................................. 42

2.8.2.

Organic farm land ........................................................................................... 44

2.9.

Landscape ............................................................................................................. 45

2.10. Children’s play area ............................................................................................... 46 2.11. Toilet...................................................................................................................... 46 2.11.1. European or Western water closet .................................................................. 47 2.11.2. Squatting pan or Indian pan ............................................................................ 48 2.12. Building science ..................................................................................................... 48 2.13. Building Material .................................................................................................... 49 2.13.1. Bamboo .......................................................................................................... 49 2.13.2. Compact stabilized earth block ....................................................................... 56 viii

2.14. Workshop .............................................................................................................. 60 2.14.1. CSEB workshop.............................................................................................. 60 2.14.2. Bamboo workshop .......................................................................................... 61 2.14.3. Metal workshop............................................................................................... 66 2.15. Building service...................................................................................................... 66 2.15.1. Hand pump ..................................................................................................... 66 3.

Case study and Design Inferences ............................................................................... 67 3.1.

Life school centre, Nepal ....................................................................................... 67

3.1.1.

Project description .......................................................................................... 67

3.1.2.

Project introduction ......................................................................................... 67

3.1.3.

Selection criteria ............................................................................................. 68

3.1.4.

Architecture planning ...................................................................................... 68

3.1.5.

Study on bamboo technology.......................................................................... 77

3.2.

Janakpur women’s development centre, Nepal ...................................................... 83

3.2.1.

Project description .......................................................................................... 83

3.2.2.

Architecture zoning ......................................................................................... 83

3.2.3.

Area analysis .................................................................................................. 84

3.2.4.

Elevation / Section analysis ............................................................................ 84

3.3.

Harsar village, Nepal.............................................................................................. 88

3.3.1.

Village description........................................................................................... 88

3.3.2.

Selection criteria ............................................................................................. 88

3.3.3.

Architecture planning ...................................................................................... 88

3.3.4.

Architecture character ..................................................................................... 89

3.3.5.

Study and analysis on use of bamboo technology .......................................... 90

3.4.

Friendship center, Bangladesh .............................................................................. 94

3.4.1.

Project description .......................................................................................... 94

3.4.2.

Selection criteria ............................................................................................. 94

3.4.3.

Project introduction ......................................................................................... 94 ix

3.4.4.

Context study.................................................................................................. 95

3.4.5.

Architecture planning ...................................................................................... 95

3.4.6.

Architecture Programme analysis ................................................................... 97

3.4.7.

Structure, Material and building technique analysis ...................................... 101

3.4.8.

Contextual performance analysis .................................................................. 102

3.4.9.

Climatic performances analysis .................................................................... 102

3.4.10. Emergency situation ..................................................................................... 103 3.4.11. Design Inferences ......................................................................................... 103 3.5.

Thread cultural center, Senegal ........................................................................... 104

3.5.1.

Selection criteria ........................................................................................... 104

3.5.2.

Introduction ................................................................................................... 104

3.5.3.

Context study................................................................................................ 105

3.5.4.

Architecture planning .................................................................................... 106

3.5.5.

Structure, Material and building technique .................................................... 111

3.5.6.

Building service............................................................................................. 112

3.6.

Pani community center, Bangladesh .................................................................... 114

3.6.1.

Project description ........................................................................................ 114

3.6.2.

Selection criteria ........................................................................................... 114

3.6.3.

Introduction ................................................................................................... 114

3.6.4.

Material and building techniques................................................................... 114

3.6.5.

Bamboo and climate study ............................................................................ 115 116

3.6.6.

Floor plan analysis ........................................................................................ 118

3.6.7.

Contextual performance and impact ............................................................. 119

3.6.8.

Findings and Analysis ................................................................................... 120

3.7.

Tipu sultan merkez, Pakistan ............................................................................... 121

3.7.1.

Project description ........................................................................................ 121 x

3.7.2.

Selection criteria ........................................................................................... 121

3.7.3.

Introduction ................................................................................................... 121

3.7.4.

Culture and social context ............................................................................. 122

3.7.5.

Material and building techniques................................................................... 123

3.7.6.

Bamboo, earth and climate ........................................................................... 124

3.7.7.

Floor plan analysis ........................................................................................ 124

3.7.8.

Contextual performance and impact ............................................................. 125

3.7.9.

Resource efficiency and environmental impact ............................................. 125

3.7.10. Bamboo, earth and climate ........................................................................... 126 3.7.11. Finding and analysis ..................................................................................... 127 3.8.

Cassia cooperative training centre, Indonesia ...................................................... 128

3.8.1.

Project description ........................................................................................ 128

3.8.2.

Project introduction ....................................................................................... 128

3.8.3.

Material and building techniques................................................................... 128

3.9.

Modern education and training center (METI), Bangladesh ................................. 130

3.9.1.

Project description ........................................................................................ 130

3.9.2.

Project introduction ....................................................................................... 130

3.9.3.

Context study................................................................................................ 130

3.9.4.

Concept and Design: .................................................................................... 131

3.9.5.

Building construction and techniques ............................................................ 132

3.9.6.

Finishes and fittings ...................................................................................... 134

3.10. Dipshikha Electrical Skill Improvement (DESI), Bangladesh ................................ 135 3.10.1. Project description ........................................................................................ 135 3.10.2. Project introduction ....................................................................................... 135 3.10.3. Technology and Building service .................................................................. 135 4.

Final Programme Formulation..................................................................................... 137

5.

Site information ........................................................................................................... 143 5.1.

Site study at micro level: discovering Dhanusadham ........................................... 143 xi

5.1.1.

Road accessibility ......................................................................................... 144

5.1.2.

Site plan ....................................................................................................... 144

5.1.3.

Site photographs........................................................................................... 145

5.1.4.

Site detail ...................................................................................................... 145

5.1.5.

Climatic data ................................................................................................. 145

5.1.6.

Cultural and Religious fabric ......................................................................... 146

5.1.7.

Regional site Mapping .................................................................................. 146

5.1.8.

Demography ................................................................................................. 148

5.1.9.

SWOT Analysis............................................................................................. 148

5.1.10. Site inferences .............................................................................................. 149 6.

Concept Development ................................................................................................ 152 6.1.

Concept statement: Potraying a contemporary village ......................................... 152

6.1.1.

Approach 1: Building courtyard ..................................................................... 152

6.1.2.

Approach 2: Water architecture .................................................................... 153

6.1.3.

Approach 3: Building Elevation ..................................................................... 154

6.1.4.

Approach 4: Building Section ........................................................................ 155

6.1.5.

Approach 5: Open space and foot trial .......................................................... 155

6.2.

Potraying a village carnival “Mela” in pavilion architecture ................................... 156

6.2.1.

7.

8.

Modification of Carnival pavilion into Training pavilion .................................. 158

6.3.

Conceptual development of Flexible Training Pavilion ......................................... 159

6.4.

Conceptual Development of Breakout Pavilion (Rest pavilion) ............................. 161

6.5.

Conceptual development of Children’s Play Area ................................................ 162

Design Development and Jury Citation ....................................................................... 163 7.1.

Design development 1 (Conceptual phase) ......................................................... 163

7.2.

Design development 1 (Mid term phase).............................................................. 164

7.3.

Design development 2 (Exhibition phase) ............................................................ 164

7.4.

Design development 3 (Prefinal phase) ............................................................... 165

Final Design................................................................................................................ 166 8.1.

Zoning ................................................................................................................. 166

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8.1.1.

Axis origination ............................................................................................. 166

8.1.2.

Framing of space .......................................................................................... 166

8.1.3.

Development of building with respect to pond ............................................... 167

8.1.4.

Defining the pathways................................................................................... 167

8.2.

Final Master plan ................................................................................................. 168

8.3.

Architecture character .......................................................................................... 168

8.4.

Building service.................................................................................................... 169

9.

10.

8.4.1.

Calculation of number of people ................................................................... 169

8.4.2.

Water demand calculation ............................................................................ 170

8.4.3.

Septic tank calculation .................................................................................. 172

8.4.4.

Rain water collection calculation ................................................................... 173

Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 175 Bibliography ............................................................................................................ 176

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List of Figures Figure 1-1 infographics showing migrant worker from Nepal .................................................. 7 Figure 1-2 Säynätsalo Town Hall by Alvar Alto, Finland ....................................................... 10 Figure 1-3 Sabarmati ashram by Charles Correa, India ....................................................... 10 Figure 1-4 forest destruction in Terai.................................................................................... 11 Figure 1-5 infographics showing impact of terai strike .......................................................... 16 Figure 1-6 infographics showing impact of watershed degradation ...................................... 17 Figure 1-7 jagadhar river during monsoon and dry season .................................................. 18 Figure 1-8 infographics showing impact of flooding at jagadhar river ................................... 19 Figure 1-9 infographics of life programme ............................................................................ 19 Figure 1-10 infographics showing impact of life programme ................................................. 22 Figure 1-11 Aerial view of life school centre,harsar,dhanusha ............................................. 23 Figure 1-12 Youth association at LSC, Harsar ..................................................................... 24 Figure 1-13 rural meeting at LSC Harsar ............................................................................. 24 Figure 1-14 architecture style of LSC, Harsar ...................................................................... 25 Figure 1-15 women and children .......................................................................................... 27 Figure 1-16 farmer’s group ................................................................................................... 27 Figure 1-17 local NGO/INGO ............................................................................................... 27 Figure 1-18 local youth group............................................................................................... 27 Figure 1-19 Danish agency and donor ................................................................................. 28 Figure 1-20 founding partner of LSC,Harsar ........................................................................ 28 Figure 1-21 programme of LSC, Dhanusadham ................................................................... 29 Figure 1-22 methodology process ........................................................................................ 30 Figure 2-1 cycle way width, normal cross section................................................................. 33 Figure 2-2 comfortable bicycle parking................................................................................. 33 Figure 2-3 tractor with trailer ................................................................................................ 33 Figure 2-4 tractor without trailer ........................................................................................... 33 Figure 2-5 fork lift ................................................................................................................. 34 xiv

Figure 2-6 oxcart .................................................................................................................. 34 Figure 2-7 microvan ............................................................................................................. 34 Figure 3-1: Master Plan of Life Centre and School ............................................................... 68 Figure 3-2 diagonal lashing with metal plate ........................................................................ 77 Figure 3-3 plugin/bolt connection ......................................................................................... 78 Figure 3-4 L shaped metal plate........................................................................................... 78 Figure 3-5 angle joinery technique with nail ......................................................................... 78 Figure 3-6 bolt connection for triple bamboo ........................................................................ 78 Figure 3-7 plan of assembly hall showing bamboo poles ..................................................... 79 Figure 3-8 detail at I ............................................................................................................. 79 Figure 3-9 detail at H ........................................................................................................... 79 Figure 3-10 training session at assembly hall....................................................................... 80 Figure 3-11 bamboo frame at assembly hall ........................................................................ 80 Figure 3-12 vertical bamboo post ......................................................................................... 80 Figure 3-13 metal ring plate to insert bamboo ...................................................................... 80 Figure 3-14 bamboo truss at canteen building ..................................................................... 81 Figure 3-15 bamboo truss making process .......................................................................... 81 Figure 3-16: open art display and discussion ....................................................................... 87 Figure 3-17 location of Harsar village ................................................................................... 88 Figure 3-18: Geographical location of the site ...................................................................... 89 Figure 3-19 fresh cut bamboo transported with ox cart......................................................... 91 Figure 3-20 bamboo joined with rope and gi wire ................................................................. 91 Figure 3-21 bamboo used in partition wall ............................................................................ 91 Figure 3-22 bamboo used in floor slab and roof ................................................................... 92 Figure 3-23 bamboo boundary wall ...................................................................................... 93 Figure 3-24 bamboo lattice work (Taati) ............................................................................... 93 Figure 3-25 bamboo roof frame study model...................................................................... 115 Figure 3-26 CGI roof stands over bamboo post ................................................................. 115

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Figure 3-27 stainless steel ................................................................................................. 120 Figure 3-28 10'x10' modular unit ........................................................................................ 120 Figure 3-29 Bamboo floor slab ........................................................................................... 126 Figure 3-30 plastic rope for lashing .................................................................................... 127 Figure 3-31 bamboo preservation ...................................................................................... 127 Figure 6-1 village at Dhanusadham ................................................................................... 152 Figure 6-2 external courtyard ............................................................................................. 152 Figure 6-3 internal courtyard .............................................................................................. 152 Figure 6-4 conceptual master plan with courtyard .............................................................. 153 Figure 6-5 assimilation of courtyard ................................................................................... 153 Figure 6-6 mapping of pond at govindapur village .............................................................. 153 Figure 6-7 mapping of pond at janakpur city ...................................................................... 153 Figure 6-8 degrading state of pond .................................................................................... 154 Figure 6-9 conceptual water body with landscape .............................................................. 154 Figure 6-10 conceptual elevation of LSC, Dhanusadham................................................... 154 Figure 6-11 typical elevation of village house ..................................................................... 154 Figure 6-12 section of typical school building ..................................................................... 155 Figure 6-13 section of typical village house ........................................................................ 155 Figure 6-14 section of stack effect ..................................................................................... 155 Figure 6-15 conceptual 3d with long overhang ................................................................... 155 Figure 6-16 typical village journey ...................................................................................... 156 Figure 6-17 conceptual men’s dormitory ............................................................................ 156 Figure 6-18 jaap mela (carnival) at Dhanusadham ............................................................. 156 Figure 6-19 conceptual training pavilion ............................................................................. 158 Figure 6-20 plan of jaap mela ............................................................................................ 158

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

1.

1.1.

1

Introduction of the project Background of the Thesis project

In south Asian developing countries, and especially in their rural areas, weak job markets, gender inequality issues, lack of education, insufficient technology, and limited skill capacity altogether weaken people’s abilities to engage in activities that would promote and sustain their economic well-being.

Due to that lack of education and limited life skill capacity the natural resource, bases in the watersheds of the Churia Mountains and Terai regions have been extensively deteriorated through the decades. The causes are deforestation and unsustainable agricultural methods.

To the local population, it means that their very base for production of some of the most essential resources for the maintenance of life, such as food, clean water, fodder, timber and firewood is being reduced. The livelihoods of people living in the region today as well as of future generations are at great risk.

In Nepal, eighty-three percent of population live in rural areas and more than 25% of people live under the poverty. Here, people are poor not only because of low income, but also because of low access to opportunities or participation. The lack of income-earning opportunities, skills for life and self-employment is a major cause of widespread poverty and foreign employment towards middle east especially.

One of the best ways to halt this happening is to empower people and embody them with the basic life skill and the associated activities along with knowledge.

1.2.

Theme of the Thesis project

This thesis seeks to employ architecture and design as a tool that could improve the lives of rural people by supporting and enhancing their life skills and economic ventures. Focus will be given to the Terai community of lower belt of Nepal, a hot arid region of Eastern Terai, Nepal where rural people face additional challenges posed by the harsh hot climatic conditions.

This thesis project proposes a training and demonstration center in terai region of Nepal that would host Training halls and Demonstration Pavilion for various technical education and vocational Training (TEVT) which would preserve, promote and progress working ability and life skill capacity with the aim of strengthening the people’s social and economic capacity.

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

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The main objective of the project is to provide a platform for development of different levels of life skills in poor and needy groups of people living in terai region through vocational training and awareness programs.

1.3.

Poverty

Poverty is still a major problem in many rural areas, and rural transformation has contributed to alleviating poverty, as well as increasing poverty in some cases. It is very clear that increasing people’s skills in most cases provides them with opportunities to improve their lives, and more importantly to adjust to the changes occurring around them, and even themselves act as a catalyst to changes.

The dynamics of rural transformation in the globalized world of the twenty-first century have created new educational imperatives, which go beyond the traditional approaches to education with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in rural communities. There is an urgent need therefore to re-examine the role of education and TVET within the dynamics of rural transformation, both now and for the future.

Today, three out of every four poor people in developing countries live in rural areas, and most of them depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods (World Bank, 2008).

The world’s rural populations experience problems including being illiterate, unhealthy, malnourished, marginalized and oppressed people. While land and water are critical assets in rural areas, education is often the most valuable asset for rural people. It enables them to pursue opportunities in the new agriculture, obtain skilled jobs, start businesses in the rural non-farm economy, proactively manage their communities, and move to urbanized areas and secure employment successfully if the need arises.

Developing countries have been struggling to address the main challenges in education, which can have described as the triad of access with equity, quality and relevance, and efficiency and accountability. The dynamics of rural transformation in the globalized world of the twentyfirst century have created new educational imperatives, which go beyond the current traditional concerns regarding rural communities, and need special attention.

1.4.

Architecture and empowerment

The architecture of empowerment is about challenging architects to do more than build for the poor. It invites them to rethink the premises of the process of design as much as the process of building. It challenges them to shed their assumed power and to become enablers for the

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poor. Muhammad Yunus in the wake of the second Habitat Conference, and with the urban population of the developing world set to treble in the next generation, Ismael Serageldin argues that architecture must both widen its scope and reassess its processes in order to address the needs of the poor. He emphasises that the provision of shelter and infrastructure is most effective when undertaken in close collaboration with the community from concept design through to construction and as part of a broader socio-economic strategy. Essays by Charles Correa, Michael Cohen and Suha zkan evaluate the need for this new approach, setting it in the context of current global forces such as convergence and marginalisation and preceding architectural solutions. Case studies from across the world demonstrate that the architecture of empowerment has already proved a successful and versatile solution to revitalising historic cities, upgrading slums and creating new settlements. A special section on micro-finance shows how the very poor can effectively improve their economic conditions.

1.4.1. Empowerment and its process Empowerment is the process of obtaining basic opportunities for marginalized people, either directly by those people, or through the help of non-marginalized others who share their own access to these opportunities. It also includes actively thwarting attempts to deny those opportunities. Empowerment also includes encouraging, and developing the skills for, selfsufficiency, with a focus on eliminating the future need for charity or welfare in the individuals of the group. This process can be difficult to start and to implement effectively.

The process of which enables individuals/groups to fully access personal or collective power, authority and influence, and to employ that strength when engaging with other people, institutions or society. In other words, "Empowerment is not giving people power, people already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. We define empowerment as letting this power out." It encourages people to gain the skills and knowledge that will allow them to overcome obstacles in life or work environment and ultimately, help them develop within themselves or in the society.

This approach to empowerment is partly informed by feminism and employed legal empowerment by building on international human rights. Empowerment is one of the main procedural concerns when addressing human rights and development. The, The Millennium Development Goals, and other credible approaches/goals point to empowerment and participation as a necessary step if a country is to overcome the obstacles associated with poverty and development.

The well-known five main themes during the process of empowerment are:

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1. Powerlessness 2. Impetus to the Empowerment Process 3. Support from People 4. Access to Valued Resources 5. The Role of Participation in Community Life

1.4.2. Types of empowerment Social empowerment In social work, empowerment offers an approach that allows social workers to increase the capacity for self-help of their clients. For example, this allows clients not to be seen as passive, helpless 'victims' to be rescued but instead as a self-empowered person fighting abuse/ oppression; a fight, in which the social worker takes the position of a facilitator, instead of the position of a 'rescuer'.

Economic empowerment In economic development, the empowerment approach focuses on mobilizing the self-help efforts of the poor, rather than providing them with social welfare. Economic empowerment is also the empowering of previously disadvantaged sections of the population, for example, in many previously colonized African countries.

Legal empowerment Legal empowerment happens when marginalized people or groups use the legal mobilization i.e., law, legal systems and justice mechanisms to improve or transform their social, political or economic situations. Legal empowerment approaches are interested in understanding how they can use the law to advance interests and priorities of the marginalized.

Gender empowerment Gender empowerment conventionally refers to the empowerment of women, and has become a significant topic of discussion in regards to development and economics. It can also point to approaches regarding other marginalized genders in a particular political or social context.

Sociological empowerment

Sociological empowerment Sociological empowerment often addresses members of groups that social discrimination processes have excluded from decision-making processes through - for example -

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discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Empowerment as a methodology is also associated with feminism.

1.5.

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET)

Skill development or skill education is very often embodied in the concept of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), although there are skills and knowledge embodied in education that go beyond this. Work is a central requirement of most people’s lives. People work in order to obtain the things that they need in order to live. At a basic level these include food, water, shelter, good health and sanitation, security and safety. However, there are other things that people need in order to achieve a good quality of life, including continually evolving skills and the opportunity to further improve their life quality. Also, people need to be able to take control of their lives and proactively engage in processes individually and corporately, to both adapt to their environment, and proactively adapt their environment.

To take control of their lives and to engage in work both in order to live, and to improve their living standards, people need skills. Very often, these skills are vocational skills. That is, they are the skills they need in order to undertake their vocational work. Where such work is through self-employment, which is the case with much farming activity, people need skills and knowledge about agriculture and agricultural processes in order to be engaged in this vocation. To improve their lives, and go beyond existing ways of working, people need skills that will enable them to work better. When people live in rural environments where the social organization is based on employment by others, then they need employability skills.

Central to all of the skills required is literacy in its broadest sense, which includes reading, writing, computer and computational skills. These skills form the centrepiece of learning and lifelong learning. Literacy skills not only provide a vehicle for learning vocational skills, they are central to the skills that empower people to engage proactively in processes of control and adaptation, and to contribute to the transformation of their community and society. In this, literacy has a strong link to individual transformation as a worthwhile product of education.

There are many other mismatches between the world of work, the required skill base, and the current skills of rural populations.

For example, in school environments, especially in the lower grades, literacy teaching is often focused on teaching numbers and letters in a way that makes it difficult for pupils to see the real-life relevance of what they are learning. In the later stages of schooling, the curriculum often becomes further disassociated from the world outside school. Youth leave school to work with little or no knowledge concerning the world of work. When rural youth seek training, often the training they receive is inappropriate to the skill base needed for their local community and

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the local industries. The training is often short term, designed to cover immediate gaps in the labour market, and not geared to providing trainees with lifelong sustainable living and working skills. Often those who are newly trained enter the workforce and are confronted with workers who have always ‘done it this way’, when this is in conflict with how they have been taught to do the job. As a result, they find that they are at odds with the entrenched workforce, and have a difficult time assimilating into it.

Another common problem is that many trainers have been out of the workforce for a long time, and have lost touch with how things are actually done today in the working environment. As a result, the training they give and the curriculum and materials used are inappropriate, and trainees find it difficult to obtain the jobs they were being trained to fill. Often institutional training has a basic curriculum that is used for all trainees, which is so general in scope and function, and so removed from the day-to-day press of individual workplaces, that it is useless to the individual seeking to enter a specific industry.

However, if it is accepted that the aim should be to ascertain what constitutes ‘freedom, equity, security, dignity, adequate remuneration and social welfare’, and to determine how training can prepare people for work with these characteristics, this implies a new way of thinking for examining the notion of rural transformation through skills development, and the contribution that TVET can make to this. What appears to be necessary is akin to a paradigm shift in the concept of TVET.

1.6.

Foreign employment

Going from one country to another country for job and to earn money is called foreign employment. People of Nepal go to different countries of the world for jobs and earning. It uplifts the life standard of the people and has become an important source of earning foreign currency. Due to lack of job opportunity, many Nepalese youths are compelled to go to various countries of the world in search of jobs. This trend is increasing day by day. It has an immediate benefit but it is not beneficial for a long term. The Nepalese labour and sweat is being used in foreign countries and there is scarcity of human power for the development of our own country.

An average of around 48 people left Nepal for employment purpose every hour in the last fiscal year, as the country failed to create adequate job opportunities to absorb these workers.

One of the main reasons for lack of employment opportunities in Nepal is slow economic growth of around four per cent on average for the last one decade. Also, the industrialisation pace has slowed down in the country, with share of industries in gross domestic product hovering around 16 per cent, as against 23 per cent in 1996. On the other hand, jobs that have

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cropped up in the services sector, such as construction, trade, retail and hospitality, have been categorised as ‘low skilled’ by the World Bank, meaning pay scale is not very high.

Figure 1-1 infographics showing migrant worker from Nepal

According to the report 2060/61, it is estimated that 3.8% people are fully unemployed in Nepal. Due to lack of sufficient job opportunity in internal labour market, about 800,000 youths have gone overseas till Asar 2064. There are many youths, who have gone to foreign countries without fulfilling the government procedures. Similarly, many Nepalese have emigrated to different cities of India on seasonal basis or permanently. The statistics shows that, among the emigrated people 77% are in India and two-third of them have gone for jobs.

55% of Nepali households receive remittances, which contributed at least 25% of Nepal’s GDP.

According to figures released by the government, there are more than 565,000

documented migrant workers abroad, whereas other estimated figures put the number at more than one million Nepali migrant workers including 100,000 female migrant workers. This figure does not include the population who migrated to India The reasons behind migration are almost same in Nepal as in other parts of the world. Poverty, limited employment opportunities, deteriorating agricultural productivity, and armed conflict are some of the motives behind international labour migration. There are many villages in Nepal where labour migration has been established as a culture of a community; that is, going abroad for work for awhile and returning with some money and the experience of living in a different geographical location. The influence of friends, relatives and well-wishers have also played a prominent role in the promotion of international labour migration.

One out of every 2,500 workers died in 2008; last year one out of every 500 died, according to an Associated Press analysis of data released by Nepal's Ministry of Labour and Employment. In total, more than 5,000 workers from this small country have died working abroad since 2008 - more than the number of US troops killed in the Iraq War. The causes,

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in many cases, have been mysterious. Natural death, heart attack or cardiac arrest are listed for nearly half the deaths.

1.7.

Rural architecture

We are so intensely absorbed with the problems of the city and consequently so completely cut off from the village and the civic problems of the villagers, that the very idea of rural architecture may sound almost unfamiliar and unimpressive. Yet, the fact remains that Nepal is indisputably a country formed of thousands of villages with the cities chequered here and there. The problem, therefore, of devising a philosophy of architecture, suitable to the temperament of the Nepalese villager and in harmony with his mode of life, assumed utmost significance. Our responsibility to the villager becomes all the more urgent in Nepal in terms of reconstruction and decentralization of power. The pity is that so little attention is paid in this regard and much less done.

When we think of a village, we skip by years, by our modern civilisation and culture, and are reminded of something primitive and fundamental. We conjure up a rare landscape, replete with the mud and bamboo house, the thatched roof, the sense of openness and space, the quiet unassuming life and, on the whole, a glorious change from the nerve-racking and disgusting confusion of the city. Further up the passage of time, we have villages featuring the locally burnt tiles and still later on, the stone constructions. Strangely enough, during all these centuries, the village has remained the same and rural architecture has maintained its innate elemental character. The essentially humanist approach of rural architectural expression has always been true to, and grown out of, the soil and has been so intimately related to the atmosphere of peace and contentment typical of the village. The Nepalese village has been, throughout the ages, a most well­ knit unit untouched by sophistication and its accompanied ills peculiar to the city. The village has likewise been spared, almost, of the undesirable mechanistic and haphazard attributes of the city. Our villages have maintained this individuality, although the cities have had at regular periods many a violent shake-up. The cities have also been affected by the sociological and technological changes particular to them on account of their vulnerability to foreign influence. On the other hand, the villages have enjoyed a kind of isolation, which is a blessing in disguise, and have been thus able to preserve a tradition handed down from times immemorial.

The unit of rural architecture, the hut, could not have changed much since its first counterpart thousands of years ago and the same is perhaps true even of the existing pattern of rural architecture. In a country like Nepal, it is this continued tradition of rural architecture which can lay claim to the title of a living and organic architecture.

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1.7.1. Present situation of Nepalese village It must be admitted that the overemphasis of urban demands has forced the villages to a state of complete neglect; in any case that was the state until recently. Now, we have started taking some interest in the problem. Unfortunately, what we are doing is in the wrong direction and, we may add, pretty disastrous. The pity is that the people in charge of rural upliftment find themselves in an utterly strange situation in the villages and some of them have not even seen a village. They are mostly architects and engineers from the cities whose one aim, it so appears, is to impose upon the villages third-rate suburban architecture.

For example, the introduction of grid iron pattern, the horrid brick and plastered houses with buff coloured walls, the asbestos roofs and the badly proportioned designs are an anachronism in the villages. When the villages existing in the inundated areas were destroyed by earthquake, new villages were built in their place in adjoining areas. These villages, although built with locally available materials, display a complete lack of feeling for the villager and their way of life Likewise, we have seen a number of villages in the hills and terai which are characterised by an indiscriminate use of brick walls and flat roofs.

1.7.2. The urgent need for Nepalese village What is of importance is the need to create an awareness of the case for rural architecture among the authorities responsible for rural upliftment. We have to proceed with great caution in our attempts to improve upon the villages, for once we destroy the villages, they will be lost for ever. What we could do is to send young architects to villages so that they may live there, feel the pulse of life and get acquainted with the available local materials and later on build for the villagers as enlightened villagers and not as city-bred engineers and architects. But this would mean a long time and the programme can be effective only in the long run.

Immediately, we may as well take stock of the local builders in the villages, who are acquainted with the indigenous materials and traditional methods of construction. They should be educated in regard to ideas of sanitation and ventilation and other modem amenities which could be applied in the villages with benefit.

In any case, whoever is entrusted with the problem of solving the difficulties connected with evolving a rural architectural expression must be absolutely earnest, a kind of dedicated soul, in love with, and having sympathy for, the villager. There is a tremendous scope for work in this direction. But the man from the city, privileged as he is, must draw inspiration from the villages and must identify himself with the villager, with his ideas of life and living, before trying to improve upon them.

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Critical regionalism

Critical regionalism is an approach to architecture that strives to counter the placelessness and lack of identity of the International Style, but also rejects the whimsical individualism and ornamentation of Postmodern architecture. The stylings of critical regionalism seek to provide an architecture rooted in the modern tradition, but tied to geographical and cultural context.

Critical regionalism is not simply regionalism in the sense of vernacular architecture. It is a progressive approach to design that seeks to mediate between the global and the local languages of architecture.

The phrase "critical regionalism" was first used by the architectural theorists Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre and, with a slightly different meaning, by the historian-theorist Kenneth Frampton.

Figure 1-3 Sabarmati ashram by Charles Correa, India

Figure 1-2 S채yn채tsalo Town Hall by Alvar Alto, Finland

The main problem of critical regionalism is to seek answers to the question of Paul Ricour: "How to be modern and to continue the tradition, how to revive an old dormant civilization as part of universal civilization."

The basic goal was to find a middle ground between these two extremes. While the modernists strived to create a place-less "universal" architecture with the International Style, critical regionalists insisted that the building must reflect the culture and tradition of its region through its design and materials. While the postmodernists celebrated ornamentation for its own sake, critical regionalists insisted that stylistic flourishes must only be applied in a measured and meaningful way.

The one example is of Alvar Aalto's S채yn채tsalo Town Hall, which is the most famous Critical Regionalist buildings. The building is designed with emphasis on function and rationality, yet draws influence from traditional styles and uses traditional materials like brick and wood

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accents to reflect and complement the heavily forested surroundings.For the project of this object he used models taken directly from nature, as well as local materials. Aalto, when creating his town hall, was guided by the principle of critical regionalism – honesty of the material and the design.

Representatives of critical regionalism in architecture are for example: Alvar Aalto, Mario Botta, Tadao Ando, Geoffrey Bawa, Charles Correa, Juha Leiviska, Rafael Moneo, Glen Murcutt, Raj Rewal and Jorn Utzon.

1.9.

Study on forest degradation in Terai

The clearance of Terai forests got accelerated during 1960's and 1970' for two reasons. The annual deforestation rate in the Terai reached 3.9% during 1978-85 and 1.1% in the Siwalik (Nepal Government, 1992).

Malaria eradication Firstly, intensive efforts to eradicate Malaria in the Terai led to increasing settlement in the area, with a major impact on forests and its boundary. When the forests were nationalized and Malaria was controlled, officials and politicians provided the tacit patronage for handing out forest land in return for money and votes. A massive influx of people started migrating from the hills to the Terai and cleared forests for settlement particularly in 1970s and 1980s.

Highway construction Secondly, the construction of the East-West Highway through extensive forest area opened the Malaria free forests to settlement and exploitation (Bhatta et al., 2007). The 1050 km East-West Highway has been constructed in the foothill of Churia hills. After construction of the highway, many North-South roads were constructed crossing heart of the Churia hills. Figure 1-4 forest destruction in Terai The East-West highway opened access to forest resources to be exploited from outer part of Churia hills resources whereas the North-South roads gave easy access to exploit resources of the interior area of the Churia hills.

Now people exploit forest resources both from the Terai and the Churia hills for commercial purpose through improved saw, chain saw and huge amount of transportation of forest products by mechanized locomotives (truck, tractor). Commercial exploitation of forest

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resources are primarily done by the timber mafia (contractor) both from Community Forests and Government Forests in the Terai as well as in the Churia hills.

Currently now about 320 hectares Terai Sal forest is located in historical Dhanusadham south of the East-West highway, rest of the forests are in north of the East-West highway.

1.10. Study on Dhanusha district Dhanusha is one of the southern Terai districts of Janakpur Zone in the central development region of Nepal. The total area of the district is 1,180 km2. The district is surrounded by Mahottari District in the west, Siraha District in the east, Sindhuli District in the north and Indian state of Bihar in the south. Janakpur Dham is the biggest municipality in the district and its District Headquarters (DHQ). Most local government, non-governmental and other organisations are located there. Besides emerging as a national commercial and administrative hub of the central Terai, Dhanusha is one of the major religious centres in the country with great tourism potential. Janakpur was once the capital of Mithila region, where the goddess Sita, the wife of the god Ram, was born and brought up. This makes the entire district and Janakpur in particular a unique pilgrimage site, mainly for Hindus from around the world.

Dhanusha in a Nutshell Total area: 1,180km2 Population: 754,777 Total VDCs: 101 Female: 376,239 (50%) Male: 378,538 (50%) Literacy rate: 50% Women’s literacy rate: 40% (Source-Central Bureau of Statistics, National Population and Housing Census 2011; Nepal Human Development Report 2009; District Development Profile of Nepal 2013: A Socio-Economic Development Database of Nepal; Ministry of Finance, District Aid Profile March 2013; Ministry of Finance, Development Cooperation Report 2011/12; Election Commission of Nepal records accessed May 2013)

1.10.1. Geographic situation Altitude differences lead to variation in weather across the district from North to South and contribute to its biodiversity. The district is divided in three topographical zones: the Sivalic area in the north which ranges in elevation from 300 to 600 meters above sea level, the Bhanwar area (150-300m), and the Tarai area in the south (60-150m). More than 50% of the district is in the Tarai, which is densely populated with Madheshi people. The Bhanwar region is on the other hand more sparsely populated with both Madhesis and Pahadi populations

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from the mountainous and hilly regions. The Sivalic region is the least populated, mainly with people of Pahadi origin.

Dhanusha falls in the arid and semi-arid hydrological zones, with average annual rainfall of 1,480mm which occurring during the monsoon period (June to September). Average temperatures range between 11°C and 30°C. The southern Tarai area of the district is characterised by very fertile alluvial soil while the Bhanwar and Sivalic range are characterised by soil mixed with sand and gravel. Solid rocks are generally not found in the district and vegetation is sparse, making Sivalic and Bhanwar zones more fragile and susceptible to soil erosion.

The northern area (Chure and Bhanwar) is steeply sloped, while the Tarai mildly so; this topography causes strong river currents during the rainy season in the northern belt, while water pooling in southern areas results in massive flooding and erosion of fertile soil. The problem is aggravated by deforestation in the Bhanwar area due to internal migration from the hills and mountains to the Tarai following the construction of the National Highway and uncontrolled excavation of sand and gravel from riverbeds.

The district has experienced recurrent floods in the last few years. The most vulnerable areas to

water

related

natural

emergencies

are

Chora

Kohalpur,

Bisarbhora,

Harine,

Singyahimadan, Durbakot Hathletwa, Lakkar, Balha Saghara and Patnuka VDCs. They are all affected by the changing course of Kamla River and its excessive discharge during monsoon. The land and water resources of the district have tremendous potential for agriculture, fisheries, forestry and animal husbandry development, but terrain and deforestation contribute to continued loss of fertile land and infrastructure due to annual and periodic floods.

1.10.2. River system and forest resources Dhanusha is famous for its water resources with over 50 religious ponds and numerous other ponds, rivers and streams. The major rivers of the district are Kamala, Jalad, Dudhmati, Jamuni, Charnath, Rato, Badhari, Jagdhar and Parsuram Khola. Among them Kamla, Rato, Jalad and Jamuni are perennial, while the rest are rain fed rivers. In addition, many small streams and the Khola river are flow in Dhanusha. Dhanusha has about 27,578ha of forest covered area, and a third of it is managed by Community Forest User Groups,60 which involve a quarter of the district’s population. The area covered by forest is 23% (27,578ha) out of which forest handed over to Forest User Groups is 33%. The households involved in forest user groups is 25%.

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1.10.3. Equity and Social Inclusion Social and gender-based exclusion and discriminatory practices are embedded in everyday life, thereby thwarting social, economic, cultural and political opportunities for large portions of the population, particularly where multiple factors apply, as for Madheshi, Muslim, or Dalit women in the district. Women face unequal power relations and barriers due to a patriarchal social structure and the exploitative nature of the socio-cultural system, which are at the root of many gender based violence and sexual exploitation cases.

Of all households in Dhanusha, 20% are headed by women. Among those aged 10 and older, 7% of men and 22% of women married before they were 15, and 45% of men and 64% of women married between 15 and 19. In other words, the vast majority (86%) of girls and women in Dhanusha married as adolescents. In 76% of households in Dhanusha, women own neither the house nor any land. Other gender issues in the district include restricted movement of women, torture related to dowry or alleged witchcraft, child and early marriage, domestic violence and limited access to education as well as to certain economic activities, property ownership, and choice of occupation. Violence based on accusations of witch-craft is prevalent in the district, whereby well-off or high caste people allege that poorer members of other castes practice witchcraft and treat them inhumanely on that basis.

1.10.4. Education status In 2011/12, Dhanusha had 386 basic and 78 secondary schools, about three quarters of which are supported by the government, 30 are Madarsa schools (grades 5 and below), and one Ashram school (grades 1 and 2). Enrolment in basic education (grades one through eight) in Dhanusha is below the national average at 74%, and only a third of all adolescent girls at relevant ages to be in secondary school are enrolled. A worrying observation is that, not only do dropout rates increase at each level of education, but the dropout rate for girls outpaces that for boys from age 10 or so onward. There are on average 66 students to every teacher reported in basic education in Dhanusha, more than twice the Central Region average, while in secondary education there are on average 26 students per teacher.

1.10.5. Unemployment and migration Dhanusha is predominantly an agriculture dependent district. In 2003/4, around half of economically active population was engaged in agriculture, followed by trade and commerce (14%) and production and recycling (13%), and to lesser degrees construction, general administration and education.38 Despite diminishing returns to investment in agriculture, the majority of population is bound to work in this sector due to lack of skills and off-farm opportunities in the district. VDCs in the south of the district experience seasonal out-migration

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of unskilled workers (about 100 to 150 persons per VDC) to Indian states of Assam and Punjab in India, which sometimes creates local labour shortages during the monsoon season.

In recent years overseas migration has become more popular among skilled labourers in Dhanusha. Between 2003 and 2009, Dhanusha led the country in number of migrants heading overseas to work – an estimated 7% of the district’s population (upward of 58,000 people) migrated overseas. Though reliable information about remittances is not available, very high migration rates indicate that remittances are an important source of household income for families in Dhanusha. Specialised trainings for potential foreign employment seekers and relevant infrastructure might bolster the earning potential of Dhanusha migrants.

1.10.6. Health and sanitation issue Dhanusha is also a district designated at high risk for malaria and kalaazar (black fever, known as the world’s second-largest parasitic killer, to which Dhanusha is one of most prone districts in the country). During monsoon season or outbreaks of certain diseases, the hospital premises are not able to accommodate the flow of patients. Three in five women (60%) deliver their children with assistance from a skilled birth attendant.

In Dhanusha, 77% of households are estimated to have access to safe drinking water, and 31% to have a toilet. None of the VDCs in the district has been so far declared an Open Defecation Free area.

1.10.7. Opportunities and challenges in Dhanusha district Major challenge -

Low literacy rate and high school dropout rate for girls

-

The issue of untouchability, particularly against Dalits

-

Shortage of agricultural labor and very low level of farm mechanization

-

Low level of performance and allegations of corruption at DDC/VDC level

-

Flash flooding and deterioration of river system, forest system

-

Political strike and prevalence of criminal/armed groups (estimated GDP of rs 120 million drops from average rs 70 million, 1,70,000 students gets affected per day if 1 day strike is announced by any political partities.)

Data source:madhesiyouth.com viewed on 1.30.2017

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Figure 1-5 infographics showing impact of terai strike

Major opportunities -

Very good linkage to Indian markets

-

High potential for commercialization of the agricultural sector

-

High potential for tourism development based on Hindu temples like Janaki Temple and Dhanusadham, and promotion of Mithila art to international art market

-

High remittances provide opportunities to invest in micro-enterprises, commercial agriculture and dairy processing

1.11. Study on watershed area in Dhanusha district According to Hamilton (1986) the term 'watershed' has more than one meaning. It is synonymous with 'water parting' or 'water divide'. It has got a primary meaning of the 'elevated boundary line separating the head streams which are tributaries of different river systems of basins' (Moore's Dictionary of Geography 4th Edition) or an area drained by a river from which the term 'catchment' or 'basin' which often synonymously referred to (Cassell et al., 1982).

The total area of sub-watersheds of 9 seasonal rivers is 49,752 hectares which is 41% of the total district. purpose. Ratu river is bordering with Mahottari district in west and Kamala river bordering with Siraha district in east. Only Kamala river has more or less permanent water for the whole year. Rest all the eight rivers are seasonal originating from Churia hills bordering with Sindhuli district in north. However, Ratu river sub-watershed covers part of Mahottari, Sindhuli and Dhanusha districts. Similarly, Kamala river sub-watershed includes part of Sindhuli, Siraha and Dhanusha districts. All the rivers in Dhanusha district originate from southern slope of the Churia hills and flow from north to south.

The total length of Jalad river is 55 km from its origin to the Indian border and it is about 11 km in Churia hill, 3.65 km from Churia foot hill to East-West Highway. There are three subwatersheds of Jalad river namely: Jagadhar, Chamainiya and Jalad sub-watersheds.

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Jagadhar stream is located in east, Jalad in west and Chamainiya in the middle. Among three sub-watersheds, Jalad sub-watershed is the largest in size and comparatively better in condition. Jagadhar sub-watershed is medium in size but is in much degraded condition due to over-exploitation of its forest resources and over-grazing.

Local people say that during the construction of East-West Highway, the engineers turned the straight road (East-West Highway) to lower part (south) of Chamainiya stream to construct one bridge rather than two separate bridges over Jalad stream and Chamainiya stream.

1.11.1. Context study of Jalad Watershed area in Dhanusha Out of total 28,323 hectares forests in Dhanusha district, 8202.83 hectares (28.96%) are protected and managed by 31 community forest user groups including 5265 households (DFO Dhanusha, 2008). Rests of 71% forests are directly administered by the Dhanusha District Forest Office through its government staff. All these community forest user groups cover 4.48% of total 117,417 households of Dhanusha district. These forests are located in 13 VDCs which are adjoining Churia hills. However, 95.5% households of mid- and far distant users are neither the members of community forests nor do get any direct benefit at all.

1.11.2. Impact of watershed degradation in Jalad watershed Watershed degradation is considered as lowering of watershed resources quality. Major erosion process affecting Nepal are surface erosion, mass movement, stream/river cutting/flooding. Most of the upland watersheds of Nepal are in a state of physical and biological deterioration due to over-exploitation of natural renewable resources by the local inhabitants, primarily in response to meeting their basic needs for food, fodder, firewood, fiber and shelter and also sometimes due to commercial exploitation.

Figure 1-6 infographics showing impact of watershed degradation

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Due to the forest clearance at terai region so many watershed at terai region are under threat.

Due to the natural resources degradation the problem of river-cutting is in upstream and midstream whereas siltation is in downstream. A total of 627 households have lost a total 440 ha. Maximum and an average land loss per household is 7.33 hectares and 0.70 hectare respectively. The land loss by Jalad river is 25.2 ha. per year. The floods occurring year after year erode away the riverbanks, thus converting the settlement areas and cultivated field into riverbeds. Most of the rainfall (about 80%) occurs during the monsoon (June to September) and is the major factor causing floods, flash floods and landslides.

Figure 1-7 jagadhar river during monsoon and dry season

VDC. In addition to loss of the private land and other properties, it includes damage in irrigation canal -18, school - 4, common land 4147 Katha (138.23 hectares), trustee (guthi land) - 101.2 ha., pond - 15, road - 17 (partly), well - 19, bridge - 7, culvert - 6, club house - 1 and handpipe - 10.

The study of Rato river assessed an annual loss of properties. It has been found that 244 small houses and 743 sheds are washed away every year in 24 VDCs and two wards of Jaleswar municipality. Similarly, there was loss of 1728 livestock; 77.8 ha. land loss and 673.3 ha. damaged; 95 meter irrigation canals and 85 meter road were damaged by Rato river on annual basis. Due to river-cutting and siltation, the farmers have changed their occupation from agriculture to wages (laborer) - 172 persons (27.4%), small-business - 39 persons, livestock trading middlemen - 4 persons, carpenter - 14 persons, vet shop - 1 person (6.2%), private servant - 9 person (1.4%), livestock keeping - 8 persons (1.3%).

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Figure 1-8 infographics showing impact of flooding at jagadhar river

1.12. Inititation of JIWAN Programme (Life Programme) Integrated watershed management planning may be defined as 'planning for complete management of diverse land and water resource to obtain integrated benefits to conserve soil and water'.

JIWAN stands for Jalad Integrated Watershed Project Nepal. The programme approach is to cover the entire upstream and downstream watershed area of the Jaladh River in Nepal (rivernear communities in 16 Village Development Committees (VDCs) from its origin in the Churia Hills through the plains of the Terai untill it runs into India. The development objective is “Improved and sustainable livelihood security and well-being of the poor and socially excluded people living in Jalad watershed area through: a) improvement in natural resource management and economic activities; b) increased equality in power, capacities, access and control over resources within households, communities, the watershed and the district�

Figure 1-9 infographics of life programme

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JIWAN I - (April 2005-March 2008) JIWAN II - (June 2008-June 2011) JIWAN II (June 2008-June 2011, with a “No cost extension phase” ending June 2012) is a Danida funded Alliance programme between CARE Denmark, Danish Forestry Extension (DFE) and Brandbjerg Højskole with CARE Denmark as the lead consortium member and CARE Nepal as the executing partner. It has been implemented through two local partners (SUYUK and JWAS) and three issue based partners (FECOFUN, NFIWUAN and TPFDA). In the one year “No cost extension phase” the newly formed Jiwan Kendra Consortium has become the only implementing partner.

JIWAN II builds on the success and experience of JIWAN I (April 2005-March 2008) that was implemented in 9 VDCs along the Jaladh River in Dhanusha district. In comparison to other natural resource management projects in Nepal JIWAN I was innovative in two ways: -

Being the first project to focus on the entire watershed area of a single river trying to create awareness on and find solutions and models on how to link the management of upstream and downstream areas

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Introducing “life long learning” in Lok Pathsalas (LP) or “open village schools”: community groups with equal number of men and women representing the social and economic strata of the community to generate a non-political environment for open dialogue and interaction for changing roles and relations between men and women and between people from different castes, classes and ethnicity. Also the LP should act as a forum for awareness raising and community mobilization on natural resource management.

JIWAN II continues the work of JIWAN I with the same overall goal of watershed management, but with additional emphasis on extending the benefits to the poor and socially excluded population and with an increased focus on household and watershed level.

1.13. Impact of JIWAN II Programme in Dhanusha Source: Final Evaluation,March 2012 by Alliance programme between CARE Danmark, Danish Forestry Extension (DFE) and Brandbjerg Højskole

1.13.1. Lok Pathshala: The programme has initiated Lok Pathshalas (LPs) or village life schools in all target VDCs for awareness raising and social mobilisation. A programme assessment (2011) has indicated that out of the 91 LPs established 59 are still active. Initially the LPs were chosen to reflect the

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composition of the community in terms of ethnicity, caste, gender, age etc., while LPs initiated at a later stage has a stronger focus on PVSE and women. The original idea of doing training for 25 people in the LP for one year, then changing to a new batch of people seems to have been forgotten as all visited LP are seem as groups with permanent members.

1.13.2. Jaladh Youth clubs: JIWAN has initiated Jaladh Youth Clubs for secondary school students (7-9 grade) in 15 secondary schools in the watershed area. While initially started with a high degree of teacher commitment, enthusiasm and innovative and well planned activities, most clubs now focus on school sanitation and greenery and rarely go outside the school. All clubs have about 25 members in each school

1.13.3. Functional literacy: A textbook “steps of Jaladh” (Jaladh Ko Paila in Nepali) was prepared for combined literacy training and watershed awareness. However, out of the target of 2600 people being functionally literate only about half that number (1150) participated in the literacy training. In addition there was a high drop out from the course. None of the former participants interviewed by the ET had gone beyond being able to write their name or use a mobile phone. Also former participants now elected as treasurers or secretaries in credit groups were not able to write or do simple calculations.

1.13.4. Capacity building of Community Based Organisation (CBO): JIWAN has facilitated the formation of a high number of groups and cooperatives on community and VDC level including more than 20 groups related to income generation (including 17 cooperatives focusing on agriculture or local craft, 14 saving and credit cooperatives and 2 milk cooperatives) and nearly 50 groups related to environment and NRM (including 1 Jhinjh integrated micro-watershed conservation group (Hariharpur 3) 3 CFUGs, 7 ponds/wetland restoration groups, 6 river bank conservation groups and 22 irrigation and tube well water management groups).

On watershed or district level 4 new “umbrella” organisations have been formed and strengthened during the JIWAN programme: Lok Pathshala Association of Nepal (LOPAN), Agriculture Labour and Rural Crafts Peoples Association (ARCA) Nepal, Women Rights Forum (WRF) and District Farmers Association (DFA). These 4 associations have held elections on hamlet to watershed level and have a strong grassroots’ base. However, they are all new with focus on their immediate areas of interest rather than on watershed issues.

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1.13.5. Information and documentation Through Janakpur FM, JIWAN II has broadcasted 42 radio programmes on JIWAN and watershed issues. In addition JIWAN has distributed 500 pamphlets during a mega bicycle rally on Churia Conservation and produced and distributed a booklet on success stories. The Evaluation team found no library of Lok Pathshala training materials, facilitators handbook, documentation on how to make eco-friendly buildings like the LSC, books for literacy courses, recorded radio programmes, wallpapers on LSC building materials etc. Not even documentation on how to organise the bicycle rally that was the programmes best and biggest awareness raising activity, a clear success to be repeated elsewhere.

1.13.6. Rural workers and crafts: JIWAN has provided training for more than 200 people in various skills ranging from tailoring, carpentering, electricity wiring, bangle making and bicycle repair to fish farming, kitchen gardening and goat keeping. In addition JIWAN has provided a NRs 3 mill. revolving fund for ARCA for further small business development.

1.13.7. Whole watershed management (WWM): The programme reports that a total of 3500 ha (against a target of 200ha) are under WWM with a total of 1650 households having secured access to natural resources through community forestry, leasehold forestry, public land management and surface and ground water irrigation.

Figure 1-10 infographics showing impact of life programme

1.14. Development of Life School Centre (LSC), Harsar After the impact of JIWAN programme I and II various clubs and association like ARCA, LOPAN, DWRF and DFA members got incresead. During that period ARCA recorded 9945 members along with LOPAN (2345 members), DWRF (2668 members) and DFA (2620 members). From the success history of JIWAN programme there needed a physical expression of building where all these thousands of member could gather at one place for

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rural training and meeting. That is why construction idea of LSC, Harsar was commenced with support from CARE Nepal and Danish support in association with local association.

A “Life School Centre� (LSC) was constructed at Harsar as a physical demonstration of improved natural resource management and eco-friendly building techniques (bamboo, wood and eco-friendly bricks and tiles). The building of the LSC also functioned as skills training for

Figure 1-11 Aerial view of life school centre,harsar,dhanusha

local builders and roof tile makers. The LSC functions as a facility for workshops and training programmes and as office for the Jiwan Kendra Consortium.

During the construction a number of local labourers were trained in the new building techniques and in production of eco-friendly bricks and tiles. Together with the training facility the business plan mentions continued tile production and marketing as the most promising activity for ensuring income generation and sustainability of the LSC. The detail study on Life school centre, Harsar is done in case study portion as a primary research topic.

1.15. Success history of Life school Centre (LSC), Harsar Life school centre, Harsar has already established 16 demonstration plots (1 in each VDC) which befitted nearly 10,000 members. Altogether 1000 person were trained in skill and social issue, out of which 20% of them were employed 1 year after training, out of which 15% of them were from Dalit community.

1000 men and women (50/50 participation) were trained and assisted in establishing 20 micro enterprises out of which 50 % were from Dalit community. Now the Life school centre, Harsar has 10 educated permanent staff which has already offered 20 different types of training. Also LSC, Harsar has documented 12 events with 240 participation from outside LSC community.

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Figure 1-13 rural meeting at LSC Harsar

Figure 1-12 Youth association at LSC, Harsar

1.16. Critical Analysis of Architecture of LSC, Harsar Originally the LSC was also expected to function as a focal point for CARE Denmark funded projects and for CBO and NGO projects in the area, however this idea had to be abandoned due to the difficult security situation in the area. Further the rather remote location of the center and the quality of the access road is also making this plan difficult. Road improvement has been promised by the authorities, but has not yet been carried out. That’s why road network is a main problem of LSC, Harsar. No any public transportation is available from highway to center. If any national and international tourist have to come LSC, Harsar from main highway its very difficult to reach.

While already functioning as a training facility (about 50 events and training workshops have been carried out by both JIWAN and other NGOs such as Heifer Int. and Action Aid Nepal) construction of dormitories are still pending with the planned office buildings functioning as temporary dormitories. So there is a need of office building with modern facility for administrative purpose.

The scale of LSC, Harsar is gothic in nature which means it some how reflects the hybrid form of Chinese and Indonesian architecture style. The building complex does not create the sense of place of Mithila region and its local lifestyle. The architecture style does not portray the village lifestyle of the Harsar. Also this building need more frequent maintenance and its been 6 years it is operating without proper conservation since the construction is widely based on bamboo architecture which do not have trained person to repair and maintain at the local scale.

Some villagers were trained in bamboo technology but they have already left village for foreign employment. The expert trained person from Kathmandu has to be borrowed to maintain the

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structure, which is not a good practice. The people at village should have tendency to look after the structure.

Figure 1-14 architecture style of LSC, Harsar

1.17. Justification for the thesis / Need of LSC, Dhanusadham With reference to above criticism there needs a new building complex for Life school centre at Dhanusadham since the chapter of life programme is expanding day by day. The members are increasing in whole Dhanusa to get rural training and meeting. Since the Harsar centre has already trained 10,000 of people with different training, the Dhanusadham chapter will trained remaining people who have not got training from Harsar centre due to accessibility.

Also the current 20 ropani Harsar centre cannot accommodate vocational school for various training. Only short-term training are provided by Harsar centre. Dhanusadham centre can provide space for vocational training on Mithila art and craft, bamboo designs, computer classes, etc. For e.g. all the people from Dhanusadham has to travel to city Janakpur to get small basic course on computer and Mithila art.

After 10 years more number of centre like LSC, Harsar will be established over the Dhanusa district. So to control small life school centre the one central LSC would be needed to act as central governing body. That’s why this thesis project is visualized for coming 10-15 years where this 56 ropani LSC, Dhanusadham centre will act as regional headquarter of small Life school centre.

Also this thesis project at Dhanusadham has strong justification from different donor reports and publication. Since the international agency with co-operation with LSC, Harsar and Mithila wildlife trust are planning to work on extension project of Life school centre at Dhanusadham, this thesis can act as a tool to communicate the visual story between the stakeholders.

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1.18. Project introduction The thesis is titled as LIFE SCHOOL CENTRE, DHANUSADHAM. The Life School Centre (LSC) is a focal point for sustainable rural development - A Training and Demonstration center that aims to build the capacity of local communities and various institutions to Develop and maintain a professional learning and resource Centre.

The concept of the LSC is not only to provide space for meetings and trainings; it should become a teaching tool itself – as a demonstration center for sustainable design in a local context. The buildings and operation of the LSC itself function as a teaching tool guided by ecological and pedagogical considerations providing direct hands-on demonstrations.

The LSC should have demonstration plots for low external input gardening, nurseries and aquaculture and appropriate rural technologies. It demonstrates realistic and replicable options for improved building techniques using low cost, low energy and locally produced building materials, renewable energy systems, appropriate climatic design responses and sustainable ways of dealing with water and waste etc.

Today the Life School Centre has ten member organisations, consisting of JIWAN Program partner organizations, people's organizations and a local youth club, which are: JWAS, SUYUK, TPFDA, NFIWUAN, FECOFUN, LOPAN, ARCA, WRF, DFA and CH. Given the similarity of the problems in the whole Churia region, and the need of streamlining issues, the LSC, Dhanusadham is envisioned to be a connecting link between many of the activities and stakeholders in the Dhanusadham area. LSC, Dhanusadham will serve as a training centre for a wide number of organisations and become a meeting place for professionals on sustainable watershed and natural resource management.

1.19. Target group 1.19.1. Primary target group The primary target group of the project are men, women, and children living in the Jalaidh watershed covering approximate 16 Village Development Committees of Dhanusha District.

The population in the watershed is approximate 110,000 persons, which will all be affected in some ways, for example through the implementation of new management plans for natural resources, which will be developed and executed in the project period.

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Out of these 110,000, at least 20,000 people will directly benefit from participation in workshops, trainings, association building, open dialogue forums and other events promoted

by Life School Centre and the Consortium members.

Figure 1-16 farmer’s group

Figure 1-15 women and children

The rural economy in the area is weak and is not able to immediately create sustainable livelihoods for the growing population. The situation of the target group is worsening through the destruction and degrading of cultivated land and human settlements every year.

Within the poor economy, there are significant inequalities in income, access to resources and education and status. The most marginalized are the landless Dalits. The women and girls among those have the lowest status. The major occupation of the target group is subsistence traditional farming and unskilled labouring.

Figure 1-18 local youth group

Figure 1-17 local NGO/INGO

1.19.2. Secondary target group The secondary target groups are rural people outside the primary target group such as opinion makers, village facilitators, coordinators, socially and environmentally conscious local people, Governmental officials, teachers and headmasters, leaders of political parties, the media people and relevant civil society and peoples organisations in the area.

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1.20. Stakeholder The organisations behind the existing Life school centre (Life School Centre) located at Harsar, Janakpur and the founding partner of Life school centre are the sponsor of this thesis project. As the existing Life school centre is about to expand to multiple village it has cooperated under facilitation from various NGO/INGO especially CARE Nepal, an important task within the consolidation project will be to improve teambuilding among the ten various partners of Life school centre.

Existing Life school centre will be the main local organization that will gain further experience in managing and implementing this thesis project at Dhanusadham with its Danish partners.

This is also a justification for the relative high input of Danish expertise for this extension project of Life school centre.

Figure 1-19 Danish agency and donor

Figure 1-20 founding partner of LSC,Harsar

The Life School Centre works systematically with capacity building of CBOs such as the rural workers movement (ARCA-N), women’s organisations (WRF, JWAS), users associations (FECOFUN, NFIWUAN, DFA) and with the VDC level village organisations which grew out of the Lok Pathshalas work. The Life School Centre furthermore works with capacity building of the other local partners and their own staff.

Through the use of contract partners, advisors and students, new expertise will enter the programme and there will be some capacity building through them as well. Interaction on local, regional, national and international level will bring new ideas to Life School Centre, Dhanusadham and the philosophy in Life School Centre is expected to spread to other parts of Nepal. Cooperation is foreseen with CARE Nepal, UNDP, DSCWM, CSRC and other international and national organisations.

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1.21. Project programme -

Administration

-

Farmer’s station

-

Accommodation/dormitory

-

Training hall

-

Canteen

-

Library

-

CSEB workshop

-

Bamboo workshop

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Demonstration plot

-

Fruit farming plot

-

Vocational school for Mithila art, sewing class, computer class, literacy class etc.

Figure 1-21 programme of LSC, Dhanusadham

1.22. Objective of the thesis The Life School Centre is a focal point for sustainable rural development - A Training and Demonstration Centre that aims to build the capacity of local communities and various institutions to Develop and maintain a professional learning and resource center.

Life school center, Dhanusadham aims to generate and distribute knowledge and practical experiences on Sustainable watersheds, Natural resource management, Climate change adaptation, appropriate sustainable rural technologies and Social inclusion.

-

To provide inspiring setting for bringing together larger group of people for rural training and meeting.

-

To promote awareness in the communities about the benefits of sustainable natural resource management, land use, climate change adaptation, poverty and social justice.

-

To demonstrate sustainable building design and techniques by providing information and services on earth building materials especially for reviving and strengthening the vernacular architecture of terai.

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To support the initiations of JIWAN Program: Lok Pathasala, Watershed Youth Clubs, Group Partnerships, Rural Workers and Craft People, Watershed Management and Advocacy.

-

To serve as catalyst for promotion to the NGO, INGO and foreigners and make communities accessible and convenient for interaction.

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To provide designated space for skill development, vocational training, sustainable watershed management and natural resource management.

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To provide equitable architectural space for community interaction on social issue for enhancing livelihood improvement of rural village.

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To achieve a new paradigm shift in the method and process of rural transformation

1.23. Methodology of the thesis The major knowledge to be used in the developing of the thesis project is the one that has been gained from the five years spent in Bachelor of Architecture. In order to get the right

Figure 1-22 methodology process

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results, it is essential that the procedures we follow are correct. For this, data and information from a number of sources were collected, analysed and the ones suitable were incorporated into the design. For any project to be carried out the first step would be the selection of proper

1.24. Data collection for thesis 1.24.1. Collection of primary data For this purpose, case study of empowerment centres’ and vocational training center in Nepal with context of Terai was carried out. The list of centre for case study is: -

Life school centre, Dhanusha, Nepal

-

Janakpur women’s development centre, Dhanusa, Nepal

1.24.2. Collection of secondary data Secondary data collection has been done through literature review, document and drawing analysis and consultation with various personals related to the concerned field. Those components of empowerment and training centre have been studied which are not available through primary data collection. Research under various topics related to terminal are done through books and websites.

The buildings are: - Friendship centre, Bangladesh - Thread cultural centre, Senegal - Pani community centre, Bangladesh - Tipu sultan merkez, Pakistan - Cassia cooperative training centre, Indonesia - DESI school, Bangladesh - METI school, Bangladesh The basic process adopted includes the project site identification, case study of the similar projects or building situation and design program formulation.

The process includes the project site identification and study of settlement pattern of Dhanusa, case study of the similar projects and design program formulation. During the case study, the planning, architectural expression and functional needs of a centre were studied. The possible functions to be incorporated in an empowerment centre according to the needs of rural people were also studied. From the research, the design concept will be developed.

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1.25. Scope of the thesis The scope of this thesis project is to: -

Create spaces for the training center and skill development programs

-

Recreate communal spaces for gatherings and discussions for sustainable natural

resource management -

Design a demonstration center so as to promote the local organic and fruit farming

-

Generate employment in people through production facilities on earth building

materials and low cost design approach.

1.26. Expected outcome of the thesis This thesis’s main intention is to stand in the context and climate, learn from vernacular architecture and reflect its essence in final outcome of the architectural space. Design approach is to build community’s capacity to sustain and maintain the neo-vernacular architecture that is going to be build for Life school center through holistic sustainability and universal guidelines so that it can be replicated to the other region of terai by altering its architectural style .

This architecture design thesis believes in an architecture that is simple and sensible; created with an understanding of the soil on which it exists; with an exploration of the materials from its place; and in collaboration with the skills and the imagination of its people for rural training and meeting.This thesis will work with local, natural building materials and techniques, with a taste for experimentation in architectural spaces. This thesis will especially use vegetal steel “bamboo” and earth to create contemporary and neo vernacular expressions which will strongly promote minimal environmental impact of the entire building process. In materialistic point of view this architecture thesis believes in the superior functionality of natural materials: earth, bamboo and any combination of these. At the same time, sustainable designs and sufficiency life style are also attained through that approach.

This thesis will go through experts and building technicians for strengthening and improving the vernacular architecture through improvised innovative low cost construction technique so that community and people can accept it in an intimate way.

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2.1.

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Literature review Parking

2.1.1. Cycle

Figure 2-2 comfortable bicycle parking

Figure 2-1 cycle way width, normal cross section

Bicycle which is used as a means of transportation by maximun population of the area has basic dimensions: about 1.90m in length, about 1.25m in height and 0.60m in breadth. While

2.1.2. Tractor The given drawing is of tractor which has dimensions: 7.80m in length, 3.50m in height, 2.25m in breadth. The turning radius of tractor is 4.50m. Tractor is used for transporting goods or for agricultural purposes.

Figure 2-4 tractor without trailer

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Figure 2-3 tractor with trailer

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

2.1.3. Fork lift Fork lift is an operational vehicle used for lifting heavy objects. Its dimensions are: 2.75m in average length, 1.60m in breadth and 3m in height. The lift is 1m-1.80m in length which can be lifted up to 6m in air. It can support 1-8 T.

Figure 2-5 fork lift

2.1.4. Oxcart The drawing of the general arrangement of the cart, shows the typical dimensions: the wheel 5'-3" diameter; cart body 3' by 5 or 6' long; height ground to floor about 3'; height floor to side rail about 2'-4"; length about 12'-4".

Figure 2-6 oxcart

2.1.5. Microvan Microvan is a transportation vehicle which can accommodate 8 people and carry goods from one place to another efficiently. It is 4.74m-5.22m in length, 1.90m in breadth and 1.90m in height. Its turning radius is 5.90m.

Figure 2-7 microvan

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2.1.6. Jeep Mercedes Vito having dimensions: 4.56 in length, 1.92 in height and 1.70 in breadth is usually used for transporting travel guest in rural area of Nepal.

2.1.7. Car Car is a transportation vehicle used by the people for reaching their

destinations.

The

standard size of the car is considered having dimensions: 4.74 in length,1.51 in height and 1,76 in breadth.

2.1.8. Bus

The bus has width of 8 feet and length of 35 feet. The overall height of the bus is 10 feet for clearance on the entry gate.

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2.1.9. Bike Motorcycle has dimension of 2 meter by 0.7 meter with total height of 95 cm.

2.2.

Pavilion

In architectural terminology it refers to a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often its function makes it an object of pleasure.

In the traditional architecture of Asia, palaces or other large houses may have one or more subsidiary pavilions that are either freestanding or connected by covered walkways, as in the Forbidden City, Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, and in the Red Fort and other buildings of Mughal architecture.

Pavilions may be small garden outbuildings, similar to a summer house or a kiosk; small rooms on the roof of a large house, reached only via the roof (rather than by internal stairs) may also be called pavilions.

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A Pavilion is a flexible architectural open space that invites people to come in and spend time in it. It could be temporary or permanent and might even change its form and function. A Pavilion might be used as a: shelter, seating, meeting point, cafe, theatre, or for lectures, events, exhibitions, sports, play, relaxation, work and much much more.

The Oxford English Dictionary offers a variety of definitions for the noun pavilion including “Tent, esp. a large peaked one; light ornamental building; building used for entertainments; … temporary stand at exhibitions…”

They are often designed to be prefabricated, assembled onsite, disassembled and then moved to another site for re-assembly.

The pavilion is an architectural structure that became well-known in the 1800’s. Originally intended to be the host of entertainment and other activities, pavilions have served a multiuse purpose for centuries. The size of these structures can vary widely and are often reserved for parties, weddings, banquets, and other events. Pavilions typically have roofs that are similar to a house. Imagine a house without any walls! They are often used for venues, picnics, and outdoor weddings.

2.3.

Administration

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2.4.

38

Dormitory

The minimum recommended are for single room is 90 square feet and for double bed in a single room is 140 square feet.

2.5.

Vocational school

2.5.1. Library The library serves as a space for casual reading of newsprints and magazine as more academic reading is accessed through computers at the library. So due to increasing preference of computer spaces instead of physical books, the size of library has shrunk. In library hall the largest space occupied other than reading area is by bookshelves. In general condition the width of shelf is normally taken 250mm (single sided) and 500 mm (double sided).

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The overall height of shelving in an open access library is an important factor in design. Wall shelving should not be higher than 2 to the very top. This will give the 300mm base, six shelves and the fascia. An overall height of 1.8m is usually better and give five shelves. No shelve in public area should be lower than 300mm from the floor and preferably 400mm in island shelving.  Standard space for computers user‘s: 3.5 to 4 sq.m  Standard space for reader‘s: 2.5 to 3.6 sq.m  Standard space for staffs: 8 to 20 sq.m Space requirements for LIBRARY •

Space for books: 15 books per sq. ft.

•

Space for staffs: 100 sq. ft. per staff member

•

Audio-visual equipment: 7 to 10 sq. ft. per seat

•

Space for readers: min. 30 sq. ft. per student

2.5.2. Class room and Studio Computer class

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Drawing studio

2.5.3. Faculty room Full time faculty

Part time faculty

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2.6.

Canteen

Per seat 1.5 - 2.15 sq. m.

Ratio of service area to total area 25-50% Net kitchen area 15-25%

Aisle width: Main – minimum 2m wide Intermediate – minimum 0.9m wide Side – minimum 1.2m wide

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2.7.

Training hall

2.8.

Farm land

42

A farm is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used for specialised units such as vegetable farms, fruit farms and poultry farms, and land used for the production of natural fibres, biofuel and other commodities.

2.8.1.

Demonstration farm land

A demonstration farm is a farm which is used primarily to demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by educational institution or government ministries. It is also common to rent land from a local farmer. The leaser is allowed to perform their demonstrations, while the land owner can be paid for the land usage or may be given the resulting crops.

Many demonstration farms not only have crops, but may also have various types of livestock.

Various techniques for feeding and bedding are tested on these farms. Demonstration farms run by universities are not only used for research, but are also used for teaching purposes. A demonstration plot is a field that can be used to teach, experiment, and share ideas about agricultural practices. It should be located near many farmers.

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In general demonstration farmland can be understood as: • an outdoor classroom with showcase of new technology • a showcase of new crops: how to choose a variety, when and how to plant, how to irrigate, and how to harvest • a showcase of best and new post-harvest practices that consumers demand Who benefits?

How? Farmers and associations learn, practice, and track the cost of new crops and improved techniques. As a result, when farmers try new practices on their own fields, they already know what to expect. What is new becomes familiar. As farmers experiment, sellers and consumers benefit from better quality and new products.

A demonstration plot can be a great way for farmers to test a new variety. They can see how it grows in a field with the same characteristics as their own fields, and how it is accepted in the market, before they take the risk. Interested farmers can visit the plot to learn everything they need to know about the new variety: • How and when to plant • Irrigation needs • Pest problems • Fertilizer needs • How to harvest and postharvest • When to harvest. (What time of year? What are the maturity indices?)

• How to sort, grade, and pack the product in the field.

• How to handle, store, and transport the product.

A good demonstration plot is close to the farmers who will benefit from it. Farmers will visit more often if it is nearby. Being close also means that the demonstration plot is similar to the fields of participating farmers in terms of its soil, climate, etc. Farmers can expect that what works on the demonstration plot will also work on their land.

To ensure the farmer attains maximum output, Agriculture offers training through out the crop life cycle - from land preparation to post harvest handling. Working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture office is able to train selected farmers from each community who thereafter act as the resident extension support provider. Through their interaction with

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farmers, they are able to have quick access to technical support, learn new agronomic practices and improve their application of knowledge acquired onto their fields.

To show smallholder farmers the differences in output, farmers association or agriculture office can set up several demonstration plots. Being a poor smallholder farmer, it is to be sure that investing the little money they have in those inputs pays off. 'Seeing is believing', is what many farmers should think. The demonstration plot gives clear evidence.

2.8.2.

Organic farm land

Organic farming is an alternative agricultural system which originated early in the 20th century in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices. Organic farming continues to be developed by various organic agriculture organizations today. It relies on fertilizers of organic origin such as compost, manure, green manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting. Biological pest control, mixed cropping and the fostering of insect predators are encouraged. In general, organic standards are designed to allow the use of naturally occurring substances while prohibiting or strictly limiting synthetic substances.

Organic farming methods combine scientific knowledge of ecology and modern technology with traditional farming practices based on naturally occurring biological processes. Organic

farming encourages Crop diversity. The science of agro ecology has revealed the benefits of polyculture (multiple crops in the same space), which is often employed in organic farming.

Planting a variety of vegetable crops supports a wider range of beneficial insects, soil microorganisms, and other factors that add up to overall farm health. Crop diversity helps environments thrive and protects species from going extinct.

Organic farming relies heavily on the natural breakdown of organic matter, using techniques like green manure and composting, to replace nutrients taken from the soil by previous crops.

This biological process, driven by microorganisms such as mycorrhiza, allows the natural

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production of nutrients in the soil throughout the growing season, and has been referred to as feeding the soil to feed the plant. Organic farming uses a variety of methods to improve soil fertility, including crop rotation, cover cropping, reduced tillage, and application of compost.

By reducing tillage, soil is not inverted and exposed to air; less carbon is lost to the atmosphere resulting in more soil organic carbon. This has an added benefit of carbon sequestration, which can reduce green house gases and help reverse climate change.

Organic weed management promotes weed suppression, rather than weed elimination, by enhancing crop competition and phytotoxic effects on weeds. Organic farmers integrate cultural, biological, mechanical, physical and chemical tactics to manage weeds without synthetic herbicides.

Organic standards require rotation of annual crops, meaning that a single crop cannot be grown in the same location without a different, intervening crop. Organic crop rotations frequently include weed-suppressive cover crops and crops with dissimilar life cycles to discourage weeds associated with a particular crop. Research is ongoing to develop organic methods to promote the growth of natural microorganisms that suppress the growth or germination of common weeds.

Other cultural practices used to enhance crop competitiveness and reduce weed pressure include selection of competitive crop varieties, high-density planting, tight row spacing, and late planting into warm soil to encourage rapid crop germination.

2.9.

Landscape

Trees, hedges and plants in an urban context can have a dramatic effect on the microclimate and help to tie down sand and dust. As vegetation is generally sparse, an oasis-like concentration of plant and grass-covered areas is desirable. Nevertheless, landscaping should not always imply the inclusion of very high water consuming lawns and grassed areas.

Local desert plants as well as rock and stone garden as well as gravel coverage should also be considered as adequate design elements.

Buildings are covered in the southern facades with creepers to create a virtual and natural shade during summer and water bodies are allocated nearby to compel the hot air to breeze in the north west direction. Roofs are generally reflective or air trapping. Walls with high thermal mass are constructed in east west and south with respect to the decrement factor and time lag purpose. Apart from this, whole building is surrounded with deciduous and evergreen trees and vegetation, which act as natural shade and air filtering agent. Vegetation used acts both functionally and natural rendering components. Generally, evergreen trees are planted

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

towards south and deciduous to the north and other directions which efficiently act as wind breaks.

2.10. Children’s play area

2.11. Toilet For canteen Customer No.

Male

Female

Basin

Urinal

50

1

1

2

2

50-200

2

2

3

3

200-400

3

4

6

4

Source: Chaira J.D, 2001, “Time Saver Standards For Building Types” : Neufert P.,1995, “Architects’ Data”,Third Edition

For Office and other public buildings No. (male) 1-15

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Water closet 1

Urinal -

Washbasin 1

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

16-20 1 21-30 2 31-45 2 46-60 3 61-75 3 76-90 4 91-100 4 Over 100 4 Plus 1 closet for every 25 persons or fractions of 25

1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 4 3 4 3 in excess of 100, every fourth

additional may be replaced urinal

No. (female) Water closet 1-15 1 16-30 2 31-50 3 51-75 4 76-100 5 Over 100 5 Plus an additional closet for every 25 persons in excess of 100

Washbasin 1 2 2 3 4 4

2.11.1. European or Western water closet This WC or EWC are designed to sit in toilet. This kind of toilets comes with seat & cover.

When flushing Cover need to be closed. A Western Style toilet will be attached with a flush tank for flushing after usage. Flush Tank may be plastic or ceramic one. Small amount of water will be trapped inside the toilet itself by water seal, normally this water seal height will be 50MM. The height of European water closets are around 500 to 550 MM. The weight of WC will vary from 12 KG to 20 KG according to the design.

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2.11.2. Squatting pan or Indian pan This is the classic type of toilet. Day by day this classic toilet is replaced by modern water closet which gives more comfort and also gives more health complaint. It is proven that squatting pan toilets are much healthier than European water closet. The squatting pan called in many name as Indian pan, Orissa pan and also Asian pan toilet. These squatting pans have several designs and varying design country to country.

Squatting pan normally used in Asian countries like India, China & Japan greatly vary in design. These types of toilets are comparatively cheaper than the water closet type toilets. Squatting pan will not be directly connected to the drainage pipe line because the bad order will come in toilets. So squatting pan will be connected to the drain pipe by using an ‘S’ trap or ‘P’ trap. This trap will avoid escape of bad order from drain line by a water seal. Water seal of the squatting pan will be maintained by the trap. But in water closets the design itself will maintain a water level to seal the bad order escape from the drain pipe line.

2.12. Building science Main openings should face north and south, but the latter should be shaded either by shading devices, roof overhangs or by deciduous trees. The size of the windows on the west and east sides should be minimized in order to reduce heat gains into the house in the early morning and late afternoon, or also be protected by particular shading devices. A moderate, southfacing glass area catches the solar radiation during the cold season, but should not be affected by direct radiation during the summer.Sloped roofs could also provide cold airflow towards a courtyard. A membrane covering the courtyard in the daytime allows retention of cool air and provides shade A double roof or a damp-proof or white single roof will reduce the accumulation of heat.

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2.13. Building Material 2.13.1. Bamboo Bamboo is a versatile, strong, renewable and environmentally friendly material. It is the fastest growing woody plant producing a mature fiber for use within three years. However, bamboo is subject to attack by fungi and insects and untreated bamboo have a life expectancy of not more than five years. The basic and general physical properties of the bamboo are summarized below (Dunkelberg, Klaus: Bamboo as a building material, 1992).

General properties of bamboo Tensile strength: The fibres of the bamboo run axial. In the outer zone is highly elastic vascular bundle, that have a high tensile strength. The tensile strength of these fibres is higher than that of steel, but it’s not possible to construct connections that can transfer these tensile strengths.

Shrinking Bamboo shrinks more than wood when it loses water. The canes can tear apart at the nodes. Bamboo shrinks in the cross section ca. 10-16 %, in the wall thickness ca. 15-17 %.

Fire resistance: The fire resistance is very good because of the high content of silicate acid.

Filled up with water, it can stand a temperature of 400° C while the water cooks inside.

Elasticity: The enormous elasticity of bamboo makes it to a very good building material for earth-quake endangered areas.

Pre processing of bamboo Here the pre-processing of bamboo means the preparation of bamboo for its further utilizations as a material. It is the phase between the bamboo plant and the bamboo material. The difference of the utilizations of bamboos determines the processing of bamboo and also changes from one to another. For example, the bamboo sprouts are very popular foods in Asia and will be cut in the beginning of the sprout growth in the spring; whereas the bamboo culms for building normally come from the 4-5 years old bamboo and should be cut in fall and winter (Bamboo: Structure and Culture, Xiaobing Yu, 2007). But generally there are three phases which most of the utilizations have to take: the harvest; the transport and the preservation.

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Harvesting of bamboo The harvest is different from one to another according to which part of bamboo will be harvested and for what purpose the bamboo is used. The proper harvest time and methods will provide bamboo material with the best quality and at the same time prevent damaging the growth of the bamboo plant.

For the sprout, the best time of harvest is the early spring when the bamboo shoots just grow out of the earth. But for the building materials or for tools, the 4-5 years old is generally regarded as the best age for bamboo culms harvest, because these bamboo culms are mature enough and have reached their highest value in strength. After this time the strength of culms decreases.

The time for harvest should be in the dry season in order to keep the moisture content in the bamboo culm low. Otherwise the culms will easily attack by fungi and rot, and also increase the transport costs (Janssen 1988). The cut of bamboo culms in one season should be no more than 25% of the total culms in order to keep a stable productivity of the whole bamboo forest. The cutting position should be about 30 cm above the ground in order to not destroy the rhizome and it should be just above a node so that the water will not be collected there and cause the plant to rot (Austin,1972).

Transportation of bamboo Transportation happens normally between the place of harvest and the processing place. The factories or workshops are often placed near the bamboo forest in order to save transport costs. Because of the tube structure of the bamboo culms a long distant transport of raw bamboo culms is not profitable. In some places people traditionally have used river as the natural transport channel which is cheap and efficient. The river transportation has another advantage: it prevents bamboo from attacks by insects.

Preservation of bamboo The preservation of bamboo after the harvest is so important that it decides the quality of bamboo material in later utilizations. Similar to wood the bamboo is easily attacked by insects, fungi. According to Janssen (1988) the untreated bamboo culms can have a maximum of 1015 years of lifetime if they are kept under cover and in a not very humid climate. In direct contact with atmosphere they can only last 1-3 years.

Because of bamboo’s anatomical structure the treatment is also difficult to carry out: there are no radial oriented vessels, all of them are arranged mostly axial and isolated by parenchyma in the internodes and only connected at the nodes. The outer and inner walls are covered with

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dense wax which prevents a loss of water. Therefore, preservatives can only get through the culms in axial direction at both ends of the culm (Liese 1985).

There are two groups of preservation methods: the traditional methods and the chemical methods.

Traditional methods (non-chemical) - Clump-curing - Smoking - Soaking Chemical methods - Open tank - Butt treatment - Boucherie method Chemical methods of bamboo treatment In the chemical methods chemical preservatives like CCA (copper-chrome-arsenic composition) or cheaper ones like boric acid and borax are used to keep bamboo culms from being attacked by insects. For treatment of Bamboo total chemical should be used at 5% of total dissolve chemical. Example: For 14 Litre capacity of pump chemical to be used 700 Grams. For Structural Bamboo for pole, beam etc. Boric acid, Copper sulphate and sodium or potassium dichromate to be used in proportion of 1.5:3:4 i.e. for 14 litre of tank For Non Structural member like, wall lattice, Splits Boric acid and Borex to be used in 1:1.5: Proportion. i.e. for 14 liter of tank. (Hunnarshala bamboo source book, 2013, pg 32) In the chemical methods chemical preservatives like CCA (copper-chrome-arsenic composition) or cheaper ones like boric acid and borax are used to keep bamboo culms from being attacked by insects.

For treatment of Bamboo total chemical should be used at 5% of total dissolve chemical.

Example: For 14 Litre capacity of pump chemical to be used 700 Grams. For Structural Bamboo for pole, beam etc. Boric acid, Copper sulphate and sodium or potassium dichromate to be used in proportion of 1.5:3:4 i.e. for 14 litre of tank For Non Structural member like, wall lattice, Splits Boric acid and Borex to be used in 1:1.5: Proportion. i.e. for 14 liter of tank. (Hunnarshala bamboo source book, 2013, pg 32)

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The types of chemical processing methods (Janssen 1988) are as follows: Open tank Bamboo culms will be soaked in a tank filled with chemical preservatives for about one week.

Then the culms are left to dry for one week in a vertical position, protected from sunshine.

Boucherie Method One side of the bamboo culms is enclosed with tubes which are connected to a drum with preservatives that is put on an about 10 meters high tower. Then the preservatives are pressed into the bamboo culms by the height pressure of the preservatives.We should fill up the Pump Cylinder up to 3/4 with Borax / Boric Acid Solution using a funnel.

Then we should make a fresh cut on the bamboo with then Hardwood back saw about 10 cm away from the node. The detail process is attached in annex number 1.

Comparison between traditional treatment method and chemical treatment method: These are the advantages of the traditional ways of treatment: they cost little and are easy to process. For the small scale like village families these methods have been used for a long time.

The disadvantage lies in the low efficiency. In comparison the chemical methods are much more efficient than the traditional ones, but are also more expensive and need more equipment for processing.

Both traditional and chemical ways of preservations are the pre-processing for increasing the durability of bamboo culms in the later utilizations, which can be extend by the careful use of

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bamboo in the structures, for example not using them directly in contact with rain, sunshine or earth.

Bamboo joinery and connection Joining bamboo members to transfer load are categorized in two types of connections: They are Low-technology connections and High-technology connections.

The main difference between the two types is that one requires cheap and simple connection pieces that can be assembled by unskilled labour (low-tech), and the other using industrial standard components such as steel plates and bolts (high-tech) (construction with bamboo: bamboo connection, Rottke 2003).

The common ways of joining members are parallel connections, orthogonal, connections and angle joints. Angle joints though usually involve multiple members (eight or so) meeting at a point.

Friction tight rope One of the simplest ways of connecting bamboo pieces is friction tight-rope connection. Natural materials usually used involve ropes and cords of bamboo rinds, bast (vascular tissue of a plant), raffia palm trees fibers, coconut fibers, rattan (stem) of a palm, and sago palm fibers. Bamboo strips can be used as well, needing they be green strips that are pre-soaked. With factory made connectors, zinc-coated iron wires and even plastic rope can be used as well.

Lashing can have variations of complexity as well. With joining members cut appropriately to fit snug to each other, the bamboo pieces can be lashed together with pre-drilled holes in each of them and the rope tied through them.

All the rope type joinery in the structure is based on four types of lashing and three types of shear keys. The following terminologies will describe the rope type joinery.

Lashing: Lashing is used for joining two or more poles together with a tying material.

Wrap: A wrap is a turn around two or more poles.

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Frap: A frap is turn made between two poles to pull the wrap together.

Dowel: Dowel is a pin (wood or bamboo with fibers in longitudi¬nal direction) of 10 mm.

Diameter inserted right through the pole Clove Hitch: Clove hitch lash¬ing is used for joining two or more poles together with a ty¬ing material.

Square Lashing: Square lash¬ing shall begin and end in a clove hitch. It shall be used in a condition where there is no tendency for poles to spring apart

Diagonal Lashing: The square lashing shall begin and end in a clove hitch. It shall be used in condition where there is tendency for poles to spring apart.

Shear lashing: A shear lashing shall begin and end with a clove hitch. Two or more poles shall be first wrapped and then frapped to tighten the poles together.

Wedge connection Driving a wedge at the connection of two bamboo members is a simple way of connecting bamboo. The horizontal member end needs to be rounded in order to fit and not move around at the connection. On the opposite end of the vertical member a wedge (possibly mad of wood) is driven through and ends on the other side, inside the horizontal member. Due to the

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possibility of the wedge shrinking, additional structural supports are needed with lashing or bolts.

Inner plug connection Like the wedge connection, the bamboo pieces are appropriately cut and between the two pieces are a plug (possibly a wood block). Additional connection is required with the fastening of a rope which will prevent unplugging and also the plug helps the beam from slipping Plugin/bolt connection Plugin connections are similar in connections in wood with mortise and tenon, and are considered seldom used in bamboo structures. It used with rope connection sometimes as well. To be installed not too close to edge of bamboo, due to chances of the plug breaking out and the bamboo splitting.

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2.13.2. Compact stabilized earth block The soil, raw or stabilized, or a compressed earth block (CEB) is slightly moistened, poured into a steel press (with or without stabiliser) and then compressed either with a manual or motorized press. The input of soil stabilization has made it possible to build higher with thinner walls, which have a much better compressive strength and water resistance. Compressed stabilized earth building blocks are usually larger in size than traditional burnt bricks.

A typical block size of CSEB is 240 x 140 x 90mm.With cement stabilization, the blocks must be cured for four weeks after manufacturing. After this period of time, they can dry freely and be used like common bricks with a soil cement stabilized mortar. The major advantage of CSEB are as follows: -

A local material

-

A bio-degradable material

-

Limiting deforestation

-

Social acceptance

-

Reducing imports

-

A job creation opportunity

-

A transferable technology

-

Energy efficiency and eco friendliness

-

Cost efficiency

Energy effectiveness The production of earth-based materials consumes much less energy and pollutes much less than fired bricks. The pollution emission by CSEB is 2.4 times less than the wire cut brick, 7.9 times less than the country fired bricks. The energy consumption by CSEB is 4.9 times less than the wire cut brick and 15.1 times less than country fire brick.

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Cost effectiveness CSEB are most the time cheaper than fired bricks. This will vary from place to place and specially according to the cement cost. The cost break up of a 5 % stabilised block would depend on the local context. CSEB masonry is always cheaper than fired bricks: 19.4% less than country fired bricks and 47.2 % less than wire cut bricks.

Production cycle of CSEB

Soil suitability and identification Not every soil is suitable for earth construction and CSEB in particular. Topsoil and organic soils must not be used. Identifying the properties of a soil is essential to perform, at the end, good quality products. A soil is an earth concrete and a good soil for CSEB is more sandy than clayey. It has these proportions:

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Soil stabilization Many stabilizers can be used. Cement and lime are the most common ones. Others, like chemicals, resins or natural products can be used as well. The selection of a stabilizer will depend upon the soil quality and the project requirements: Cement will be preferable for sandy soils and to achieve quickly a higher strength. Lime will be rather used for very clayey soil, but will take a longer time to harden and to give strong blocks. The range of cement content needed for good stabilization is between 3% and 18% by weight according to soil type. The Cement stabilisation is minimum 3 % and average 5 %

Sieving Soil contains various sizes of grain, from very fine dust up to pieces that are still too large for use in block production. The oversized material should be removed by sieving, either using a built-in sieve, as with the pendulum crusher, or as a separate operation. The simplest sieving device is a screen made from a wire mesh, nailed to a supporting wooden frame and inclined at approximately 45ยบ to the ground. The material is thrown against the screen, fine material passes through and the coarse, oversized material runs down the front. Alternatively, the screen can be suspended horizontally from a tree or over a pit.

Proportioning Before starting production, tests should be performed to establish the right proportion of soil, stabilizer and water for the production of good quality blocks. The proportions of these materials and water should then be used throughout the production process. To ensure uniformity in the compressed stabilized earth blocks produced, the weight or volume of each material used in the block making process should be measured at the same physical state for subsequent batches of blocks. The volume of soil or stabilizer should ideally be measured in dry or slightly damp conditions.

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Mixing In order to produce good quality blocks, it is very important that mixing be as thorough as possible. Dry materials should be mixed first until they are of uniform color, then water is added and mixing continued until a homogeneous mix is obtained. Mixing can be performed by hand on a hard surface, with spades, hoes, or shovels. It is much better to add a little water at a time, sprinkled over the top of the mix from a watering can with a rose spray on the nozzle. The wet mix should be turned over many times with a spade or other suitable tool. A little more water may then be added, and the whole mixture turned over again. This process should be repeated until all the water has been mixed in.

Moulding CSEB Aurum 3000 machine is hand press machines. The machine consists of a frame, an interchangeable mould, a reverse toggle lever. It has following characteristics: -

High output from the automatic opening: 1000 strokes/day = 125 Blocks/Hour (plain full size blocks)

-

Handling of the press with 3 men. Mix preparation and block stacking with 4 men.

To manufacture blocks of uniform size and density, special precautions must be taken to mould with the same amount of mix for each compaction by using a small wooden box as a measuring device. To facilitate development of the pressed blocks and to ensure good neat surfaces it is advisable to moisten the internal faces of the machine which can be applied with a rag, brush or spray.

Curing To achieve maximum strength, compressed stabilized earth blocks need a period of damp curing, where they are kept moist. If the block is left exposed to hot dry weather conditions, the surface material will lose its moisture and the clay particles cracks on

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the block faces. With cement stabilization, it is recommended to cure blocks for a minimum of three weeks. The stacked pile must be covered for 2 days with plastic sheet

2.14. Workshop For metal work 4.7 square meter per person is required for space design. In bamboo workshop the area per person is 3.9 square meter. For weaving 7.2 square meter per person is necessary and for masonry workshop 3.1 square meter per person is mandatory.

2.14.1. CSEB workshop

CSEB workshop has two specific layouts; linear and converged. In case of linear layout, 5m x5m of space is provided for sieving purpose, another 5mx5m for dry and humid mixing and moulding. 10mx 5m of space regulates the initial curing and first stacking procedures and 4.5m x 5m for final stacking purpose. So, this layout compels us to idealize the convenient outdoor working area or also indoor if executed. In case of concentrated layout, mixing, storing and testing areas are centrally allocated with enclosed store and lab which is surrounded by circulation area and then bounded by the grinding or screening stack area on

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one edge and initial and final curing stocks on the others. The space allocated for this kind of layout is 27mx26m.

2.14.2. Bamboo workshop Two major production cycle of bamboo pole and bamboo mat are studied as per literature review with context of India and Ecuador. The review of the literature of bamboo pole and bamboo mat workshop are summarized below.

Bamboo pole Bamboo pole are required to make post and truss.

Without any protective treatment, most bamboo species have an average durability of less than 2 years. Stored under cover, untreated bamboo may last 4-7 years, depending on the species, length and thickness of the stems. Professionally harvested and treated bamboo poles on the other hand have an average service life of more than 30 years.

The pre-processing and preservation techniques consist of sustainable and selective harvest at high altitudes, submerging the poles in large tanks with non-toxic boron preservatives at high temperatures, sun bleaching, solar drying and kiln drying.

All bamboo poles are dried to a moisture content of between 13 - 18% to avoid cracking in drier climates and boron treated against insect infestation. The standard length of bamboo poles is 6 meters. A 40 feet container can load about 900 poles of 6 m length (mixed diameters).

The step-by-step process of bamboo pole production are as follows:

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A. Selection and Harvest Only mature bamboo culms of 4-6 years old that grow on altitudes between 1,200 and 1,600 m above sea level are selected and harvested. Bamboo poles selected by these parameters also shrink and crack less when dry and have a higher natural resistance against future insects attacks, fungus and other microorganisms.

B.

Perforating and Dimensioning

After the bamboo stems are harvested and transported to treatment facility they are cut to the required size and and all nodes (diaphragms) are perforated. Because bamboo has a natural water repellent outer layer, it is impossible for preservatives to enter the bamboo fibers from the outside. Therefore, the chemicals needs to be introduced from the inside where the fibers can absorb the solution. A steel rod with a large drill bit welded to the tip is used to penetrate each node throughout the length of the pole.

C. Washing To prepare bamboo poles for the preservation process, all mosses and surface stains are cleaned off with a high pressure washer, and later each node is cleaned individually by hand with a steel brush.

D. Preparing Chemicals The preservation of bamboo is extremely important for the durability of the poles. A non-toxic boron solution which is colorless and dissolves in hot water (the residue is used as fertilizer) is used as chemical for treatment.

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E. Preservation (Soak Diffusion Method) 9 m treatment tank is equipped with a heating system that reduces the normal processing time from 4 days to only 8 hours. High temperatures also expand the bamboo fibers allowing the natural sabia to exit (due to osmotic pressure) and the solution to enter and maintain at a higher concentration, therefore guaranteeing the immunization. This treatment also allows the bamboo poles to dry faster compared to the Boucherie (sap-replacement) method.

F. Drying Drying bamboo requires more time than wood of similar density. That's because bamboo possess hygroscopic materials (compound that easily absorbs moisture) that may contain 50-60% moisture content, depending on the felling season, area of growth and species, after the immunization, poles are bleached in open air for approximately 1-2 weeks and rotated twice per day to avoid cracking. The "sun-bleaching method" removes most chlorophyll in the outer layer and ensures a nice uniform beige color of the poles which is more desirable for a construction material and easier to stain or paint if required.

G. Color Coding and Quality Control Each bamboo pole is color coded by diameter class to facilitate inventory and storage. Once the poles are color coded it means they are ready to ship and comply with all our quality standards such as; limited cracks and bends, moisture content, maturity and color.

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Bamboo mat The process of interlacing bamboo slivers to make mats is basically traditional. Poles of the bamboo are first cross-cut to the required lengths using a saw. These rods are then slivered and the slivers are interlaced in herringbone pattern.

Main development attributes of a bamboo mat are as follows: • Reduces dependence on timber resources through wood substitution.

• Permits rehabilitation of degraded lands through increased areas of bamboo plantations.

• Creates employment opportunities for unskilled, semiskilled and technically-trained staff at the factory and for mat weavers.

• Increases community welfare and improves local rural economies if established as a community enterprise.

• Mat weaving can be done at home and is ideally suited for women who may be unable to leave their homes for much of the day.

Success history of bamboo mat in India: -

Mat board production in India is reviving the tribal areas and generating over 2.5 million workdays annually, mostly in mat weaving.

-

For the five years to 1997 demand for mats by mat board factories was such that the price paid for individual mats increased from 17 Rupees to 55 Rupees each.

-

It was estimated that 8,000 ha of natural forest could be saved from logging if one quarter of the country’s plywood production is replaced by bamboo mat board.

-

This generated an estimated 66 million workdays for weavers.

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Process Details:

-

The bamboo culm is cross-cut into 4 cylindrical pieces (1 top piece of 9 ft length, 1 bottom piece of 9 ft length, and 2 middle pieces each of 5 ft length). The cross-cut pieces are split into halves using a heavy knife. Each split is re-split into 5 slats each.

Using knife, each slat is reduced to 1-mm thick slivers (15 mm width, and 9 ft or 5 ft long)

-

Weaving is done in herringbone pattern, using 102 slivers (9 ft long) vertically and 173 slivers (5 ft long) horizontally. Slivers are woven into mats.

-

Mats are soaked I adhesive resin and allowed to drain

-

Mats are dried in hot air chamber

-

Mats are together pressed in high temperature and pressure to form boards

-

The boards are trimmed to shape. The mat is trimmed to a size of 8½ ft × 4½ ft, which is the standard size for boards.

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2.14.3. Metal workshop Metal workshop is fully enclosed with several partitions inside. On entrance, there is a store which is accessible from both inside and outside.

On

the

interior

part,

there’s

different

working

compartments as per the function such as, separate workstations for forging, welding and assemblage and separate for machinery activities. This serves a flexible set-up and comfortable working area.

2.15. Building service 2.15.1. Hand pump Hand pumps are manually operated pumps; they use human power and mechanical advantage to move fluids or air from one place to another. They are widely used in every country in the world for a variety of industrial, marine, irrigation and leisure activities. There are many different types of hand pump available, mainly operating on a piston, diaphragm or rotary vane principle with a check valve on the entry and exit ports to the chamber operating in opposing directions. Most hand pumps have plungers or reciprocating pistons, and are positive displacement. Hand pumps are commonly used in developing countries for both community supply and self-supply of water and can be installed on boreholes or hand-dug wells.

However, there is controversy surrounding the sustainability of hand pumps, and the longterm gains from investing in them. A number of difficulties are associated with the use of hand pumps: these include cost, hygiene, maintenance, and availability of spare parts, responsibility of upkeep, community involvement, technology, organization and education. Hand pumps, battered by intense use and conditions in rural areas, have often fallen apart. In addition, unobtainable spare parts impede maintenance

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3.1.

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Case study and Design Inferences Life school centre, Nepal

3.1.1. Project description Architects

: Abari and Seed architect

Location

: Harsar, Janakpur, Nepal

Land Area

: 20 Ropani

Built-up Area : 5,600 sq ft (520.26 sq. m.)

Completion

: October 2010

3.1.2. Project introduction The Life School Centre (in Nepali Jiwan Kendra) is an independent non-governmental and non-profit organization (NGO, NPO), established in 2010. The Centre is situated in a peaceful environment in Dhanusha District, in the south eastern part of Nepal, within half an hour drive from Janakpur.

The LSC provides alternative, peaceful and inspiring settings for bringing together larger groups of people for trainings and meetings. Among other facilities the LSC compound contains a beautiful assembly hall; build to contain 120 people, accommodation, canteen, sanitation, AV facilities and office space.

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3.1.3. Selection criteria This case study will answer following research question: -

How architecture planning is done for training centre at rural village?

-

What are the functional requirement for rural training centre ?

-

How air quality and light is maintained in hot climate of Nepal?

-

How bamboo frame truss is prepared from locally available bamboo?

-

What are the basic bamboo joinery technique used in neo vernacular architecture of Nepal?

3.1.4. Architecture planning

Figure 3-1: Master Plan of Life Centre and School

Site is directly approachable from the road. On access to the site, with common pedestrian and vehicular access, a path diversion isolates two clusters; the one with the crowded area and other with noisy and work area. This allows convenient run of two different contexts within same environment.

The buildings are allocated in such a way that they are concentrated yet dispersed with respect to the central core area i.e. Chautaro, allowing a good circulation, airflow and crowd control and also include the passive factors as well. Furthermore, the segregation planning allows the arrangement of the buildings such that they create a verge of correlation among each other.

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These are images of the buildings listed out in the legend above. We can observe the genuine use of local materials and the domination of bamboos compels the buildings to fit within the site, cope up and execute itself along with the environment. There’s no wonder that vernacular gives out the best aesthetics to the building.

Admin block The entrance to the admin block leads to the foyer area which branches out to three sub spaces serving different administrative sectors.

The total height of the administration block is 16 feet with 3 feet attic and a vent therein, which provides a clear air circulation. The height of the office sectors is resisted to 7’ with balanced fenestration minimizing the broad floor height.

Break out pavilion The break out pavilion serves as the transitional space which not is not only functionally sound but also aesthetically. The series of exposed bamboos and their inclined arrangement provides maximum horizontal enclosure. Bamboos are placed linearly in two rows and 3 columnar form such that they get diverged towards the upper part and with the motive that the divergence can range its arms to an extent and this sums up the load and transforms it within

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the ground level. Bamboos are coped up with a metal tube fitted inside the concrete foundation which makes it easier to get intact and supressed within ground. The deviation of the diverging bamboos are balanced by the horizontal bracing at regulated interval.

Accommodation block 1 Accommodation block is regular shaped, allowing flexibility with balanced fenestrations allowing clear air circulation. The vents are provided at the utmost height of the building which creates a problem during rainy season, otherwise serves well for air flow purpose.

Rather than individual compartments, two big spaces are created where an individual can arrange up the living area for himself. Since the accommodating sector is for group of people, it creates a communal space within.

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Good air flow is maintained through cross ventilation. Space inside doesnot have any furnitures, rather it has a built in space and also the sill level space is used as store and materials placement.The joinery system used is tongue and groove joint overlapping eachother.

Accommodation block 2 Each segregated blocks are surrounded by ample of vegetation and deciduous and evergreen trees serving as air filter and natural sun shading. Each compartment is served with multiple beds where individuals share common room. Each compartment is of 24’ x 40’ and partitioned internally as per requirement.

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In terms of another accommodation type, separate room compartments are also provided which were to be shared by two individuals. Main entry leads to the enclosed lobby where trainers are trained or a sort of internal communal space is created which lead to bed rooms around its edges. So, this created a verse of private and semi-private space collaborating together.

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Accommodation block 3 The overhang of the building creates an optimum shade as well as forms a corridor space serving as both transitional and circulation space. The space allocated is a regular rectangular with full flexibility and controlled openings as explained in accommodation block 2.

The bamboos are inserted in 4 inch diameter metal tube inserted beneath the ground such that bamboo is resisted to get in contact to the ground and thoughtfully preserved and also, bamboos are bolted on to the metal for stability.

Toilet block Toilet block is efficiently isolated from other blocks such that they are in convenient range and also with respect to sanitary consideration. These are well maintained concerning required amount of air flow. Usually indian pan toilet are used in order to meet the lifestyle of people living in village.

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Canteen block Canteen block was really open, broad floor height, serving 30 peoples at a time. Exposed structures served both functional and aesthetical aspects of the building.

Floor height manages the hot air transmission control. Bamboos are assembled on a triangular modules transmitting the loads one to another and air through them.

There was an open cooking nearby entrance which was visible to the dining area. Only enclosed was a store.

So, the height control maintains the chimney requirement not fully but at some extent.

Assembly hall Assembly hall is a bit twisted rectangular in plan with wide floor height to create effective air control scenario. As the accomodation block had the problem of water penetration through the vents above, the problem has been shutted with application of transluscent sheet as the chajja on the top.

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Coming to the bamboos installation, four bamboos are merged together and bolted together acting as an indiviual band as shown in detail ‘H’ and also, 12 bamboos are clustured together as shown in detail ‘I’ where optimum load is to be transmitted.

Chautaro Open spaces as Chautaro in the middle of the blocks creates a converging and communal space which acts as both formal and informal space. It serves as a breakout space, transitional space, communal space and any sort of formal programming space. Either official meeting or informal debate and discussions are held here creating a communicative space. This space is open yet a sense of virtual enclosure is created therein with ample amount of vegetation and trees.

Accommodation block 4

Images below and aside shows the ongoing constructional phase of the block. The construction procedure is such that, the trusses are assembled on the site and then fitted on

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to the building. The wall lines are constructed with mud blocks which is the mixture of mud and bamboo dust with strong adhesive property and also bands are provided for its stability and rigidity.

CSEB Workshop block Workshop area are semi enclosed spaces with sufficient indoor and outdoor exposure.

Generally machinery workouts are done under the enclosure otherwise workshop is generally outdoors.

Bathroom block

Bathrooms are given separate blocks. Both male and female share common entrance but diverging the route inside. The lattice truss has been created inside for the load bearing purpose of the roof as well as air transmission. The ceiling height of 18 feet is provided to create vertical dominancy inside the bathroom interior space.

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Demonstration and fruit farm plot

Demonstration farm plot are provided for local farmer test a new variety. Local farmer’s get training on new agriculture techniques and seed. From this demonstration plot the farmer can see how it grows in a field with the same characteristics as their own fields, and how it is accepted in the market, before they take the risk. Interested farmers visits the demo plot to learn everything they need to know about the new variety of crops.

The space of planning of fruit farming is done in square. The distance between the two mango tree are 15 feet. Al together the fuit farming plot forms a 15 feet by 15 feet square pattern which also filters air quality and provides a natural shade to the people.

3.1.5. Study on bamboo technology Bamboo joinery and connection Diagonal lashing technique is followed to join two different bamboo members here at life school centre pavilion house. Prior to diagonal lashing the two bamboo member are joined with long vertical metal plate with nails and after that round lashing and diagonal lashing are done as shown in figure 5-9.

Figure 3-2 diagonal lashing with metal plate

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Plugin bolt connection techniques are also done to join two bamboo member. These new techniques of low tech joinery methods ensure easy replacement and maintenance in future purpose.

Also the bolt of varying size is available in market which helps to make variable bolt connection if the diameter of the bamboo is big. However, rusting usually occurs in the nut bolt if it is not painted and finished well. Also there is high chance of bamboo splitting during this joinery process.

Drill machines are required to make bolt connection. So the holes are made gently and smoothly so that bamboo do not get crack during the joinery process. The nut bolt required a further one round cap so that it does not slip over the bamboo surface during fixing process.

Figure 3-3 plugin/bolt connection

Figure 3-4 L shaped metal plate

Life school centre has used maximum number of metal plates to connect the vertical and horizontal bamboo in order to provide additional strength so that the bamboo didn’t slipped.

The metal plate is a kind of L shaped having 9-inch length and 4-inch width. The thickness of the metal plate was 1 inch. The nails were driven into the bamboo for joining purpose.

Angle joinery technique is also adapted here at life school centre where two bamboos are cut off at edges in 45-degree angle and they are joined with nails. But here cracks were seen since the nail were not properly driven into the bamboo.

Figure 3-5 angle joinery technique with nail

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Figure 3-6 bolt connection for triple bamboo

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1 feet long bolt is also used here to join 3 bamboo member. By doing this so we can replace the bamboo member if it gets decayed earlier due to the attacks of insect and weathering.

This method also required drill machines to join three bamboos in order to make it a vertical post to withstand roof load and other imposed load.

Use of bamboo frame in Assembly hall

Figure 3-7 plan of assembly hall showing bamboo poles

Assembly hall at life school centre uses bamboo as a primary building material with good air ventilation and light penetration system. The plan is shown as shown in figure 5-13 which shows the unit of 8 bamboo member in a concrete footing. A 2 feet by 2 feet concrete footing has altogether 8 bamboos (4 bamboos in two unit) which forms an entire structural system of the building. The detail of the bamboo member is as shown in figure 5-15

Figure 3-9 detail at H

Figure 3-8 detail at I

The spacing of the bamboo poles at assembly hall is variable ranging from 3 feet to 6 feet centre to centre. The size of the concrete footing is 3 feet by 2 feet with round stone finishing.

The height of the bamboo truss reaches up to 33 feet at assembly hall. The height of the concrete footing is 4 feet. The air ventilation is well maintained with the use of bamboo structure. The bamboo of diameter 4 inch-5 inch is used in this bamboo frame at assembly hall. The long bamboo frames are joined with bolts, lashing and nails The good provision of air ventilation is maintained in this hot arid climatic zone by having 33 feet tall bamboo frame.

The figure 16 and 17 below shows well illustration of bamboo frame available at assembly hall of life school centre.

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Figure 3-11 bamboo frame at assembly hall

Figure 3-10 training session at assembly hall

Use of vertical bamboo post in dormitory building The vertical bamboo is used here at dormitory building of life school centre. The spacing of the vertical poles is also variable which are usually 6 feet, 7 feet, 8 feet and 15 feet. These spacing are not uniform in the plan. The corner bamboo post has 3 bamboo member whereas the intermediate bamboo post has 2 bamboo member. To insert the bamboo into surface, there is a provision of 4-inch diameter metal ring plate. The two metal ring plate hold two bamboo post as shown in figure. The height of the bamboo post is 7 feet in section.

Figure 3-12 vertical bamboo post

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Figure 3-13 metal ring plate to insert bamboo

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Working procedure of bamboo truss making

Figure 3-14 bamboo truss at canteen building

Bamboo truss are made within the site premises here at life school centre. The bamboo required to make frame are joined with GI wire. Additional iron rod is clamped at the edge of the bamboo so that the bamboo may not be slipped form its direction. 45-degree angle joinery is done at the apex as shown in figure. After this process the large bamboo frame are transported manually with the help of labourer and later on they are erected using rope by maintaining balance over both sides. This kind of bamboo frame construction techniques requires high degree of connection but here in Nepal only simple nailing and gi wire binding is done to ensure the safety.

Figure 3-15 bamboo truss making process

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Findings and Analysis on use of bamboo construction technique -

Life school centre has used bamboo as exoskeleton system of construction with good air ventilation system through the use of bamboo jaali and bamboo fenestration. The bamboo is used as structural element in both sub structure and superstructure with new kind of bamboo joinery techniques like bolt connection, rattan lashing and metal ring hole. These techniques have proved that still in Nepal we can improve bamboo joinery techniques by the means of available resources and technician even in rural village for new neo vernacular construction. But yet villagers have not been able to translate this technique to their local homes and building due to the lack of transmission of technic from bamboo experts to villagers.

-

Since the bolt connection of bamboo joinery technique has been used in life school centre building the rusting of the iron nuts and bolts is frequently making the connection tight which causes cracking of bamboo during hot season. So the nut bolts should be well finished to protect it from rusting and timely maintenance is to be done.

-

The rattan lashing is done diagonally along with metal sheet connection but the lashing gets removed and rope fluctuates after some years. To make it more tight, factory made rope connector lashing and plastic rope lashing can be implemented to increase the performance of bamboo lashing.

-

Irregular bamboo has been used in roof purlin and roof rafter which causes difficulty in maintaining regular tile laying. So improve that issue the bamboo of regular size and bamboo with less bending shall be used to increase the time of roof tile laying.

The bamboo frame used here at life school centre creates an aesthetic motifs and elevation in both interior environment and exterior environment. However, the 33 feet tall bamboo creates difficulty in maintenance of bamboo structure. The height of human proportion can be maintained so that the easy cleaning and repairing

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3.2.

Janakpur women’s development centre, Nepal

3.2.1. Project description Location

: Kuwa, Janakpurdham

Established date: 1989 (1980, CLAIRE BURKET) Target group : social entrepreneur and needy women

3.2.2. Architecture zoning

The plan has wide area with a sunken courtyard in between. Block D is the pottery block, C is Sewing block, B is the studio block and A is the training block. The planning layout scenario has been illustrated in other figures above. These blocks are arrange around a central courtyard with a stepped plaza in the center which creates a common

communicative

space

and

also

sometimes if some displays are to be made or related programs or any sorts of meeting are to be conducted, then this open area serves out well.

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3.2.3. Area analysis

3.2.4. Elevation / Section analysis

The elevation is properly balanced both horizontally and vertically. Wide rood flanges ad balanced fenestrations give an appealing look to the elevation. The extrusions and intrusions are offended however the turns given to the building and the void spaces in between creates a space within space scenario. Lights and air circulation sufficiently penetrates throughout the building. And the trees and vegetation not only renders the environment but also filters the air and naturally shades the building.

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This building block as shown in figure below holds a pottery square outside in the front yard where the outdoor working is conducted. Over all area is semi enclosed except the store and wcs, that are fully enclosed. An approach towards rain water harvesting is also done. Overall, a linear and open working area is created.

The studio section is enclosed with different sections as per the level of basic or advanced or the training section. However, interior and exterior working area is created as the corridors underneath the overhangs are used as both circulation area and the working spaces. Interior here is also flexible and adjustable as regular plan is served with regulated openings for the balance of air flow and amount of light required for a studio.

Training hall of size 18’ x 27’ with 5’ verandah outside has a capacity of training 12 trainees at a time providing 37 sq.ft area per person. Verandah outside creates a transitional area or resting space before entering inside. There is no specific room for store rather build up space is given for the materials placement

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This is the block separated for woman specially, where there is spaces divided for Admin, printing, drying, sewing, painting and all. Both interior and exterior spaces are equally functional. Women can work both in and out as per their choice as the corridor and lobby area serves sufficient space to workout. This block is arranged linearly as well and a break through space of 16’ x 6’ is provided at one edge for the air cross purpose for effective air circulation.

We can observe, how the art has been expressed throughout in a building. The walls and the supporting vertical posts seem so creative and communicative. The space outside or inside is not left out boring with interpretation of these arts. These add a different and unique aesthetics to the building and we can have a vision that even such building can be appealing. Detailed moldings in the wall and chajjas and the twisted post add up the intimation to the building. We can also observe females eating lunch in the corridor which is quite interactive and creating a provision for breaking out.

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Chajjas are covered with the mud plates having sharp concaveness with the longitudinal grooves with the provision to escape out through water and its flow in case of rainy season and the air trap factor during summer along with the anesthetizing property. The horizontal eaves board surrounding the chajjas are equally crucial, which is made out of timber with regulating cutouts and act as a sun shading and holding gutters above as well.

Since open activities are preferred, the display, discussion are conducted openly. And the drying process is also preferred for the natural drying taking the advantage of the location itself.

Figure 3-16: open art display and discussion

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Harsar village, Nepal

3.3.1. Village description Harsar village lies in Dhanusa district, Nepal. The village is located 10 km far away from Janakpur municipality, Dhanusa. This Harsar village lies in the south eastern part of Nepal, within half an hour drive from Janakpur. This village has local vernacular architecture composed of bamboo building construction with sustainable features. Observation tool was followed in this village to find out and analyze how bamboo are used in local building typology.

Figure 3-17 location of Harsar village

3.3.2. Selection criteria This case study of village will answer following research question: -

What is the composition of architecture planning of village?

-

How is the social and economic status of the villagers?

-

How villager uses bamboo in their house construction?

-

What kind of bamboo joinery technique are used by villager?

-

How bamboo is used in vernacular architecture of local village for earthquake resistance and sustainable design features?

3.3.3. Architecture planning The site is located in inner terai between wide flat plain land. It is nearby the main road line and is obliquely approachable from the road. The courtyard housing system can be experienced in village of Harsar.

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Figure 3-18: Geographical location of the site

3.3.4. Architecture character Modernly influenced house prevailed in the edges of the road networks, that were constructed in the skeletal frame construction system. They implemented colors, flat terraces, overhangs and arches as well. High floor heights has been maintained and the sub corridor zone as verandah is given in both upper and ground floors. The initiation to the change of skyline has been broadening. Mimicing the buildings with modern materials is increasing at an extent.

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The other size that lied on the inner area is the vernacularity, were actual beauty lies.

Constructed of local materials, reflecting the culture and linear skyline is the best part of it.

Execution of mithila arts on the walls, broad overhangs cover the building creating a transition beneath

create the communcating buildings, their linear placement with respect to the

courtyard is their utmost architectural character.

3.3.5. Study and analysis on use of bamboo technology Preservation, Transportation and storage of bamboo Usually villagers at Harsar village uses ox cart to carry and transport bamboo from one place to another. Villagers have no such idea of treating the bamboo to increase their life span. The fresh cut bamboo is transported from village to Janakpur municipality where they sell bamboo to earn their living. Bamboo are grown at river side premises also. But river transportation system is not used here since there is lack of water at river due to excessive degradation of forest and watershed area. The idea of cutting bamboo about 30 cm above the ground in order to not destroy the rhizome is not followed here in village. Instead of it villager cut the bamboo randomly which cause less chance of growth of next phase of bamboo from its rhizome.

Untreated bamboo is used by villager for building construction. Hence there should be awareness campaign to villagers about how bamboo should be treated in an economical way to increase the life span of bamboo.

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Figure 3-19 fresh cut bamboo transported with ox cart

Bamboo joinery and connection Villagers at Harsar village are familiar with low technology connection for bamboo joinery. It is because of lack of technical education and economical factor. They use rope and GI wire to connect bamboo poles and bamboo post. The horizontal and vertical members of bamboo are mostly joined with galvanized iron wire. No such lashing techniques are adapted by villagers due to lack of technical knowledge.

Figure 3-20 bamboo joined with rope and gi wire

Bamboo in wall partition construction Bamboo are mostly used in construction of wall partition here at Harsar village. In figure below we can see use of bamboo with vertical flattened bamboo tied with horizontal member with the help of rope. Since bamboo are used in wall partition, this makes villagers feel safe

Figure 3-21 bamboo used in partition wall

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and sound from earthquake forces. Because the bamboo partition wall is light weight in construction than concrete brick wall.

So chance of accident is less during earthquake when wall partition falls. Also the mud plaster gets easily attached with the network of flattened bamboo making the thermal insulation property favourable in spite of hot arid climate.

Bamboo in roof construction In Harsar village the people uses bamboo mostly as rafter and purlin member. At first the long horizontal bamboo is laid and over that flattened bamboo are layered along with some mud plaster to make a good thermal mass.

Usually villagers make a 1’-6� span centre to centre in roof construction. But the spacing varies depending upon the size of the bamboo

Figure 3-22 bamboo used in floor slab and roof

Bamboo used in boundary wall Villager uses bamboo in constructing the boundary wall also. These bamboo wall are very light weight and economical as compared to brick wall.

These bamboo wall are placed by making 10-inch hole in earth surface. In these bamboo boundary wall they dry their clothes and cow dung fuel, Guitha (made up of cow dung and straw) are also stacked and dried.

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Figure 3-23 bamboo boundary wall

Finding and analysis Bamboo lattice work are done by villagers themselves and they use mud plaster techniques to create thermal mass for sustainable design features making the building cool during summer and warm during winter, the heat dissipation and transmission is carried out in controlled manner if bamboo and mud are used collectively for wall partition construction.

Figure 3-24 bamboo lattice work (Taati)

Also the villager has less idea on preservation technique of bamboo. Hence any local agency shall facilitate for villager to explore the treatment method of bamboo to enhance the bamboo construction technique. Flattened bamboo are mostly used in floor slab construction which requires proper lashing and joining technique to increase seismic performance of bamboo beams and rafter during earthquake and natural disaster.

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Friendship center, Bangladesh

3.4.1. Project description Architect: Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury/URBANA Client: Friendship NGO Design: 2008-2010 Completed: 2011

3.4.2. Selection criteria Friendship centre will answer the following question for this design thesis project of life school centre: -

How planning of training hall and accommodation unit are done in training centre?

-

What are the basic requirement for the support area of training hall?

-

What are the landscape strategy for the building in flood prone zone?

-

How air ventilation and natural light are controlled without use of HVAC?

-

How architecture can be so organic in site and surrounding?

3.4.3. Project introduction The Friendship Centre is a training facility for a non-governmental organisation in the flatlands of rural, northern Bangladesh, near the Brahmaputra-Jamuna River. Friendship is an INGO which has done transformative work in the region and the people who are trained here live in the floodplains of the river, on land that floods almost annually, and on sandbars that are destroyed every time by the river.

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3.4.4. Context study Situated just north of the Tropic of Cancer, Gaibandha where this project is located is hot and humid for most of the year, with the average temperature around 25.2°C. The temperatures are highest in August, at 28.6°C, and lowest in January, with an average temperature of 18.2°C, which gives the average temperatures a variance of 10.4°C annually.

The monsoon is long – again almost five months of the year, from May/June through September, with average annual rainfall around 208 cm. The site, like its surroundings, was a paddy field. It is slightly lower than the road, and is part of a landscape that continues in all directions – lush green, studded with small sheds and low-cost structures.

3.4.5. Architecture planning The inspiration for the building came from the Buddhist monasteries in the area, and the exposed brickwork, stark character and quadrilateral layout are clearly the architectural influence. To build on this site with a conventional building, (earth-fill, foundations and raising the building by 2.4 metres, the level necessary to prevent flooding) would have required threequarters of the budget. The architect, Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury, chose then to build directly on the low land and protect the entire site with an embankment which could be built and maintained for much less.

Building geometry and plan The building is cruciform in plan, with circulation lengthwise down the centre, connecting the two exterior stairs, and the two parts of the programme bisecting the site in the other direction – the training “Ka” block and accommodation “Kha” block. Between the two blocks are large tanks to collect rainwater.

The “Ka” block contains the reception pavilion, offices, library, training/conference rooms and pavilions, a prayer space and a small “cha-shop”. The “Kha” block, connected by three archways, is for more private functions and houses the dormitories, the dining pavilion and staff and family quarters.

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Landscape The landscaping is in two plains – at grade, brick paving in all the circulation areas, and reflecting pools and green courtyards; and at roof level – earthen rooftops with green cover which act as insulators, and absorb rainwater. The programme is organised around a series of pavilions, courtyards and reflecting pools creating a simple, clear vocabulary.

The landscaping in the Friendship Centre; the construction of an embankment with a water run-off pumping facility, presents solution to the existing threat and design problem of possible flooding. Rainwater and surface run-off are collected in the series of pools as shown in fig 1, and the excess is pumped into an excavated pond. These water bodies also assists in the circulation of cool air throughout the building, creating natural micro climate of its own.

The centre is surrounded in and around by green courtyards and green coverings on the earthen rooftops of the buildings as shown in fig 2. These green bodies support the design idea of broken forms and pavilions with open spaces creating natural cross ventilation as a results of which additional expense of use of air conditioning is avoided.

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3.4.6. Architecture Programme analysis

The building plan is mainly in the two parts of the programme – the training “Ka” block (a more public working and training side) and accommodation “Kha” block (a more private residential side), with circulation lengthwise down the centre, connecting the two exterior stairs.

Reception, tea shop and prayer hall are the common service areas in the training block, and the kitchen dining pavilion for the accommodation block, with two guard houses along the two exterior stairs as shown in fig 1.

As shown in fig 2, the training rooms and pavilions in the training block, and the staff quarters in the accommodation block are given important consideration; providing enough areas for interaction or private moments considering their stay for over a period of a week or more. Also the training blocks are provided with the break out and gathering spaces beside training halls.

Training Facilities section

In the training facilities section, positioning of reception service area is done in such a way to cater both the training classes as well as training pavilion and guide them to their respective functions.

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The tentative program formulation of the training block is mentioned below: • 1 Reception 71.5 m2 • 2 Offices 31.8 m2 • 1 Library 14.3 m2 • 5 Training Rooms 328.4 m2 • 2 Training Pavilions 38.1 m2 • 2 Breakout Pavilions 43.9 m2 • 1 Mosque 32.7 m2 • 1 Tea Shop 6.1 m2 • 3 Toilets 23.4 m2

In the friendship centre, spacious planning of training hall along with open training pavilion is found to be done with important consideration for the gathering as well as break out pavilions as shown in fig a. The training rooms are built with flexibility of variable usages as per need and preferences of the respective training, as demonstrated by the use of meeting hall by joining 2 training halls in figure above. Important care is given to the prayer halls’ positioning as well as in the designing of other ancillary spaces such as offices, libraries, toilets, circulation spaces etc.

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Accommodation Facilities section

In accommodation facilities section, important care is given to the buffering of spaces in between male and female accommodation while also creating common interacting spaces in between them. Kitchen and dining pavilion serves as he common service area in between these different accommodation as shown in fig a.

Convenient circulation spaces along with sufficient necessary ancillary spaces further add architecture excellence to the design consideration of providing enough areas for interaction or private moments considering their stay for over a period of a week or more.

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• 12 Rooms (Men) 158.5 m2 • 7 Rooms (Women) 101.1 m2 • 2 Apartments 74.8 m2 • 3 Staff Quarters 48.3 m2 • 1 Dining 136.8 m2 • 1 Kitchen and Pantry 22.8 m2 • 1 Housekeeping Services + Store 22.8 m2 Wholesome area analysis Total Built Area 1’155.3 m2 Circulation, Courtyards, etc. 1’866.4 m2 Water Treatment plant 11.8 m2 Generator and Guard Room 19.8 m2 TOTAL BUILT AREA 3’053.3 m2

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3.4.7. Structure, Material and building technique analysis

The structure is loadbearing brick masonry with reinforced concrete at times due to it being a seismic zone. The brick, used in the paving, steps, plinth, benches, half-walls and loadbearing walls are locally made in a kiln 3.5 km away from the site.

The bricks were sorted for size, shape and colour by the site engineers, and only 300 bricks were kept out of every 1,000 produced at the kiln. Even out of the 300, those that were aesthetically inferior were used in the foundations and other unseen parts of the building; so only the highest-quality bricks are visible. This was another way they could keep the costs down and yet have a beautiful exposed brick finish.

The local architecture is very simple – the temporary structures built of bamboo, thatch and galvanised-iron sheets. More permanent structures are built on raised mounds of earth, on the edge of low-lying paddy fields. These are homes in brick masonry, plastered and limewashed. There were a few shops, some temporary, some permanent, lining at times both sides of the road. No other structures exist – the lack of government buildings or any other infrastructure was surprising.

The most prominent building material in Bangladesh, in fact in all of Bengal, is terracotta.

Crafts are often in terracotta, as the clay in the delta is exceptional. Also, there is very little stone available in the region, and so all construction of low-rise structures is in brick, usually loadbearing, or reinforced-concrete frame with brick infill. There are thousands of brick kilns dotted across the country, as this is a large part of the informal economy.

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3.4.8. Contextual performance analysis In response to financial constraints, the architect of this project articulates an architecture of the essential – the basic and fundamental are at the core of this design process and at the centre of the lives of the people the building serves. So within the extreme limitations of means there is a search for what he describes as the “luxury of light and shadows, of the economy and generosity of small spaces, and the joy of movement and discovery”.

The building is organised and functions with a clarity, yet there is a looseness, a casualness, which allows the plan to breathe. The movement around the reflecting pools, through the courtyards, is effortless. Spaces flow easily. But it is the light that is captivating. Is it because all the light is coming from above? There is no horizontal light because of the bund wall, so in essence the entire building is top-lit. Somehow this connection, between an architecture of the land, and the light coming down from above, makes for a very elemental building; a building of and for the people.

3.4.9. Climatic performances analysis There are three clear, decisive ways in which the building works well in this hot, humid climate: • Cross-ventilation is taken advantage of right through the building – from the layout of the rooms and courtyards, to the detailing of the doors and windows, the building is kept cool with passive airflow.

• Exposed brick masonry construction is breathable, thereby acting as a good insulator, yet allowing porous bricks to dry out after the dampness of the monsoon.

• The building is at grade, but because of the 2.4 metres high bund it has many of the climatic advantages of being a subterranean structure • The treatment of water, and the imminent danger of flooding in the monsoon, is one of the most critical components of the design. Building on this site, in the flatlands of the river delta,

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essentially requires the building to be raised to a level above the flood line, which in this case would be 2.4 metres high. The earthen bund around the building, along the periphery of the site, prevents the floodwater from penetrating any further.

• For the rainwater that falls within the footprint of the building, there are two large, deep tanks, which are located between the two programmatic sections of the building – between the training and the accommodation facilities. These tanks are connected to the third tank on the adjoining site, which was purchased by Friendship more recently as a large holding pond for additional rainwater, but also used as a hatchery for fresh-water fish farming. These three tanks, with the additional reflecting pools, apparently take into consideration large safety margins. The system has been designed by Thai hydraulic/mechanical engineers who have worked in similar conditions before.

• Also, the sewerage system and septic tanks have been clearly isolated from the drainage system (with respect to invert levels, etc.) so as to not contaminate the water table.

3.4.10. Emergency situation For response and planning for, emergency situations, the building justifies from basic three parameter which of them are as follows: • During Earthquakes – due to it being in a seismic zone. Each room has a clear egress out in to courtyards, with few or no corridors.

• During Fire – egress is through the courtyards and then via one of two stairs, over the earthen bund.

• During Flooding – at times of flooding there are holding tanks and pumps. But even if the electricity fails, the tanks have adequate capacity.

3.4.11. Design Inferences • Design ideas about changing Threats into Opportunity.

• Design ideas about tackling natural hazards with creative yet practical thinking.

• Necessary knowledge about planning of training blocks, accommodation blocks and their subsequent supporting units with more interactive spaces.

• Knowledge about the innovative and function creation of natural micro climate, which can tackle the use of HVAC and save expenses.

• Site and surrounding responsive design provides much more architecture excellence.

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Thread cultural center, Senegal

Architect: Toshiko Mori Architects Location: Senegal, Africa Design: 2013-2014 Completed: 2015

3.5.1. Selection criteria Thread cultural centre will answer the following question for this design thesis project of life school centre: -

How rainwater are collected and used inside the building where village has no municipal and sewerage line?

-

How demonstration plot land are segregated in architecture planning of training centre?

-

How flexible unprogrammed space are designed in training centre for multiple activities?

-

How natural building material are incorporated to create comfortable living environment inside the building?

3.5.2. Introduction Thread, is a cultural centre and artists’ residency for the small village of Sinthian, in the Tambacounda region of southeast Senegal. Located next to a health centre, the only one with a doctor in a range of 60 kilometres, it complements its activities by bringing full-circle the notion of culture as means to provide a holistic and socially just approach to health, education, nutrition and entrepreneurship. Built with local materials and limited resources, its provides a flexible space for a multiplicity of purposes, under one large rainwater-catchment thatched roof, that revolves around two open courtyards. The Centre hosts both local and international artists, as well as providing much-needed support for educational and agricultural activities

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3.5.3. Context study

The local economy is based primarily on agriculture, particularly cotton and peanuts.

Ethnically, it’s one of the most diverse regions of Senegal, with more than 12 tribal lineages present. Religion depends on ethnicity, and the majority of the population, the Polars, are Muslim, whereas the Bassari group are predominantly Christian.

Sinthian is a village roughly an hour’s drive south of Tambacounda, the regional capital, 400 kilometres east of Dakar. It sits in the geographical centre between four other villages, in what is known as “la zone bananière”, a large cooperative banana plantation, active since 1993.

Today Sinthian is the home to some 800 inhabitants, more than half of whom are children.

The village is ruled by a chief, who operates in conjunction with the marabout, the Muslim spiritual leader of the community. There is both a pre-primary and a primary school.

The main civic infrastructure is a health centre, the “Maison médicale mutualiste de Sinthian”, the largest medical facility, and the only one with a doctor, in the entire sub-prefecture, one that serves, on a cooperative membership basis, 500 families across the area.

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3.5.4. Architecture planning

The inspiration of architecture design of the thread cultural centre is based majorly in the power of observation of the existing local construction with local materials. In this project, the architect Toshiko Mori transform the use of local materials and local construction with careful, innovative and practical interventions to complement this cultural hub with the existing building on the site.

The thread cultural centre was built initially in the surroundings of already existing clinics, existing houses, a kindergarten and farming school, which informed the use of materials including compressed earth and thatch. Based on these existing observation, architecture planning of thread cultural centre begins with entry from 4 entrances at N, E, W and S direction.

N and S entrance leads directly onto the centre along with subsequent guard houses, storages and parking areas. Entry from W entrance is marked with the blend of existing path with new path onto the cultural centre. The supporting areas for cultural centre such as guest house, direction residence, solar panels are also built around the cultural centre’s surrounding.

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Architecture programme analysis

The Thread has indoor and outdoor studio, two single bedrooms with bathroom and kitchen for visiting artists at each end of the building. All interior spaces are connected by a system of narrow canals that serve particular loop connecting all environments and leave underscores the vital importance of water.

In the middle of building a large common space, outdoors, with two patios protected from rain and intense heat on the sides, where general meetings, local performances or the market are made, also surrounded by fine channels open that flow into each collection tanks located at the ends of the plant. The break out and gathering spaces serve as the multiple programs for the community with multivalent and ever-evolving functions. Climatic considerations figure prominently into the building’s form and specify the orientation of the studios and covered gallery areas. The building also offers ample shading of outdoor areas and considers wind orientation for ventilation.

The program formulation of the thread cultural center provides ample amount of knowledge about judicious, efficient and effective use of spaces while designing any cultural centers.

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Roof analysis The main building is essentially a 1’000 m2 roof. Designed through a “parametric transformation of the traditional pitched roof”, it generates a figure-of-eight-shaped geometry that inscribes two elliptic courtyards where rainwater is collected and channelled into two ditches that lead to the two, 570 m3 water reservoirs. The two artist residencies are located in large rooms located under the roof, at the opposite corners of each short edge of the building.

Roughly 20 m2 in size, they are comprised of a kitchen corner and an en-suite bathroom, and each open up to one of the courtyards.

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Section analysis

As seen in the wall section of fig 1, the main structure is made using bamboo framework and walls made from compressed earth blocks. The bricks were formed on site and help to absorb heat, while perforated wall sections encourage air to flow through and naturally ventilate the interior while cutting off dusts and rainwaters into the building. Thatch, local material is used the roof covering with the bamboo framework serving as the roofs’ substructure.

Rainwater gets collected into large reservoir through perforated canal cover with the help of undulating inversely pitched thatch roof as shown in fig 2. These thatched roof is supported on a framework that relies on numerous columns. This system is believed to collect up to 40% of domestic water consumed by the population and that comes from the rain, better accessibility and reduced risk of contamination when compared with the usual collection systems and wells. The Centre has 2 tanks with 280,000 litres capacity where it is collected and purified water.

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Pavilion analysis

Pavilion in thread centre is designed considering the climatic conditions and also serving as the large common space where general meetings, local performances or the market are made.

These pavilions with two patios are protected from rain and intense heat on the sides by the creative intervention of inversed pitched roof through parametric transformation by creating shaded studio area and outdoor areas with the overhanging roof sections. These pavilions are also surrounded by fine channels open that flow into each collection tanks.

Demonstration farm analysis

Rainwaters collected into the two large reservoirs through canals, are used in the thread centre’s site surrounding by the local woman for farming as demonstrated by the fig show above. These innovative roof design which collects and retains rainwater, creates a viable source for the majority of these new agricultural projects during the eight-month dry season that comes solely from the rain, with better accessibility and reduced risk of contamination when compared with the usual collection systems and wells.

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3.5.5. Structure, Material and building technique

The technology adopted is a conventional vertical masonry loadbearing system that supports a metal primary roof structure. On top of this, the wooden rafter and bamboo purlins support the thatch roof.

• Structural systems: Set above a concrete ring-beam foundation, the vertical loadbearing system is made of compressed-earth block walls and concrete columns and beams. The roof structure is assembled through primary steel members, and secondary wooden purlins and rafters.

• Structural members: Compressed-earth blocks assembled with mortar, and concrete columns.

• Renderings and finishes: All the vertical surfaces (walls and columns) are plastered and painted white. The roof finish is thatch. The floor is beautifully articulated, embedding broken shard of tiles

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3.5.6. Building service There are few services available. The electricity is generated through a solar power plant. The piping runs inside the walls and is concealed within the roof structure. Running water is extracted with a solar-powered mechanical pump from a ground well in the medical centre compound and distributed to all the toilet points. There are two septic tanks that are shared with the health centre.

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Architect Toshiko Mori has creatively intervened the local materials and local construction techniques with the use of parametric transformation. These inversely pitched thatch roof beside of providing shades from the rain and intense heat, also provides a practical innovation of rainwater harvesting (the inversion of the roof through its particular geometry enables an optimal amount of runoff rain water to be collected) with the use of series of sloped water canal serving as the catchment area of runoff rainwater, which is subsequently then collected into the adjacent covered water reservoir. The project also offers an iconic shape in a landscape that is a vast, flat bush land.

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Pani community center, Bangladesh

3.6.1. Project description Architects: SchilderScholte architects Location: Rajarhat, Bangladesh Area: 910.0 sqm Project Year: 2014 Building costs: €44.000,- (excl. VAT)

3.6.2. Selection criteria This case study shall answer the following question: - How bamboo post is spanned for modular construction system?

- How are bamboo rafter used with metal truss for CGI roof construction?

- How are the bamboo used in sub structure and super structure?

3.6.3. Introduction The building serves as a community centre for folks from the region, aged from toddlers to elder people. This building in the North-Bengal city Rajarhat functions as a technical school and neighbourhood centre, with the aim of structurally improving the position of the people living in the neighbourhood.

Children of so-called ‘landless people’ who, due to their traditional caste system, have almost no opportunity for improving their social economic position, can attend school. Their parents work or learn a trade, the women are offered education for their further development. The bamboo bicycles that are made in the workshop are sold in the shop, through which the complex provides for its own income.

3.6.4. Material and building techniques During the design process attention was mainly focused on locally available materials and weather conditions. The starting point was to realize a building using materials and skills from within a 15 miles’ radius around the site. Bamboo, hand-shaped brick, Mango wood, reused steel, local mortar and wafer-thin recycled corrugated panels are the main materials used in the building.

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In the North of Bangladesh, buildings are almost all constructed with bricks in combination with corrugated panels, so the building uses bricks but in an optimized and locally unknown brickwork bond that doesn’t require whole-brick walls for stability, minimizing the costs and maintaining the main advantage, the use of local materials and craftsmanship. U-shaped brick columns support the South facade of the building, thus creating a row of small vertical windows. Ultimately, this can be understood as a single stone wall, a great saving on construction costs, time and labor.

The techniques use for this project are also very easy to learn and diffused by the main contractor, which has contributed to the local construction modernization. This application of local bricks is less expensive and reduces the use of construction wood by combining bamboo with thin concrete floors. This minimized the shortage of wood in Bangladesh as well future maintenance costs.

The school's road-facing facade is made from exposed concrete with a smattering of small square windows, while a row of concealed columns supports its rear facade, producing a series of tall narrow windows that minimize direct sunlight. The inside of each slit window is painted vivid yellow, adding splashes of color across the southern facade.

3.6.5. Bamboo and climate study Although bamboo is seen as an inferior material in the region, the architects have chosen to make the whole roof construction out of it. Even the walls and French doors of the workshop are cladded with it. Thus being a reference to the bamboo bicycle frames that are made here.

The final assembly of the bikes take place at the backside under the roof. The front of the workshop faces the main road and houses the bicycle shop.

Figure 3-26 CGI roof stands over bamboo post

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Figure 3-25 bamboo roof frame study model

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The lattice structure and regular grid of the bamboo columns is simple and also aesthetic.

Every column consists of three pieces of bamboo of differing length, with only one of the three touching the floor and the roof. The top piece of cane inserted between the two outer ones serves as the bearing for the transverse beams, which in turn form the roof structure above the two building volumes. When seen face on, the two outer bamboo canes seem selfsupporting but are actually screwed to the three shorter pieces. The fenestration of the classrooms recalls the vertical gaps between the bamboo that clads part of the building.

The classrooms and lavatories are positioned on the South side and on the North side there is the workshop with store. Two sight lines traverse the building in all four directions. The lifting

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of the roof high above the volumes has achieved a considerable reduction of heat build up within the spaces. Further cooling is provided by cross ventilation, surrounding vegetation and the nearby pond. With the completion of this striking design the architects have proved that conventional local resources and materials can be used to build successful environmentally friendly unconventional architecture.

From a bioclimatic point of view, the orientation of the building allows to emphasize the natural cross ventilation, which prevents costs with electric fans. The roof of the building is suspended to both sides (East and West) providing shade, protecting the biggest openings against rain and collecting rainwater into the courtyard. The concept is to combine and optimize local techniques with local materials. For this the strategy is to participate in the evolution and modernization of the local construction processes without a rupture in the ‘’know how’’ of the population.

Also the use of nearby ponds for natural draft to cool the classrooms was taken into account in the design. The dimensions are chosen with great care, in such a way that direct sunlight into the classrooms is minimized still providing in optimal daylight illumination.

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3.6.6. Floor plan analysis The plan (79x105 ft) is East-West oriented and consists of two volumes under a large bamboo roof construction. The composition of volumes housed under one big U-shaped roof creates interspaces that are open for public use.

There is no architectural loss. On the ground floor there is a covered plaza with adjacent collective lavatories. At first level, on top of the workshop, there is a freely accessible assembly floor for public meetings. This part of the building is connected by a footbridge coming from the classrooms. In the two-storey volume on the southern side of the building, four classrooms provided plenty of daylight are grouped around a double-flight staircase and public toilets as

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well as rooms for water tanks on the second floor. A single-storey bicycle shop and workshop is located on the northern side, topped by a roof terrace used as an assembly space for public meetings and reached by a lattice footbridge leading from the upper-storey classrooms. The covered interspace at the entrance and in the area behind the workshop is also open to the public and is used as gathering places or for work. Two sight lines traverse the building in all four wind directions. This composition of volumes housed under one big U-shaped roof (24x32 mtr.) creates interspaces that are open for public use.

3.6.7. Contextual performance and impact The drive was to encourage locals to become aware on the basic principles of sustainability and durable building concepts. In effect close to zero electricity or fossil fuels were used during construction and other necessities required for erecting this building.

Some biomimicry elements are put on the test here in this building. The brick-built volumes are all plastered and partly painted. The interior walls are coloured in light blue, a hue that flies shun. The splay of the classroom windows are painted yellow, a hue that specific insects dislike. Yellow has been opted as the dominant color.

It refers to the flowers of the mustard plant, a crop that colors large parts of the country from December to January. Grey and black are the other shades, which in turn refer to the color of the Bengal earth before and after rainfall. The selected colours also have a clear function.

Yellow deters mosquitos and blue deters flies. With minimal means a very refined finish.

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3.6.8. Findings and Analysis -

The concrete footing over which bamboo post are inserted goes deep down to 5 feet 5 inch inside earth surface.

-

Concrete footing of 2’-6” x 2’-6” has been used. 0.12-inch stainless steel cable has been used to brace which allows to tie up the bamboo post to withstand the wind force and seismic loads.

-

Total length of longest bamboo is about 23 feet running from ground floor to top roof.

Figure 3-27 stainless steel for wind bracing

-

Figure 3-28 10'x10' modular unit of bamboo post spacing

In roof construction if the bamboo member has to be joined then additional coupler member should be added as per figure 5-28. This coupler helps to withstand breaking and failure of two joined bamboos upon any imposed load.

-

10 feet by 10 feet bamboo grid spacing has been used in this building which provides a frame work for modular system of construction to make construction process more economical and easy for estimation purpose. Also the CGI sheets are punctured at the roof to let the light pass for day lighting in pavilion. 30 feet long bamboo are placed horizontally over which 4 number of 10 feet bamboo member are placed adjacently.

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3.7.

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Tipu sultan merkez, Pakistan

3.7.1. Project description Architect: Eike Roswag, Roswag Architekten Location: Pakistan, Punjab Province Climate Zone: Arid Date of completion: 2011 Site area (m²): 950 Footprint (m²): 125 GFA (m²): 650 Building Costs: 90000 USD

3.7.2. Selection criteria This case study will answer following research question: -

How bamboo is treated in local context of south Asia?

-

How factory made plastic lashing are used in bamboo joinery connection?

-

How bamboo is used in floor slab along with other earth building material?

-

How sustainable features in building are attained from bamboo building construction?

3.7.3. Introduction The design of the school incorporates local building traditions, and is intended as an example of modern earthen architecture in Pakistan. Besides ecological and economic considerations, strengthening the local identity has also played an essential role in the design process.

The project includes two small kindergarten groups, five grammar school classes, and five advanced classes, the last of which is for girls only. Teachers are trained here, and ecological agricultural projects are also supported.

This planned training centre is intended to teach the theoretical and practical basis of modern earth and bamboo construction techniques. Accompanied by an extensive training course, participants are able to specialize in the various disciplines. Training courses are being

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considered in the area of bamboo and earthen construction for craftsmen and in the area of bamboo farming and processing for regional farmers. The establishment of a testing system, certification of training, and an independent quality management system is intended by the architecture offices involved. So this case study will also guide how to fulfill gap between local contractor artisans and architects by introducing graphic based building process manual as shown in annex 15.

3.7.4. Culture and social context The project is located in rural Punjab; more precisely, the school is located close to the village Jar Maulwi in the district of Sheikhupura, approximately 70 km from the important city of Lahore. Punjab qualifies as the country's most densely populated province. The area is characterised by structural poverty, especially a lack of health care, reduced earning opportunities, and educational institutions. The rate of illiteracy in Pakistan is 50%, which is the most severe in all of Asia.

Tipu Sultan Merkez (TSM) is a privately initiated and financed school and development project in Pakistan. It is also TSM's goal to foster the people in and around the village of Jar Maulwi, to support them by encouraging self-help, and by discovering and developing new perspectives. The support of women and girls is also a focus of the project.

TSM also offers training seminars for women and provides support to self-help or small-scale farmers in the area, e.g. by lending the project's tractor and trailer. The project includes a school garden featuring fruit and vegetables as well as ten rice and wheat fields, which have qualified as an example of organic farming in the region since summer 2010.

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3.7.5. Material and building techniques The use of earth as a construction material is especially popular in areas that are level with rivers. The material is a product of flood plains. Wood is also an important traditional building material, but displacement and deforestation continues to make wood expensive and scarce.

Since the traditional earthen building style requires high maintenance and is seen as outdated, more and more people are using baked bricks and concrete, which omits the climatic advantages of earth as a construction material.

The new building is intended to use natural building materials, especially earth and bamboo, which made it an example of sustainable earthen building in the region. This earthen structure is designed as a low-cost and energy-saving alternative to brick and concrete structures, furthermore, it will be more weather resistance and more sustainable than the traditional building structures.

In order to execute this two-story building that is able to withstand earthquakes, separate axissymmetrical structures are produced in two building phases. In the ground floor, this features a heavy earthen body, and the top floor will feature a light bamboo structure.

The three-stage baked brick foundation projecting from the ground forms the base of the school. This protects the school against splashing water and possible flooding and supports the solid earthen walls, which are constructed using the traditional cob technique.

The inserted horizontal barrier between the wall and base protects the earth against rising moisture. Classrooms on the first floor are built using the half-timber technique; the light bamboo structure is filled with earth bricks and covered by a surrounding bamboo weave, which also offers protection against the Sun and rain.

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3.7.6. Bamboo, earth and climate The ceiling and the classic flat-roof structure consist of a triple-layer bamboo structure that is covered with a layer of earth. The moisture-regulating property of the earth in combination with natural cooling at night (ventilation through the window opening) allows additional air conditioning to be omitted during the hot summer months.

In the winter, the building is warmed via passive solar energy due to its north-south orientation.

Sufficient large windows may be opened to provide good natural lighting. The roofed veranda area provides a well-ventilated outdoor room, and the surrounding bamboo curtain also acts as a good sunshade.

Glassed windows to the south collect solar energy to regulate building temperatures in wintertime. In the hot summers, the earth naturally absorbs humidity from night-time crossventilation and then release it into the air during the day. This process cools the interior air to around 8° below outside peak temperatures, providing a comfortable indoor environment.

The combined result of the structure absorbs humidity and the mass of the thick 60 centimeter bearing walls reduces the temperature of interior spaces by 8 degrees Celsius during the 40degree summer heat.

3.7.7. Floor plan analysis

The ground floor is built out of massive 60cm-thick cob walls (a mixture of earth and straw).

For this technique, earth is piled up on the brick foundation without using a formwork. The walls are left to dry, and then the excess is trimmed off with a spade until they have the desired thickness. This project draws upon local earthen building traditions and resident craftsmen's abilities to update the existing method, resulting in a more solid, durable construction. Among other modifications, an underground brick foundation and a horizontal damp-proof course protects the earthen walls against rising damp and splashing rainwater.

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The first-floor walls are built using the wattle-and-daub method: light bamboo frame structures have be constructed and then filled in with earth. The ceilings and roofs are constructed using a system of triple-layer bamboo beams joined with simple knots and steel rods, then covered with a layer of earth. The bamboo is treated with Borax, a natural salt which protects against parasite infestations.

3.7.8. Contextual performance and impact The main ideas of the project are to promote local traditions, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and expensive products from outside the region, and develop natural material and economic cycles. The school is a pilot project for a transformed building method, one which can be adapted for different uses.

The school has been built by residents of surrounding villages, most of whom are directly involved with the center through their children. TSM is a regional social hub, and the new school will demonstrate the potential for future projects in other regions. By promoting local building traditions, the new system will help reinforce rural identity and work against migration to the cities. The method will support healthy living conditions by creating comfortable, safe and durable habitats.

This building has also contributed to economic lifecycle performance. Using natural local materials is very economical and saves resident’s money. More durable buildings provide two advantages: they require less intensive maintenance than traditional buildings, but they last a long time with proper upkeep. Trained craftsmen can start businesses using the new system, and farmers can earn money through bamboo cultivation. Economic cycles are small and locally-based, and rural residents can generate local income by selling their products and services to the cities

3.7.9. Resource efficiency and environmental impact People in Jar Maulwi have very ecological lifestyles: they build using natural resources, grow their own food, etc. However, residents dream of having more durable concrete and brick homes, even though these are less comfortable and more expensive. This project is designed to promote the area's traditional, ecologically-friendly construction culture by keeping the benefits of the traditional methods while making buildings more durable.

The system can be used to construct rooms spanning nearly 6 meters, making it suitable for many modern purposes. The land saved by building a two-storey construction can be used for

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village gardens. Earth and bamboo are natural, adaptable materials which can be returned to nature at the end of the building's lifespan, creating a closed natural cycle. Earth's natural humidity activity provides climate control and thus a healthy indoor environment. The use of fast-growing bamboo instead of wood counters deforestation, an important topic in this area.

3.7.10. Bamboo, earth and climate The ceiling and the classic flat-roof structure consist of a triple-layer bamboo structure that is covered with a layer of earth. These mixtures of bamboo and earth provides good thermal mass for sustainable building features.

Figure 3-29 Bamboo floor slab with earth mud

The moisture-regulating property of the earth in combination with natural cooling at night (ventilation through the window opening) allows additional air conditioning to be omitted during the hot summer months.

In the winter, the building is warmed via passive solar energy due to its north-south orientation.

Sufficient large windows may be opened to provide good natural lighting. The roofed veranda area provides a well-ventilated outdoor room, and the surrounding bamboo curtain also acts as a good sunshade.

Glassed windows to the south collect solar energy to regulate building temperatures in wintertime. In the hot summers, the earth naturally absorbs humidity from night-time crossventilation and then release it into the air during the day. This process cools the interior air to around 8° below outside peak temperatures, providing a comfortable indoor environment.

The combined result of the structure absorbs humidity and the mass of the thick 60 centimeter bearing walls reduces the temperature of interior spaces by 8 degrees Celsius during the 40degree summer heat.

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3.7.11. Finding and analysis -

This building has contributed to economic lifecycle performance through the use of bamboo construction technique. Using natural local bamboo is very economical and saves resident’s money. Trained craftsmen can start businesses using the new system, and farmers have earned money through bamboo cultivation. Economic cycles are small and locally-based, and rural residents have generated local income by selling their products and services to the cities

-

The first-floor walls are built using the wattle-and-daub method: light bamboo frame structures have been constructed and then filled in with earth. The ceilings and roofs are constructed using a system of triple-layer bamboo beams joined with simple knots and steel rods, then covered with a layer of earth. This intervention of modern building material like steel glass satisfies heart of villagers since they hesitate building with bamboo only. But bamboo with other earth building material can create extraordinary result in terms of performance and durability.

-

The bamboo is treated with Borax, a natural salt which protects against parasite infestations in this building. A provision of tall tower shall act as a tool for preservation of bamboo and at the same time that tower can be used as scaffolding as shown in figure.

Figure 3-31 bamboo preservation

Figure 3-30 plastic rope for lashing

-

Plastic rope lashing has been used in this building rather than nut bolt connection.

-

The use of fast-growing bamboo instead of wood counters deforestation, an important contribution and awareness this project implies to village of Pakistan.

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3.8.

128

Cassia cooperative training centre, Indonesia

3.8.1. Project description Location: Sumatra, Indonesia Project: Training facility for cinnamon production Cost: 30,000 Euro Building period: August – November 2011 Built by: TYIN tegnestue with local workers

3.8.2. Project introduction Cassia Co-op Training Centre is a sustainable educational facility built specifically for cinnamon farmers and workers on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Designed by the ever resourceful TYIN Tegnestue, the open-air facility was built to help local laborers receive support, fair payment, education and healthcare. The young Norwegian design/build firm completed the project in just 3 months working with local workers and using local-sourced materials such as wood from the cinnamon tree. Taking lessons learned from their other humanitarian projects, TYIN designed the facility to be naturally ventilated, passively cooled and earthquake resistant.

3.8.3. Material and building techniques Locally-crafted brick was used to create five buildings including a small laboratory, classrooms, offices and a kitchen. The brick acts as thermal mass absorbing heat and keeping the interior spaces cool. The facility is built around existing trees and features a large courtyard and a very large overhanging roof. This provides shade and the layout, open hallways and window placement encourage natural ventilation to keep the space cool. Cassia Co-Op Training Centre is now a space to promote safe, sanitary and socially sustainable working conditions for local farmers and workers.

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The main construction consists of a mass produced Y-pillar, bolted down into a concrete footing. The placement of the pillars subordinates to the floor-plans, while the system of the construction secures tightness and rigidity. Underneath the massive roof surface we find five brick buildings, amongst them a small laboratory, classrooms, offices and a kitchen.

The 600 sq m facility took only 3 months to build at a cost of 30,000â‚Ź using skilled local craftsman, water buffalo, and materials. They first poured a large concrete base onto which they bolted large Y-pillars to ensure structural stability.

Another major challenge of building in this area is the frequent earthquakes. The construction has already survived several quakes reaching over five on the Richters scale. This proves that the idea of separating different building components with different material frequency works.

Cassia Coop Training Centre has passed the test of the forces of nature. This building fulfil its ambition of giving the local farmers and workers a safe, sanitary and socially sustainable workplace.

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3.9.

130

Modern education and training center (METI), Bangladesh

3.9.1. Project description Architects; Anna Heringer, Eike Roswag Location: Rudrapur, Dinajpur district, Bangladesh Footprint Area: 275 sq.m.

Area: 325.0 sq.m.

Project Year: 2007

3.9.2. Project introduction The METI Handmade School, a primary school for 168 students, relies on regional construction and local materials but introduces new approaches for efficiency and structural integrity. METI enables children and young people in the region to take classes up to the age of 14 and provides workshops for trade-oriented professions. The idea is to provide the rural population with access to good, holistically oriented education. The children and young people are encouraged to develop into responsible, motivated and creative personalities and to use their skills to improve and develop their immediate rural environment. Reading, writing and arithmetic as well as languages are offered in a free environment and through open forms of learning. Meditation, dance and creative writing are part of everyday learning at the METI School as are discussions, learning as part of a group and self-critical and social behaviour

3.9.3. Context study Bangladesh is a fertile alluvial land in the Gulf of Bengal and the land with the highest population density in the world. On average nearly 1000 people live in every square kilometre and over 80% of the population live in rural areas. Much of the vernacular built tradition uses earth and bamboo as a building material, however, construction techniques are error-prone

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and many buildings lack foundations and damp proof coursing. Such buildings require regular maintenance, are often prone to damage and last on average only 10 years.

It is particularly important to improve the quality of living in the rural areas in order to counteract the continuing population migration to the cities. The primary potential for developing building in the rural areas is the low cost of labour and locally available resources such as earth and bamboo. The project’s main strategy is to communicate and develop knowledge and skills within the local population so that they can make the best possible use of their available resources. Historic building techniques are developed and improved and the skills passed on to local tradesmen transforming in the process the image of the building techniques.

3.9.4. Concept and Design: METI aims to promote individual abilities and interests taking into account the different learning speeds of the schoolchildren and trainees in a free and open form of learning. It offers an alternative to the typical frontal approach to lessons. The architecture of the new school reflects this principle and provides different kinds of spaces and uses to support this approach to teaching and learning. On the ground floor with its thick earth walls, three classrooms are located each with their own access opening to an organically shaped system of ‘caves’ to the

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rear of the classroom. The soft interiors of theses spaces are for touching, for nestling up against, for retreating into for exploration or concentration, on one’s own or in a group.

The upper floor is by contrast light and open, the openings in its bamboo walls offering sweeping views across the sur- roundings, its large interior providing space for movement.

The view expands across the treetops and the village pond. Light and shadows from the bamboo strips play across the earth floor and contrast with the colourful materials of the saris on the ceiling.

3.9.5. Building construction and techniques The building rests on a 50cm deep brick masonry foundation rendered with a facing cement plaster. Bricks are the most common product of Bangladesh’s building manufacturing industry.

Bangladesh has almost no natural reserves of stone and as an alternative the clayey alluvial sand is fired in open circular kilns into bricks. These are used for building or are broken down for use as an aggregrate for concrete or as ballast chippings. Imported coal is used to fire the kilns.

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Aside from the foundation, the damp proof course was the other most fundamental addition to local earthen building skills. The damp proof course is a double layer of locally available PEfilm. The ground floor is realised as load-bearing walls using a technique similar to cob walling.

A straw-earth mixture with a low straw content was manufactured with the help of cows and water buffalo and then heaped on top of the foundation wall to a height of 65cm per layer.

Excess material extending beyond the width of the wall is trimmed off using sharp spades after a few days. After a drying period of about a week the next layer of cob can be applied. In the third and fourth layers the door and window lintels and jambs were integrated as well as a ring beam made of thick bamboo canes as a wall plate for the ceiling.

As a result of improvements to the bamboo structures and lashing, it was possible to add a second storey to the building. Brick foundations are used to minimize the effects of moisture on the earthen walls. The bricks are made by local craftsmen while the remaining construction work was a collaborative effort by the architects, teachers, students and locals.

The ceiling of the ground floor is a triple layer of bamboo canes with the central layer arranged perpendicular to the layers above and beneath to provide lateral stabilisation and a connection between the supporting beams. A layer of planking made of split bamboo canes was laid on the central layer and filled with the earthen mixture analogue to the technique often used in the ceilings of European timber-frame constructions. The upper storey is a frame construction of four-layer bamboo beams and vertical and diagonal members arranged at right angles to the building. The end of the frames at the short ends of the building and the stair also serve to stiffen the building. These are connected via additional structural members with the upper and lower sides of the main beams and equipped with additional windbracing on the upper surface of the frame. A series of bamboo rafters at half the interval of the frame construction beneath provide support for the corrugated iron roof construction and are covered with timber panelling and adjusted in height to provide sufficient run-off.

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3.9.6. Finishes and fittings The exterior surface of the earth walls remains visible and the window jambs are rendered with a lime plaster. The framework constructon of the green façade to the rear is made of bamboo canes seated in footings made of old well pipe and with split horizontal timbers as latticework. The interior surfaces are plastered with a clay paster and painted with a limebased paint. The ‘cave’s are made of a straw-earth daub applied to a supporting structure of bamboo canes and plastered with a red earth plaster.

The upper storey façades are clad with window frames covered with bamboo strips and coupling elements hung onto the columns of the frame construction. A fifth layer of cob walling provides a parapet around the upper storey forming a bench running around the perimeter of the building and anchoring the upper storey frame construction and roof against wind from beneath. A textile ceiling is hung beneath the roof is lit from behind in the evening. The cavity behind the textiles ventilates the roof space.

On-site labour using and training the local workforce: The masonry foundation was constructed by a company from the regional capital Dinajpur around 20km from Rudrapur. The earth building works and bamboo construction were undertaken by local labourers. The building techniques were implemented and developed on the job together with architects and tradesmen from Germany and Austria. 25 local tradesmen from the vicinity were trained during the building works creating new jobs and providing professional “help for self-help”.

.

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3.10. Dipshikha Electrical Skill Improvement (DESI), Bangladesh 3.10.1. Project description Clients: NGO Dipshikha Architect: Anna Heringer Advisor in earthen structures: Martin Rauch Location: Rudrapur, Bangladesh, Asia Technique: Cob

3.10.2. Project introduction The DESI building is a new interpretation of the traditional Bangladeshi homestead. Typically in rural Bangladesh all of the various household functions - eating, sleeping, washing, etc. are performed in separate structures that are built around a central courtyard. The DESI building, however, attempts to incorporate all of the functions of working and living into a single structure. The design is geared toward a lifestyle that is no longer linked with agriculture, but still linked to the rural context and culture.

DESI (Dipshikha Electrical Skill Improvement) is a vocational school for electrical training. The DESI building houses two classrooms, two offices, and two residences for the school instructors. There is a separate bathroom with two showers and two toilets for the teachers and a bathroom facility with toilets and sinks on the ground floor for the students.

3.10.3. Technology and Building service It is very difficult to find educated persons who like to live in rural areas.“ (Paul Tigga, Executive director of Dipshikha) DESI is an attempt to find adequate solutions for an enhanced rural living that also shows the next level of building development.

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The crucial moment in development is the step from low-income to middle class houses. The trend in Bangladesh shows it very clear – it is a shift in the building materials – from earth to fired brick. What the DESI building wants to show is that the difference between a basic and developed architecture lies in an increased input on craftsmanship, on technical know-how and creativity. This shows a very fair way of development that doesn’t create a gap between poor and rich nor old and modern. It is a motivation for enhancing craftsmanship, a support on local markets and an increasing cultural pride and sense of identity.

Solar panels produce 100% of the building’s energy needs. A solar thermal heating system provides warm water. Solar panels also directly power a motor which pumps water from a well into the water tank. The toilets have their own two-chamber septic tank. This is the first time that sanitary units have been built into earth houses in Bangladesh, proving that mud and bamboo are flexible enough to accommodate modern lifestyle requirements.

The building is a perfect balance of high tech and low tech – very basic building methods are combined with modern, alternative energy power systems. Because the building is passively heated and cooled and optimizes natural light and ventilation, the relatively small solar panel and battery system provides all of the power the building requires.

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4.

Final Programme Formulation TOTAL SITE 56 ROPANI TOTAL SITE AREA= 28,6361 SQ.M.

BUILT UP AREA ANALYSIS

AREA IN SQ.M.

BUILDING TYPE FARMER'S STATION

GROUND FLOOR 461

FIRST FLOOR 0

TOTAL AREA 461

ADMINISTRATION

293

310

603

MEN'S DORMITORY

395

328

723

WOMEN'S DORMITORY

432

291

723

GUARD HOUSE

65

0

65

CANTEEN 1

323

0

323

TRAINING STATION

831

0

831

LIBRARY

354

0

354

VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

1360

0

1360

CANTEEN 2

323

0

323

EARTH MATERIAL WORKSHOP

580

0

580

METAL WORKSHOP

171

0

171

BAMBOO POLE WORKSHOP

205

0

205

BAMBOO MAT WORKSHOP

270

0

270

COMMON TOILET

111

0

111

GRAND TOTAL BUILT UP AREA =

6174 WHICH IS 22.3% OF SITE

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SQUARE METER GROUND COVER

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

FARMERS STATION PROGRAME SEED STORE PEST STORE FARMER ASSOCIATION HEAD WC WORKING STATION/ACCOUNT FERTILIZER STORE 1 FERTILIZER STORE 2 FARMING VEHICLE STATION GATHERING SPACE

ADMINISTRATION PROGRAME RECEPTION WORKSTATION ACCOUNT VIP LOUNGE HEAD TRAINER 1 HEAD TRAINER 2 STORE WC CONSULTANT ROOM ADVISOR ROOM GRAPHIC DESIGN SENIOR TRAINER MEETING SPACE STORE TREASURER COMMUNICATION MANAGER FILE STORE ARCHIVE WC

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AREA IN SQ.M. AREA 6 6 6 16 13 24 24 95 65

NOS OF PEOPLE

1 5

AREA IN SQ.M. AREA 26 37 8 13 14 14 6 25 11 11 13 14 23 6 7 10 8 18

NOS OF PEOPLE 2 10 3 3 1 1

2 2 6 1 10 1 1

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

CANTEEN 1 (PASSIVE) PROGRAME STORE KITCHEN WC DINING

CANTEEN 2 (ACTIVE) PROGRAME STORE CLOSED KITCHEN OPEN KITCHEN COLD STORAGE OPEN DISH WASH DINING

MEN'S DORMITORY PROGRAME 5 MEN @ 1 ROOM WC WARDEN FAMILY 7 MEN @ 1 ROOM 4 MEN @ 1 ROOM 2 MEN @ 1 ROOM WC 2 MEN @ 1 ROOM 3 MEN @ 1 ROOM 5 MEN @ 1 ROOM 3 MEN @ 1 ROOM

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AREA IN SQ.M. AREA 26 37 8 258

NOS OF PEOPLE 8 90

AREA IN SQ.M. AREA 13 17 25 7 18 243

AREA IN SQ.M. AREA 38 23 40 46 23 10 23 14 18 24 16

NOS OF PEOPLE 1 2 1 2 80

31 CAPACITY NOS OF PEOPLE 5

7 4 2 2 3 5 3

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

WOMEN'S DORMITORY

AREA IN SQ.M.

16 CAPACITY

PROGRAME FAMILY TYPOLOGY 4 WOMEN @ 1 ROOM WC WARDEN FAMILY 7 WOMEN @ 1 ROOM 3 WOMEN @ 1 ROOM STORE 2 WOMEN @ 1 ROOM WC

AREA 46 32 23 39 46 35 8 17 23

VEHICLE TYPE

NOS 6 6 3 2 14 72 110 27

NOS OF PEOPLE 4

7 3 2

PARKING

OX CART AUTO/SAFARI LORRY BUS TRACTOR BIKE CYCLE CAR/JEEP

LIBRARY

AREA IN SQ.M. PROGRAME

STORE LOCKER ISSUE COUNTER NEWSPAPER SECTION INTERNET STATION READING ZONE WIFI HOTSPOT/OUTDOOR READING

TRAINING HALL

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AREA 4 6 7 13 12 52 95

AREA IN SQ.M.

NOS OF PEOPLE

141

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

PROGRAME MAIN HALL (8M*15M) SUPPORT ROOM STORE ROOM MEDIUM HALL 1 (11M*5M) SUPPORT ROOM 1 MEDIUM HALL 2 (11M*5M) SUPPORT ROOM 1 WC

VOCATIONAL SCHOOL PROGRAME RECEPTION ACCOUNT PRINCIPAL MULTIPURPOSE ROOM CHAIRMAN FACULTY ROOM STORE COMPUTER LAB COMPUTER TRAINER LECTURE HALL(COMPUTER) DRAWING STUDIO 1 DRAWING STUDIO 2 STORE LECTURE HALL(MITHILA ART) ART MATERIAL STORE ART ARCHIVE STORE WC BASIC ART STUDIO 1 BASIC ART STUDIO 2 CORRIDOR SITTING STATION 1 ADVANCED ART STUDIO CORRIDOR SITTING STATION 1 STORE (SEWING SECTION) BASIC SEWING STUDIO ADVANCED SEWING STUDIO MASTER SEWING TRAINER

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AREA 120 14 10 55 14 55 14 33

NOS OF PEOPLE

AREA IN SQ.M. AREA 20 10 12 38 12 25 9 25 15 38 31 31 9 38 12 12 29 25 25 16 50 16 10 38 29 14

NOS OF PEOPLE 3 1 18 1

10 2 12 12 12 18

10 10 20

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OPEN SPACE ANALYSIS FUNCTION TYPE PARKING POND PAVILION FARMING PLOT ROAD NETWORK OPEN TO PUBLIC WORKSHOP COURTYARD CHAUTARO CHOWK WET LAND NEAR POND

TOTAL AREA 3265 730 1187 5030 2711 409 502 932 476

SITE AREA 56 ROPANI TOTAL SITE AREA= 28,6361 SQ.M.

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% OF THE SITE 11.5 2.5 4.1 17.7 9.5 1.4 1.7 3.2 1.6

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Site information

The proposed site lies at Dhanusa district in the eastern region of Nepal. The interaction session and projection mapping for best possible site was done during thesis case study phase with the founders of existing life school centre, founder of Churiya conservation project and Mithila wildlife trust. Direct interaction and suggestion were taken from participatory programme where lots of possible site were suggested by locals and officials. However site at Dhanusadham was choose due to future opportunity of participation of stake holder and locals, rich biodiversity resources (community forest, river, pond) and open land availability of guthi in order to take that land on lease and to think for future construction.

The recommended site as per the community participation lies at the Dhanusadham, Dhanusa which is about 7 Km from existing Life school centre, Harsar. Since the access of the existing Life school centre was a challenging and difficult due to lack of public transportation from main highway, this new proposed extension project of life school centre at Dhanusadham will solve that accessibility issue. The proposed site is located near to the entry gate of Dhanusadham, which is about 15 km far from central Janakpur city located at southwest and 10 km from the major east west highway. Prior to the site analysis, phase the detail study on profile of Dhanusa district was done in macro and micro level. The site study are summarized as follows.

5.1.

Site study at micro level: discovering Dhanusadham

Dhanusadham is a municipality in Dhanusha District in the Janakpur Zone of south-eastern Nepal. The municipality was established on 18 May 2014 by merging the existing Govindapur, Umprempur, Yagyabhumi, Dhanushadham village development committees (VDCs). It is a religious place of Hindu worship in Nepal. It is believed that a part of Shiva Dhanusha (Bow of Shiva) that was broken by Rama during Sita's swayamvara, is housed.

Now there is temple around the remaining of bow and visited by Hindu devotees from all over the world. That's why it is named Dhanusadham. Every year there is a festival on the occasion of Makar Sakranti and devotee offers praying to the Dhanusha temple. The place is 18 km from Janakpur and there is concrete road connecting Dhanusadham to Janakpur. It can be reached by car, motorbike, bus and so on. The travel by bus takes 45 minutes from Janakpur.

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5.1.1. Road accessibility In every 1 hour the public bus leaves from Janakpur city to Dhanusadham. Alternatively, in case of emergency the small auto can be hired at Janakpur city any time, which will take 1 hour to reach Dhanusadham.

In addition, the site can be reached from east west highway where hourly bus service runs from Dharapani to Dhanusadham. From east west highway point auto safari can be also hired to reach Dhanusadham in 30 minutes. From east west highway auto safari are more frequent and reliable than bus service due to less number of bus. Both roads are black topped.

5.1.2. Site plan

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5.1.3. Site photographs

5.1.4. Site detail Vegetation -

Thick belt of mango tree and palm tree.

-

Major existing trees near to Babakuti temple.

Topology

-

Small marshland present

-

Major agriculture land with sandy soil

-

Slope is 1-2% almost flat Building bye laws

-

Proposed Building type: Community building

-

Ground coverage: 40% of total site

-

Floor area ratio: 2.0

-

Setbacks: front 5 meter, side 3 meter, rear 2 meter

-

Maximum height: 15 meter

5.1.5. Climatic data -

April to September are summer and monsoon month.

-

October and March are a bit cooler with cold breeze.

-

Sweaty during the summer (May-June).

-

The monsoon (June-September) bring in heavy rain.

-

In winter, early morning there occurs a thick fog throughout the day making low visibility even in daytime.

-

The average comfort temperature zone is about 22 degree Celsius.

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5.1.6. Cultural and Religious fabric Dhanusadham is highly religious site. According to mythology, it is the place where lord Ram’s bow (Dhanus) was found here. As soon as the time passes, the size of this Dhanus is increasing day by day. The temple called Dhanus Mandir houses the bow of lord Ram where thousands of pilgrims visits this site from neighbouring district and India. There is ram Mandir, Dhanus Mandir and many other small shrines, which makes Dhanusadham a religious hub.

Yearly hundreds of sadhus and baba visits Dhanusadham during makar sangrati and shivaratri. Dhanusadham lies at the religious ring road where every year pilgrim makes a walk journey from India to different parts of Dhanusa and Mahottari to celebrate marriage ceremony of lord Ram and Sita. Mostly people worship the sun in major festival. Most of the festival processing occurs at the pond. Thus water architecture is a key part of the cuture and religion of the villagers.

5.1.7. Regional site Mapping A detail radial mapping was done with reference to 10 km and 5 km around the periphery of the site. In addition, the walking zone mapping was also done to discover possible available infrastructure and resources near to the site. All the facts and important landmark round the site are summarized below.

10 km radial mapping The major two river system called Jadadhar river and baluwa river lies at west and east respectively. Small pocket human settlements are located as a hamlet. The Dhanusadham protected forest resources lies at the centre of the Dhanusadham. This protected forest is managed by the community and no any cattle are allowed to enter there. Since the site is ‌km far away from the two major rover system, the chance of flash flooding is very rare in the site.

5 km radial mapping More than 19 small and big village lies within 5 km radial mapping. 7 major village lies within the 3 km from the site which is a primary target group. A small dry river lies within 3 km from the site the site has gentle slope towards south east where all the storm water flows to this dry river during monsoon.

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Walking zone study

On 30 minutes’ walk to the south there are remote village where poverty and sanitation are key issue. Mostly villagers at the south depends upon agriculture. Ox cart and tractor are only the means of transportation in the south.

On 10 minutes’ walk to the north west there are village with major black topped road which has government school and shops. Due to the linkage of the road, these village are little bit more developed than southern village. Along these road there are medicine shops, grocery shops, kirana shops, Tailor shop, etc. Weekly market called haat bazzar occurs at this village.

On 5 minutes’ walk from the site a small semi urban village lies with major government office like municipality, fire brigade, district forest office, botanical garden and hospital. One vocational school at community school also lies over there, which conducts a month’s long training on electrical workshop, civil survey workshop, plumbing etc.

On 2 minutes’ walk the Mushahar village can be reached through the wetland area of the pond. The site is mostly surrounded by agriculutre land from major 3 side where as the frontal portion is enveloped by baba kuti temple and dense mango tree.

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5.1.8. Demography Altogether there are 1636 household in Dhanusadham with population of 8662 a per CBS report. Maximum people speaks Maithili language and the source of drinking water is entirely depends upon hand pump. The house are made up of natural building material like bamboo, mud, thatch and timber. The percentage matrix study of major demographical status is shown below.

-

23.90 % are Yadav caste

-

93.44 %speaks Maithili language

-

93.27 % use firewood for cooking

-

84.39 % have no toilet in their homes

-

84.71 % house are made up of wooden pillar foundation

-

78.23 % house are made up of bamboo outer wall

-

61.79% house are made up of country clay tile roof

-

84.84% household uses hand pump water

-

53.47% male literacy rate

-

34.31% female literacy rate

(Source-Central Bureau of Statistics, National Population and Housing Census 2011)

5.1.9. SWOT Analysis Strength -

Abundant pond for water resources

-

Adjacent village for human engagement

-

Rich forest resources for micro climate

-

Dual access from main road

-

On site existing trees for shade Weakness

-

No municipal sewerage

-

No municipal water supply

-

Sandy soil

-

Water logging Opportunities

-

Nearby brick and tile factory

-

Nearby pond for storm water management

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Rich religious fabric (Babakuti Temple) Threat

-

Dust storm

-

Freezing cold (Sit lahar)

-

Monsoon rain

5.1.10. Site inferences Building volume When we go back to site research every architecture volume has basic three element i.e. plinth, open walls and roof. Since the site is highly religious and is a holy destination, we can refer to temple architecture volume where plinth are added up to 2 feet to prevent building from rainwater and water logging. The walls are mostly open to make maximum airflow. Only pillar holds the roofs. Lastly, a roof structure is added with more aesthetic to create visual impact on the user.

This same character of high plinth, open wall and aesthetic roof is found at the Babakuti temple present near to the site, where this temple is not only a place to worship god but is also a place where farmers who work along the agriculture field come to rest under this Babakuti temple. Some farmers have light lunch around the temple complex.

Therefore, the temple is behaving as a communal space for social interaction and meeting.

However, they had added CGI sheet envelope to meet the modern day needs. Everyone has right to be modern so ancient temple architecture has been developing throughout the time and need of the people at village. Thus in the building volume of Life school centre there will be high plinth, open walls and appealing roof scape to tally the property of temple architecture and in a same time it will accommodate the present modern needs of the villagers.

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Building surface In the research of the village house near to the site every traditional house are marked with surface of expression of Mithila art. Usually women and children express their feeling through painting

by

expressing in the wall of the house, which symbolized various emotion and significance. Same tradition of surface of expression is implemented here at life school centre to mark the architecture identity and function of the building through Mithila paintings at exterior walls.

Building programme With respect to the research of the major village near to the site, there is a presence of programed space in architecture function of the house. Verandas and pilotis space acts as a unprogrammed space where various known and unknown activity occurs there. Like resting, festival celebration, drying, temporary rest house for cattle etc. These unprogrammed spaces are characterized by open walls, with roofs at top holded by pre case pillar or bamboo pole.

So in Life school centre same character of unprogrammed space are reflected at every two major building entity to act as flexible space for various unprogrammed event.

Building landscape From site study it is concluded that development of the green space in and along the site has to be done to generate ample public space. In architecture of village network there is a frequent assimilation of chowks and junction where regular meeting and interaction are held. To portray that character there will be derivation of junction and chowks in various spot at life school centre. In addition, the exterior and interior of the building will be buffered by pillar with verandas for light control. In hot arid climatic zone people prefers sitting at the outdoor under shade and open to sky space, hence the landscape will play a vital role in space segregation and also in the creation of public space.

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Regional habitat The pond located at the frontal approach of the site has very rich biodiversity of birds and insects. During sunset and sunrise various avian gets habituated with the habitat found around the pond. From site study, it is analyzed that a green corridor should be created from the major road to entry of life school center by merging with the green agricultural belt present outside the site. Thus, a continuous tree cover should be maintained to provide avian and insect habitat.

Water conservation Since the water architecture has high value in these hot arid climatic zone, it is summarized that site can mimic a natural watershed character by creating water pond at various portion so that water logging problem can be minimized and also that watershed can provide habitat to aquatic, avian and insects life. This will ultimately preserve, establish and promote the wetland by connecting with adjacent pond surrounding and vegetation.

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6.

Concept Development

Concept has always been a fundamental aspect in every architecture design since it helps to guide the absolute design from scratch ideas to final details. For this architecture thesis, various parameters were nominated from site visit and excursion of the adjoining village to develop the conceptual master plan to address the context, function and climate of the place.

6.1.

Concept statement: Potraying a contemporary village

The master plan portrays the village lifestyle of 21st century with some sort of architectural innovation in building techniques and function without losing the inner spirituality of the routine of pastoral villagers for rural empowerment. The overall design tries to mimic the essence of the village lifestyle and its associated constituents. The various approaches to formulate a sense of contemporary village are discussed below.

Figure 6-1 village at Dhanusadham

6.1.1. Approach 1: Building courtyard Courtyard planning has been a crucial to the lifestyle of the villagers for daily social and communal purpose. Courtyard has a character of the open to sky space where hot air are draught to cool the air. Various function occurs at the courtyard like cooking, drying, resting, gathering, meeting etc. every house catches the cool air from the external big courtyard that surround the streets and field. That cool air is transported into building through lattice window and door. The internal courtyard present at the house helps to draught the hot air current into the sky. Hence, the assimilation of external open space and internal courtyard is the basic primordial character of village house.

Figure 6-3 internal courtyard

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Figure 6-2 external courtyard

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In the concept derivation, these characters of courtyard has been introduced in space planning between the exterior and interior of the building to draught the air current and to induce an architecture function as required for training and meeting centre.

Figure 6-5 assimilation of courtyard

Figure 6-4 conceptual master plan with courtyard

6.1.2. Approach 2: Water architecture Since the ground water level at these low land of Terai region is very high there is abundant presence of pond. Water architecture is very rich in Terai region where every village has pond “pokhari” as main source of water for various purpose. At past these pond are used for irrigation and fish farming. Same pond has religious purpose where people worship sun as a main god during “chaat” festival. These ponds are used to store water during rainy season and in return, of that these ponds ultimately provides habitat for many birds and avian insects.

Activities like swimming, washing clothes, irrigation, animal bathing occurs as per daily activity.

Figure 6-7 mapping of pond at janakpur city

Figure 6-6 mapping of pond at govindapur village

People at very rural place also uses these pond water for drinking water purpose whereas now a days due to mass awareness people have already shifted to tube well water to replace pond water as a drinking purpose. Now a days due to lack of care and human encroachment the existence of these pond are declining day by day. Hence this thesis seeks to incorporate the importance of water architecture into the architecture programme of training centre to create a mid-line between the building and landscape.

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This essence of pond architecture is induced in the concept phase for this thesis to attain the following function: -

To create micro climate to cool air and breeze for cooling effect

-

To act as a source of reservoir for firefighting during fire hazard.

-

To provide artificial habitat for birds, avian insects and reptiles to create rich biodiversity within the site for ecological demonstration.

-

To store rain water and flooded water during monsoon season which will solve water logging problem

-

To create self-curing system for making Mangalore tile, Compact stabilized earth block (CSEB) workshop where earth-building material are dip into water for curing purpose.

Figure 6-8 degrading state of pond

Figure 6-9 conceptual water body with landscape

6.1.3. Approach 3: Building Elevation Village house are dominant in vertical strokes. This is due to the presence of masculine frame structure made up of wooden post, bamboo or precast RCC pillar. The elevation of the house are basically characterized by three element i.e. ground floor, first floor and roof level. These three layer are distinctly marked with solid lines for visual division. High level plinth also marks a important aspect in the elevation of the house to protect it from rain water and flash flooding.

The house has ground floor as mostly open for storage and vehicle parking. The vertical lattice network of bamboo strips are seen on window and door making building a bit more masculine in architecture style as shown in figure. Hence, the idea of exposing the vertical structure member is incorporated into the thesis concept to reflect the essence of the village house.

Figure 6-11 typical elevation of village house

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Figure 6-10 conceptual elevation of LSC, Dhanusadham

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6.1.4. Approach 4: Building Section Climate has been serious challenges for people of terai. This is due to the proximity of the low land towards equatorial line. Summer temperature sometime reaches to 40 degree Celsius which is really hard to cope out for comfort living. When we study the local vernacular architecture of the house in section we get clear verification of phenomenon of stack effect where hot air are passed through cross ventilation. The provision of cross window in the

Figure 6-13 section of typical village house

Figure 6-12 section of typical school building

building plan ensures the effective air control making a cool climate in summer. The study of residential building and public building within the site premises of Dhanusa district shows the presence of the cross ventilation scheme to control air quality for comfort level.

Same phenomenon of the stack effect and cross ventilation has been summarized in the building section of the entire project where simple vertical windows and ventilation plays a major role in passing the air current in and out of the building.

Figure 6-14 section of stack effect

Figure 6-15 conceptual 3d with long overhang

6.1.5. Approach 5: Open space and foot trial The voyage within the farm land. forest and village is a best example of village journey.

Sometimes the mustard plants blooming in both side of the road summarizes the particular season of the year and at the end one particular village stops by. Before reaching to any settlement we get to see the live demonstration of agriculture field in between the both side

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while we are traveling. The road divides the farm land into two basic axis with water canal in each side.

Same character of the open space and agriculture field is demonstrated in the concept development of the organic farming plot. The building are supposed to be places with long neck of foot trail of 6 feet wide making a walkways more lively with fruit farm and vegetable farm in between the both side. This makes a journey from the arrival of the user to final destination of the building a memorable and fun filled with natural landscape. The emphasize has been given to fruit tree and organic farmland to mimic the agriculture field of village.

Figure 6-16 typical village journey

6.2.

Figure 6-17 conceptual men’s dormitory

Potraying a village carnival “Mela” in pavilion architecture

Figure 6-18 jaap mela (carnival) at Dhanusadham

In architecture vocabulary, the pavilion means the supplementary building structure that is positioned either separately or as a supplement to a main building. Frequently its function makes it a piece of pleasure. The arrangement of pavilion provides definite visual termination to the composition of the enormous building volume.

The basic idea of the pavilion architecture for Life school centre has been conceived form the architecture of carnival that occurs every month on first Sunday in Dhanusadham, Nepal. The biggest carnival held in Dhanusadham is of Makar Mela where thousands of religious people visit every year.

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These religious Mela has been an important part of village lifestyle where exchange of goods and currency takes place. Some Mela are of religious purpose where as some are totally a business purpose. Business Mela usually occurs during the New Year and other event.

Recently Jap Mela was held in Dhanusadham with lakhs of visitors, which lasted for 15 days as shown in figure 1. This religious carnival household’s visitor from neighbouring district and India where they make a temporary house from tents and stay there for religious and trade purpose. Circus business is flourished during this time where every structure are temporary.

These carnivals are set up in agriculture land during off-season of crop (mostly after harvesting rice and sugarcane).

Many people makes temporary eating-selling space, small hotels and run business until the carnival last. Economy of the village gets market where exchange of currency and good occurs between the neighbouring people of India and Nepal.

Jap Mela, usually consist of one big mandap where 1008 kunj (square) are made. In that kunj, the visitors sing bhajan and prays gods with musical instrument. They play instrument and dance in-group. These 100 feet by 100 feet mandap pavilion accommodate nearly 10,000 religious visitors at a once. The air quality control is maintained through the natural thatch roof and timber structure with cross ventilation.

Pavilion architecture is an essential part this Life school centre where different informal training are held at open pavilion rather than inside the closed envelope of the building. Various open

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space, semi open space come across with training pavilion, break out pavilion, demonstration pavilion and resting pavilion.

These training pavilions are of temporary function same as of village carnival where it can be changed into variable form as per the typology of the training whether it be an environmental training camp or a skill development training camp.

6.2.1. Modification of Carnival pavilion into Training pavilion The architecture of training pavilion, which is to be designed at the central core area to cater hundreds of people for rural training meeting, has been perceived from architecture of Yagya Mandap and Kunj. The planning of the central training pavilion follows the pattern of Kunj.

Figure 6-20 plan of jaap mela

Figure 6-19 conceptual training pavilion

This huge training pavilion is large in volume with open walls and prominent roof scape to create a visual impression for the training complex. This pavilion makes a principal height than any other building so as to create a landmark point for the rural training and meeting. Also this training pavilion follows an axis which can be marked form the entry and it processes toward the training academy hall.

The deisgn of the central training pavilion is supposed to mimic a Mandap architecture in structure form only but not in terms of its architecture function. The Mandap and Kunj has function to conduct religious activity but here in case of this modified training pavilion only structure and volume can be interlinked with that of Yagya Kunj.

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Conceptual development of Flexible Training Pavilion

As soon as this training pavilion is developed from the architecture of Yagya kunj, only one form and typology cannot cater all kind of rural training and meeting. There are variety in training

types

which

ranges

from

environmental to social issue. Major short term vocational training ranges for 12-15 days on the various issue like environment, biodiversity, literacy, climate change, forest management, earthquake

watershed disaster,

management, flood

disaster,

permaculture, river basin farming, solar lightings etc. So the space acquired by those kind of variety of training differs from each other. Depending upon that circumstances the various diversity of training pavilion are visualized from the nature of training purpose. For example in world environment day there occurs a week long campaign for environmental

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training and public gathering for rally occurs which precedes to major city. Sometime a cycle rally occurs to create awareness on importance of Churiya conservation for nature. This kind of event needs an ample space to hold people. So Life school centre can hire some architect from national and international level to create a pavilion made from bamboo or metal structure.

This can lead to innovation in building technology and this constructed pavilion can last for at least 6-7 months for various training and meeting purpose. Ultimately, these pavilion can be of local identity which can mark an important achievement in international practice of pavilion architecture. Condition 1 in the figure right demonstrates a consequence of winter season where no any temporary pavilion structure stands, but yet simple seating style, open to sky can be preferred for mass gathering with winter sun bathing. Condition 2 demonstrates

a

scenario

where

a

built

structure was to be realized to conduct a literacy training to 100 women at a once from various district, thus leading to construction of temporary pavilion where reading and writing activity occurs for 9 hours per day for 15 days.

Condition 3 illustrates an activity where the children have summer vacation every year. In that condition Life school centre can completely convert central pavilion into water pool. In this situation, the children will enjoy the modern day water fountain and they will try to engage with summer art camp programme to increase their level of creativity and to flourish their childhood.

Condition 4 elucidates the scenario where religious festival like Chaat and Maghi parva occurs same in that transitory water pond in near future since the pond available in the village are degrading day by day due to encroachment and climate change.

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Conceptual Development of Breakout Pavilion (Rest pavilion)

In addition to the training pavilion, there is a provision of breakout pavilion in this Life school centre for graceful refreshment during the long hour of summer trainings. These tall breakout pavilions are scattered near about the training hall and central pavilion to provide shade and space for social gathering. This breakout pavilion also provides space to rest during the monsoon season if unexpected rain occurs during the walking. Since the walkways are very long sometimes, there are no trees in between the destination. So when it suddenly rains one can directly go under this breakout pavilion and can take rest until he or she finds next shade area to protect from rain and heat.

These breakout pavilions are modular in scheme with seating benches. These are also variable as per the requirement of the user. Sometimes the training camps on literacy for adult women can last for nine hour. In between these nine hours, they provide break at every two hour to the trainee. Therefore, at that break time the trainee can go under the break out pavilion and rest during their break time.

The theatrical shadow are enforced by these breakout pavilions, which have composition of vertical and horizontal lattice network. Children also play under these breakout pavilions as it has playful character with colour scheme of green in human scale.

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Conceptual development of Children’s Play Area

Since Dhanusa district has female population of about 50% of total and 34.3 % literacy rate, woman are the major target group of this project. During the site visit and case study at existing Life school centre at Harsar village, there is a habit of bringing children by women during the training camps. This is due to the status of the thinking of people that only women has to look after her children. That is why with the presence of women in literacy training there is the huge presence of their children beside which creates a problem in conducting training smoothly.

That is why in that condition children can been facilitated with play area so that their mother can get the training with no disturbance. The activity of the children were studied which concludes that they are fond of playing with water, hand pump, ringing temple bells and climbing trees. Therefore, this kind of activity space are incorporated into the development of children’s play area to make, the children get engage with activity and leisure. Children can play independently within the break out pavilion too. Hence, informal playing space are created along with the building structure.

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163

Design Development and Jury Citation

7.1.

Design development 1 (Conceptual phase)

-

Lack of proper zoning approach was seen on initial development

-

Variable Training pavilion was in off position so a revision was must

-

No any axis reference was seen as per jury citation.

-

Position of dormitory was kept at the lower left corner which will cause access problem in case of emergency.

-

In overall there was no architectural thinking to bind the project as per the jury comment.

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7.2.

-

164

Design development 1 (Mid term phase) Development of courtyard space was not much equally distributed in terms of functionality.

-

Lack of water body in overall master plan was rectified by large mass of courtyard but still the reason was not justified.

-

No any design strategy was taken for service parking.

-

The area of site was restricting the project. So jury recommended for more land area to create a functional master plan.

7.3.

-

Design development 2 (Exhibition phase) Courtyard and water body were evolving simultaneously prior to the previous master plan development.

-

But still there was problem in approach toward the vocational school journey. The road ended in a dead end. So it had to be revised again.

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7.4.

-

165

Design development 3 (Prefinal phase) Structural consideration were properly taken along with building service which created a practical context in order to replicate this hypothetical project into live.

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

8.

8.1.

166

Final Design Zoning

8.1.1. Axis origination

Since the site is marked by the holy Babakuti temple, it has played an important role in axis formation. From the front road, the persuaded axis plays avital role in creating a visual story of the building both in elevation and eye level. For visual clarity of the courtyard the two way diagonal divides an angle of vision. From this point, the observer can taste the overall view of the building complex of life school centre. The architecture of water body are at first created to induce essential element for creating life to the building. Here at first pond are marked, and later on the building will be programmed as per the functionality of the pond and land use.

8.1.2. Framing of space With respect to axis formation , the built and unbuilt architecture space are framed as per the architecture of Yagya kunj as discussed earlier in concept development. There is a major and minor open space which has its own function. The major induced central open space will serve as a pavilion and multifunctional space for various event for visitors, where as the minor space at left will serve as an ancillary space for various workshop like bamboo and earth. Around the periphery of these open space the building are generated and are allowed to create another secondary open space in between them.

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167

8.1.3. Development of building with respect to pond

At first the pond (black in the figure) are allowed to emerge in the landscape plan, then only after that creation the building (black hatched in the figure) are allowed to unite and reunite the master plan. Thus the built space and open space has a dual coordination the master plan.

The formation of built structure is a repetitive and modular in form. That’s why the importance of creating a open to sky space as per Nepalese context are justified from the master plan by regulating the architecture of pond and building simultaneously.

8.1.4. Defining the pathways Three major space, which are training hall, workshop and vocational school, are in defined pathways as shown in figure below. The pathway of training hall is straight forward since these walkways are used by new visitors from different district. Mainly people from other VDC and district are main target group of the training hall. So the walkways is easy and straight forward.

The workshop is programmed at the left front portion of the site which is close to the parking.

The reason of placing the workshop at frontal scheme is to shorten the travel journey of the lorry and tractor for transportation. Vocational school which will house a space for training on Mithila art, computer class, bamboo design studio and tailoring is kept at the lower corner which creates a straight walkway leading from workshop. So at first the local user will reach the workshop space, they will see what is happening in the practical session of manufacturing before leading to the theoretical and administrative zone of vocational school.

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

8.2.

Final Master plan

8.3.

Architecture character

168

The building shows the neo vernacular architecture style of the village of Dhanusadham.

Various village were studied through guided tour and new typology was created for this design thesis project which symbolizes the value of neo vernacular architecture. Neo vernacular architecture means the improvement and strengthen the style of vernacular architecture. The building style also respects the value of critical regionalism of not being too much modern and tradition. The building style is in between the modern and tradition. The slope roof are kept a very minimum by creating two way slope to save rafter and purlins. The four way slope style of the village was transformed to two way slope to reduce the material cost and technology.

The small country tile are replaces by the Mangalore tile which will save time for construction.

The CSEB walls are rendered with minimum mud mixed cement stabilized plaster to protect from rain water. The yellow shade are used in plinth for bio mimicry function as it irritates insect and blue shade at the interior keep the building more resistant to flies. The detail architecture style can be reviewed on the coloured rendered graphic at the annex.

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

8.4.

Building service

8.4.1. Calculation of number of people STAFF/VISITORS DATA

NOS

BUILDING TYPE

STAFFS

VISITORS

TOTAL

GUARD HOUSE FARMER'S STATION

4 6

0 15

4 21

ADMINISTRATION MEN'S DORMITORY

30 2

16 31

46 33

WOMEN'S DORMITORY CANTEEN 1

2 8

16 90

18 98

CANTEEN 2 LIBRARY

6 2

80 34

86 36

VOCATIONAL SCHOOL TRAINING BLOCK EARTH MATERIAL WORKSHOP METAL WORKSHOP BAMBOO POLE WORKSHOP BAMBOO MAT WORKSHOP OCCASIONAL CARNIVAL

20 3 10 5 7 7 0

138 120 4 2 2 2 200

158 123 14 7 9 9 200

MAXIMUM NOS OF PEOPLE

112

750

862

ACTIVE STAFFS PER DAY ACTIVE VISITORS PER DAY

100 350

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

8.4.2. Water demand calculation

WATER DEMAND CALCULATION

(LPH D)

BUILDING TYPE

USER VISIT FARMER'S STATION OR STAF FS

ADMINISTRATION

MENS DORMITORY

WOMENS DORMITORY

CANTEEN 1

CANTEEN 2

TRAINING BLOCK

LIBRARY

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS

LPHD

NOS

TOTAL LPHD

10

6

60

65

15

975

10

16

160

65

30

1950

10

31

310

65

2

130

10

16

160

65

2

130

150

90

13500

65

8

520

150

80

12000

65

6

390

10

120

1200

65

3

195

10

34

340

65

2

130

TOTAL LITRE

CUBIC METER

1035

1.035

2110

2.11

440

0.44

290

0.29

14020

14.02

12390

12.39

1395

1.395

470

0.47

171

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

EARTH MATERIAL WORKSHOP

METAL WORKSHOP

BAMBOO POLE WORKSHOP

BAMBOO MAT WORKSHOP

VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS VISIT OR STAF FS

10

138

1380

65

20

1300

10

4

40

65

10

650

10

2

20

65

5

325

10

2

20

65

7

455

10

2

20

65

7

455

TOTAL WATER

CUBIC DEMAND METER ADD 20 % FIRE FIGHT ADD 10 % STREET WASH

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

DEMAND

690

0.69

345

0.345

475

0.475

475

0.475

36.81 7.363

3.6815

ADD 5 % SEWAR CLEAN TOTAL WATER

2.68

3.6815

ADD 10 % GARDENING

GRA ND

2680

1.84075 CUBIC METER

53.38

172

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

8.4.3. Septic tank calculation SOAK PIT / SEPTIC TANK RATE OF SEWARAGE FLOW

150 LPCD

SOIL INFILTRATION RATE DETENTION PERIOD

100 LPCD 6 HOUR

BUILDING TYPE

NO S

SETTLEMENT PER DAY CUBIC METER

0.25 DAY

SPACE FOR SLUDGE DIGEST (M3) 0.0425*USERS

SPACE FOR SLUDGE

TOTAL (M3)

STORAGE (M3) 0.0825*USERS

FARMER'S STATION

21

1.035

0.8925

1.7325

3.66

ADMINISTRATION

46

2.11

1.955

3.795

7.86

MENS DORMITORY

33

0.44

1.4025

2.7225

4.565

WOMENS DORMITORY

18

0.29

0.765

1.485

2.54

CANTEEN 1

98

14.02

4.165

8.085

26.27

CANTEEN 2

86

12.39

3.655

7.095

23.14

123

1.395

5.2275

10.1475

16.77

36 158

0.47 2.68

1.53 6.715

2.97 13.035

4.97 22.43

14

0.69

0.595

1.155

2.44

METAL WORKSHOP

7

0.345

0.2975

0.5775

1.22

BAMBOO POLE WORKSHOP

9

0.475

0.3825

0.7425

1.6

BAMBOO MAT WORKSHOP

9

0.475

0.3825

0.7425

1.6

TRAINING BLOCK LIBRARY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL EARTH MATERIAL WORKSHOP

TOTAL (M3)

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

119.06

173

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

8.4.4. Rain water collection calculation RAIN WATER CATCHMENT BUILDING TYPE GUARD HOUSE FARMER'S STATION

SQ.M. BAY AREA 39 74 50 27 68 86 17 116 22 116 22 197 197 96 108 63 152 28 28 83 30 62 29 36 129 17 78

NOS 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 2

TOTAL AREA 78 148 100 54 136 344 68 464 88 464 88 394 394 192 216 126 304 56 56 166 60 124 58 72 258 68 156

129 17

2 4

258 68

WC 1

78 29

2 2

156 58

WC 2 METAL WORKSHOP

65 120

2 1

130 120

BAMBOO POLE WORKSHOP BAMBOO MAT WORKSHOP

60 135 135

1 2 2

60 270 270

ADMINISTRATION MEN'S DORMITORY WOMEN'S DORMITORY CANTEEN 1 CANTEEN 2 TRAINING HALL

LIBRARY

VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

TOTAL CATCHMENT AREA

(SQ.M.)

6122

RUNNING COEFFICIENT AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL

(M)

0.8 1.552

TOTAL VOLUME OF RAIN WATER TOTAL VOLUME OF COLLECTED

(M3/YEAR) RAIN WATER

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

(M3/YEAR)

0.8*1.552*6122 7601.07

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

9.

175

Conclusion

In substance, the Life School Centre (LSC) is a focal point for sustainable rural development - A Training and Demonstration center that aims to build the capacity of local communities and various institutions to develop and maintain a professional learning and resource Centre.

The theory of the LSC is not only to provide space for meetings and trainings; it should become a teaching tool itself and it will be– as a demonstration center for sustainable design in a local context. The buildings and operation of the LSC itself function as a teaching tool guided by ecological and pedagogical considerations providing direct hands-on demonstrations to mitigate the natural resource degradation in terai. Also it can alleviate the current scenario of extreme practice of foreign employment in middle east by creating opportunities for income generation in local village level. The village will not lose youth population towards city by creating such demonstration and training centre. Life school centre will attract young architect like us to village so that we may live there, feel the pulse of village life and get acquainted with the available local materials and later on build for the villagers as enlightened villagers and not as city-bred engineers and architects. But this would mean a long time and the programme can be effective only in the long run.

Through the establishment of such kind of LSC Centre at many places of Dhanusha, the whole ecological belt of this district can be conserved through awareness and training, also the economic level of the villagers will be also enlarged. Like wise if one district becomes icon, this will be replicated by other neighbouring district like Bara, Parsa, Rautahat. So one day whole eastern terai belt be environmentally established and prosperous which will reduce impact of climate change. This ecological equilibrium at terai will motivate hills and Himalayan.

By modifying the architecture style of LSC, Dhanusadham we can encourage people at hills and Himalayan to follow the theory of life programme. So one day whole Nepal will be economically ironic and environmentally conscious. Whole south Asian nation can accept the theory of Life programme in near future.

In the end the inspiring architecture is that architecture which is always simple and sensible; created with an understanding of the soil on which it exists; with an exploration of the materials from its place; and in collaboration with the skills and the imagination of its people. And this Life school Centre follows this basic principle of motivating architecture which will change the life of many rural people of Terai, Hill and Himalayan in coming 30 years.

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

176

10. Bibliography Ching, Frank (Francis D.K.), Architecture: Form, Space & Order, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York 1975, 2nd ed. 1996, 3rd ed. John Wiley, Hoboken 2007; ISBN 0471752169 Hamel, J. (with Dufour, S., & Fortin, D.). (1993). Case study methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Soy, Susan K. (1997). The case study as a research method. Unpublished paper, University of Texas at Austin.

Pandit, R.V., Charles Correa, The perrenial press, Bombay, 1996Bodach, S., Lang, W., Hamhaber, J., (2014). Climate Responsive building design strategies of vernacular architecture in Nepal. Energy and Buildings 81, 227–242.

Upadhyaya AK, Yoshida H, Rijal HB, (2006). “Climate Responsive Building Design in Kathmandu Valley” Neufert, Ernst (1980), Architect’s Data. Osney Mead, Oxford, Blackwell Science Ltd. Architecture, Craftwork & Empowerment: A Craft Center for Maasai Women in Kajiado, Kenya Gupta Akanshya, Women’s Rehab and Empowerment Center: Revitalizing the desire, 2014 Shrestha Rupesh, Craft’s Village,2012 Rottke, Evelin (2003). Bamboo Connections: Construction with Bamboo Hunnarshala bamboo source book (2007), Hunnarshala foundation, India Bureau of Indian Standards (2006), Preservation of Bamboo for Structural Purpose- Code of Practice Oberoi, V.S. (2004), The Book of Bamboo, New Delhi Janssen, Jules J.A (1981), Bamboo in Building Structure, Eindhoven University of Technology

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177

D.I.Jayanetti and P.R.Follett (1998), Bamboo in Construction INBAR (2004). Facts on Bamboo and Rattan. http://www.inbar.int/facts.htm INBAR (International Network of Bamboo and Rattan), Beijing Bureau of Indian Standards (2006), Preservation of Bamboo for Structural Purpose- Code of Practice, IS: 6874-2006, BIS, New Delhi http://www.archello.com/en/project/pani-community-centre-bangladesh viewed on 20th march,2017 http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/pani-community-center-bangladesh-schilderscholtearchitecten viewed on 20th march,2017 https://www.dezeen.com/2015/02/14/bangladesh-community-centre-schilder-scholtearchitecten-india-bamboo-canopy/ viewed on 23rd march,2017 http://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/community-centre-helps-bangaldeshslandless-people-change-their-economic viewed on 23rd march,201 http://inhabitat.com/pani-community-center-in-bengal-is-made-entirely-from-local-andrecycled-materials/ viewed on 25th march,2017 http://www.detail-online.com/article/rajarhat-community-centre-traditional-materials-for-amodern-building-26781/ viewed on 25th march,2017 http://www.futurarc.com/index.cfm/projects/2015-jul-to-dec/2015-nov-dec-pani-communitycentre/ viewed on 26th march,2017 http://www.designboom.com/architecture/ziegert-roswag-seiler-architekten-ingenieureearthen-school-in-pakistan

viewed on 20th march,2017

http://www.architectureindevelopment.org/project.php?id=177#!prettyPhoto viewed on 20th march,2017

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ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) 1. What is Dhanusadham?

Dhanusadham is the location of this thesis project which is located at low land of Nepal in Dhanusha district. Nepal is a landlocked country having its lowest altitude of 60 m to highest altitude of Mount Everest with 8848 m.

2. What is the background research of the project?

In Nepal, eighty-three percent of population live in rural areas and more than 25% of people live under the poverty. Here, people are poor not only because of low income, but also because of low access to opportunities or participation. The lack of income-earning opportunities, skills for life and self-employment is a major cause of widespread poverty and foreign employment towards middle east especially. An average of around 48 people left Nepal for employment purpose every hour in the last fiscal year, as the country failed to create adequate job opportunities to absorb these workers. One of the best ways to halt this happening is to empower people and embody them with the basic life skill and the associated activities along with knowledge.

3. What is the objective of this thesis project?

The main key objective of this project is to provide inspiring setting for bringing together larger group of people for rural training/meeting and to provide equitable architectural space for community interaction on social issue for enhancing livelihood improvement of rural village of Nepal.

4. What is the key concept behind the project?

The concept of the Life school center (LSC) is not only to provide space for meetings and trainings; it should become a teaching tool itself – as a demonstration center for sustainable design in a local context. The buildings and operation of the LSC itself function as a teaching tool guided by ecological and pedagogical considerations providing direct hands-on demonstrations.

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

5. What is the theme of the project?

This thesis seeks to employ architecture and design as a tool that could improve the lives of rural people by supporting and enhancing their life skills and economic ventures. Focus is given to the Terai community of lower belt of Nepal, a hot arid region of Eastern Nepal where rural people face additional challenges posed by the harsh hot climatic conditions.

6. What is the design approach of this project?

This thesis’s main intention is to stand in the context and climate, learn from vernacular architecture and reflect its essence in final outcome of the architectural space. Design approach is to build community’s capacity to sustain and maintain the neo-vernacular architecture which is build for Life school center through holistic sustainability and universal guidelines so that it can be replicated to the other region of low land of Nepal by altering its architectural style.

7. Who are the target group of the project?

The primary target group of the project are men, women, farmer, youth, children and local NGO/INGO living in the watershed covering approximate 16 Village Development Committees of Dhanusha District. The population in the watershed is approximate 110,000 persons.

The secondary target groups are rural people outside the primary target group such as opinion makers, village facilitators, coordinators, socially and environmentally conscious local people, Governmental officials, teachers and headmasters, leaders of political parties, the media people and relevant civil society and peoples organisations in the area.

8. What is LSC, Harsar?

A “Life School Centre” (LSC),Harsar is a physical demonstration of improved natural resource management and eco-friendly building techniques (bamboo, wood and eco-friendly bricks and tiles). The building of the LSC also functioned as skills training for local builders and roof tile makers. The LSC functions as a facility for workshops and training programmes and as office for the life programme.

Life school centre, Harsar has already established 16 demonstration plots (1 in each VDC) which befitted nearly 10,000 members. Altogether 1000 person were trained in skill and social issue, out of which 20% of them were employed 1 year after training, out of which 15% of them

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

were from Dalit community. In short LSC, Harsar is the physical manifestation of life programme.

9. What is life programme (LP)?

Life programme is a Danida funded Alliance programme between CARE Denmark, Danish Forestry Extension (DFE) and Brandbjerg Højskole with CARE Denmark as the lead consortium member and CARE Nepal as the executing partner. It has been implemented through two local partners and three issue based partners in Nepal.

10. What is the objective of life programme?

The objective is “Improved and sustainable livelihood security and well-being of the poor and socially excluded people living in watershed area through: a) improvement in natural resource management and economic activities; b) increased equality in power, capacities, access and control over resources within households, communities, the watershed and the district” 11. What are the failure of LSC, Harsar?

Road network is a main problem of LSC, Harsar. No any public transportation is available from highway to center. If any national and international tourist have to come LSC, Harsar from main highway its very difficult to reach. The scale of LSC, Harsar is gothic in nature which means it some how reflects the hybrid form of Chinese and Indonesian architecture style. The building complex does not create the sense of place of Mithila region and its local lifestyle.

The architecture style does not portray the village lifestyle of the Harsar. Also this building need more frequent maintenance and its been 6 years it is operating without proper conservation since the construction is widely based on bamboo architecture which do not have trained person to repair and maintain at the local scale.

12. What is the need of LSC, Dhanusadham?

With reference to above criticism there needs a new building complex for Life school centre at Dhanusadham since the chapter of life programme is expanding day by day. The members are increasing in whole Dhanusa to get rural training and meeting. Since the Harsar centre has already trained 10,000 of people with different training, the Dhanusadham chapter will trained remaining people who have not got training from Harsar centre due to accessibility.

After 10 years more number of centre like LSC, Harsar will be established over the Dhanusa district. So to control small life school centre the one central LSC would be needed to act as Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

central governing body. That’s why this thesis project is visualized for coming 10-15 years where this 2,86,361 sq.m. LSC, Dhanusadham centre will act as regional headquarter of small Life school centre.

13. Who are the stakeholder of the project?

As the existing Life school centre is about to expand to multiple village it will cooperate under facilitation from various NGO/INGO especially CARE Nepal. Danish expertise and LSC, Harsar are the key stakeholder of this project.

14. What are the major architecture programme and purpose of this project?

This thesis project proposes a training and demonstration center in low land region of Nepal that would host Training halls and Demonstration Pavilion for various technical education and vocational Training (TEVT) which would preserve, promote and progress working ability and life skill capacity with the aim of strengthening the people’s social and economic capacity.

In addition to that administration wing, local canteen, dormitory, compact stabilized earth block workshop, Bamboo workshop, vocational school, farmer’s station, organic farmland, farming vehicle station, children’s library are also the key component of this project.

15. What are the materials that has been used on the building?

This

project especially use vegetal steel “bamboo” , mud blocks and earth to create

contemporary and neo vernacular expressions which will strongly promote minimal environmental impact of the entire building process. The bamboo framework are at first casted on site and roofs made of clay are erected at first to create a shaded structure against harsh hot sun and later on compact stabilized earth blocks are used for creating wall. Fire burnt brick are used in foundation. Metal joints are used in bamboo connection.

16. How building component are constructed in this project?

Since the site is located at hot arid climate, the summer temperature can reach up to 40 degree Celsius which makes construction worker very uncomfortable to work for constructing building, also during the rainy season the construction work are affected by monsoon rain which altogether slows down the entire construction process and time. Hence the reverse building process is followed here in this project. Which means at first bamboo frames are erected and clay tile or CGI sheet roofing is done, so that it can create a space for storage for material and also the harsh sunlight are blocked by the roof making the workers easy to work even in hot Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

climate. After roofing is done the walls of mud blocks or sun dried bricks are constructed. The bamboo will act as purlin and rafter members. In long span metal beams (I section) can be provided on necessary.

17. What is the architecture character and style of this project?

The building shows the neo vernacular architecture style of the village of Dhanusadham.

Various village were studied through guided tour and new typology was created for this design thesis project which symbolizes the value of neo vernacular architecture. Neo vernacular architecture means the improvement and strengthen the style of vernacular architecture.

18. What are the modification and innovation in construction system in the project?

The slope roof are kept a very minimum by creating two way slope to save rafter and purlins.

The four way slope style of the village was transformed to two way slope to reduce the material cost and technology. The small country tile are replaced by the Mangalore tile/clay tile which will save time for construction. The CSEB walls are rendered with minimum mud mixed cement stabilized plaster to protect from rain water. The yellow shade are used in plinth for bio mimicry function as it irritates insect and blue shade at the interior keep the building more resistant to flies.

19. What is the key concept statement of the project?

The concept statement of this thesis project is Portraying a contemporary village.

For this architecture thesis, various parameters were nominated from site visit and excursion of the adjoining village to develop the conceptual master plan to address the context, function and climate of the place.

The master plan portrays the village lifestyle of 21st century with some sort of architectural innovation in building techniques and function without losing the inner spirituality of the routine of pastoral villagers for rural empowerment. The overall design tries to mimic the essence of the village lifestyle and its associated constituents.

20. How is the volume of space created in the project?

When we go back to site research of village and temple every architecture volume has basic three element i.e. plinth, open walls and roof. Since the site is highly religious and is a holy destination, we can refer to temple architecture volume where plinth are added up to 2 feet to Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

prevent building from rainwater and water logging. The walls are mostly open to make maximum airflow. Only pillar holds the roofs. Lastly, a roof structure is added with more aesthetic to create visual impact on the user. This same character of high plinth, open wall and aesthetic roof is found in this project.

21. How is the Building surface created in the project?

In the research of the village house near to the site every traditional house are marked with surface of expression of Mithila art (ancient art). Usually women and children express their feeling through painting by expressing in the wall of the house, which symbolized various emotion and significance. Same tradition of surface of expression is implemented here at this project to mark the architecture identity and function of the building through ancient paintings at exterior walls.

22. How is the building programme arranged in this project?

With respect to the research of the major village near to the site, there is a presence of programed space in architecture function of the house. Verandas and pilotis space acts as a unprogrammed space where various known and unknown activity occurs there. Like resting, festival celebration, drying, temporary rest house for cattle etc. These unprogrammed spaces are characterized by open walls, with roofs at top holded by pre case pillar or bamboo pole.

So in this project same character of unprogrammed space are reflected at every two major building entity to act as flexible space for various unprogrammed event.

23. What are the landscape strategy of the project?

From site study it is concluded that development of the green space in and along the site has to be done to generate ample public space. In architecture of village there is a frequent assimilation of junction where regular meeting and interaction are held. To portray that character there is derivation of junction in various spot with water body to cool the air. In addition, the exterior and interior of the building will be buffered by pillar with verandas for light control. In hot arid climatic zone people prefers sitting at the outdoor under shade and open to sky space, hence the landscape has played a vital role in space segregation and also in the creation of public space.

24. What is the regional habitat strategy of the project?

The pond located at the frontal approach of the site has very rich biodiversity of birds and insects. During sunset and sunrise various avian gets habituated with the habitat found around Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

the pond. From site study, a green corridor is created from the major road to entry of life school center by merging with the green agricultural belt present outside the site. Thus, a continuous tree cover has been maintained to provide avian and insect habitat.

25. What are the water conservation goals of the project?

Since the water architecture has high value in these hot arid climatic zone, the project has simulator a natural watershed character by creating water pond at various portion so that water logging problem can be minimized and also that watershed can provide habitat to aquatic, avian and insects life. This will ultimately preserve, establish and promote the wetland by connecting with adjacent pond surrounding and vegetation.

26. How is courtyard arranged for thermal comfort in the master plan?

Courtyard has a character of the open to sky space where hot air are draught to cool the air.

In village every house catches the cool air from the external big courtyard that surround the streets and field. The internal courtyard present at the house helps to draught the hot air current into the sky.

In the concept derivation, these characters of courtyard has been introduced in space planning between the exterior and interior of the building to draught the air current and to induce an architecture function as required for training and meeting centre.

27. How is water architecture designed in this project?

People at very rural place uses the pond water for drinking water purpose, religious activities.

Now a days due to lack of care and human encroachment the existence of these pond are declining day by day. Hence this thesis seeks to incorporate the importance of water architecture into the architecture programme of training centre to create a mid-line between the building and landscape.

This essence of pond architecture is induced in the concept phase for this thesis to attain the following function: -

To create micro climate to cool air and breeze for cooling effect

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To act as a source of reservoir for firefighting during fire hazard.

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

-

To provide artificial habitat for birds, avian insects and reptiles to create rich biodiversity within the site for ecological demonstration.

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To store rain water and flooded water during monsoon season which will solve water logging problem.

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To create self-curing system for making Mangalore tile, Compact stabilized earth block (CSEB) workshop where earth-building material are dip into water for curing purpose.

28. What does the profile elevation signify in this project?

Village house are dominant in vertical strokes. This is due to the presence of masculine frame structure made up of wooden post, bamboo or precast RCC pillar. The elevation of the house are basically characterized by three element i.e. ground floor, first floor and roof level. These three layer are distinctly marked with solid lines for visual division. High level plinth also marks a important aspect in the elevation of the house to protect it from rain water and flash flooding.

The house has ground floor as mostly open for storage and vehicle parking. The vertical lattice network of bamboo strips are seen on window and door making building a bit more masculine in architecture style as shown in figure. Hence, the idea of exposing the vertical structure member is incorporated into the thesis concept to reflect the essence of the village house.

29. How is profile section summarized for air control?

Phenomenon of the stack effect and cross ventilation has been summarized in the building section of the entire project where simple vertical windows and ventilation plays a major role in passing the air current in and out of the building.

30. How is the value of open space distributed in the project?

Before reaching to any settlement we get to see the live demonstration of agriculture field in between the both side while we are traveling. The road divides the farm land into two basic axis with water canal in each side.

Same character of the open space and agriculture field is demonstrated in the concept development of the organic farming plot. The building are supposed to be places with long neck of foot trail of 6 feet wide making a walkways more lively with fruit farm and vegetable farm in between the both side. This makes a journey from the arrival of the user to final

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

destination of the building a memorable and fun filled with natural landscape. The emphasize has been given to fruit tree and organic farmland to mimic the agriculture field of village.

31. How does this project display the essence of pavilion architecture?

Pavilion architecture is an essential part this Life school centre where different informal training are held at open pavilion rather than inside the closed envelope of the building. Various open space, semi open space come across with training pavilion, break out pavilion, demonstration pavilion and resting pavilion.

These training pavilions are of temporary function same as of village carnival where it can be changed into variable form as per the typology of the training whether it be an environmental training camp or a skill development training camp.

32. How is axis generated to perceive this project master plan ?

Since the site is marked by the holy temple, it has played an important role in axis formation.

From the front road, the persuaded axis plays avital role in creating a visual story of the building both in elevation and eye level. For visual clarity of the courtyard the two way diagonal divides an angle of vision. From this point, the observer can taste the overall view of the building complex of life school centre. The architecture of water body are at first created to induce essential element for creating life to the building. Here at first pond are marked, and later on the building will be programmed as per the functionality of the pond and land use.

33. How is architecture space framed in this project ?

With respect to axis formation, the built and unbuilt architecture space are framed. There is a major and minor open space which has its own function. The major induced central open space will serve as a pavilion and multifunctional space for various event for visitors, where as the minor space at left will serve as an ancillary space for various workshop like bamboo and earth. Around the periphery of these open space the building are generated and are allowed to create another secondary open space in between them.

34. What are the landscape and building relationship in the project?

At first the pond are allowed to emerge in the landscape plan, then only after that creation the building are allowed to unite and reunite the master plan. Thus the built space and open space has a dual coordination the master plan. The formation of built structure is a repetitive and modular in form. That’s why the importance of creating a open to sky space as per Nepalese Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

context are justified from the master plan by regulating the architecture of pond and building simultaneously.

35. How is pathways defined in the project?

Three major space, which are training hall, workshop and vocational school, are in defined pathways.The pathway of training hall is straight forward since these walkways are used by new visitors from different district. Mainly people from other VDC and district are main target group of the training hall. So the walkways is easy and straight forward.

The workshop is programmed at the left front portion of the site which is close to the parking.

The reason of placing the workshop at frontal scheme is to shorten the travel journey of the lorry and tractor for transportation. Vocational school which will house a space for training on Mithila art, computer class, bamboo design studio and tailoring is kept at the lower corner which creates a straight walkway leading from workshop. So at first the local user will reach the workshop space, they will see what is happening in the practical session of manufacturing before leading to the theoretical and administrative zone of vocational school.

36. What are the expected outcome of this project?

Through the establishment of such kind of LSC Centre at many places the whole ecological belt of this district can be conserved through awareness and training. Like wise if one district becomes icon, this will be replicated by other neighbouring district. So one day whole low land of Nepal will be environmentally sustainable which will reduce impact of climate change. This ecological equilibrium at low land will motivate hills and Himalayan. By modifying the architecture style of LSC, Dhanusadham we can encourage people at hills and Himalayan to follow the theory of life programme. So one day whole Nepal will be economically ironic and environmentally conscious. In the end Whole south Asian nation can accept the theory of Life programme in near future.

37. How can life school center act as a teaching tool to rural people?

The buildings and operation of the Life school centre itself function as a teaching tool guided by ecological and pedagogical considerations providing direct hands-on demonstrations to mitigate the natural resource degradation in terai. Also it can alleviate the current scenario of extreme practice of foreign employment in middle east by creating opportunities for income generation in local village level. The village will not lose youth population towards city by creating such demonstration and training centre.

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Appendix – Hand Graphics

Figure: master plan of life school center, harsar

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: ground floor plan of assembly hall at life school center, harsar

Figure: bamboo post detail at life school center, harsar Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: section of assembly hall at life school center, harsar

Figure: section of assembly hall at life school center, harsar

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: various detail of accommodation building at life school center, harsar

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: floor plan of reception building at life school center, harsar

Figure: section of reception building at life school center, harsar

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: section of reception building at life school center, harsar

Figure: section of accommodation building at life school center, harsar

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: section of accommodation building at life school center, harsar

Figure: section of accommodation building at life school center, harsar

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: canteen building at life school centre, harsar Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Figure: Janaki womens development centre Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039

ARCHITECTURE THESIS ON LIFE SCHOOL CENTER, DHANUSADHAM

Shirshak Baniya, BAE/69039