Bioclimatic Architecture – A Sustainable and Environmentally Conscious Design Solution for Kathmandu Valley
By Rakshya Shrestha
Spring 2022
Kathmandu Valley, the major cultural, economic, and political center of Nepal, has witnessed a significant level of growth of its towns over the past decades. Following the political change of 1951 and the Maoist insurgency had heightened, and there was a tendency among people to move towards safer places in terms of economy and physical security. As migration, which is an outcome of improved mobility, exerted considerable pressure on urban growth, the valley's urban landscape began to transform dramatically since the 1960s. Main environmental and social impacts of building and construction in Kathmandu valley are related resource depletion, land use change, pollution, energy use and associated emissions of greenhouse gases, water use and wastewater generation, various effects of transport of building materials leading to inappropriate design and materials health risks on worksites and for building occupants. In Nepal, houses are material assets and psychosocial symbols of achieved status, affecting how people see themselves and how they are seen by others directly leading to pressure of demand for shelter, that it can only be met by “informal” housing – often self-built, usually illegal, and almost always lacking basic infrastructure. Buildings in Kathmandu are built without due consideration to energy, environmental impact and natural resources conservation result in detrimental wastage affecting our ecological integrity.
Main Objectives:
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To investigate major issues of thermal comfort in the housing of Kathmandu Valley and to purpose a strategy that best suits in climatic condition for Kathmandu valley using Bioclimatic Design.
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To analyse the effectiveness of Bioclimatic passive design measures for warm temperature climate zone & estimate energy potential.
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To provide design &policy recommendation as per bioclimatic design for housing sector.
The research will give broad idea on the prevalent practice for constructing housing in Kathmandu Valley and around the globe. It will identify the strategies of bioclimatic and check the adaptability of incorporating in the case area. Results will provide design and policy recommendation to the housing companies in Kathmandu Valley.