Traditional Rural Architecture and Building Methods in the Hills of Central-Eastern Nepal Heinz Frick « We have the atmosphere that you have in mind» Detlev Kantowsky - Von Stidasien lernen, Frankfurt 1985 Contents Part I: Introduction r : 1. INTRODUCTION TO NEPAL < J- • ••-'".• 3 2. AN OUTLINE OF HISTORY:,- 5 3. SPACE PATTERN AND LAYERS OF ACCESS - 7 3.1 Landmarks and mythology 7 4. CASTE AND.TRIBE ORDER >. 9 4.1 Aboriginal-group 10 a) Newar people 10 .; b). .Kiranti people • ' 10 ..., 4.2 Paharia-group 11" a) The Sherpa society •....11 '' ' " "b) Tamang people 12 c) Thami and Pahari people 12 d) Sunwar and Jirel people 12 4.3 Parbatiya-group 13 a) Brahmans 13 b) Khatri Chhetri 13 Part II: Traditional Architecture 1. HOUSING AND SETTLEMENT ' ' 17 2. TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE IN NEPAL 19 3.-PREPARATION AND-"STRUCTURALISM*OF CASE STUDY ' ' 22' Part III: ..Architecture.and building construction studies I. BUILDING CASE STUDIES, ACCORDING TO FORM • 29 1.1 Aboriginal people's.house 30 a) Newar houses 30 b) Rai housfessf.? > . 33 1.2 Mongo|p;1d/Tibeto Birmese people's houses 34 a) Sherpa houses . 34 b) Tamang houses 41 c) Sunwar houses 46 d) Jirel houses - , 50 1.3 Europoid/Indoaryan people's houses 54 a) Brahmin houses 54 b) Chhetri houses 55 c) Khatri houses ' 59 d) Kami houses 62 e) Magi houses 65 Part IV: Building materloh techniques and trade 1. NATURAL STONES AS CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL '•'••'''- ' 69 1.1 Stone masonry _69 2. COMMON SOIL AS LOCAL CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL ' * " 71 2.1 Common soil as mud mortar 72 2.2 Common soil as flooring material 73 2.3 Common soil as mud plastering 74 2.4 Colour and white washing 75 3. TIMBER AND BAMBOO AS CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL 76 3.1 Bamboo as construction material 76 3.2 Timber as construction material so a) Decidious trees 80 b) Evergreen trees 81 c) Conifers 82 3.3 Timber skeleton construction •••, 84 a) The timber workmanship 84 b) Column, head and framework of binders^a'nd joists 86 c')''Roof constructions 88 3.4 Window and door constructions go 4. NATURAL ROOFING MATERIALS 95 4.1 Thatching material 95 a) Methods of applying khar on the roof 96 4.2 SIabstone roofs 96 a) Dark grey to black slabstones 97 b) Grey to greenish slabstones 97 c) White-grey slabstones 97 4.3 Wooden shingles roof 98 Part V: Ritual and consecration in traditional building construction 1. ORGANISATION OF WORK AND LABOUR 101 2. MYSTICAL COMPREHENSION OF BUILDING PROCESS '"'[.)'''.[ 102 2.1 Hindu treatises on architecture - 102 2.2 Organisation of building process 104 3. PRINCIPALS OF RITUAL PURITY .; 110 3.I The four varnas in architecture 112 4. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 114 Part VI; Appendix 1. DISTRICT PROFILES AND MAPS , » 121 1.1 District profiles of target area 121 '-" a) Dolakha 121 b) Okhaldunga 121 c) Ramechap 122 d) SindhupalchowK 122 e) Solu Khumbu 123 1.2 Map with building case studies 124 2. GLOSSARY 125 2.1 Illustrations 128 3. INDEX 129 4. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY "''.'I'M... " 133 Fold-out of space code - -. .7 n ;•.