1. Jan-Feb 2011
ARCHITECTURE VARIATIONS IN LAYOUTS There are variations in the layout of the courtyard houses. These often depend on the size of the houses and the number of rooms that need to be linked directly from the balcony around the central courtyard. The main components of these houses are the courtyard, the balcony, the staircase, the kitchen and the prayer room. Additional rooms are used as bedrooms. Many of the houses have toilets that have usually been added later. One can also note that the staircase going up to the roof is very often next to the toilet. One side balcony courtyard in Lo Manthang Building extensions to house in Tsarang Three side balcony courtyard in Dhi The sketches show various examples of these layouts. The example from Lo Manthang shows a balcony only on one side of the courtyard which links to rooms on either end as well as the toilet block which was added later. This requires one to pass through one room to get to the next. The courtyard house in Tsarang has balconies on two sides of the courtyard which connect to four rooms and the toilet block. Here the staircase is located within the balcony and not in the central courtyard. The example from Yara is similar, however only connects to three rooms and the room used for the staircase to the roof is linked to the toilet extension. The example in Dhi has balconies on three sides which connect to all the rooms. However, this house did not have an attached toilet. In Samar the balcony has been widened by a grid to allow for a covered sitting area. Two side balcony courtyard in Yara © Kai Weise Extended balcony in Samar www.spacesnepal.com 52 January-February 2011
ARCHITECTURE © Kai Weise Constructing an earthern wall T U M. S , U M . © Kai Weise © Kai Weise Chaile Interiors of the main dining/living room TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION The main construction material in Upper Mustang is earth. The earth walls that are 45 cm thick are constructed either of sun dried earth blocks (pop) or rammed earth (gyanka tha). The sun-dried blocks are often strengthened by mixing cut wheat or barley stalks and husk. The walls are then constructed using mud mortar with the vertical joints being filled with small stone pieces. Only few stone rubble masonry buildings can be seen, which is more predominant in lower Mustang. Earth construction is preferred wherever the soil quality allows. Rubble stone masonry, when used is of low quality. The foundations and plinth are nevertheless always of stone rubble masonry. The foundation depth is a maximum of 60 cm. The rubble masonry is often raised up to one meter above the plinth level. The flat roofs give the freedom to construct irregular shaped rooms and add extension. Each room is enclosed with earthen walls, the roof or next floor being supported by central wooden posts. Wooden brackets on the posts give better support to the main beam, which are supported on the ends by additional posts or stone wall-plates. The joists are usually round sections of 15 cm diameter, placed 45 cm apart. The joists are covered with planks or split wood, a layer of wheat stalks and twigs covered with approximately 10 cm of packed white clay. The side walls are raised slightly above the level of the roof to clamp down the beams and joists. These parapets are often covered with stone slabs and are used to dry firewood for the winter. The openings along the external walls are usually small. In some cases a double frame is used to support the thick rammed earth walls. Nevertheless, the larger windows that open onto the courtyard use the traditional Tibetan design. A single frame is used, often carved and painted. Wooden blocks that span the width of the wall are fixed perpendicular to the top member of the frame, which is then covered with wooden planks to hold the earthen wall. January-February 2011 53 www.spacesnepal.com
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- Page 16 and 17: CONTRIBUTORS Ar. Kai Weise Ar. Yatr
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- Page 40 and 41: ARCHITECTURE From the flood plains
- Page 42 and 43: ARCHITECTURE The warmth at the entr
- Page 44 and 45: ARCHITECTURE The panorama of Thasan
- Page 48 and 49: ARCHITECTURE THE COURTYARD HOUSES O
- Page 50 and 51: ARCHITECTURE In the ancient kingdom
- Page 54 and 55: ARCHITECTURE First concrete buildin
- Page 56 and 57: INTERNATIONAL Resort World Sentosa
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- Page 60 and 61: INTERNATIONAL The interiors of the
- Page 62 and 63: INTERIOR Where Context Meets Contex
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- Page 66 and 67: INTERIOR Details and details The id
- Page 68: The three storey building envelope
- Page 71 and 72: HERITAGE The Area of Maru, with Mar
- Page 73 and 74: HERITAGE SITE PLAN: Kathmandu Darba
- Page 75 and 76: HERITAGE The Kumari Bahal built in
- Page 77: HERITAGE The royal thrones used for
- Page 80 and 81: ANALYSIS This time around the propo
- Page 82 and 83: OPINION Kathmandu Sustainable Urban
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- Page 86 and 87: ART © Siddhartha Art Gallery Syed
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ARCHITECTURE<br />
VARIATIONS IN LAYOUTS<br />
There are variations in the layout of the courtyard<br />
houses. These often depend on the size of the<br />
houses and the number of rooms that need to be<br />
linked directly from the balcony around the central<br />
courtyard. The main components of these houses<br />
are the courtyard, the balcony, the staircase, the<br />
kitchen and the prayer room. Additional rooms are<br />
used as bedrooms. Many of the houses have toilets<br />
that have usually been added later. One can also<br />
note that the staircase going up to the roof is very<br />
often next to the toilet.<br />
One side balcony courtyard in Lo Manthang<br />
Building extensions to house in Tsarang<br />
Three side balcony courtyard in Dhi<br />
The sketches show various examples of these<br />
layouts. The example from Lo Manthang shows a<br />
balcony only on one side of the courtyard which<br />
links to rooms on either end as well as the toilet<br />
block which was added later. This requires one<br />
to pass through one room to get to the next. The<br />
courtyard house in Tsarang has balconies on two<br />
sides of the courtyard which connect to four rooms<br />
and the toilet block. Here the staircase is located<br />
within the balcony and not in the central courtyard.<br />
The example from Yara is similar, however only<br />
connects to three rooms and the room used for the<br />
staircase to the roof is linked to the toilet extension.<br />
The example in Dhi has balconies on three sides<br />
which connect to all the rooms. However, this<br />
house did not have an attached toilet. In Samar the<br />
balcony has been widened by a grid to allow for a<br />
covered sitting area.<br />
Two side balcony courtyard in Yara<br />
© Kai Weise<br />
Extended balcony in Samar<br />
www.spacesnepal.com 52<br />
<strong>Jan</strong>uary-<strong>Feb</strong>ruary <strong>2011</strong>
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