A house is a home, a hearth, a shelter, a sanctuary and also an identity. Many Nepalis have now started to incorporate the “identity” in their newly built houses, as they add a carved window or a pillar in between the concrete structures. [break]The traditional architecture, however, not only carries artistic values but possesses the essentials of a well-built residence as well. It has evolved through necessity and learning through time to tailor the needs of the natives.
“The aesthetic beauty is not only what the old architecture covers,” says Rabindra Puri, the celebrity restorer of Namuna Ghar, the traditional model house in Bhaktapur. Highlighting the importance of the load-bearing design, he adds that the traditional houses built from mud mortar are more flexible than concrete houses, making them more earthquake resistant.
Dr. Rohit Ranjitkar, Nepal Program Director of Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, opines a similar idea. “The thickness of the walls can endure considerable movement during quakes.”
He adds that with the usage of flexible elements such as wood and mud, even when the house collapses, there are fewer chances of the joists, the wooden block support on the ceilings in traditional Newar houses, falling flat. The blocks would instead tilt and create a triangular space and thus prevent human casualties.
In opposition to the general belief that houses built on traditional Newar architecture are weak and are unsafe to live in, Puri, who has accomplished over 40 renovation projects so far, emphasizes that they are built with the wellbeing of its residents as its major consideration. He credits the interlocking building system for the strength of those houses. “From the foundation to the top, the components of the old buildings have compact knitting.”
The foundation of the house is supported by stones, which are intertwined in the corners. The firm base guarantees the strength of the structure built over it. The walls are then built with the composition of bricks, mud and wood, knitted under a thick structure that can measure up to 36 inches. The thickness of the walls is reduced slightly with every ascending floor. Dr. Ranjitkar emphasizes that this structural aspect in traditional Newar architecture further assures the firmness of the house. The tapering design makes the whole structure strong.
Even the windows and doors are not separate frame structures but they have a strong interlocking lintel within the components of the wall. Those interlocking prevent the frames from easily falling apart from its place.
The joists that support the ceilings and roofs, too, are linked through the walls, and in addition, are held by a beam support at both ends.
Dr. Ranjitkar believes that the old structures are sturdy due also to the system of building houses forming a courtyard. “The continuation of the parallel interlocking in the adjacent houses provides them with support that can resist any jolt.”
Apart from the flexibility, the old houses are also durable, say both the experts. “Scientists have said that the life of concrete is 100 years but the houses built with mud mortars last longer, but they need proper maintenance,” says Dr. Ranjitkar.
“The model house in Bhaktapur is believed to be older than 150 years and still serves as a good residence, which is not possible with cement. Moreover, in western countries, a cement building that has passed its age limit is demolished,” adds Puri.
In comparison, even while disposing, the components of traditionally built Kathmandu Valley houses are reusable. According to Puri, they are not just reusable but valuable too.
“The bricks and wood used in those houses are stronger. The raw bricks are made of soil that was not polluted, as it is now, while the wood from Sal tree (Sorea Robusta) is more of a luxury nowadays.”
Though their beauty entices people towards traditional houses, they normally shy away from the challenges of maintaining it. But Dr. Ranjitkar, who has been restoring old architecture for 12 years, says that the strength of these timeless beauties is that its components can be easily replaced.
On the other hand, Puri argues that concrete houses will also demand maintenance after a decade or two. “But that will be more tedious and expensive than maintaining houses built in traditional architecture,” he claims. It took him a year and a half to restore Namuna Ghar, which was earlier a poultry farm, and cost him Rs 1.4 million at around Rs 600 per square foot. But from his experience, he says that a normal residence in need of basic maintenance will take three to six months and cost Rs 500 to 1,000 per square foot. For building a new house in traditional architecture, he estimates the cost to be around Rs 2,000 to 2,200 per square foot.
Adding to the artistic values, lesser costs and the strength of traditional houses, their environment-friendly aspect is yet another advantage. The thick walls built from mud mortar works as insulation against outside weather, explains Puri. “The walls don’t produce any unnatural heat or cold, like concrete walls do,” he adds. “Therefore, traditional Nepali houses are warm during winter and cool in summer.”
According to him, modern architecture has been borrowed from the West without any research on the compatibility of its designs in a city like ours.
“I had the opportunity to scan through the houses built in traditional architecture from the 13th to the 20th century in Panauti and it’s seen that the building techniques has strengthened through time,” he says.
Building a house is a one-time thing and a lifetime investment for many. However, building a house in traditional architecture can turn out to be something more than individual investment and one for generations to come. The centuries-old houses that still stand strong are the instances of this very grandeur.
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