Diverse challenges to rebuilding houses particularly in core areas

Kathmandu

Residential neighbourhoods in the historic core areas of Kathmandu valley used to be active, vibrant, lively and above all an expression of ‘Newari’ architecture. However, the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks last year damaged the traditional social fabric with numerous consequences. Even a year after the earthquake, many are still living in temporary shelters. Others are forced to reside in damaged vulnerable houses.

Rebuilding of houses particularly in the core area pose diverse challenges. First, the shared community values and heritage to be conserved needs to be identified. While transferring parental property equally to children, traditional houses are often vertically divided into different parts thereby forming many tiny, elongated plots, inadequate natural lighting and ventilation and waste of habitable spaces. Second, the reconstruction process should be cost effective and at the same time earthquake resilient. Third, what should be the sustainable financial modality for such mass reconstruction? Many earthquake victims lost their houses along with their income sources. For quality maintenance and timely completion of the work, the implementation mechanism should be simple, fast and efficient.

Government, donor, private and non-government organisations have been engaged in the reconstruction process, yet tangible results are not apparent particularly for reconstruction in historic core areas. The Ministry of Urban Development and Federal Affairs and Local Development including National Reconstruction Authority have come up with new directives giving themselves full power to prepare necessary rules and regulations for house pooling andurban regeneration. Many municipalities have rectified existing building bylaws but with minor changes for core areas. Building by laws focusing on individual buildings is not sufficient to tackle the post-reconstruction phase.

In such a situation, local communities with support from different agencies have come up with different models for reconstruction in core areas. Among three emerging models, the community at Pilachhen in Patan comprising of 82 houses with support from Maya Foundation, CE Construction and entrepreneurs have come up with a redevelopment plan that has a comprehensive community based financial system. The total project cost of Rs 460 million has been divided into four parts: 25 per cent cash contribution by each household, 25 per cent from the project, 25 per cent from cash or kind (labour contribution) and the remaining 25 per cent from bank financing. It intends to rebuild individual houses (irrespective of plot size) with traditional architectural character but with the provision of guesthouse and galleries on the ground and lower floors of houses.

Similarly, another initiative at Kilagal in Kathmandu proposes destruction of all houses at the site and replacing it with one single monolithic unit that comprises of commercial rental spaces on the ground with two upper floors dedicated for accommodation in the flat system.

The third model developed by me while working at Khwopa Engineering College and JST Project for the historic core area of Bhaktapur (Jela, Byasi and Tekhachhen) is a comprehensive redevelopment plan. It proposes a combination of three to five small plots into a single unit with sharing of common spaces (staircases and lobby) equally and the remaining based on plot size. By doing so, one can get extra habitable spaces on the ground floor (10 times bigger compared to individual plot construction) and 40 per cent on the upper floors. As a result, many of them will be able to rent space on the ground and first floor enhancing their professional work and also generating extra income.

As urban design guidelines have been developed to ensure conservation of past glory and architectural heritage, many agencies working on heritage conservation such as UNESCO, Department of Archaeology and INGOs can

partially contribute. The municipality can raise extra fee (say USD 10 in addition to existing entry fee of USD15) for some years, which can be utilised for debt financing in reconstruction. All these plus the government’s grant of Rs 200,000 can be collected into a basket fund, which should be used for skeleton construction.

(The author is a professor at the Department of Urban Design and Conservation at Khwopa Engineering College)