The Kashmir region’s architecture has to deal with a wide range of challenges. The native architecture does well to adapt to the climate based on the availability of materials and construction methods. Our aim was not to radically change the structures, but rather offer a range of prototypes that could be implemented based on the existing knowledge of construction and the site’s conditions. The main ideas of our designs revolve around a laterally braced wood frame that is then in-filled with a wall that is allowed to break away safely and leave the frame intact in the event of an earthquake. The main thing we noticed in images following the earthquake were a lack of proper connections. Many images we saw were of timber that was stacked without any securing of the joints. Notching or holing out connections could easily be done. To address the issue of the wall, we developed two solutions. One involves dry stacking stone on the outside of a shell of corrugation that is then allowed to fall safely outward in an earthquake. The other idea involves a double panel system of corrugation that is then filled with soil and rocks to achieve a thermal mass to aid in insulating the structure. The other area we focused on was how to safely insert housing into hillsides through the use of simplified retaining walls. It would be impossible to completely change the face of Kashmir’s architecture, but hopefully some of our solutions can be adapted within the existing contexts.
