We have exciting news! The Akasha Academy NGO, supported by Long Yang e.V. has started a collaboration with Nepal based Sustainable Mountain Architecture (SMA), a pro ecology, pro local, pro people team with national and international members. Following the vision of an institute for holistic education and healing arts by Tulku Khyungdor Rinpoche, the Akasha Academy Headquarters will be located on the North-Eastern outskirts of Kathmandu, bordering Shivapuri National Park in Nepal. In the past years, the focus has been on the purchase of the land and the construction of the first buildings. Now conditions allow the next steps on the land.
Suntakhan is a hilly region, and the soil is vulnerable to erosion because of the heavy rainfalls during the monsoon, deforestation taking place in the area, as well as the constantly changing mountainous structure. Akasha Academy Headquarters will be established on a 13,000 square meters sized land, which is located on a hillside and covered with young trees. Because of erosion and the lack of old trees, the land is unstable at some parts and exposed to a risk of landslides. Therefore, it needs carefully planned stabilization intervention before the next monsoon starts. A long-term plan is required for the land as a guide for the future growth and development. This plan shall outline the phases and years, and helps to identify necessary infrastructure and earthquake prevention within.
SMA is a non-profit distributing company founded in Kathmandu Valley, practicing research based design of sustainable and responsible interventions in the sensitive environment of the Himalayas. During the past eight years, the SMA team has designed and built over 20 different projects in Nepal, especially in mountainous areas.
Together with SMA, the Akasha Academy NGO and Long Yang e.V. will proceed with the realization of Tulku Khyungdor Rinpoche’s vision on the land. During the next months the land will be stabilized and studied in detail, so that the planning can start on firm ground. The first phase of our cooperation was kicked off in mid-January 2021, and will continue until the end of June, from where the next steps will be reviewed. The tasks for the next months are essential to ensure a safe and practical foundation for the future planning. The cooperation will focus on the following tasks:
- Studying the land (geological and water structure, as well as its biodiversity).
- Stabilizing the land to protect it from erosion before the next monsoon.
- Developing strategies to ensure that the future development on the land will be constantly aligned with the core values of the vision.
The cooperating organizations will continue to study the strengths and challenges of the land with surveys and mental maps, and will be brainstorming the core values of the future constructions.
