Building with nature: Sustainable building and architecture
August 13, 2024
Learn how ancient practices and modern approaches are used to set up the Akasha Academy Nepal while relying on local and natural material.
The Akasha Academy headquarters manifests step by step in Suntakhan, Nepal. This is a process which takes time, since we strive to develop the land in accordance with nature. This includes different stages: Getting to know the land and the different areas with their qualities and challenges, learning and applying old and new construction techniques, choosing the right building materials and last but not least: gathering a lot of experiences.
Universal Ethics is our guiding principle: humans and nature are interconnected. A natural consequence is this understanding: by harming nature, we harm ourselves. Therefore, we wish to protect the natural resources and provide an example of sustainable building for the people in the area and beyond.
Why sustainable building and architecture is important in Nepal
In Nepal, traditional building practices have, unfortunately, been largely replaced by modern, quick and cheap methods employing concrete and steel. This way, the whole Kathmandu valley has been rapidly growing in number of buildings over the last 30 years – and no end is in sight. Insufficient know-how often leads to damages or collapses of buildings, especially in a earth quake prone country. Additionally, the modern construction methods come with a high cost for nature.
So showing examples of how to do differently is needed. That is why we have built a great network of people sharing the same understanding about protecting nature and sustainable building. The buildings are designed and constructed together with Fore Sight Architects and Green Bamboo Creation, who are experts of bamboo constructions.
So far, we have built a tea pavillon and a bamboo training pavillon with Green Bamboo. With Fore Sight Architects we are currently designing and building our student housing. Together, we are developing the masterplan for our headquarters in Nepal.
But what does the choice of sustainable building and the related materials practically look like?
Environmental and health impacts of concrete and plastics
“The impact of modern building materials on the environment and human heath throughout their lifecycle – from production to waste management – is significant.”
– Fore Sight Architects
One requirement of all buildings at Akasha Academy is that concrete usage is kept to the bare minimum. Plastic we avoid altogether.
Concrete, while having beneficial qualities regarding statics and earth quake resistance, requires large amounts of energy as well as chemical additives in its production process. Cement is responsible for up to 8% of the global CO2 emissions [2023: B. Skinner and R. Lalit]. Additionally, it is one of the main reasons for the global shortage of construction sand and the destruction of ecosystems in the mining process.
In Summer, concrete heats up easily. This leads to much higher temperatures in the surrounding of buildings, adding to the challenge of heat waves. In Winter, we have the opposite effect which requires a good insulation for interiors.
Depending on the specific chemical compound and the production process, plastics and concrete can emit toxins. On top of that, using concrete can negatively impact room ventilation. This causes toxins and pathogenic factors to remain inside the rooms instead of being transported outside, which effects human vitality.
Plastic cannot be dissolved. Instead, it gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces over time. The small particles simmer into the soil, the drinking water, the air. From there, plastic easily enters our bodies through the food we eat, the water we drink or the air we breathe.
Choosing local materials for sustainable constructions
Sustainable building means to adapt to the local conditions. The choice of building materials for example needs to take the local climate and availability into account. A building that is adapted to its surrounding is more likely to coexist harmoniously in its environment and last longer.
“Using local natural materials in construction that have a long lifespan, are readily available, and retain vernacular architecture characteristics is a great approach to sustainable and culturally sensitive building.”
– Fore Sight Architects
With local materials, which are ideally reusable, we also ensure using only what is sufficiently available. It means transportation is kept to a minimum with shorter routes from the origin of the material to the construction site. This reduces transport-related CO2-emissions. An additional benefit is that the local workers are familiar with the materials and therefore have the necessary knowledge to handle it properly. A properly built construction is expected to have a longer lifespan, reducing its overall CO2 emission.
Choosing natural, resilient material for building longevity
For our bamboo pavilion for example, we used bamboo for the construction, clay and straw mixtures for the insulation and covered the roof with recycled tiles. The burning of tiles still emits high CO2 levels, but once they are burnt and produced properly, they too have a long life span and can be easily reused.
Bamboo is a durable and versatile material when its harvested, treated and seasoned properly as per the standard guideline. By planting it all over our land, we are not only growing our own building material, we are also using it to stabilize our land against landslides with bamboo’s deep roots. This is especially important for hillside properties with a sandy soil composition such as our land.
“Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth. It can be harvested every 3 years after its maturity. It can be stronger than steel when compared with its tensile strength, making it earthquake resistant and stable for construction. Bamboo is the future construction material – and the future is now.”
– Green Bamboo Creation
Depending on the specific purpose, different types of bamboo are most suitable: Bambusa Balcooa has been used as the structural component, known to be one of the strongest bamboo available due to its tensile strength. Bambusa Nutan serves best as a wall and roofing component. All bamboos are interconnected with each other using metal components such as threaded rods, node bolts, metal caps and strips.
The clay-straw mixture used for the insulation of the pavilion provides a healthy room climate in combination with the smart placement of openings. By this, the necessity of additional heating and cooling is kept to a minimum which also saves costs later on.
By respecting nature and utilizing what it provides, we ensure the longevity of our buildings, add to a healthy room climate and reduce health risks. The same approach goes for outdoor measures. For walls, pathways and further land stabilization, we have made positive experiences with rocks, another perfectly natural and versatile building material.
Effects on human vitality and well-being
Building materials can be in resonance or dissonance with human vitality. Emissions from these materials appear to have a significant impact on physical health. Respiratory problems, headaches, allergies, dermatitis and a reduced sleep quality [2024: E. Y. Nakanishi et al] , are among the negative symptoms which can be caused by harmful emissions. Another aspect is the permeability of building materials. A good air ventilation add to a healthy room climate and reduce the risk of humidity stuck in rooms and mold.
In general, you could say that a building material that is not harmful for the environment is likely not to be harmful for the human body as well. This requires transparency and documentation of the production and composition of the material, while not neglecting the fact that every human still may react individually and differently to the material. If health related issues occur, knowing the declaration of ingredients and raw materials and that they were used in a correct way may help to trace and exclude causes.
A flagship project - Empowering the community
Building sustainably may come with some investments at the beginning: To meet high quality standards and a good energy efficiency certainly requires time, knowledge, high quality resources and well practiced methods. However, the invest will pay off in the long run – bills for heating and electricity will be lower and the costs for maintenance and necessary renovations will be reduced.
With this approach at Akasha Academy Nepal, we aim for an impact beyond our piece of land. This is realized by joining knowledge and experience with experts in the field in Germany and Nepal as well as employing ancient and innovative techniques. By showing the positive impact on health and environment practically, sharing our knowledge and building together with locals, we wish to inspire the community in the surrounding to turn to more sustainable building practices in the future.
Building sustainably means building in a way that protects the natural resources for future generations. An approach, we take to heart in all we do at Akasha Academy.
Join Us in Building a Sustainable Future
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