The brief was to construct a thermally efficient house to suit the climate of Kathmandu, while using low impact materials and making the building strong to any potential earthquake threat. The design of the building allows for solar warming during the colder months, but also provides shading during the hotter months.

 

The ground floor was built out of rammed earth using local soils, this is not only very strong but also has lots of thermal mass and helps regulate internal temperatures. The first floor was built out of a lightweight woodchip, lime and soil mixture, to provide better insulation and less weight. Bamboo was used to making the roof trusses.