SONA Architecture Excellence Award 2021
SONA Architecture Excellence Award 2021 was categorized in category A and category B, which encompassed A building with a total built-up area of less than 1000 sq M and more than 1000 sq M, respectively.
1. Project information
Project name: Pavilions Himalayas
Project address: Pokhara
Dates: 2014-2016
Gross Built Up area in sq. M. 3000 Sq. M
Client’s Name: Pavilions Global
Contractor’s Name: Aina Constructions.
2. Architect’s Detail
Studio’s Name Wonaw & Associates
Principal Architect’s or Designer’s Name* Ar. Alex Shrestha
Address: Satdobato, Lalitpur
Sustainable Resort Design
Pavilions Himalayas
Pokhara, Nepal
Architect: Alex Shrestha
Abstract
Hotels and Resorts have an enormous appetite for resources for them to operate and function properly. A lot of electricity is required, either from the mains or from diesel generators; cooking gas and food is also required at mammoth scales. They consume huge amounts of water either from the municipal supply or extract from the ground, eventually depleting the water table. And in return they produce considerable amounts of wastes, pollution and put a lot of pressure in commodities and resources.
On the contrary, the recently opened Pavilions Himalayas (www.pavilionshotels.com/himalayas) is a unique and first of its kind self-sustainable Eco Resort project in Nepal and probably one of the very few environment friendly resorts in Asia. The eco-friendly design sets an unprecedented new standard in the hospitality industry with many environment friendly features and will be an inspiration for future resorts. Here are a few of its salient features:
The Pavilions Himalayas Eco resort is located in a valley near Phewa Lake, Pokhara, Nepal. Surrounded by farmland, forested hills and a mountain fed stream, the 14 luxurious eco-friendly villas form the natural landscape. Spread over organic farmland, the resort respects the natural elements, showcasing village life in Nepal.
The resort has been conceptualized to be a part of the village and eco-friendly in every sense possible with minimal footprint to the environment from its early design stage to its construction and actual finishing. The use of local materials, workforce, indigenous technology and local architecture blended with the eco-friendly technologies and practices have been the guiding principles for the design.
Introduction
The structures are built on a single and split level configurations, using the natural topography to minimise the disturbances to the flow of land. The villas are built spaciously with the latest amenities to give a sense of comfort and luxury. Latest construction technology along with traditional architecture and local craftsmen also make the buildings safe, energy efficient and coherent to the local surroundings.
Ceiling: XPS insulation has been laid on top of the roof slab and clad with natural stone slates inconformity to the local architecture. The interior side also has a gypsum board ceiling with air cavity, these measures substantially reduce energy transfer and keep the interior space comfortable during all seasons.
Walls: XPS insulation was used between the external cavity walls; this provides excellent thermal insulation and increasing the villas' energy efficiency. Natural stone have been used for the external walls to depict the local architecture and give a rustic look. The stone pieces were also carved individually into shape by hand.
Floor: Natural hard and soft wood has been laid on top of XPS insulation, which again provides excellent thermal insulation and increases the energy efficiency of the villas. This saves as much as 15% of the heat in a room.
The natural wood also gives a luxurious and warm feeling to the interior space.
Windows: Large double glazed windows have been placed strategically to allow natural air flow into the rooms as well as to provide a clear and open view into the surrounding natural landscape.
The insulated windows also help minimising noise and maintain a comfortable temperature inside the room through all seasons without compromising the comfort.
This also means that the costs of heating and cooling are substantially reduced.
Electricity: The resort is run by solar electricity produced within the resort. Carefully selected electrical lights and appliances used in the villas are run by solar electricity produced within the resort itself. Efficient LED bulbs have an exceptionally long lifetime and give significant energy savings while enhancing the interior space, they are also controlled by infrared motion sensor switches which turn on the lights only when needed thus saving energy.
Heating and Cooling: The resort does not use Air conditioners to heat or cool the rooms. The extensive use of insulation throughout the building, natural cross ventilation through windows and louvres and passive solar design helps keep the rooms temperature at around a comfortable 23 degrees centigrade throughout the year. Electric fans and a fireplace which burns natural briquettes are available if necessary.
Hot Water: Each villa has two efficient flatbed solar panels to heat water for the majority of the year. This is a cost-effective way to generate hot water for and the fuel sunshine is free.
Suppose for any reason the water is not hot enough, due to overcast skies during the monsoon or winter seasons. In that case, the centralised heat pumps automatically starts to transfer the heat in the air to heat the water, thus ensuring hot water at any given time.
Water: All the structures have large roofs which collect rain water, and are channelled by gutters to large underground tanks in every villa. This is filtered naturally and reused for all the guests needs, in the showers, tubs and sinks. This undoubtedly saves a lot of water.
Rainwater harvesting provides over 50 per cent of the resorts water needs. This not only saves water, but saves money and reduces our impact on the environment.
Waste Water: The soapy ‘grey water’ produced from the shower, sinks and bath tubs are also treated using natural methods by bio sand filters and plants, and then reused for flushing the toilets and landscaping purpose reusing precious water.
Excess grey water is used for fishponds and farming, thereby reducing the chance that it will pollute local water bodies.
Black Water: The sewage from the villas flows into a centralised bio gas plant, and along with the cattle manure from the farm, methane gas is produced. This gas flows into the main kitchen and is used as fuel to cook food for the resort. Currently 6-7 gas cylinders worth of cooking gas are produced from the waste.
Food: Fresh organic food, staple crops, fruits, vegetables, milk and meat are farmed within the resort for the guests throughout the year. The villagers are also encouraged to supply local produce to the resort thereby supporting local economy.
The residue manure produced from the biogas plant is used as fertilisers in the fields to grow food. This not only saves money, but it allows the guest to comprehend the eco system in a practical way.
Swimming Pool: Rain water is integrated into the pool and regular salt along with a salt chlorinator is used to clean the pool water.
Chlorine generators eliminate the need for most swimming pool chemical maintenance, lowering maintenance costs. Other advantages include reduced skin and eye irritation, no harsh chemical odours, and swimmer safety.
Project Information
Project Name : Residence of Mr. Purushottam Lochan Shrestha
Project Address: Katunje, Suryabinayak Municipality, Bhaktapur
Dates : 2072 BS to 2074 BS
Gross Built Up area : 3197.55 sq.ft.
Client's Name: Mr. Purushottam Lochan Shrestha
Contractor's Name : Mr. Sanu Bakhhunchhen
Architect's Detail
Studio's Name : Method Consultancy
Principal Architect's or Designer's Name: Srijana Prajapati
address: Suryabinayak bus stop, Bhaktapur
पुरुषोतम लोचन श्रेष्ठ सरको घर
घर एक व्यक्तिको मात्र नभई स्थानको समेत परिचय दिने चिज हो । नेपाली कला, वास्तुकलाको क्षेत्रमा नेवारी वास्तुकलाले संसारमा नै नेपालको परिचय बनाएको छ । हरेक वास्तुकार (आर्किटेक्ट) ले नेवारी वास्तुकलाबाट सिक्नुपर्छ र सिक्ने ठाउँ पनि छ । शताब्दीयौ तिकेका ति वास्तुकलाका नमुनाहरुलाई आधार बनाई नयाँ सृजनाहरु गरिनुपर्छ । जसले गर्दा नेपालको परिचयको निरन्तरता त्यसैगरी अगाडी बढ्छ जसरी विगतमा थियो ।
पुरुषोतम लोचन सर नेपालकै उत्कृष्ट इतिहासकार मध्ये एक हुनुहुन्छ । उहाँको भवन बनाउने प्रस्ताव सँगसँगै उहाँको आवासमा उहाँको परिचय जोड्ने विचार ग¥यौ । त्यहि बमोजिमको परिकल्पनामा इतिहास र वास्तुकलाको संयोजन स्वरूप ऐतिहासिक स्वरूप सहितको भवन डिजाइन ग¥यौ । जहाँ नेवारी वास्तुकलाको अनुपम नमुनाको रुपमा रहेको कुंझ्या ( कुना झ्याल) लाई मुख्य आकर्षणको रुपमा नक्सामा उता¥यौ । त्यस बाहेक पनि भवनमा प्रयोग गरिएको लोकल इँटको गारो र काठको झ्याल, ढोका, थाम र टिकिझ्या (आँखिझ्याल) ले नेवारी परम्पराको झल्को दिन्छ । त्यसबाहेक झ्याल, ढोकाको चौडाइ र उचाई अनुपात ९न्यमिभल चबतष्य० को आधारमा सकेसम्म मिलाएका छौं । आधुनिक भवनको उचाई बढी हुने कुरालाई ख्याल गरि, थामको उचाई नबढाई बढी भएको उचाईमा टिकिझ्या मिलाएर राखेका छांै । साइटको भौगोलिक अवस्थाको कारण मुख्य संरचना भने फ्रेम स्ट्रक्चर (Frame structure) नै प्रयोग गरेका छौं ।
यसमा प्रयोग भएको काठ, इँट र ढुङ्गाले भवनलाई वातावरण अनुकुल बनाएको छ । भवनको सौन्दर्यलाई निखार्नको लागि पानी ट्याब्कीलाई छाना मुनि लुकाएर राखेका छौ । साथै कम्पाउन्ड वाललाई समेत घरको एक अंगको रूपमा डिजाइन गरेका छौ । स्ल्यायब (कबिद) को बाहिरी भागलाई छोप्नको लागि मृत्तिका कलाको मूठबाला (इभ्स बोर्ड) प्रयोग गरिएको छ । साथै भवनको छाना मुनिको तिनकुने भित्ता (नबदभि धबिि) मा भएको मयूर झ्यालले पनि भवनको शाभे ा बढाएको छ । आधुनिकताको नाममा रंगिन स्यालको रूपमा विकास भइरहेको यो नयाँ बस्तिमा यो नेवारी शैलिको घरले आफ्नै परिचय बनाएको छ । भुगोलिकरण (Globalization) ले गर्दा संसारका कुनैपनि शहरको भवनको नमुना घरमै बसेर हेर्दै नक्कल गर्ने बानीको विकास सँगै, घरको फोटो हेरेर कहाँको घर चिन्न गाह्रो भइसकेको छ । यसरी विश्व मानचित्रमा पहिचान हराउँदै गरेको घरहरुको विचमा भक्तपुर नगरको न्यातापोलको पृष्ठभूमिमा यो घर कटुञ्जेको डाँडामा रहेको छ । घरको मात्र नभई नयाँ शहरमा उस्ता उस्तै घर, उस्ता उस्तै बाटो तथा स्थान विशेष स्मारकको कमि भएको बेला यो घरले ।।।रातो घर’ को दर्जा पाएको छ । र स्थान चिनाउने काम समेत गरेको छ ।
घरको भित्र र बाहिरको बातावरणलाई एकाकार गर्न मुलद्वार बाहिर सानो बार्दाली छ । मूलद्वार प्रवेश गर्ने वित्तिकै खुल्ला बैठक छ । त्यसको बाया भान्छा (किचन डाइनिब) छ । बैठकको धेरैजसो भागमा काठले मोडिएको छ । अन्य कोठाको भुइँमा पनि या त काठ या त तेलिय इँट प्रयोग गरिएको छ । बैठकको उत्तरतिर अध्ययन कोठा रहेको छ । पहिलो तल्लाको तिनवटै कोठाहरू सुत्ने कोठाहरु छन् । विचको ठूलो कोठामा रहेको कुँझ्याले बाहिरको दृष्य आनन्दले हेर्न सकिने गरि ठूलो शिशा प्रयोग गरिएको छ । दुई छेउका कोठाहरूमा काठका थाम भएका साना चिटिक्क बरण्डाहरु छन् । माथिल्लो तल्लामा एउटा पूजा कोठा, भण्डार र सानो कोठा रहेको छ । त्यस माथि दुइपाखे छानामा पानि ट्याङ्की लुकाइएको छ । साथै बुइँगल जस्तो सानो कोठा पनि छ । कौसीमा पनि तेलिय इँट नै प्रयोग गरिएको छ । जसले कौसीको तापलाई तलको कोठामा जान बाट रोक्छ । भुइँमा प्रयोग भएको काठ तथा तेलिय इँटले काठमाडौँको जाडो मौसमलाई केहि भएपनि भरथेग गर्छ । त्यसैले यो घर वातानुकुल रहेको छ । साथै ढलान गरिएको सिमेण्ट वा मार्बलको चिसोले हुने स्वास्थ्यको खराबी समेत घटाउँछ ।
सबै कोठा, ट्वाइलटे , भ¥याङ्गमा प्रकाश तथा हावा आवतजावत हुने गरि झ्याल तथा भेन्टिलेसन राखिएको छ । कोठाहरूमा दक्षिण र पूर्वको उज्यालो छिर्ने गरि उत्तर र पश्चिमको स्थानमा भ¥याङ्ग र ट्वाइलेट मिलाइएको छ । हेर्दा अति सरल देखिने यो घरको प्लान अनुकुल (functional) छ । टाढाबाट हेर्दा निकै सानदार र महँगो देखिने घरको मूल्य नबढाउन सकेसम्म कोसिस गरिएको छ । मोहडामा इँट देखाउने ९ँबष्च ाबअभ० भएकोले प्लाष्टर र बारम्बार रंगाउनुपर्ने मूल्य घट्छ । साथै काठमा कमसे कम मात्र बुट्टा हालेर कम मूल्यमा आकर्षक कुंझ्या बनाइएको छ । यसरी सामान्य (आम) खर्चमा आकर्षक र मनमोहक आवास तयार भएको छ ।