Sustainable Mountain Architecture

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People and Space

The creative power of Team SMA comes from the members and we introduce here Asmita, Nikhil, Laxmi, Subham and Dhyanam. The individual architectural backgrounds and geographical locations are diverse. For us, where someone comes from, is a vital, breathing connection to the Himalayan landscapes and communities we work with.

Asmita's decade of practical bamboo experience is a valuable asset for the ongoing Raigaon project. For her, SMA deepens her understanding of working with communities at the grassroots level. She collaborated with Nikhil and Laxmi to create the ABC ( Architecture Bamboo Chitwan) Guide, which will enable people in Madi Valley, Chitwan, to comprehend the bamboo treatment process.

Nikhil and Laxmi, the younger members, had the chance to get firsthand knowledge. They joined during the MamA event and participated in the workshops getting their hands dirty on strawbale, hempcrete, jute and rato mato. Coming from Bajhang, Far West Nepal, Nikhil's curiosity in nature-based materials is logical. Laxmi is from Chitwan and she loved her first design charrette, navigating rapid idea development through group conversation. She’ll be on her 2nd Raigaon visit soon. For Nikhil & Laxmi, SMA forced them to re-think how people, materials, and structure adapt to each location, from the Terai and Shiwalik mountains to the higher Himalayan ranges.

Subham, from Dhapakhel, brings design work experience from Studio HAP, our sister studio in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand. He is good with BOQs and will go next week to Makawanpur for the Maternity project phase II & III. Dhyanam, an intern from CEPT has just started from Pune, joining the Studio next month when his knee injury is better. His deep interest in real sustainability, not just as a tokenism, combined with a natural curiosity for designing in challenging Himalayan terrains.

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RAIGAON : A Story Still Growing

Since our last update, Raigaon has been buzzing with new energy, one Design Charrette, two field visits and three important steps forward to shape the next chapter of this journey!

By the time Rebika, Rashmi and Dheeraj returned to Raigaon for the 3rd visit, the pleasant weather favoured meaningful conversations, re-use material exploration, and fresh culture & craft ideas for the village. Despite the scorching summer heat and an unusually quiet village, the 4th field visit with Asmita, Rashmi and Laxmi marked an exciting shift from planning to action, as Team SMA stepped onto the site with rolled up sleeves. The masterplan/landscape vision in hand, the setting out was done, plantation before the monsoon rains were done alongside the community members and N.P. buffer zone people, allowing everyone to experience a real, one-to-one scale tangible result. 

As the monsoon nurtures the newly planted landscape, it also nurtures the bonds between people, place, and purpose. There is still a long road ahead, but every sapling planted, every discussion held, and every shared effort brings the idea of strengthening Raigaon cultural identity through a build/grown intervention one step closer. Here's to more muddy feet, more shared meals, more field visits and more co-creation. See you again soon, Raigaon!

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Before the Door Opens ...

Great news!! Team Chaitanya is planning to shift in Mid-August, and Team SMA is very happy to have contributed to the vision masterplan and construction guidance. On 3rd July, Riwaj and Rashmi were greeted amidst great bustle and energy for their pre-completion visit to the Chaitanya Institute for Mental Health. Busy workers were planting Ghodey Dubo (Whip Grass) at one end of the courtyard park, while others did the finishing work on the Gymnasium, the Administration block, and the Dining Hall. The Female Ward is ready for furnishing, and the construction of the Male Ward is gaining speed. After all, the patients at Chaitanya are already counting days until they move to their new haven. 

Amidst busy calls to inspect this, or decide on that, we squeezed in a conversation with Aditya Bastola. He reflected on how challenging it had been to find a suitable site for the center. But as the project is coming together, he is quite happy with the SMA masterplan: the cozy, home-like setting, with ample natural light and vistas, and the typological use of the courtyards was a masterstroke! For the patients, we used non-life-threatening building materials and fixtures. He demonstrated that the design of an upper-floor admin block provides a bird’s-eye view of the wards. As the principal of the project, he appreciated the ease of dignified surveillance and avoidance of blind spots, which he considers non-negotiable in the design of a mental health facility.

Working with architects, combined with his experience at a mental health institution, in his opinion, has enabled Chaitanya to overcome past shortcomings and challenges. SMA was able to make the landscape key in the master plan, enabling Chaitanya to have a centrally placed lotus pond and a fire pit. He also pointed out that a tug-of-war exists between privacy and connection, openness and security, and surveillance and dignity. “There is always some risk we must take to ensure that the patients don’t feel like hostages”, he said, pointing to the glass facade of the Dining Hall.

He ended with advice to architects and designers: “Create a space where you yourself wouldn’t mind spending days on end during the most challenging time of your life”.

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HEARTLAND OFF THE GROUND

As the monsoon draws to a late close in Nepal, the construction window at the Heartland Academy construction site in Palpa has widened.

After completing the foundation work and casting the plinth beams for two classroom buildings, the team has focused on the ground-floor masonry wall of the East building.

Riwaz and the SMA architect Tenzin, made several site visits over the last months. The guidance and correction work on the masonry wall that did not follow the chamfered/ curved profile of the design. Once the desired result was achieved by the masons in mock-ups, they were effective in the rest of the wall sections.

The monsoon could have an undesirable effect on the newly crafted stone masonry wall and wooden tie beams, weakening them and washing out elements from the mud mortar. Hence, the building team followed the discipline of covering fresh stone wall done after working hours.

Next, the beams and floor slab castings for the upper floor are coming up. The monsoon rain and humidity will naturally assist the curing process.

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MamA ‘26 . . .action. . .and cut !

Professionals and students of architecture, engineering, art, and environment had an unusual Saturday morning. on May 9th. Instead of sleeping in or hanging out with friends, they gathered at the Mountain Architecture Material Awards venue, dipping their hands into rato mato and hemp-lime mixes. The three "Get Your Hands Dirty" workshops had filled up in less than three hours, drawing a passionate crowd eager for tactile, hands-on learning. 

Guided by local experts, participants quickly went to work:  working on a load-bearing straw wall with Narayan Acharya, shaping tessellated hemp-lime acoustic panels with Dhiraj Shah, and stretching jute over bamboo frames for tensile structures with Ben Spencer. The sunlight filtering through stretched, double-curved fabrics and the good-smelling straw-rato mato wall both offered a hands-on understanding of materials that usually remain purely theoretical in classrooms.

At the concluding session, Prof. Anne Feenstra moderated a lively panel discussion with the experts & audience. The discourse made it clear that while much of this knowledge was once set aside, natural materials are not a thing of the past, but an essential pillar of the future of a more responsible and healthier architecture. The workshop ended on a high note, with all experts sharing their firm belief that this next generation will continue to expand and champion nature-based design methods. The applause thundered as crafted Nepali slate tokens of love were received, a fitting memento for materiality appreciators!

The final splash was dedicated to the team of MamA volunteers & friends. Last Friday saw a bubbling 3-hour session of thinking aloud, no question is a stupid question, madness & design. The earlier exhibition tours with Prof. Tiwari, Reshu Aryal, and several others naturally evolved in putting Diparshan, Aparna, Asmi, and Asish in the spotlight with their certificates & urban pattern booklets.

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Andes meets Himalaya

On a regular Saturday morning, the Auditorium of Alliance Française was filled to the brim. The opening of the Materia Awards Mountain Architecture Exhibition (MaMa ’26) brought together participants from five continents and twelve countries. Honorary Consul of Ecuador in Nepal, Shashi Kant Agrawal, Alliance Française Director Sylvain Choin and Carla Chavez opened beautifully, while our Rebika explained the curatorial concept of the event. She set the tone for an inspiring week of the materiality aspect of architecture.

Over 120 people came into the immersive and creative landscape of stories, materials, and mountain cultures. Rebika, Rashmi and Dheeraj gave an explanatory tour of the 9 striking exhibition panels inspired by the Andes and the Himalaya. The experience extended beyond visual display into a fully sensory encounter, where the scent, sound, and tactile presence of the raw straw on the floor has its positive sensory impact. Visitors and participants ranged from 4 to 81 years old.

With 7 inspiring speakers—Erica, Asmita, Dheeraj, Felipe, Dominique, Rashmi, and Riwaz—moderated by Kishore Thapa, Jharna Joshi and Prof. Anne, the afternoon stood for sharing, dialogues and reflections. Reading terrains, mapping, bamboo structure expressions, design with/for people, journey of MATERIA award, practice what you preach, design perspectives of the child, 720 degrees of Architecture: all in 3 hours!

Overwhelming feedback and lessons from Paris, Quito, and the fantastic audience made the conversations continue long after sunset. Next blog: the MamA ’26 “Get Your Hands Dirty” workshop.

See more : https://nepalitimes.com/architectural-kinship-between-kathmandu-and-quito

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Materia Awards Mountain Architecture 2026

Between 9-15 May, Kathmandu becomes the meeting point of two mountain worlds. The Materia Awards Mountain Architecture Exhibition (MaMa '26) brings the Andes and the Himalaya into a shared architectural frame through nature-based materials. It is free and open to all at Alliance Française de Kathmandu.

Our collaboration with Estudio RAMA (Ecuador) began when we were jointly recognized by the MATERIA Award 2025 in Paris among the 40 best nature-based material projects in the world.

We reached out to Ecuador, and we bring you now a fantastic exhibition, six great lectures from Nepal, Paris, and Ecuador, and a roundtable discussion connecting voices across continents.

On the morning of May 9 we kick off with three 'Get Your Hands Dirty' workshops. Whether you are a student, an architect, an engineer, an environmentalist, or simply someone who deeply cares for the mountains, this one is for you.

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On-going work!

Good news from the family home transformation project in Sainbu, Lalitpur.

After the completion of detail drawings and several rounds of negotiations, the builder-team was selected and construction has started. Floor heating has been installed on the ground floor. The first two windows have been retro-fitted with double glazing and stronger hinges (as the weight increases !).  A beautiful granite will be used for the sturdy-new kitchen top

Before the monsoon, we will be back with another update.

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Manang's Finest at UCB's Chevron Auditiorium

By Guest Editor Aunohita Mojumdar

How often does it happen that you can present a wide range of nature-based materials for possible use in a project, in the form of an exhibition in one of UC Berkeley's finest buildings?

A dozen graphically beautiful panels illustrating the use of stone, timber, copper, earth and fibre and demonstrating up-cycling, along with a 'tell it all' panel, were on display in Berkeley's flagship event space, the Chevron Auditorium, International House. The panels are all drawn from our projects across the Himalaya-Hindu Kush mountain ranges and the materials have been used in a wide range of projects including visitor's centres for national parks, conservation centres for the endangered red panda and the elusive snow leopard, a school, a boutique hotel, a mountaineering waste up-cycling centre and a family home.

None of this would have been possible without Professor, scholar and diplomat Merritt T. Cooke Jr., (Terry Cooke) whose expertise on Manang led us to him, while designing the Buddhist retreat centre for Chimi Rinpoche. Terry's energy and enthusiasm led to the one-day conference, the ReGen250 initiative for Manang Valley. The exhibition panels found a beautiful setting in the Chevron Auditorium with its historic architecture of arched windows, dramatic Spanish-style cartwheel chandeliers, and a soaring, patterned wooden ceiling that evokes the elegance of ebony and mother-of-pearl ceilings in Spain.

Following a series of talks by well-respected academicians including Prof. Kristine Hildebrandt and Prof. Arlene Blum, SMA's Rebika Karki delivered an inspiring talk about the making of the Master Plan for Chimi Rinpoche's vision of a retreat centre in Manang. While Prof. Anne Feenstra had already introduced the 'Design with Nature' design philosophy with thought-provoking slides, Rebika's journey delved into the design exploration process for the retreat cottages as a part of the larger Manang landscape. She ended with an evening section of the Grand Cafe extending an invitation to all present at the conference to visit in the future and enjoy a cup of Su Chia.

The panels depicting the use of these materials in building were all chosen from the large body of work of Prof. Anne spanning twenty-two years. The projects in Afghanistan, India and Nepal are located in Band-e-Amir and Wakhan (Afghanistan), Zanskar and Nimmu (Ladakh), Gangotri, Nathuakhan (Uttarakhand) and Deumadi, Silinge, Syangboche, Taplejung (Nepal). The graphic design credits go to Rashmi and Dheeraj. They also coordinated with Jeenus and Terry on the ground in California 'to put it all up'.

Prof. Terry Cooke was deeply impressed by the magnificence of the exhibition and the positive energy it generated. UCB's Stephen Lam (the AV-team leader) stated: "This is the most beautiful exhibition I have ever seen at the Chevron Auditorium!"

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Manang Valley Comes to Berkeley

Manang Valley sits at over 3,500 meters and has been shaped by earth, stone, timber, slate and human hands for thousands of years. Not many people know this story. On April 22nd, that story comes to Berkeley.

Organized by ReGen250 and Himalayan Studies at UC Berkeley, in collaboration with us, Sustainable Mountain Architecture (SMA) and the Manang Buddhist Retreat Center, this full-day event honors the valley’s living architectural tradition and cultural legacy.

A part of this is the Manang Materiality Exhibition by Team SMA. All species are shaped by what surrounds them, and in Manang, that has always meant earth, stone, timber, fibers, and slate. Possible other candidates are copper and upcycling. To capture that, Dheeraj, Rashmi, and Prof. Anne spent countless hours, fueled by good energy and a fair bit of Nepali coffee, producing twelve stunningly kaleidoscopic Natural Materiality Panels and a panoramic Mountain Map spanning the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas.

SMA's Rebika will present our vision and the design aspects we have developed so far for the Manang Buddhist Retreat Centre in the afternoon

Berkeley is far from Annapurna. But some stories travel. Come hear this one!

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CHAITANYA INSTITUTE FOR MENTAL HEALTH

The Chaitanya Institute for Mental Health embraces psychiatric care by replacing restrictive institutional models with a therapeutic, village-like compound. Rather than imposing large blocks on the site, the buildings are broken into smaller pavilions with sloped and butterfly roofs, carefully placed along the natural contours. The masterplan follows a clear and gradual sequence, beginning with a public administrative buffer and moving inward toward more secluded spaces of care. This transition is organized along a central circulation spine that also allows emergency access, ensuring safety without disrupting the quiet character of the institution. By orienting the wards inward and limiting external exposure, the design creates a setting where patients feel protected, respected, and supported throughout their recovery.

U-shaped and L-shaped blocks are arranged around multiple green courtyard parks to create spaces that feel safe without being restrictive. These courtyards offer calm shared spaces for patients to sit, walk, and interact at their own pace. Overlooked by surrounding rooms and paths, they enable quiet surveillance where safety is maintained through passive guardianship rather than old-school institutional supervision. Everyday functions such as dining, recreation, and informal gathering extend from the circulation spine to the volleyball court encouraging healthy socio-physical interaction. As a result, the masterplan delivers a dignified, de-institutionalized environment that balances essential safety with freedom of movement, daily engagement, and peer support to foster one’s mental wellbeing.

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MAD-III

For the first time in history, the Bauer Wurster Hall hosted an exhibition, a series of four lectures, and moderated dialogues dedicated to responsible, contemporary architecture from the Himalaya. Following the inauguration of an exhibition featuring 22 Nepali projects from 10 architects, the event kicked off with Canadian architect Brian MacKay-Lyons. Brian represented Asia, Europe, and North America, on a fantastic journey through projects imbued with "the nobility of a barn." He added a thoughtful, detailed Nova Scotian layer to MAD’26, sharing design approaches rooted in ship-building traditions and detailing projects built for extreme weathering conditions.

Kartikeya then shared the harsh ground realities of the so-called linear development. He went on to inspire the room by "reading the land," "chiseling scale models," and championing community involvement. Through the ingenious cascading floors concept of the Fiddleheads Farm, it became clear: architects working in mountain terrains have to work even harder than their colleagues on the plains!

Sapana followed, articulating the complexity of Red Panda conservation. She highlighted how design adds immense value to the high-altitude Yak Shepherd tent, a sustainable alternative to the makeshift, leaking shelters made of mountain bamboo and rhododendron sticks that currently destroy the Red Panda habitat. The audience, spanning three continents, was electrified by the prospect of one day experiencing the first Red Panda Conservation Centre in the world! Sapana ended on a beautiful note, expressing her amazement at the creative, unexpected ways visitors inhabit and use these spaces.

The concluding journey was shared by our own Prof. Anne, who traveled visually from West to East while gradually gaining altitude. From the first National Park of Afghanistan (9,800 ft) to Nimmu House in Ladakh (10,500 ft), and finally to Sagarmatha Next (12,400 ft). It is clear why he is often called an "anthropological architect"; the inclusiveness of local communities and the spatial comfort of common people remain at the heart of his methodology.

Master’s student Jeenus Shrestha acted as the mortar between the bricks throughout the three-hour event, which brought, in his words, a clear sense of purpose as to why mountain architecture matters. The audience at Bauer Wurster Hall was a grand mix of architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, environmental studies, real estate development, and the Arts. Blessed by Prof. Alexander von Rospatt and filmmaker Nundrisha Wakhloo, Jeenus now wonders: will MAD ’27 be in Germany or Torino?!

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MAD III: From the Himalayas to the Bay

We are thrilled to announce that the Mountain Architecture Dialogue (MAD) is traveling 12,221 km for its third avatar, landing at the University of California, Berkeley! This cross-cultural celebration connects the rugged peaks of the Himalayas to the California coast, bridging continents through a shared passion for resilient design.

With great delight, we welcome the 2017 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture Laureate, Brian MacKay-Lyons, who will be joining us from Nova Scotia, Canada. Complementing this, a curated exhibition will offer a rare glimpse into contemporary architectural projects from Nepal, depicting the evolution of design at the high altitudes. Concluding the event on a powerful visual note, filmmaker Nundrisha Wakloo will present the Director’s Cut of her short film, ‘Making of Sagarmatha Next’.

This gathering is brought to life through the dedicated efforts of SMA architect and UCB Master’s student Jeenus Shrestha, with the invaluable support of Prof. Alexander Von Rospatt, the Catherine and William L. Magistretti Distinguished Professor of Buddhist and South Asian Studies.

Tune in for the MAD-ness!

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SLCC ROOFS

From the Forest Department facility at the entrance to the Deodar Café deep in the evergreen woods, asymmetrical canopies gracefully crown the sturdy stone/timber structures of the SLCC buildings. All three nature-based, Voronoi-patterned roofs create a field of gently shifting planes that capture winter sunlight, frame distant Himalayan views, and efficiently distribute structural forces. All the roofs on the cold north are lower, while they open up towards the southeast/south.

Through this precise 3D orientation, the building passively warms itself, turning architectural geometry into a functional environmental strategy. The entire roofscape of the Snow Leopard Conservation Centre sits on a concrete ring beam that anchors the hybrid timber-and-steel structure above, achieving a deliberate “light on top of heavy” tectonic balance. Ar. Himanshu Lal and Ar. Kartikeya worked hard, through full-scale on-site mock-ups, to ensure the builders got the angled timber trusses with steel diagonal tie-rods perfectly in place. This intricate woodwork was brought to life by a dedicated carpentry team comprising Moh. Arshat, Sonu, Shadab, and Moshin, with the lead duo having honed their traditional skills under Ustad Haji Abdur Rahman. The structural logic is topped with local deodar planks to form a robust deck, while XPS insulation will ensure good thermal comfort.

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SLCC Walls

High up in the deodar forests just short of Gangotri, the world's first Snow Leopard Conservation Centre has been steadily rising from the earth.

For the main building, supervised by our sister studio HAP, the masonry has reached the timber roof ring beam. The masonry draws from a nuanced palette of locally sourced granite in four natural tonalities, among which the distinctive wave-textured Dashi stone from rural Uttarkashi stands out. Its subtle striations resonate with the geological rhythms of the Himalayan terrain, allowing the walls to read less as imposed objects and more as quiet extensions of the landscape itself. Laid in lime mortar rather than cement, these walls are engineered to breathe, flex, and endure.

The walls are also heaters! A series of  Micro-Trombe units is an integral part of the load-bearing stone walls. Designed to capture the morning sun, warm up the air in the cavity behind it, and release the warmth into the building's interior. Seismic resilience design is a must. Movement joints separate the 2.5-storey and 1.5-storey building volumes, allowing each mass to move independently during an earthquake, because each segment can do its own 'rattle and shake'.

Two smaller buildings of SLCC are two distinct personalities. The Forest Department facility adopts a muted stone palette that complements its administrative functions. At the same time, the Deodar Café draws on a vibrant spectrum of granite, projecting a warmer, more social character within the deodar-boulder terrain. This visual identity was refined through 1:1 on-site mock-ups, where masons worked out stone assembly and timber tie-band placement before a single permanent course was laid. The SLCC stone walls are shaped by a dedicated crew of masons including Ashish, Sony, Raqib, Pehel, Kamal, Dinesh, and Indra Bahadur. Note that 1/3 of this team is from Nepal!

As the stone is grounded, what comes next reaches toward the sky. A lightweight covering in Voronoi geometry is on its way to shelter it all. The roof is next.

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THEORY & PRACTICE

Theory

The Kathmandu Institute (KI) has established itself as the vital medium for design, planning, and research, providing the definitive platform for discussing the future of our built environment. Founded by a collective of leading architects, including Prof. Biresh Shah, the institute hosted its first conference on February 6 and 7 titled “Negotiating Transitions”, which was anchored by the presence of Prof. Sudarshan Raj Tiwari and Er. Shankar Nath Rimal, the revered godfathers of Nepal’s modern architectural movement. Members of SMA joined this meaningful gathering, where Prof. Anne was specially invited to share a second-day panel with Ar. Prabal Thapa and Ar. Jharana Joshi to present “Architecture for Equipoise”. Prof. Anne opened his talk by celebrating the recent transnational recognition of Nepal’s architectural sisterhood (fraternity) through two major projects and awards, ultimately making it clear that these honours are more than just accolades; they are a powerful catalyst for advancing Nepal’s architectural discourse on both the national and global stage.

Practice

Meanwhile, in the field, a second visit by Team SMA on February 13, 2026, took us deeper into Rai Tole in Rai Gaon. This return was not about proposing a finished idea, but about carefully sensing how a portion of the community land might one day host an architecture that serves the Rai people and strengthens the continuity of their culture. The site holds three modest structures, including the Kirateshwor temple, where hundreds gather for Udhauli and Ubhauli, and the intention remains to explore how built form could celebrate Rai art, ritual, and collective memory. The visit unfolded with deep sensitivity because, years earlier, Prof. Anne had encountered internal friction within the Rai community, leading the women to withdraw. This time, Dhana Maya, Ram Maya, and Maya Devi stepped forward on their own to see what was possible. SMA architects Rashmi and Lasya invited them to visit the Ammodo Award-winning Bankatta Eco Cottages and to meet Ms Sarita Bot. Experiencing the space firsthand and speaking with Sarita, a local woman not unlike themselves, opened their imagination. In a refreshing and hopeful moment, the group’s driver, Mr Kamal Mahato Bote, encouraged the women to ignore the discouraging voices of some men within their community and trust their own potential.

We were deeply grateful when those same three incredible women rallied the community to partner with SMA! Surrounded by fishing nets and handmade crab traps, an exciting mutual understanding blossomed as everyone generously pledged their support. In a beautiful gesture, villagers sealed our understanding not with formal paperwork, but by pressing their thumbprints into a traditional ink of haldi, ashes, and mustard oil. Thrilled by this incredible new chapter of collaboration, our team and the community shared a joyous farewell, celebrating together in the traditional Sakela dance!

Read More:

Bankatta Community Initiative — Ammodo Architecture Award

Mist, Mustard Fields, and Reconnecting in Rai Tole

From the Himalayan Jurors — Materia Award Reflections

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SMA Thesis Series-II

What happens when the young leave and the land still remember? When hospitals harden into sterile enclosures, and villages are left empty? At the SMA Thesis Series-II, Samhitha and Sunidhi from WCFA, Riwaz from SMA, and Subham from HAP began with these fractures in their contextual landscapes, asking not what we can build, but how architecture might be able to intervene.

Samhitha opened with Marali Manege (Coming Back Home) as her answer to the "dormant settlements" throughout the Western Ghats' Malnad region. She synced her design to the areca nut calendar. When harvest ends, the processing units transform themselves into craft centers and homestays. Her stilted cottages divide the living areas from production zones across different levels. Meanwhile, the use of heavy laterite plinths anchors lightweight roofs with deep overhangs, protecting structures against humidity, fungal rot, and relentless monsoon rains.

Sunidhi carried forward the conversation from humid forests to Raichur, Karnataka's scorched plains. She reimagined the sealed hospital box with Reinventing Healthcare, betting on therapeutic landscapes over clinical isolation; she proposed load-bearing walls in rough, locally sourced Gurgunta Schist instead of sterile tiles, and carved deep niches into columns for plants and birds to nest, livening the cold corridors. She merrily recalled how prof. Anne pushed her to reimagine the staircase itself: not as circulation but sculpture slicing through the courtyard.

Riwaz took everyone to Nepal's mid-hills, confronting youth migration head-on with his community hub in Gufapokhari, which weaves pilgrim bathhouses with exhibition streets, fabric production zones, and wine facilities all while using local harvest, following the Embrace, Demonstrate, and Exhibit triangle for rural design. Three years ago, he sliced bold orthogonal volumes into hillsides for his thesis. But now he admits those cuts were "very rigid" and that working at SMA has taught him to follow the land's contours rather than force geometry on them.

Staying in Nepal's mountainous terrain, Subham concluded this session with his thesis progress on a wellness retreat at Tatopani hot springs in the Annapurna region. Framed as a Hiker's Journey, he used compression and release sequences to heighten sensory experience within his circuit for pilgrims and trekkers. He wove ethno-botanical knowledge, like Titepati for aromatherapy and Rhododendrons for flower baths, with greywater systems feeding retention ponds for aquaculture, such as fish farming.

What unified these four disparate projects wasn't geography or program, but a fundamental reorientation of architecture's purpose. Each student had traced a wound in their landscape: depopulation, medical alienation, youth exodus, and disconnection from land. And each offered not a building, but a bridge back.

Read about the SMA Thesis Series-I here.