::Karavan Pakistan::

LATEST NEWS (updated Thursday, February 16, 2006)

1. Students and Faculty from the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art, join hands with KAPIT as Volunteers

Starting 9th January 2006, the Glasgow team is helping construct a demonstration house in Sachan, Mansehra district. The house will follow the KAPIT earthquake-resistant architectural design but will also incorporate modifications based on further research and observations about how local construction can be practical, locally-appropriate, and economical while having seismic-resistance. KAPIT and the visiting team hopes that through the demonstration house, residents of the town and surrounding areas will be able to easily understand and adopt these safer building methods and strategies.

2. KAPIT’s Snowfall Strategy

The Since snowfall hits higher altitudes first, KAPIT Director Yasmeen Lari has identified communities on the highest grounds and mountain-tops for building in first. The idea is to ‘start from the top and move down’ systematically to areas which will be affected by the severe winter somewhat later in the season, thus allowing for better working conditions in both kinds of locations.

3. Winter season 2005-2006

Snowfall, rain and extremely low temperatures have been hampering reconstruction efforts in earthquake-affected northern Pakistan, including the Mansehra region where most of KAPIT’s work has been based. Landslides and subsequent road-blocks prevent regular volunteer, materials and logistical support. However, since this is all the more a time of need for permanent shelter, a significant number of local residents still try to continue their rebuilding efforts. KAPIT also continues to help with its program through this season, and to intensify construction before a bout of heavy February snowfall is expected to set in.

4. KAPIT Design and Developments

the KAPIT design—self-built with local materials and earthquake-resistance—combined with volunteer and materials support has been received quite well by families and communities that have adopted it. KAPIT now targets the building of the masonry walls to a height of three feet first, and then immediately erecting the wooden columns and roof, even before the wall is constructed to its full ten feet height. This provides the basic, as well as most demanding (in terms of materials and technical know-how) part of the construction right away. This way residents can later continue to raise the rest of the walls with masonry and mud by themselves, while being protected by the roof from rain and snow.