OUR PHILOSOPHY
ABARI was established in 2006 in Nepal as a socially and environmentally committed research, design and build firm in order to examine, encourage, and celebrate the vernacular architectural tradition with its intricate links to the crafts, people and the forest.
According to the last Nepali Census of 2011, over 74% of the nations houses were made with traditional materials that have adapted to the different geographies, climates and cultures of Nepal. In 2021 census, that figure went down to 53%. In other words, in the name of ‘development’, Nepal’s 1000s of year old vernacular craft is rapidly being cannibalized by cement and steel buildings. In the popular psyche, vernacular architecture is seen as a symbol of embarrassment rather than a source of heritage.
We have, on the other hand, always been enchanted by the poetics of vernacular building. We love the salubrious nature of earth and the ductility of bamboo. Moreover we love craft. Nothing gives us more joy than to see carpenters carve out beautiful furniture out of a log, or women transform clay into beautiful plaster or to see our elders weave beautiful baskets out of bamboo.
We believe in an economic model, where one does not have to choose between planet or the people. For instance, over the last 15 years, with the help of hundreds of community members we have planted thousands of bamboo in the degraded river banks of Madi. This will not only protect our lands from erosion and flood damages, but also provide us with sustainable source of raw materials to make houses, furniture, sheds, baskets, fodder, fuel and food.
Click here to read more about our regenerative work.
Does it mean we live will have to sacrifice our comfort?
No. Earth and bamboo are more comfortable than their cement counterpart. They are healthy and comfortable because they breathe like cotton while maintaining healthy moisture and thermal level. Properly designed house maintain comfortable temperature and moisture level through out the year.
Our designs follow passive design principle, which means we design following the sun path so that every room receives as much sun light and warmth as possible. Thick rammed earth walls absorbs as much warmth as possible thus keeping an ambient temperature through out the day.
We also use large glass windows (double glazed when the budget allows) so that we get good view and the sun.
How about maintenance?
Properly designed earth and bamboo house does not require any maintenance. In fact, the walls age gracefully over time and they always looks warm and inviting. Bamboo may need recoloring every 7-8 year.
Do you need to add cement to Rammed Earth?
No. We do not add cement to Rammed Earth because one will lose the thermal properties of the material. Also, stabilized Rammed Earth do not breath, thus behaving like any other cementitious material. Contrary to what people say on the internet, cement does not make it stronger. We do however reinforce our walls to make them Earthquake resistant.
What about electricity and plumbing?
Electricity and plumbing are integrated into the buildings. One can also add radiant floor heating, air conditioning or traditional masonry oven to the design.
Will it survive earthquakes?
Our buildings are super strong. Bamboo has one of the highest weight to strength ratio- properties analogous to carbon fiber. Our rammed earth structures are reinforced using mesh and rebars, following the New Zealand Building Code. In Gorkha Earthquake 2015, all the structures we had designed including Balimtar School which was only 12 km. east of the epicenter survived without a single crack.
Will Bamboo Last?
Yes, if it is properly pressure treated. Research have shown pressure treated bamboo will last more than 70 plus years.
Is treatment of Bamboo healthy for Humans?
We treat bamboo using borate compounds, which are not known to be harmful to humans.
OUR APPROACH
Our works are craft based with a strong engagement with community and the planet. We do not believe in mass housing with industrial cookie-cutter design. Our processes are slow- yet they move in human rhythm. We build only 2-3 construction projects in one year and do it with love. In monsoon, we spend our time in farming and plantation. In Chitwan we are working with 200 farmers and artisans who have planted bamboo along river banks; which has not only regenerated the banks but also provided additional resources and biodiversity. Similarly, we have trained above 300 indigenous craftsman with ancient and moderns skills so they create beautiful baskets, furniture and homes. Some of our team members have been with us since the start and they have travelled the world to dissimenate their knowledge.
Approach
We believe in the slow craft of construction.
We plant our own bamboo with communities.
We believe in Minimalism.
We don’t believe in shortcuts.
We rely on the power of the sun to heal/heat the house.
We believe in spiritual power of earth and bamboo.
We believe houses should breath.
We believe Small is Beautiful.
We celebrate people and their craft.
OUR EXPERIENCE
We have over 20 years of Earth and Bamboo building experience. Our team has building and learning experience from over 20 years including Bhutan, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mongolia, Georgia, Germany, and the USA. We have built over 50 buildings and have been recognized internationally for our works. We were the Finalist of 2018 Emerging Architecture Awards. We have been invited by Harvard School of Design, MIT, CEPT University, NUS Singapore to present our works.
Our team has learnt various skills sets like Nubian Vault, Mongolian Gers, Catalan Vault, Basketry, Rammed Earth, Bamboo joinery, Lime Render from the experts of Egypt, Spain, Mongolia, Laos, Austria, Colombia and Morocco and England.
Our Resources
We have more than 35 full time members some of them have been with us for more than 15 years. We have state of the art bamboo processing facility in Ramnagar Chitwan, where we pre-fabricate bamboo and build furniture.
In Madi, Chitwan we have bamboo setum with more than 26 varieties of bamboo. We are growing bamboo with communities and have restored more than 1 KM of degraded river banks.
In Kathmandu, we have our liason office and design studio.
In Dhulikhel, we have a workshop and a learning center where we conduct workshops and trainings.