ABSTRACT

The consequences of the earthquakes of Spring 2015 in Nepal, are still being felt a year later. Reconstruction projects funded by NGOs and international groups have been insufficient to deal with reconstruction throughout the country. Providing appropriate solutions, self-managed by the local population, is the only sustainable course of action. The geological and cultural characteristics of Nepal make earthen architecture a real and effective response to this need. But the proposed solutions must be rigorously studied, adapted and designed for each specific area. A cooperative factory of Compressed Earth Block (CEB) run by women has been the central axis of the reconstruction project developed in Nuwakot. The objective is to promote the local micro-economy and provide a way to reconstruct village dwellings. The design of the CEBs, laboratory tests, the quality control of the blocks and the design of the load bearing-walls have been carefully studied to ensure good seismic resistance.