ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the friction of cross-cultural aid in the Zanskar mountain region and suggests a way forward for practitioners of public-interest design engagement. It reflects a desire to improve the living conditions of Zanskari villagers, and to share new technologies and ideas in a climate of cross-cultural exchange. Despite a professed interest in more altruistic forms of practice, many designers have trouble charting a professional path that incorporates the ideals of social justice and public service. According to Nandini Bagchee, The contribution of architects and architecture to the public realm has long been in question. North India has a relatively short record of international design engagement as compared to rest of India, primarily due to its remote location, which only recently opened to foreigners. The extreme inaccessibility of the villages restricts the technologies, building materials, and tools that can be incorporated in construction projects.
