Nepal School Project - Architecture Competition

Kutumba School, a replicable, sustainable, and earthquake-resistant school prototype deeply rooted in Nepal’s cultural, environmental, and seismic context. Kutumba, meaning kinship or community in Nepali, reflects the project’s central philosophy—education as a shared, inclusive, and protective experience. This ethos is embedded throughout the school’s design, which fosters belonging, cooperation, and togetherness among students, teachers, and the wider community.

Design Philosophy

The spatial layout of Kutumba School draws inspiration from the traditional Nepal Bhasa courtyard, or Baha, a typology intrinsic to Newar architecture. The courtyard acts as the heart of the school—a space that represents unity, privacy, safety, and collective life. This configuration supports phased construction and modular expansion, allowing the school to be easily adapted to varied site conditions across Nepal.

The design respects the site’s north-south orientation, optimising building positioning for passive environmental performance. Carefully arranged fenestration and a sloped roof profile promote stacked natural ventilation and maximise indirect daylight, reducing the need for artificial systems. The roofscape provides ample surface area for photovoltaic (PV) panels, offering an independent and renewable source of energy. Furthermore, rainwater harvesting systems integrated into the roof are channelled towards orchard irrigation and non-potable uses such as toilet flushing, contributing to a closed-loop water management system.

Structural and Material Innovation

Structural systems are developed in accordance with “NBC 204:2015 - Guidelines for Earthquake Resistant Building Construction: Earthen Building (Eb)” and the “Asian Development Bank Guidelines for Developing Type Design for School Buildings”. The foundation and ground floor slab are constructed using RCC, while vertical steel columns provide a robust framework for the roof. This hybrid approach ensures seismic resilience, long-term durability, and ease of maintenance.

The roof structure employs treated bamboo trusses and rafters, finished with locally sourced materials including half-cut bamboo, mud, polythene sheeting, and traditional clay tiles. This buildup enhances thermal insulation and seismic flexibility, while promoting the use of sustainable, vernacular building materials. External walls are formed using rammed earth and Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks, both cost-effective and environmentally responsible options with excellent thermal performance.

Community Empowerment and Replicability

Kutumba School construction is envisioned to engage and empower local communities by relying predominantly on local workers, promoting knowledge transfer and ownership. The modular and adaptable nature of the proposal ensures it can be efficiently replicated in various locations across Nepal, supporting regional development while addressing the urgent need for resilient educational infrastructure. This proposal combines tradition, innovation, and sustainability to create an inclusive, safe, and inspiring learning environment.