The primary material used for the construction was stone, adobe bricks, and wood, and special focus was placed on the building structure given the hilly terrain of the village to ensure it takes into consideration the geographical peculiarities and is climate-responsive. Building with adobe is an ancient, low-cost technique that mixes clay, and sand with organic materials like husk, and sawdust. Adobe bricks are mud bricks that are sun-dried and take about a month to dry and are more durable than kiln-fired mud bricks. The advantages of these bricks are that they are fireproof, biodegradable, and also are great at insulation, which is an important factor when building in a place like Hango. These bricks are allowed to shrink beforehand which also ensures a strong structure. Building with adobe is easier and faster than the rammed earth technique, once sufficient stock of adobe bricks is made, wall construction progresses quickly. 

 

Stone layering is done for the foundation as it is moisture-resistant and helps preserve the structure from deteriorating over time. Adobe walls are load-bearing and thick hence there was no need for load-bearing beams. For the flooring, pine woods were brought from Solan and Chandigarh as the availability of local woods has shrunk and pine was a more cost-friendly option as compared to deodar. I was determined to ensure maximum usage of natural materials and hence the use of cement, iron, plywood, or other popular industrial materials was avoided. The house is built in the traditional Kinnauri style with multiple spaces to store fodder and firewood. Big, well-framed windows are installed to allow maximum sunlight, and double doors to retain the heat inside. The kitchen and living room are on the ground floor and are structurally joined like the traditional mud houses in Kinnaur. 

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Co-designing spaces like this is a popular practice in most high Himalayan villages as it is warmer and I have given a slight tweak to the traditional heating system to make it aesthetically pleasing and more energy efficient. Hand-built mud fireplace with mud chimneys was made to suit the structure of the house and the walls draw heat from the mud-burning structure. The overall living room layout is in such a way that the family can have the space for cooking as well as a common space to sit, and have conversations and everyone can comfortably utilize the space. Unlike the traditional mud house designs in Kinnaur, the roof has a slanted design with stone slate layering which eases the burden of shoveling snow from the roof during winter as the slanting helps glide snow. A smaller structure of a dry toilet is also made outside the house which doesn’t require water.