Theme of the Course
Help Nepal build better housing and develop community supplies of water and energy in an earth quake disaster-affected rural area in Nepal.
Objective of the Course
This course seeks to develop reconstruction plans for rural Nepali villages destroyed by the 2015 earthquake. The Government of Nepal possesses reconstruction funds that have not spent due to the limited operational plans for viable rural village reconstruction. Traditional earth-brick or stone construction has not fared well during earthquakes, as stacked bricks and stones connected by mortar tends to crumble or liquefy when shaken. This course brings together building expertise in six types of home design. Class members will develop ideas for sustainable construction of housing along with approaches to provide community water and electricity utilities. The class is expected to produce a report and a documentary video that propose options for rural village post-earthquake reconstruction.
Introduction
This program, combining in-class and on-site training, provides an opportunity for graduate students to develop awareness of challenges faced by communities in disadvantaged regions affected by a natural disaster. This course asks students to attempt to develop technical and social solutions based on cultural attributes of a community. The course will enrolls graduate students from more than four nations with multidisciplinary academic backgrounds. The suggested technical outcomes will be expected provide guidance to the Nepalese reconstruction authorities and have policy implication that can contribute to development in the Nepalese community and improve the lives of its citizens.