As Himachal Pradesh warms, people are reconsidering traditional Kath-Kuni homes for more than their cultural and architectural value.

For generations, people in parts of the state built houses by interlocking layers of locally sourced timber and stone. The thick walls, wooden bands and locally adapted construction helped homes withstand the region’s earthquakes and harsh winters. Today, some families also find that these houses offer a different kind of comfort during increasingly warming summers.

“We decided that we wanted a wooden house because it naturally maintains the temperature. It stays cool in summer and warm in winter,” says Asha Thakur, who is rebuilding her home in Kullu using the Kath-Kuni tradition.

Her family waited almost two years for master mason Bhagat Ram, who has spent around 25 years learning and practising the craft. He describes the experience of being inside these houses simply: “These houses become pleasantly cool inside. It’s just like sitting under the shade of a tree on a hot day.”

“It is a passive climate regulation system,” says Professor Thanshwimong Chowdhury of IIT-Mandi, who is studying materials and heat transmissibility in this traditional architectural style.

As the Himalaya warms, can an old way of building become part of the response to a changing climate?

This film was produced under Mongabay-India and ALT EFF’s Video Reporting Opportunity programme.

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