The vernacular building heritage in Kalash Valley combines local craftsmanship, knowledge of materials and climate and cultural traditions of local communities. This heritage encapsulates not just the art of building but also the stories, traditions, and identities of the communities inhabiting these high-altitude terrains. The vernacular buildings serve as repositories of local wisdom, reflecting a harmonious integration of craftsmanship, environmental considerations, and cultural practices unique to the socio-religious lives of the Kalasha people. The vernacular-built environment and physical landscape of mountain valleys are an intrinsic part of its character and importance, both are actively being degraded due to new development (e.g. poor master planning, hasty construction). Strategic planning and implementation of policies and codes regarding the built environment is required to mitigate and prevent such decline, while improving overall living conditions for the local community, before these changes become concrete.
With the development of transportation infrastructure, particularly highways and completion of Lowari tunnel, there has been a steady rise in domestic tourism leading to slipshod development of hotels and guesthouses in Kalash valley. In such a scenario, strategic planning for the built environment in mountain areas is an important aspect to be considered and planned. To protect the built heritage of Kalash Valley, Kalash Building Codes (Hussain, 2022) a bye-laws and building codes document was developed for the District Administration of Chitral and the department of Archaeology and Tourism. This document contains codes for the landscape, streetscape and building units as well as guidance on the use of materials, lighting and form language.
Laajverd thus developed an undergrad studio “Kalash Studio; between mountains and bylaws” where the primary goal is to design a building of a specified category, as assigned, while adhering to the macro, meso, and building unit bye-laws outlined in the Kalash Codes document. The project requires a comprehensive exploration of the process of incorporating these byelaws, showcasing their interpretation, negotiation, and application within the final design.
