Gangchen-Yul // Village of the Glaciers

Abstract

“Gangchen-Yul:Village of the Glaciers” is a project that is based in Kulum- a remote high altitude village in Ladakh (North Western Himalayan region in India). Kulum is one of many villages in Ladakh that has borne the brunt of climate change and subsequent abandonment- posing a threat to livelihood and vernacular history. Situated at an altitude of 3800m, Kulum’s history dates back to the silk route era where it was a thriving agrarian community that was supported by the high glaciers. However, through the centuries, due to economic, climatic and geopolitical volatility, Kulum’s sustenance has been increasingly challenged. Glacial depletion and the 2011 floods led to a spike in emigration to cities due to loss of agricultural land. Because of Ladakh’s remote and extreme geographical location, the sustenance of these agrarian communities is critical. This has been increasingly recognized by governing authorities and researches leading to developments such as ice stupas or artificial glaciers which help in restoring agricultural land. While these new developments have incentivized the return of local communities, their built environment remains to be addressed. Therefore, rooted in extensive site study and personal experiences in Ladakh, the thesis aims to propose an urban and architectural rehabilitation strategy for Kulum based on vernacular processes. This is essentially done through restoring the original relationship between living and production by proposing an architectural dialogue between new modes of living and production that continue to emerge in Kulum.