Project
The hill dwelling - Affordable apartments in Nagarjun Hills, Kathmandu

Category 
Best Project of Building or Facility by Student

About the project
The Hill dwelling is an apartment complex in Nagarjun hills that strives to coexist with nature, harmonizing the relation between man and the environment while also providing a beautiful living experience in the serene hillside at an affordable rate. The site at present is agricultural land, so it is necessary to save the culture of farming even if it's through urban farming. The project is a response to the Save Soil movement which gives a new way to build dwellings without compromising on agricultural practices. Generally, the rooms in the apartment facing the north are dark and cold due to lack of sunlight and it is the prime right of everyone to get light. Here, each apartment unit is made of double height to incorporate heat and light to the north side units. Double-heightened volumes are cut off in the south providing a roof garden. The roof garden becomes a courtyard enclosed by the units and is also a social space besides being a sunspace. It seeks to create a sense of home.

Location
Nagarjun, Kathmandu, Bagmati province, Nepal

Project design year
2022

Extra visual materials (photos, videos etc.)
https://issuu.com/kayasthauk/docs/the_hill_dwelling
https://youtu.be/e66JKqrkgeo

Applicant and authors of the project
Umang Kayastha, fifth year student in IOE, Thapathali Campus: «I have worked as a trainee architect in one of the leading architecture firms in Nepal 'A for Architecture' and have been involved in various built projects. I have also been involved in Spaces magazine, the first architecture magazine of Nepal as a content writer. I have been top listed in a national design competition organized by SONA in 2020, achieved a second rank position in the 'Future Classroom Competition'.»