KVPT’s Patan Darbar Earthquake Response Campaign - Work to Date - September 2016

ening, Programme Director Ranjitkar negotiated for
many months to convince the community that the heavily-damaged
Patukva Agam, a 17th c. towered shrine
building, could be restored without dismantling or rebuilding
its intact but weathered facade. Here, the Trust
developed a novel, internal timber backup frame which
preserved the towering, historical facade. Anyone else
would have dismantled and rebuilt.
Interventions which affect the historical configuration or
surviving building materials of a structure are of course
to be carefully considered. This article is an opportunity
to explicate some of the considerations, working methods
and solutions of completed and proposed projects
in detail. It is especially important to point out that the
diversity of solutions reflects not only the individual
characteristics of the historic structures - which we study
carefully - but also KVPT's commitment to developing
new and appropriate solutions. KVPT's mission has never
been focused on expanding to save every monument
in the Valley, but rather has been to take advantage of
its local expertise, the variety of international collaborators,
and a global network of experts and researchers to
explore creative and appropriate solutions which might
“bridge” the differences between local and international
norms in preservation. In addition, the history of the
Trust can be seen as one of taking on projects of increasing
scale and complexity as our organization, reputation,
expertise, and fundraising base has grown.
There are few places where so many different actors have
worked in close proximity: Patan Darbar and environs is
a virtual laboratory for international conservation work,
with a wide variety of foreign experts, UN agencies, foreign
governments, NGOs, INGOs, private citizens, local
groups, local academics and government agencies at
work. The theme of such “hybrid” solutions is central
to an early publication of KVPT: “Sulima Pagoda: East
Meets West in the Restoration of a Nepalese Temple.”
A note on the term ‘seismic strengthening’
We use term the ‘seismic strengthening’ instead of ‘seismic
reinforcement’ or ‘seismic retrofitting’ because the
problem it denotes is so sensitive,- in these building
types and this odd political context,- that rather than
inserting a single rigid framework into a structure, one
typically has to look to a myriad of smaller design measures
that help strengthen buildings without destroying
their historic integrity. This is generally a good challenge,
one which we have prioritized since the inception
of the Trust, but there are limits to its effectiveness in
certain cases, and there, where they are imperative, the
introduction of modern materials can mean the survival
of the structure. The discussion below of the Manimandapa
design process delves into this question of
balancing the spectrum of seismic interventions and the
resulting structural strength with preservation concerns.
Relevant characteristics of Newar architecture
As one surveys the range of historical building types and
configurations in the Kathmandu Valley in light of seismic
performance, some basic observations can be made
on 1) how we now feel seismic design factored into their
original construction; 2) the evolution of building materials;
and 3) the history of maintenance - or the lack
thereof.
Building configurations seismically considered
Typical to historic Newar buildings is a design of great
artistic significance, often together with very poor building
fabric. Typical problems are: lack of vertical connections;
lack of information about foundations; building
materials quality and supply issues – brick, mud mortar,
timbers. Layered on to these over time are decreased seismic
resistance due to multiple post-earthquake reconstructions;
shoddiness and incorrect historical details/
configurations of past repairs; and low-quality structural
replacement timber. The rebuilding process has sometimes
spurred on artistic developments, but without
prioritizing structural connections or internal structure;
with design that responds to cultural and climatic con-
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