SPACES feb issue 2017

Architecture
Energy
Heating + Cooling
The building is designed ecologically
using systems of energy and waste
recycling that are provenand already
in use locally—such as an anaerobic
digestion system, which uses waste
to produce biogas, and a rainwater
collection system. The building also
maximizes its own heat and power.
Leading through example and social
mandate, it will develop institutional
programs of self-sustaining energy,
food, and funding for the orphanage,
which provides knowledge and
experience and, in turn, will influence
the entire region’s development.
Health
Water + Waste
The mission is to support Nepal’s
underserved populations of women
and children, and to provide access
to proper healthcare and nutrition.
The orphanage shall be designed to
be secure, and offer children a safe
and welcoming place to call home.
The staff aims to include health care
providers, who are to coordinate with
outside care providers and instructors
to ensure that the best possible
health treatment is available for the
children.
Rainwater is collected on the roof
and can be distilled and stored
for use within the building.The
water is to be gathered in cisterns
distributed throughout the building
to serve the specific needs of
users and programmed spaces.
The system functions primarily
with gravity and only utilizes a
small pump when required. The
orphanage is to produce its own
fuel by using a sanitary toilet water
filtration system that yields methane
as a byproduct. After the methane
has been harvested, the waste will
be filtered through a bed of reeds,
then used as either an organic
fertilizer for food production or
as filtered water that can be used
safely on the land.
Lali Gurans seeks in this next phase
to further develop programs and
learning by working with public
health experts, public health
physicians, who focus on areas of
improving health of children and
women, and promoting physical
activity and healthy diets.
Living + Learning from
Food
The orphanage is to serve as a
self-supporting place for food
production. While it is a place
that acts as a farm, it is also a
classroom. The children who
live in the orphanage will learn
about the life cycle of food and
crops by actively participatingin
its cultivation. They will also be a
part of the food’s preparation and
42 / SPACES February 2017