会议名称：“2024世界木材日”研讨会暨第六届国际林联（IUFRO）林产品文化研究组讨论会
会议时间：2024年3月21-22日

报告嘉宾：Rahul Kumar
嘉宾单位：HPCDI North Institute (OPC) Pvt. Ltd

报告摘要：
The Himalayan mountains have diverse geographical and climatic conditions and a rich cultural heritage. The responses in the built environment are distinct and specific to their location and people. Various indigenous building practices have evolved in the region using locally available materials like wood, stone, slate, mud, bamboo and more. These vernacular techniques and crafts present a high level of seismic design, climate resilience, and carry the cultural values of their respective regions. 
In the Western Himalayas, the Kath-Khuni building system is an indigenous building system that is built using locally available wood and stone. This building system has evolved over thousands of years by the way of empirical practices and respond to contextual demands most efficiently. In Kath-Khuni buildings, wood is used for the structural framework. Walls are made with alternate layers of horizontal wooden beams infilled with dry stone masonry without the use of mortar. This building system embraces a composite wall system with wooden joineries. 
Wooden structures are known for high resistance to earthquakes due to wood’s high strength to weight ratio and its ductility. The fibres of wood make it highly effective in withstanding tensile stresses. In contemporary global architecture trends, timber is a rapidly upcoming building material due to its various advantages that include the binding of carbon dioxide, low embodied energy, fire safety etc. 
In Kath-Khuni buildings, native tree species such as Deodar (Cedrus deodara), Rai (Picea smithiana) and Kail (Pinus wallichiana) are used. These species are found growing at an altitude roughly between 1600m and 2000m ASL, and Kath-khuni architecture can also only be found at this altitude. 
This research work investigates the building system of Kath-khuni buildings in Kalpa, Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, in order to understand the detailed process of construction, along with the roles and responsibilities of local craftspeople in the making of these buildings. Through investigation and in-depth analysis, 6 fundamental principles of Kath-khuni building system are identified. 
The region and its typical house-form are discussed. A Kath-khuni house, which is measure drawn to co-relate the narratives of craftspeople, is presented through the drawings. The analysis takes into consideration the knowledge of craftspeople and the system is analysed in terms of elements of a building, its parts and components, and role of craftspeople in the making process. While investigating the making of the built form, findings reveal the knowledge with which wood was employed and mastered, the techniques that were incorporated in the process of building, and the 3 logic behind the method that was then the tradition. The making clearly defines the relationship of the parts, the way they come together in an assembly, the potential and virtue of wood as a building material, the assembly of building system, the construction techniques that shaped it, and so on. 
The fundamental principles of Kath-Khuni building system are applicable in the contemporary context of protection and conservation of historical wooden properties and related forest management, craftsmanship, traditional wood processing and woodworking experiences. The study and analysis of these wooden structures also provide insights on historical utilisation and cultural values of Wood from the Himalayas, as well as on construction and building systems that include wood durability and protection needs.

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