The Hearth Stays has borrowed a sliver of land along the Changspa stream, nestled in the valley of Horze, a locality on the outskirts of Leh town to bring into place a habitable commune for travellers to stay and interact. It will serve as a home base while they travel around exploring the rugged landscape of Ladakh. In the end of it all we will return the land as we found it.
The campus attempts to demonstrate an glocal tourism model with integrated traditional wisdom and sustainable technologies.
About
The Hearth Stays, a sustainable tourism outfit headed by Purnima Das, an architect by training and passionate traveler herself, has decided to confront reality and organize an up-cycled architecture camp, to bring together innovators in the field, to brainstorm and address the complex challenges of developing a sustainable tourism model for Leh. They have been operating for more than a decade in Leh and have studied the living patterns of both local and tourist. The discrepancy between the two is vast and here lies the crux of the matter. The only way to develop sustainability is to develop the consciousness of the tourist who is the end consumer in the entire system.
We at Hearth realize that there is a resource reality within which we exist, which cannot support the pampering that we have gotten so used to in the cities. There is an upper limit to the life bearing capacity of this region within which we must all exist. In order to confront reality Hearthstays is organizing an up-cycled architecture camp, to bring together innovators in the field, to brainstorm and address the complex challenges we face.
Material palette
The construction of the unit demands a combination of skills – masonry, carpentry, fabrication and assembly. Local team of masons, carpenters and welders will be available to help execute the construction.
An initial survey conducted of scrapyards in Leh revealed an assortment of usable discards.
A list of materials available are described below:
Stone – The river stones present on the site can be dressed and used in dry rubble construction and with mud mortar.
Timber – Varied sizes of salvaged timber, discarded crates and doors and windows are available in the scrapyards. are available to use.
Earth – Being next to a river, the soil is sandy-silty. Soil with higher clay content can be sourced for plastering.
Metal Waste – Metal scrap is abundant and mostly consists of vehicular discard.
Discarded Tyres – Varied sizes of tyres are available in plenty.
Glass – Tempered glass found from discarded vehicles is the primary source of glass for us.
Construction Debris – Old adobe, doors and windows of varied sizes may be found.
Insulation Material – Foam sheets, discarded sleeping bags of high grade and lightweight mats capable of sub-zero temperature have also been found.
Possibilities of discovering usable material are endless. If required, new material can be sourced and used judiciously.
Address:
Horze, Leh, Ladakh. 194101
Telephone:
+91 900460 3113
Email:
thehearthstays@gmail.com
The Hearth Builds 