stone filled gabion walls build an earthquake-resistant tourism center in india

sitting at an altitude of 1700m, the BASA tourism center in khirsu, india, is a building designed by compartment S4 to empower the local village community. the project was originally the winning entry of a design competition to build an earthquake resilient house. however, after further research and development with the local people and regional government, it was finally decided to become a place to promote tourism and stimulate the village economy. 

aerial view of the project

all images courtesy of compartment S4

the design by compartment S4 responds to the cold temperate climate of the himalayan mountains and remoteness of the site, while providing structural resilience to earthquakes and landslides. the building is designed with heavy stone filled gabion retaining walls at the bottom and a light wooden structure on top covered with wattle and daub panels as an infill material. undressed stone is used in the gabion walls as it can be picked up from waste and also reduces labor. it is crafted with a balance between local knowledge and modern construction techniques aiming to encourage community participation and ownership.

the built structure with the main building materials being stone gabion walls, wattle and daub panels, wood and mud plaster

the tourism center has a community kitchen and a space to display local produce on the lower level. the upper floor houses an exhibition portraying the local heritage and culture of khirsu along with essential information for tourists. this space can also function as a recreational space for the tourists who are staying at the BASA homestay.

the built structure

the uttarakhand government is promoting homestays among the locals in order to aid the village economy as well as social fabric of the region. the aim is to gradually increase the global presence of rural areas. BASA is therefore introduced as a model for locals to become inspired to open-up their spare rooms as homestays in khirsu. as an initiative executed and managed by locals, it intends to revitalize the local economy and instil a conscious approach to tourism, which can help preserve the natural and cultural landscape of khirsu.

front elevation

‘BASA’ in the garhwali language is an expression that means to invite guests into your house for a night. this initiative focuses on the local needs, economy and architecture in a way that the locals develop a sense of ownership and add value to it. 

side elevation

women empowerment is an integral part of the initiative since they are considered the driving engine of the garhwal region. the place is made to be run by the local self-help group, unnati. along with handling the stay, the women will also be engaged in production and packaging all the local village produce and crafts that will be sold to the tourists. an existing government block is converted into a selling and a packaging facility for the local produce. these are sold with the khirsu logo to create a brand and identity for the village.

the lower level of BASA has a community kitchen and a space to display their local produces – the walls are made of gabion stone filled walls with mud plaster

the upper level houses an exhibition portraying the local heritage and culture of khirsu along with essential information for tourists

the walls on the upper floor are a combination of wattle and daub panels, fixed glass and pivoted windows

the pivoted glass and wooden frame doors on the upper floor open up to the view and let in light and fresh air

the balcony in the upper level with the cantilevered roof supported by wooden members

view of the building in the evening

view of the building at night

project info:

project name: BASA- an initiative towards community tourism

project type: hospitality, rural livelihood

location: khirsu, pauri, uttarakhand, india

architect: compartment S4

client: pauri tourism department, unnati SHG

status: completed, january 2020

area: 1022.57 ft2 (95 m2)

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom