Reconstruir (n)o Nepal, por entre as montanhas até à escola

Abstract

Rebuild (in) Nepal, through the mountains until the school is a reflection on the experienceI had in a trip to South Asia, Nepal. Devastated by the earthquakes of April andMay 2015, more than two years have passed during which, in terms of recovery, verylittle has actually been realized by the government due to the country's great politicalinstability. Being economically weakened, humanitarian work in Nepal plays a keyrole in post-disaster rehabilitation, mainly at the social and architectural level. I hadthe opportunity to volunteer in a project that focuses on rebuilding Schools in one ofthe most affected areas by the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal, Haibung - Sindhupalchok.It will be understood throughout the dissertation how the journey makes the architectgrow. The fact of not being behind the paper and literally putting hands to workis an obvious aspect, but, among others, what will be most emphasized will be themutual learning between architect, volunteer, mason and community. The idea ofparticipatory project, through which there is an essential sharing of teachings, is alsoa mean of response to certain social and political problems that may be involved withthe architecture of a place. This particular context allows a reflection on the role ofthe architect and a revision of the meaning that a "simple" program like the Schoolsurprisingly acquires.In this post-disaster scenario, the (re)construction of Schools assumes an importancethat goes beyond the typical teaching function. It is important to realize how localknowledge can effectively contribute to the reconstruction of a country. The strategicand collaborative thinking in the project design helps ensure that a safe learningenvironment is built, while simultaneously has the ability to provide developmentand rebuild the community around it. By having the perception of the impact thatarchitecture has on a society, I imagine that as an architect, desingning with socialconsciousness will be instinctively more natural.