WOMEN'S SHELTER HOUSE & TRAINING CENTER

This ongoing project—a community hall and shelter—is being developed in close partnership with two NGOs: the Ladakhi Women’s Welfare Network (LWWN) and Our Ladakhi Sisters (OLS). The initiative is envisioned as a safe haven for women from across Ladakh who have experienced abuse and violence. More than just a shelter, it is designed to be a space for healing, rebuilding, and reclaiming life with dignity and strength.

The building is conceived as an earthen structure, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and passive-solar heating (PSH). Designed to remain warm in the severe winter months without any additional heating, and comfortably cool in summer through natural ventilation, the building can maintain indoor temperatures of around +12°C—even when outside temperatures drop to -25°C.

The house is carefully oriented to solar south to maximize winter sun exposure, while ancillary spaces along the northern edge act as a thermal buffer. The building employs adobe wall construction, incorporating layers of insulation including repurposed army mattresses for improved thermal performance. All external doors are made with insulated, sandwich-panelled timber and feature double rebates to minimize heat loss. To ensure structural integrity in a seismic zone, timber and RCC ties are embedded within both stone and adobe masonry.

The project is committed not only to creating environmentally responsible and contextually grounded spaces, but also to serving a meaningful social purpose—offering safety, warmth, and a sense of community to those who need it most.