S

ECMOLCAS
EST
UDY2
T
hisTERRAAwar
dwi nni
ngS E
CMOLS c
hool bui
l
dinginLeh(
Ladakh)i
sv i
rtual
lya
nepi
tomeofcontemporar
yramme d-
eart
hcons
truconandpas
siv
es ol
arar
chi
tec
tur
e.
Thecampusf
orStudent
s'Educaona landCult
uralMovementofLada k
h( S
ECMOL)i
sloc
ate
dne arthevi
ll
ageofPheyi
n
theI
ndusval
l
eyabout18k mfr omLeha ndatanaltudeof3500m. Theregi
onhasacol
ddeser
tcli
ma t
ewithtempera
turev
ari
aonfrom20°Ci
ns umme rt
o-30°
Cinwi
nte
r.
L
ucki
l
yt hi
sar
eahasover300s unnydaysperyearandthes
unthe r
eforeisarel
i
abl
esour
ceofenergy.

T
heS ECMOLc ampusishometoabout70st
ude nt
sandafewstaffandvol
unt
eer
s,wholi
ve,worka
ndstudyt
here
.
I
tismaint
aine
d, a
ndtoal a
rgeext
entrunbystudent
sthe
ms e
lve
s.
T
hec a
mpusc ompris
esonelarg
eschoolbui
ldi
ng,thr
eeres
idenalhous
esand20smal
lcel
lroomsapa
rtfr
omother

T
hema i
nbuildi
ngpopularlyknowna sSECMOLS choolbui
ldinghasbeenbuiltk
e e
pinginvi
ew
t
heaforeme n onedtought er
rai
nwi t
hpe cul
iarcli
macc ondionsa nddi
ffic ultyi
nbr i
ngi
ngfor
eig
nbui
ldi
ngmat
eri
al
s.
T
hec onstr
uconofS E CMOLs choolbuil
dingwa sstar
tedin1994a nditwasinaugurat
edin1998byDal
aiL
ama.
I
n2016t hebuildi
ngwa sadjudgedoneoft hebe s
tninebuilding
shavinge
a r
thenc ons
truconby
t
hejuryofinternaona lT
E RRAAwa rd
I
nbrief
,thef
oll
owi
ngaresomemainf
eat
ure
sthatk
eept
hebui
ldi
ngwarminwinter
s:
Windowshavebee
nprovi
dedonsout
hsi
deasthes
unmovesl
owinthesout
hern
s
kyinwinter
sandkee
psthebui
l
dingwar
m.
Greenhous
esar
ea achedtothesouthsi
defortr
appingheatoft
hes
[Link]
rs,
hugeplascshe
etsa
reroll
eddownt oma k
ebiggreenhous
ewhi c
hwork
sa sasol
arcol
l
ect
or.
Ins
umme
rs,
theplascsheet
sar
eroll
edupt opreve
ntoverhe
ang .

S
kyl
i
ght
sar
ecov
ere
dwi
thg
las
sorc
lea
rpl
asct
oke
epwa
rma
iri
ndoor
s.

T
hic
kea
rthe
nwa
ll
sandfloor
she
lpi
nst
ori
ngc
oll
ect
edhe
at.
I
nsul
aonha
sbe
enpr
ovi
dedi
nroof
,out
erwa
ll
s,a
ndi
nsomepl
ace
sunde
rthefloor
.

Na
tur
all
i
gh ngha
sbe
enpr
ovi
dedi
nabunda
nces
oel
ect
ri
ci
tyi
snotne
ede
dforl
i
ghti
nda
yme
.

Roofi
sins
ula
tedwi
thwoodwa
steg
ene
rat
eddur
ingt
hec
ons
trucont
ost
ophe
atl
osst
hroug
hit
.
ApartfromS onamWa ngchuk'ssi
gnific
antc ontr
ibu ontothecontempora
rye a
rtharchit
ectur
eintheenr eHi
ma l
ayanre
gion,
heha sinvent
ed" I
ceS t
upa "-asolu ontot heproblemofwa t
ershort
ageintheregi
on.
I
c eStupaisaformofg lac
ierg r
ai ngtechniquethatcr
e a
tesarfic i
alg
lac
ierusedforstori
ngunusedwint
erwateri
n
theformofc onical
shapedi [Link] r,whenwa t
eriss
carc
e,theIceStupame l
tstoprovi
dewate
rforir
ri
gaon.
Forthisinnovaon, SonamWa ngchukwa sa war
ded
theRolexAwa rdforEnter
pr is
eandr ece
ive dRupeesonec r
ore
.Thismoneyheisus i
nga saseedforhi
sdreamproj
ect-
HimalayanInst ut
eofAl t
e rnav e
s(HIAL).

T
hesuc
cessoft
hebuil
di
ngcanbega
ugedfromt
hefactt
hatwhenouts
idet
emper
atur
eis-25°
Cinwi
nte
rstheins
idet
emper
atur
eremains+
14°
C.
T
hebui
ldi
ngdoesnothav
eanyel
ect
ri
cconneconnordoesi
tre
quir
etoburnf
oss
ilf
uel
sforheangevenduri
ngpeakwi
nte
rmonths.