The Dharmalaya Institute, in partnership with venerated earthen architect Didi Contractor, is launching the Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture. The internship is a formal, academically-supervised service-learning program designed to provide architects (and students of architecture) with both practical experience and deeper theoretical knowledge in the arts and practices of sustainable building.
Tag Archives: Bir
Learning from the Ground Up: Earthville Inaugurates Green Campus in India with Service & Meditation
After a marathon rush of construction activity through the winter, the Dharmalaya Institute held the first programs in the new (and still-unfinished) main building of its Himalayan eco-campus for sustainable and compassionate living. Over thirty participants from ten countries made the journey to the mountain village of Bir for the occasion…
Growing Skyward: Raising the Roof of the Dharmalaya Institute in India
When we left you with the season finale cliffhanger last June, we had just bundled up our baby building with prayers that she’d survive the monsoon rains without a roof….
Monsoon Update: Zen & the Jazz of Green Building in India
The biggest news on the construction of the Dharmalaya Institute is in regard to our race against time to get the roof on our baby building before the onslaught of the monsoon rains this month… and the update is that, well, we couldn’t win, so we’ve done our best to change the game.
Planting a Vertical Orchard
This week, during our first service retreat program (see news article) on the Dharmalaya Institute’s new Himalayan eco-campus, we had a precious opportunity: our friends at SanghaSeva brought sixteen wonderful, hard-working volunteers from all over the globe to work with us, so we figured this was the time to take on…
A Picture of Progress
We’ll be posting a detailed update on the construction of the Dharmalaya Institute soon. For now, here’s a little picture of progress… 🙂
Fueled by Kindness
So much in life can’t happen without the kindness of others, and this is especially true here in the Himalayas. In a “subsistence-plus” economy such as we have here in Himachal Pradesh, most villagers have enough land to feed their families, more or less, so they don’t necessarily need to work…
Dharmalaya Sprouts: Earthville Co-founds New Charitable Organization in India
It’s official: The Dharmalaya project, founded in collaboration with Himalayan villagers, has been registered with the Indian government and is now seeking funds for its launch. After several months of research and planning, consultation with local villagers, and drafting of documents, the Dharmalaya vision is off to a great start.
Planting Seeds of Sustainability
Earthville’s Dharmalaya team is planting seeds, literally and figuratively, for a new sustainable village development project in the Himalayas. In the tiny, tranquil town of Bir, about three hours by road from the Tibetan exile capital of Dharamshala, the coriander and green beans have begun to sprout in the new organic garden in front of […]