Building Village Life in Kamhua Noknu, Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

Modernizing change at the periphery of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India is visible in the growing number of modified structures in traditional Wancho settlements. This project researches and documents the community’s endangered architectural heritage. Their ephemeral buildings of organic materials require regular reconstruction, and each rebuilding becomes a significant event that brings the village together and revitalizes the transmission of indigenous knowledge. This study synthesizes the expertise of architects with the knowledge of local craftspeople and construction experts, surveying four villages along the border with Myanmar with a focus on four building types: the traditional house, the modified frame house, the morung or paa, and the chief’s house. Our ethnographic recordings form an archive of knowledge on construction methods, materials, history, customs, and a traditional way of life.