Building Bureau, Inc

Proceeds will go to Tiger Track Nepal for completion of the Tiger Track Lodge.

*Scroll to bottom for December 2024 updates*

The Tiger Track Lodge is a rammed earth conservation center and ecolodge now under construction by our partners Sustainable Future Nepal for wildlife conservationist Hemanta Acharya of Tiger Track in association with Manoj Gautam and Dakshina Khadka of Burhan Camps. Home to a Community-Based Anti-Poaching Unit (CBAPU), the small lodge is located just outside of Bardiya National Park, a conservation area in Nepal’s lowland Terai region that is home to many endangered species of wildlife including the one-horned rhinoceros, Indian elephant, Gangetic dolphin, and – most famously – the Bengal Tiger.

View of the dining hall interior, Building Bureau

A scale model of the rammed earth bar, Building Bureau

The site is a north-south oriented plot of land with narrow frontage along the road to Bardiya National Park’s western entrance. The Lodge is within the Khata Corridor, a 15-mile long swath of protected land along the Girwa River that connects Bardiya in Nepal to the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India.

Construction of the reception and dining hall, June 2023

Floor plan of the reception area and dining hall, Building Bureau

The existing lodge has no reception or administrative areas and only five guest rooms. New structures, durably built from rammed earth, will provide a reception and office area to receive guests, staff accommodations, a kitchen and pantry, and a twenty-seat dining hall and bar. The existing block of guest rooms will remain and two new guest cottages will be added beyond to double the lodge’s capacity. The rammed earth walls, due to their natural thermal mass, will ensure passive thermal stability despite the typical hot and humid temperatures of the Terai. For the new roofs, Tiger Track has collected and reclaimed traditional wood rafters and terracotta tiles from nearby demolished farmhouses. Construction began in January 2023 and is expected to conclude by September, 2023.

Team portrait on site | Tiger Track, Burhan Wilderness Camps,

Sustainable Future Nepal, and Building Bureau

Floor plan of the cottage accommodations, Building Bureau

Section through the cottage, Building Bureau

December 2024 Update

With the enclosure and first fix of the plumbing and electrical installations completed, progress is being made to complete the doors and windows, largely from reclaimed wooden rafters. Once this is complete, bar and kitchen casework, final plumbing and electrical fixes, and landscaping remains.

For more information and images, visit the Tiger Track Lodge webpage.

Organizer Tyler Survant is a co-founder of Building Bureau, a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States with a mission to further the social impact of public organizations and civic institutions through architecture. Building Bureau will act as a fiscal intermediary; all funds raised through GoFundMe will go directly to Tiger Track Nepal for completion of construction. Depending on your particular tax situation, your donation may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes.

Proceeds will go to NPO Nepal for construction of the Ekuwa Health Post.

INTRODUCTION

The Ekuwa Health Post is a sustainable, community-centered health facility, located in the remote Sankhuwasabha District in the northeastern region of Nepal, that will provide essential healthcare to an underserved population with limited access to medical services. This project aims to bridge a gap to healthcare access that is very prominent in Nepal: according to the Nepal Living Standards Survey, 41% of rural households do not have access to a health post or secondary health post to aid basic emergency services that can be life saving.

A rendering of the proposed Ekuwa Health Post

Ekuwa, the site of the health post, is located at 2,200 meters (7,200 ft) under the shadow of Mt. Makalu, the fifth-tallest mountain in the world just east of Mt. Everest, on a steep slope without vehicular access. Those seeking medical care must hike three to four hours down the hill to the nearest health post below. And above Ekuwa, three villages sit at even higher elevations, extending their travel time. The monsoon season makes it dangerous to take this journey, which in rare cases has caused fatalities from flash flooding incidents. State-initiated road development is slowly reaching Ekuwa but, in the meantime, expecting mothers often endure pregnancies unassisted and emergencies are often not treated fast enough. Without access to healthcare, a simple cut that becomes infected or a tooth ache that turns rotten can quickly turn into an emergency.

Building Bureau traveled with NPO Nepal to Ekuwa with a model of the proposed Health Post, also pictured in the cover photo with Ekuwa school children.

Site of the Ekuwa Health Post, above the Arun River valley.

HEALTH IMPACTS

Upon completion, the Ekuwa Health Post would serve approximately 98 households and 495 people across five villages. The health clinic will:

Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa of NPO Nepal shows the health post model to a village elder.

PARTNERS

The Ekuwa Health Post is a joint project between Building Bureau and NPO Nepal and we have been working on this proposal directly with Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa, who founded NPO Nepal to provide much needed infrastructure and services to his native rural Makalu region. So far, he has supported the successful development of schools, dental clinics, drinking water pipelines, and libraries across several wards in the Makalu area. Given our own connection to the Makalu region, the evident need for healthcare access, and Lakpa’s local-based, community-engaged approach to development projects, we are excited to partner with him and the community on the Ekuwa Health Post.

Structural engineer Arun Rimal of Building Bureau with a rendering of the health post in Ekuwa.

The plan for the Ekuwa Health Post was co-developed by Building Bureau and NPO Nepal, and has been signed off and approved by NPO Nepal associated board members native to the Makalu rural region.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

The Ekuwa Health Post will address the healthcare gap in the Makalu region and serve as a sustainable, community-centered health facility that blends local materials and passive design for long-term resilience.

Rather than using corrugated iron and other materials that have become ubiquitous to the region, this design utilizes rammed earth for its thermal mass in response to the region’s climate where temperature fluctuations are significant. The thick walls absorb cool nighttime air in summer and retain heat during sunny winter days, reducing reliance on active heating and cooling. At the heart of the health post is a healing garden, where the community can grow indigenous medicinal plants, promoting natural remedies. The design is organized around this central courtyard, with covered walkways for circulation. The east-facing orientation captures valley views, while the covered south-facing outdoor area provides a sunlit space for the community.

3D diagram of the Ekuwa Health Post and its components.

For more information and images, visit the Ekuwa Health Post webpage.

ORGANIZER

Organizer Tyler Survant is a co-founder of Building Bureau, a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States with a mission to further the social impact of public organizations and civic institutions through architecture. Building Bureau will act as a fiscal intermediary; all funds raised through GoFundMe will go directly to NPO Nepal for completion of construction. Depending on your particular tax situation, your donation may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes.