the khumbu climbing school emerges from the base of mt everest

‘khumbu climbing school’ by alex lowe foundation in collaboration with michael everts, phortse, solukhumbu, nepal
image © dean soderberg

the khumbu climbing center is a program inaugurated in 2003 (when the village attained electricity for the first time in history) by the alex lowe charitable foundation with the goal of increasing the safety margin of nepali climbers and high altitude workers, and encouraging responsible climbing practices in a community-based environment. the school is founded in the small village of phortse in the khumbu region at everest’s base – a village located on the opposite end of the valley from the path more frequently traveled by climbers and tourists alike on the way to the summit, leaving the community without pertinent economic benefits in a land with few resources. in 2009, professor and architect michael everts of montana state university school of architecture in conjunction with the alex lowe foundation began to design a new structure to represent the climbing school that would facilitate a slue of educational and community-based programs while serving as an example of how locals in the area can learn to build efficient and comfortable structures with available resources. the entire process included several charettes with local villagers, allowing them not only to take a large part in the construction but to have a pertinent voice in the actual design of the building which will support english classes, technical climbing skills, rescue skills, geological and mountain studies.

watch the passive energy features here.

promotional video for the khumbu climbing center
video © max lowe media

east elevation
image © montana state university

south elevation
image © montana state university

the site perched high in the himalayas poses a particular set of construction challenges. certain materials are more difficult to acquire – concrete for example has a 900% mark-up value from it’s normal cost, prompting the design team to find structurally capable and safe alternatives. once material is found, it must be flown to one of the world’s most dangerous airports and then hiked 4days/16 miles to the site (with a 3,000 foot altitude gain) by either porters who can carry up to 100 kg on their backs, or by yak. stone is quarried within 100 yards of the project, constituting the majority of load bearing wall structures in line with vernacular practices. in order to combat seismic issues, which have proven to be a deadly force in the area, the dry-stacked walls are secured within metal gabions. sand is collected from a nearby river and wood is harvested just outside the village. carefully oriented to benefit from solar gain through large vertical curtain walls, the structure is optimized for passive heating and the retention of heat through thermal mass and the first uses of modern insulation practices implementing a convective loop strategy. this system spares the burning of noxious yak dung for heat and eliminates the need to burn wood in the national park area currently undergoing reforestation while directly improving indoor air quality.

looking west through the clerestory
image © montana state university

west entrance
image © montana state university

interior render
image © montana state university

interior facing east
image © montana state university

phortse
image © dean soderberg

installation of timber trusses
image © dean soderberg

today, the climbing school is taught by nepali sherpas and locals (75%) and westerners (25%). construction is heavily based on volunteer and villager labor from around the world and donations, employing over 30 students and many more professionals who have helped design and build. although it is not fully completed, the team hopes to raise enough funds to complete the project in the next year, to improve the quality of life for a small village at the base of mount everest and show similar cultures how to build intelligent efficient structures for themselves.

metal joists make up the second story floor structure
image © michael auldridge

preparation for a foundation wall
image © dean soderberg

architect and construction supervisor dean soderberg recalls the difficulties of building in a fairly inaccessible site, having been left several times without material as the porters often times abandon it on the side of the trail over ten miles away as they decided to join a climbing expedition or head back home in time for a 15-day festival.

stone gabion walls line the perimeter footprint of the building
image © dean soderberg