Announcing ISVS-15 : Kathmandu, Nepal in 2026

ISVS-15 conference will be held from 02-04 December 2026, hosted by the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Heritage Stuides (ICIHS), Kathmandu University, Nepal; International Society for the study of Vernacular Settlememnts (ISVS) and the Asian School of Knowledge (ASK) of Sri Lanka. The conference will explore the significance of living vernaculars: heritage, knowledge and resilience in the contemporary world and inspire the young designers to create culturally relevant poetics of spaces and things. ISVS-14 took place within the premises of the HUTECH University in Vietnam at its wonderfully articulated academic setting, with an exhibition of design students work. ISVS-14 received 112 paper proposals of which 98 were accepted for presentation. It was a great event marking a milestone in the ISVS international movement. It is predicted that ISVS-15 in Nepal will be even a more significant event with a series of workshops prior to the event.

The Theme

Living Vernaculars: Heritage, Knowledge and Resilience

Releveance of Living Vernacular in the Contemporary World

ISVS-15 will be held on the theme 'living vernaculars: heritage, knowledge and resilience in the contemporary world.' Nepal has many mounteneous traditional settlements, historical sites and Nature among a thriving traditional community. In fact, there is no better place to continue the journey of ISVS than Nepal at this moment of time, with its breath-taking historical monuments, the traditional settlements including those the world has recognised such as in Kathmandu Durbar Square, and unmatched-hospitality of the Nepalis. It wil be held at the Kathmandu University, which is indeed one of the best settings for the event, being a place where 5000 Years of history comes alive with a historic civlization. Needless to say, Nepal is rich with history beyond magination. As said, ISVS-15 is earmarked to be one of the most exciting events in 2026 with an exhibition of the work of the architecture students from Kathmandu University and the visits to the fascinating places in the Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Keynote Speaker 1: Prof. Pratush Shankar, Navrachna University, India.

Prof. Pratyush Shankar is an Architect by profession and is presently the Provost and the Dean of School of Environmental Design and Architecture (SEDA), Navrachana University in Vadodara, India. Before joining the Navrachana University, Prof. Pratyush was the Acting Dean of Architecture and Head of the Undergraduate Program at CEPT University where he had taught for more than two decades. He was recently honored as the International Ambassador for the University of Bonn, Germany and was also awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Senior Fellowship in 2015 -17. He was hosted at the University of Bonn, Germany. His recent publication is with the Oxford university Press is titled “History of Urban Form: India”. He has also authored the book titled “Himalayan Cities: Settlement Pattern, Public Places and Architecture” published by Niyogi Publishers, New Delhi, 2014. He is presently also a Guest Professor at the Mundus Urbano Program at Architecture Faculty, TU Darmstadt, Germany. Pratyush runs a design practice along with his academic work. He was awarded the 22nd J K Cement Architect of the Year award 2013 in Residence Design Category, and has designed and built a large number of residential and commercial buildings in India. He was the Architect of the Year National Award for “Residence for three Artists”, by J K Cement, 2012. In fact, in his early career, he won the ‘Young Designer of the Year’ award in 2000. A Competition by ‘Indian Architect & Builder’, Mumbai, India. He is also the founder of CityLabs India, an initiative to improve urban research, training and raising awareness of the Indian Cities. He was the Creative Lead – Humboldt Residency Program 2023 – Our Precious Resources and Delivered the Humboldt KOSMOS LECTURE in September 2023, Berlin, He has been Honored as the International Ambassador for the University of Bonn, Germany in 2022. And has been Awarded Alexander Von Humboldt Fellowship, Germany in Experienced Researcher category in November 2014-17. He has also been hosted at the Universitat Bonn, Germany and has been Awarded Ford-Asia Fellowship 2008-09 by the Asia Fellowship Foundation, Bangkok for the study titled “Is there something like a Himalayan City” in Nepal.

Keynote Speaker 2: To be Announced.

Keynote Speaker 3 from Nepal is to be announced soon.

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The Theme

Theme: Living Vernaculars: Heritage, Knowledge and Resilience. Survival and evolution of vernacular have been more about preserving the knowledge systems that evolve around its contextual relationship, the practices that make it sustainable, and the contextual adaptability that makes it resilient, rather than merely the tangible components of it. Understanding the living vernaculars gives us an opportunity for an intellectual interpretation that includes climate change, seismic resilience, traditional knowledge, cultural landscapes, adaptive transformations and contemporary constructions. Vernacular heritage as such is not just a collections of traditional buildings that are static, but are intertwined systems with complex cultural landscapes that incorporate the tangible and intangible dimensions such as settlement patterns, buildings, materials and construction systems, craftmanship, social practices, rituals, collective memories, beliefs, livelihoods and their relationship with the natural landscape. An understanding of how vernacular processes are produced, transmitted, adapted and transformed, will thus be of immense value in th econtempporary world. This conference brings together the intertwined yet distinct areas of inquiries outined below together to contribute to such an outcome. The ISVS-15 conference invites the scholars dealing with vernacular settlements and cultural heritage to explore the numerous ways and means of understanding cultural heritage. These may include oral, verbal as well as manual documentations, not to mention other means such as buildings and structures, manuscripts and traditional ways of keeping the memories of such heritage alive along with the most modern digital technologies. You may propose written reserach papers for presentations or posters produced from research. There are options. Accordingly, following sub-themes are suggested, but the papers are not limited to these themes. Other innovative papers can also be presented.

Sub Theme-1

Vernacular Systems as living Heritage: Living continuity of culture, place and Identity

Theme 1-a: Culture, Memory and Identity of Vernacular Settlements

Theme 1-b: Vernacular Settlements as Tangible and Intangible Heritage

Theme 1-c: Vernacular Communities, social practices and Place Making

Theme 1-d: Collective and Personal Memories as tools of Cultural identity and Lived Experiences

Sub Theme-2

Vernacular Intelligence, Practices and Transmissions

Theme 2-a: Indigenous and Vernacular Intelligence

Theme 2-b: Traditional Craft, Material culture and making

Theme 2-c: Traditional Technologies and Practices

Theme 2-d: Place based Ecological Knowledge System

Theme 2-e: Knowledge Transfer and Intergenerational Learnings

Sub Theme-3

Vernacular Systems, Ecological Change and Resilience

Theme 3-a: Climate Change, Risks and Resilience of Vernacular Systems

Theme 3-b: Human-Nature Relationships and evolving Cultural landscapes

Theme 3-c: Environmental Change and Vernacular Vulnerability

Theme 3-d: Vernacular Territories, settlements and Ecological systems

Other Sub Themes

Vernacular Settlements, Traditions, and Culture

This sub-theme explores the spatial, social, and cultural logic of vernacular settlements shaped by climate, geography, belief systems, and collective memory. Papers may investigate settlement patterns, dwelling typologies, social structures, rituals, and everyday practices that inform the making and inhabitation of vernacular environments, as well as their transformations under modern influences.

Vernacular and Traditional Landscapes

Traditional landscapes embody centuries of interactions between people and Nature. This sub-theme focuses on cultural landscapes such as agricultural systems, water management practices, sacred geographies, pastoral terrains, and indigenous land-use patterns. Contributions may address landscape resilience, ecological balance, and the cultural meanings embedded in traditional environmental practices.

Engaging Traditional Values and Elements in Interiors

Interiors serve as intimate expressions of cultural identity and social values. This sub-theme examines how traditional materials, crafts, spatial hierarchies, symbolism, and sensory qualities inform interior environments. It also invites explorations of how these elements are reinterpreted in contemporary interior design while retaining cultural authenticity.

Traditional Furniture and Contemporary Innovations

Traditional furniture reflects local lifestyles, craftsmanship, ergonomics, and material wisdom. This sub-theme invites studies on indigenous furniture traditions, making techniques, joinery systems, and material cultures, as well as contemporary innovations that reinterpret traditional forms for modern living, production methods, and sustainability goals.

Inventing Contemporary Fashions from Traditional Dresses and Motifs

Clothing and adornment are powerful carriers of cultural narratives. This sub-theme explores how traditional textiles, garments, motifs, weaving techniques, and ornamentation inspire contemporary fashion and design. It encourages discussions on cultural continuity, ethical production, identity, and innovation in fashions rooted in vernacular traditions.

Conservation of Traditional Heritage and Policies

This sub-theme addresses theoretical, methodological, and policy-related dimensions of conserving vernacular and traditional heritage. Contributions may examine conservation philosophies, community participation, legal frameworks, adaptive reuse, heritage economics, and the challenges of safeguarding living traditions in the face of development pressures.

Traditions of Music and Performing Arts

Music, dance, and performances are integral to vernacular cultures and spatial practices. This sub-theme invites interdisciplinary inquiries into how performing arts shape social spaces, rituals, festivals, and collective memory, and how these traditions adapt, survive, or transform in contemporary contexts.

Earthen Architecture & Sustainable Materials: Bamboo, Straw, and Earth

Focusing on material intelligence, this sub-theme examines earthen construction and renewable materials such as bamboo and straw, emphasizing their climatic responsiveness, low carbon footprint, and cultural significance. Papers may address traditional building techniques, modern adaptations, structural innovations, and policy challenges in mainstreaming these materials.

Manifestations of Traditions and Graphics in Human Settlements

This sub-theme explores visual expressions of culture in settlements—such as murals, symbols, signage, patterns, colors, scripts, and craft-based graphics. It examines how graphic traditions contribute to identity, legibility, storytelling, and sense of place in both traditional and contemporary environments.

Traditions and Culinary Arts

Food traditions are deeply tied to geography, climate, social practices, and cultural memory. This sub-theme investigates vernacular culinary practices, food spaces, traditional cooking techniques, and rituals, as well as their role in sustaining cultural identity, livelihoods, and community cohesion.

Vernacular Architecture and Sustainability

This sub-theme focuses on the intrinsic sustainability embedded in vernacular architecture, including passive design strategies, resource efficiency, adaptability, and long-term resilience. Contributions may analyze vernacular principles as models for sustainable design in contemporary architectural practice and urban development.

Development and Cultural Change

Modern developments often bring profound cultural transformations. This sub-theme critically examines the interface between development, modernization, globalization, and cultural change, questioning how vernacular traditions negotiate continuity and transformation, and how development can be reimagined to be culturally sensitive and inclusive.

Approaches to Architecture Promoting Traditions and Culture

This sub theme promoted the examination of the architects whose approaches to contemporary architecture are derived from the nuances of cultural practices of the ordinary people, vernacular and traditions. The papers can examine and reveal the already established or young architects work that include earth and straw, buildings, bamboo and other traditional materials as well those who employ traditional ideas and values.

An Invitation to Participate