Rahul Bhola

Experience

1. Principal Investigator

   Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

   Sep 2025 — Present · Doda, IN

   Traditional Construction Systems and Indigenous Materials in the Pir Panjal Region of the Lower Himalayas.This project focuses on documenting the traditional construction systems and indigenous material knowledge of the Pir Panjal region in Jammu, India, with particular emphasis on the vernacular architecture of Doda district. These timber-laced stone masonry houses, built using locally sourced materials and orally transmitted techniques, reflect a finely tuned relationship between ecology, climate, and cultural practice. The structures are multifunctional—serving as homes, livestock shelters, and spaces for domestic crafts such as binna weaving and wool processing, especially carried out by women. As industrial construction methods and materials become more dominant, this architectural knowledge and the cultural life embedded within it face the risk of disappearance. The project will document construction processes, spatial practices, and associated oral histories through photographs, video, measured drawings, interviews, and 3D digital modelling. Oral narratives will be collected in regional languages and transcribed into English.The project aims to work closely with traditional builders, elder community members, and women artisans to capture the full depth of this material knowledge system. It seeks to preserve not only the technical methods of construction but also the cultural values, environmental adaptations, and seasonal rhythms that shape how these homes are designed, built, and lived in. Through detailed ethnographic and architectural documentation, the project contributes to safeguarding a vernacular heritage that remains vital to community identity and sustainable highland living, even as it faces increasing pressure from external change.

Education

• Stephen International Public School Jammu

  Higher Secondary, Physics ,Chemistry, Mathematics

  2012 — 2013

• School of Planning and Architecture ,Vijayawada

  Bachelor of Architecture - BArch, Architecture

  2013 — 2018

• School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi

  Master of Architecture - MArch, Architectural conservation

  2020 — 2022

• Army Public School, Kaluchak

  Schooling, Science

  2001 — 2012