The Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture at Dharmalaya Institute is a formal, academically-supervised internship programme designed to provide architects (and students of architecture) with both practical experience and deeper theoretical knowledge in the arts and practices of sustainable building, with an emphasis on the Kangra style of vernacular earthen architecture.
Overview
Start date: 14th July*
Duration: 15-18 weeks minimum with option to stay on longer
Location: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir, India
Course type: Internship & Apprenticeship
Prerequisites required? Yes, see below
*Please note start may be pushed back by maximum 1 week.
About the Internship Programme
Through the Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture, interns have the opportunity to gain practical experience working with skilled earthen builders and artisans at the Dharmalaya Institute in Bir. Interns will also explore the cultural context and philosophical foundations of vernacular eco-architecture, and of sustainable and compassionate living more generally, including the development of the architect as a whole person through self-awareness, contemplation, meditation, yoga, sustainable living habits, ethical and responsible business practices, etc.
Architecture students should note that Dharmalaya Institute is not an architectural firm as such, so you will not be sitting in an office. Our campus is in a remote rural area, far from both the pollution and the comforts of city life. Living at Dharmalaya Institute, with its ashram-style, community-oriented, work-focused environment, is very different to what most city-dwellers might have experienced — and, if you are open-minded, open-hearted, and hardworking, it might just be life-changing for you in very positive ways.
The Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture was established in 2013, originally as a partnership between venerated eco-architect Didi Contractor (winner of the Nari Shakti Puraskar award) and Mark Moore, cofounder of Dharmalaya Institute, with the purpose of passing Didi’s knowledge and wisdom on to the next generation of architects, deepening their understanding of the art and practices of sustainable architecture and the social and ecological context in which the work of the architect takes place, and making a contribution to the preservation and revival of vernacular traditions for sustainable living. Since Didi Contractor’s passing, the Internship is now supervised jointly by the senior faculty of Dharmalaya Institute.
PROGRAMME Structure & REQUIREMENTSThe intensive trainings happen during workshops. All interns must complete at least four of these training workshops in order to satisfy the requirements of the Internship: one either before the start of their internship or at the start of it; and the other three at any point during the remainder of their internship.
(In certain cases, with advance permission, some interns may be able to start their internship at the same time as they begin their first workshop. See below.)
The internship consists of several brief, intensive training workshops followed by extended practice periods. Both are necessary and equally important. The intensive training workshops provide both theory instruction and, more importantly, guidance from skilled artisans in how to do the actual work of earthen building according to best practices. The purpose of the extended practice periods is to provide the opportunity to deepen one’s understanding and refine one’s skills through hands-on work in a real-world earthen construction environment, which is typically on Dharmalaya Institute’s campus itself. (Note that this is often a combination of hard physical work and some computer work. For an idea of what kinds of work you will be doing, see this page from our FAQ.)
PrerequisitesApplicants for the Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture should meet the following minimum requirements:
Academics: Interns must have completed at least two years of study in a college-level degree programme related to any of the following fields: architecture, art, engineering, design, ecology, sustainability-related studies, or social studies (e.g. anthropology, psychology, sociology, etc.).
Language: Interns must be able to understand English (ideally with fluency). Basic Hindi is also recommended though not absolutely necessary.
Time: Interns must commit to a minimum of five months doing full-time work and study in the programme. If you are interested in a shorter experience, we recommend you consider one of the Dharmalaya Institute’s intensive training workshops followed by a period of volunteering at Dharmalaya to gain greater depth of understanding and proficiency.
Training: Applicants for the Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture who live in India must have completed at least one of Dharmalaya Institute’s intensive training workshops in Eco-Architecture, Earthen Building, Sustainable Living, or Compassionate Living (or an equivalent programme) before formal acceptance into the Internship.