Use of traditional building construction techniques for restoring vernacular heritage in Pakistan

Located in the remote Karakoram mountain range in Baltistan, which is one of the seismically active regions, the case study of nearly 200 years old Khaplu Palace will present the outcomes and issues during its conservation. Working closely with the local communities since its inception in 1988, sustainability is one of the prime objectives of Aga Khan Historic Cities Program (AKHCP) which is one of the programmes of Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). The conservation project not only contributed in reviving the traditional construction and craft techniques but also provided an opportunity in revitalizing the values associated with built heritage. Laced timber frame (cator and cribbage) is used as a major construction technique which is an earthquake resistant technique. A full set of measured architectural drawings were first produced with the help of REDM. These drawings were updated and used for structural investigations. Intervention proposals were added to these drawings and implementation in critical areas were precisely monitored with total station. Most of the guidelines for documentation and conservation set for the project were drawn from many international charters specially Venice Charter.