Architects are reviving traditional building in Hunza, Pakistan

In Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan, the traditional homes and buildings once common in the region are no longer being built, says Waseem Jamal, founder of ORA Studios. “It’s becoming a concrete jungle, which is harmful to the mountain communities,” he says.

“Even when a house is built, it doesn’t feel like a home,” says Kamal Shah, principal architect at ORA Studios. In pursuit of modernity, he explains, new buildings are losing their sense of space and character. The team wanted to revive the traditional homes from their old settlements, which responded to the climate and the environment.

Founded in 2024, ORA Studios promotes sustainable construction using locally sourced materials such as stabilised mud blocks and rammed earth, creating buildings that are more energy-efficient, climate-responsive and rooted in the region’s cultural heritage. That same year, Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan, part of the Aga Khan Development Network, selected the studio for its entrepreneurship programme, providing business training, advisory support and patient debt financing.

At a residential project in Hyderabad, the team combines traditional materials with modern construction. They use locally sourced wood and stone, keeping steel to a minimum. For insulation, they use Hali, a traditional material, and stain the wood with walnut leaves instead of synthetic paint. For every tree they cut down, they plant another.

“It’s difficult to find skilled craftsmen for this kind of work,” Kamal says. The team first consulted experienced craftsmen to understand traditional building techniques, then identified and trained skilled craftsmen to carry out the restoration. In Ghulkin, artist Karim Ahmed Khan first visited a 900-year-old house, believed to be the village’s oldest, in poor condition and unrestored. Once it was restored, he realised that the villagers wanted to turn it into a guesthouse. Feeling that people had limited exposure to art, he also founded a contemporary art gallery, which he describes as the region’s first.

The team says a school it built in Chipursan using mud blocks withstood the recent earthquake. “It has shown that this approach can work for future projects,” Waseem says.

Today, ORA Studios is showing how innovation and tradition can work hand in hand to address climate and construction challenges while creating a more sustainable future for mountain communities.

Watch how ORA Studios is reviving traditional ways of building in Hunza.