Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, faces significant seismic vulnerability due to its geological location and a presence of conflicting architectural paradigms between traditional Newari structures and modern buildings. Current explorations lack a comprehensive approach that addresses the dual challenges of preserving traditional Newari architecture while enhancing its seismic resilience. The prevalent focus on RCC structures overlooks the potential of integrating local materials and construction techniques into modern frameworks. Furthermore, there is a deficiency in urban design strategies that balance the growth of built environments with the need for accessible open spaces, crucial for effective post-disaster evacuation efforts. The thesis aims to develop a resilient housing neighbourhood in Kathmandu, with the primary objective of addressing the challenges surrounding the present seismic vulnerabilities posed by the increase in spatial density and inadequate evacuation spaces.

At the urban scale, the design utilizes risk assessment data to propose a new settlement layout that reintroduces a hierarchy of open-to-build spaces, forming the foundation for the post-disaster evacuation and rescue network strategy. Structural efficiency is achieved by evaluating the overall form and its response to cyclic loads. This process utilizes marching cubes that leverage combinations of Iso surfaces to plot in a 3D surface to generate a morphology that enables efficient load distribution and responsive to spatial dynamics. The project further focuses on the distribution of spatial programs by the Newari culture, encompassing residential, commercial, and communal functions. Its overarching goal is to establish a strategic approach that aligns with the programmatic requirements of users by reimagining the role of buildings as adaptive systems rather than being perceived as static, unchanging structures. This shift involves designing buildings to function either autonomously or interactively, allowing them to respond effectively to varying conditions and evolving parameters. Collectively these processes in a sequential process enable a structurally efficient design that opens the possibility to an adaptive system within the morphology while bridging both cultural and contemporary paradigms.