Manuallaya resort in Himachal Pradesh embodies the essence of Manali, blending local history, art, and culture with contemporary elements. The resort was based on an urge to link site conditions to ecological and cultural contexts by use of materials and formal compositions. The design process was catalyzed through negotiation between traditional craft, and local material modernity. To mitigate threats from Earthquakes, local materials and techniques of horizontal timber members within load-bearing masonry walls were incorporated while low-cost solutions of waste slate chips from quarries re-enforced with rebar were used to articulate structural and nonstructural elements. The refurbished guest rooms were supplemented with new balconies tucked under skewed pitched roofs orienting guests towards the Himalayan panorama. The forms of fixtures like bathtubs and washbasins echo local detailing of sunken bathing ponds in the nearby Vashisht temple and its specific gargoyle features as a conduit for water.
