From Our Correspondent
MAWKYRWAT, May 20: The first eco-sustainable habitat in Meghalaya, the ‘Pine Home’ project, was launched on Wednesday at Mawlangwir village, South West Khasi Hills. The project is a collaboration between The Picasso Pupils Art Society, Slovakia-based Emage Architecture Studio, Meghalayan Age Limited, and the state Tourism department.
Funded by the state government at a cost of Rs 4 crore, the project utilises Slovakian architectural designs and technologies adapted for local implementation. It integrates contemporary sustainable construction with indigenous materials such as wood, bamboo, cane, clay plaster, and sheep wool insulation.
Jana Bednarova, Project Manager and Coordinator of The Picasso Pupils, stated that the event marked the completion of the architectural phase, though minor interior and exterior works remain. She estimated the project would be fully completed within four months.
“We have succeeded in our vision that European technologies could be implemented using locally available resources and labour. We utilised clay bricks, which are healthy and prevent fungi—beneficial for people with respiratory issues,”
Bednarova said, noting that clay plastering is currently a growing trend in Europe.
Beyond serving as a guest house or restaurant, the project is designed as a community center and tourism hub. Bednarova added that capacity-building training will be provided to the local community to manage the facility, which will also house a tourism information center to promote lesser-known spots in the district and alleviate overcrowding at popular sites.
The programme was attended by Michael Mawroh, Superintending Engineer of the Tourism Directorate, as the Chief Guest, alongside Slovakian resource engineers Marek Guga and Jozef Fugger, and officials from Meghalayan Age Ltd.
