The Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture at Dharmalaya Institute is a formal, academically-supervised internship programme designed to provide architects (and students of architecture) with both practical experience and deeper theoretical knowledge in the arts and practices of sustainable building, with an emphasis on the Kangra style of vernacular earthen architecture.

Dates: Various (see below)

Duration: 6 months minimum commitment (longer is better)

Location: Dharmalaya Institute, Bir, India

Course type: Internship & Apprenticeship

Prerequisites required? Yes, see below

?

Who is this course for?

This Internship is open to both practicing architects and students of architecture* who wish to deepen their practical and theoretical understanding of vernacular earthen architecture by making a serious commitment to a rigourous programme of hands-on work and experiential learning in a real-world environment. This is a challenging programme with high standards and enrolment is very limited, and interns will be selected through an application process to help us identify the applicants who might benefit most from the programme.

*Exceptions apply (see below)

Interns accepted to the programme will be expected to keep the following commitments:

• Working in a focused and diligent way, eight hours per day, six days per week. This includes doing a significant amount of repetitive physical labour, so that every part of the earthen building process will be understood experientially (you can’t really understand a technique until you’ve done it yourself repeatedly and become good at it). We strongly recommend you exercise regularly before starting your internship so that you arrive in good physical shape, because you’ll be working hard.

• Maintaining professional behaviour and positive attitude at all times — even when not on campus, so as to uphold the reputation of the Institute while out in the surrounding community. This is critically important as you will be viewed by locals as a representative of Dharmalaya, so exemplary behavior at all times is required.

• Applying yourself sincerely, doing what is asked of you as well as whatever you see needs doing, and making best efforts to achieve not only competence but also excellence.

• Taking on responsibility to help with various logistical and administrative tasks related to the construction projects and other aspects of the operations of the Institute.

• Carrying your own weight (and a little extra): e.g. cleaning up after yourself, cheerfully contributing your fair share (and a little more) to community chores, dishwashing, upkeep, etc.

• Participating fully in the communal activities at Dharmalaya Institute (or whatever your host location may be), e.g. meals, discussions, etc.

• Treating everyone around you with respect and kindness, including your fellow interns, hosts, labourers, students, volunteers, visitors, etc.

  Respecting the  principles and policies of Dharmalaya Institute and the requests of the Dharmalaya faculty and management (or your hosts if staying elsewhere) at all times. Note that there is a strict no-drug and no-alcohol policy, and any violation (not only on campus but also in the surrounding area) would result in being immediately expelled from the Internship (without any refund or other compensation) and banned from the Institute.

• Keeping yourself informed about the programme calendar for the internship and making your travel arrangements accordingly. If you have any schedule conflicts, discuss them with the Dharmalaya faculty far in advance in order to try to work out a mutually-agreeable solution. (Long-term interns will have the option to take a two-week break after every three months, subject to approval of the dates by the faculty, but all interns are expected to participate fully while residing at Dharmalaya Institute.) 

• Communicating clearly when you have any questions, needs, concerns, health issues, etc.

• Providing feedback on the programmes and your experiences when requested.

• Refraining from taking on other projects (paid or unpaid) while participating in the Internship.

• Additionally, long-term interns may be required to do an independent or group project, such as a research paper, a hands-on building or design project, etc., depending on the needs on site at the time.

• All interns must participate in an evaluation process, which includes detailed self-evaluations, programme evaluations, and performance reviews.

Please understand that the internship takes place in a real-world context, in which the highest priority is the successful completion of the objectives of the Dharmalaya Institute and its programme partners, not the individual preferences of interns, and thus interns are expected to contribute to the smooth functioning of the Institute’s work and activities (just as would be the case if you were working professionally for an architecture firm) and not to disrupt or distract from those activities.

We want you to have the best educational experience possible in the circumstances, and to that end your communication and feedback is very important. Whenever there might be anything we could do to support your personal aspirations and experience, please do let us know.

Everyone is happier when expectations are realistic. To support all prospective interns to have clear and realistic expectations about the Internship, we bring the following points your attention: 

• Do not expect a holiday in the mountains. You will be working very hard — maybe harder than you’ve ever worked before. The Internship is designed for people who really want to put in the effort to get the most from the experience that they can — and also give as much as they can. During the workshops and practicum periods, you won’t have time to explore the area, go trekking, etc. (If you want to plan a trek or other such experience, you could do so after the end of your Internship.)

• Do not expect to do design work. The focus of the Internship is on learning to build by doing physical work on site. Most of the design is done by more experienced architects. Very long-term interns (staying nine months to a year or longer) might eventually get a chance to be involved in some design work, but it is not guaranteed, and is not a focal point of the Internship. 

• Do not expect to be sitting at a desk or using a computer or other digital devices. Our interns spend most of their time outside, doing actual building work on site with their own hands. You’re welcome to bring a laptop or tablet if you wish, but it isn’t required and you probably won’t be using it much, as we design primarily on paper and in situ.  In fact, Dharmalaya Institute strongly encourages digital detox and expects participants to be present with the people and activities here rather than preoccupied with digital devices.

• Do not expect to stand back and watch others do the work, or to have someone else do it for you. All interns work full-time with their own hands, and likewise everyone participates in the cooking, cleaning, and other tasks related to keeping the community running smoothly. 

• Do not expect to do work only related to architecture. Though you’ll certainly do a lot of hands-on building, you also will spend a significant amount of time learning and practicing a broad range of activities related to sustainable thriving, as well as a significant amount of time doing tasks unrelated to architecture but essential to the functioning of the Institute (which might include, for example, gardening, landscaping, orienting and training your juniors, helping with administrative tasks, etc.). This is a great opportunity for those interested in gaining diverse experiences, but if you aren’t excited about this then it’s probably better for you to apply elsewhere because it’s a significant and important part of the holistic Internship experience here.

• Do not expect to have interaction with ‘clients’ as such. Here, the ‘client’ is usually the Institute itself. Long-term interns might eventually have the opportunity to make a site visit to other building projects and thus might meet real-world clients, but that is not guaranteed and is not a main objective of the Internship.

• Do not expect to have a lot of personal or socializing time. We tend to stay quite busy here, and most of the socialization happens at mealtimes. You will have a little bit of personal time most evenings (except during workshops), but some evenings there will be group activities (e.g. presentations, discussions, special projects, meditation sessions, etc.). In short, be mentally prepared for most days to be pretty full.

• Most importantly, do not expect to be unchanged by the Internship. If you were to leave as the same person you were when you arrived, then both you and we would have failed. The purpose of the Internship is to catalyze profound change and empowerment. The ideal intern in this programme is someone who strongly wants that kind of deep and holistic transformation.

1. The Internship is a serious commitment. If you think the internship programme might be too demanding for you (or if its sessions don’t fit with your schedule), then you might consider one of Dharmalaya Institute’s intensive training workshops or simply applying for a volunteer position at Dharmalaya instead.

2. The internship is subject to termination at any time if an intern does not keep his/her commitments to the programme (as outlined on this page), including carrying one’s own weight, participating fully in community activities, following all rules of the Institute and upholding its values, and being dependable in performing the required work (both on site and in community life) with a positive attitude and good results.

3. The internship is a voluntary, non-commercial programme in which architects (and others deeply interested in architecture) can gain valuable training, experience, and guidance in exchange for working hard and doing your best to make valuable contributions to the work conducted by the Dharmalaya Institute and its partners. Work done by interns is on a voluntary basis (unpaid), and you will pay all necessary expenses (as outlined below).

4. The Internship in Vernacular Eco-Architecture at Dharmalaya Institute is not a certificate programme. It is purely for the sake of learning, gaining both insight and practical experience, and developing skills and sensitivity. No certificate will be given. (Why? See our Certificate Policy for a detailed explanation.)

In cases where proof of participation in the internship is required by a current student’s academic institution, we will be happy to send a letter directly to your professor or academic institution confirming your participation, provided you have completed a minimum of at least four months of active participation in the programme and met the expectations published on this page. For students whose academic institutions require sign-off by a licensed architect, this will be provided (but note that you may need to travel to meet the licensed architect in order to receive the signature and stamp).

5. Note for current students of architecture or engineering whose college or university requires the signature of a licensed architect: Please inform us of this requirement while completing your application, because depending on your college or university’s requirements, we may or may not be able to fulfill them, so it will be important to clarify that point before confirming your participation in this internship.