The Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) was founded in 1991 with the mission to safeguard the extraordinary and threatened architectural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The negative impact of today’s development pressures poses a threat not only to individual monuments but to the future of public space and urban life in the valley at large.
Over the past two decades, KVPT has saved over 50 historic buildings including temples, step-wells, monasteries, palaces, and homes, and has launched three major campaigns for preservation on an urban scale. KVPT collaborates with community groups, local and international specialists, educational institutions, and the Department of Archaeology of the Government of Nepal. Restoration and conservation operations have initiated key research and training programs, and the KVPT office in Patan Darbar Square has become a resource center for architecture and urbanism in Nepal.
- Safeguard the built heritage of the Kathmandu Valley
- Support local craftspeople, builders, and traditional artistic guilds
- Enable international collaborations to advance the field of preservation practice
- Develop seismic strengthening techniques specific to local building types
- Maintain an archive of architectural research and documentation
