bhutan architecture

 

haa farmhouse

In advance of my recent journey through Bhutan, in all the imagining of exploring the spirituality, culture, landscape,

and connecting to the people, one of the great attractions I strongly felt in preparing for this journey was the stunning

imagery I had studied of Bhutanese architecture.

nuns of kilagompa

I’ve been on a longer journey all over the world, always seeking to learn more about the spirit of buildings,

and how they represent the vision, dreams, and imagination of the cultures that create and use them.

I was not disappointed. I was captivated, mesmerized, my eyes tried to soak in the perfect proportions, the graceful

angled walls, the gently sloping, dramatically extended eaves floating overhead, the earthen and stone and solid

massing and textures, the deep scents of wood, earth and smoke, the beams of light streaming through gracefully

carved windows, the perfectly orchestrated rhythm and layering of fenestration, framed in stunningly intricate

trimmings and woodcarvings, and the rich and effusively colored layers of decorative patterns and endlessly detailed

artwork and paintings on walls, columns, eaves, doorways, friezes, the rich heavy timbered, polished and leaf-dyed

floors – where I spent much time prostrating to the deities and relics held within.

monastery window

There were many indescribably deep experiences, in this country full of richness – this land focused on holding on to

its prized conception of gross national happiness. Cliff-hung meditation huts, monasteries, nunneries, pristine rock

filled riverbeds, endless tree-covered ridges, full with an amazing array of trees, plants, animals, insects, roadside

water-wheels and mills, fluttering prayer flags casting hopes in the wind, terraced hillsides green with diverse crops,

simple farm houses seemingly growing out of the earth. And so many wonderful connections with honest, open, warm

and welcoming people – professionals, villagers, farmers, nuns, monks, lamas, schoolchildren. The family who invited

us to join their annual breakfast ritual at Taktshang, as we were the first visitors of that auspicious day, the Lama

Kunzang Dorjee and his story about the animals who appeared to him in need of rescue. The tireless, caring, articulate

ministrations of our guide Tsewang Nidup, and the final coincidental flight delay which allowed us to receive a

blessing from H.H. Je Khenpo.

chhoeling palace, thimphu

Still, to me, the architecture captures the spirit of Bhutan with the most powerful and permanent impact. It has stood

over generations, holds the treasures and contains the rituals of the people and their spirituality, represents the highest

expression of culture in arts and crafts, embodies the energy of the collective culture, through time. As I walked in awe

of the highest level Dzong structures and the most well-cared for temples, I was also captured by the simplest of

structures woven from bamboo, to the earthen ruins or slowly dissolving farm houses which become part of the

landscape.

We stopped to rest along our journey at a series of accommodations, determined to be appropriate for guests from other

countries. That experience was less than authentic – a hybridized version of Bhutanese and western amenities, so

neutralized that they could not capture that spirit found in the range of truly authentic homes and temples we

experienced on the journey. And even more removed, were some new developments we observed that were overscaled,

poorly proportioned, western based design with Bhutanese decorative references slapped on. There were also

many structures with glaring strip fluorescent lighting tacked on to beautiful old wood timber beams, corrugated metal

roofing, and power line entanglements. Updated lighting, electrical, plumbing, heating, etc., can all be integrated in a

more careful and subtle manner, without destroying the integrity of the existing buildings. These new developments

were the biggest disappointment, and danger, to the future of gross national happiness that I experienced.

bumthang village

The best accommodation was an old palace that had been converted to a small hotel, and retained the character and

spirit of the original and authentic details. I can imagine a better future for development in Bhutan, where some of

these beautiful, simple, authentic structures that have been abandoned to the dissolutions of nature and time, are

lovingly restored, cleansed and cared for, and re-used as simple lodgings, shops, or homes. I remember the boiling pots

over the kitchen firebox, the soft warmth of polished wood-timber floors, sliding window shutters opening to pastoral

views of farmland and green hillsides. I can imagine roaming the grounds and connecting pathways to town centers,

villages, forests and meadows. I can see a scale and proportion meeting the landscape rather than affronting and

overpowering their context, whether located in the center of the town or on outlying valleys and hillsides. That is what

Bhutanese architecture embodies, that is a unique and valuable asset that Bhutanese people can treasure and celebrate.

Buildings stand for many years, and the process of building them is a fleeting moment in their life-span. The energy,

care and time put in to creating new buildings in Bhutan can be carefully managed through strictly held design review

guidelines and the institution of a detailed design review process, responsible and sustainable construction practices,

and quality and material requirements. Insuring that all new building and renovation projects are held to the high

standards of Bhutanese architecture will create a future without regret for what has been lost. In my work around the

world and in developing countries I’ve seen the other future – of drive to modernism unmanaged, the extinguishing of

the heart and spirit of the people and their relationship to their land, their environment, their collective culture, the

devastation of the land and environment through careless construction processes, lack of erosion control, and poor

waste management. This managed growth will require more time and care in designing and building new structures, or

renovate existing ones, in creating infrastructure – time and energy invested to insure the future of Bhutan is truly

happy, and remains truly Bhutan.

 

 

 

 

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