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Bhutan's architecture is sustainable


A professor and longtime proponent of Sustainable Architecture reflects on the harmony of the Bhutanese building traditions following his visit to Bhutan.

 

Traditional Bhutanese architecture is green, energy-efficient and aesthetically pleasing. The celebration and promotion of traditional building practices in the kingdom offers the western student of design the best present day lessons in architectural integration.

By integration I refer to the exquisite connectedness possible between ecological setting, culture, settlement pattern, architecture and art. In Bhutan this connectedness exists throughout the spectrum of the vernacular to the monumental, the secular to the sacred, more so than in any present architectural tradition.

Whether a farmhouse or a Dzong, the same architectural form, expression of materials, aesthetic compositions and incorporation of the arts exist together in a synergetic way. Synergy in architecture is where the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts and the parts become optimized because of their relationships to the whole.


Our guests help at saa-chaam (lit. "earth-pounding") which, like a traditional western barn-raising, is a communal event in Bhutan

 

For those of us from countries where there is a tradition of contrast between the vernacular and monumental and secular and sacred buildings it is important to experience a tradition where these aspects are so integrated. Even more important, due to the industrialization in much of the world different architectural concerns like these have become fragmented in modern architecture. Therefore it is extraordinarily valuable to visit Bhutan and to be able to experience this degree of architectural integration, to be able to see the resulting aesthetic quality and vitality that is possible within this whole spectrum of architectural endeavor.


The beautiful courtyards of the Thimphu Tashichhodzong are examples of form and function in Bhutanese architecture

The grand courtyards of the Thimphu Dzong are wonderful examples of form meeting function in traditional Bhutanese architecture

A specific comparison of some changes required to develop more green architecture in both the USA and Bhutan will point out the differences in our prospective situations and to how we can learn from each other. Both countries have valuable contributions to make. One specific part of green design that integrates the energy, health, and material components of green architecture is passive building design. Passive design is where as much as possible of the metabolism of the building (heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, and electricity production) is provided by the design and the materials used for construction of the building.

This can be accomplished by envisioning the building as a holistic system that creatively responses to the microclimate of the site, using natural energy sources and sinks on the site to perform these functions. This is in contrast to modern industrial architecture where buildings are seen as receptacles for mechanical and electrical equipment, which performs these functions using energy imported to the site. Passive buildings must creatively respond to solar radiation using it to heat when needed and protecting itself when cooling is needed. This means that orientation of the building to solar geometry is of primary importance. In temperate zones like the US and Bhutan this means facing the building toward the equator (south in the northern hemisphere).