Bhutanese Architecture

Bhutanese architecture is a harmonious blend of the country’s traditional arts and crafts and the people’s aspirations for simple and self-made homes. All we need to build a home are mud, stones, and wood that lends closeness to the bountiful nature around us.

Due to steep terrains, they are usually built as scattered houses or in clusters rather than in rows. Most traditional houses are relatively spacious and take advantage of the sunlight. Family dwellings are often three storied, with room for livestock on the ground floor, storage and sometimes-living quarters on the second floor, while the third floor houses living quarters and a choesham (shrine). Between the third floor and the roof an open space is usually kept for open-air storage. Boulders over the lath are set to hold down wooden shingles on the roof truss. Windows and doors are normally painted giving the house a very festive appearance. Floral, animal and religious motifs are mainly used as themes for colorful paintings. The typical construction materials use in traditional Bhutanese houses is timber, stone, clay and bricks.