What is so different about the Houses In Bhutan?

Bhutan Travellers
5 min readJul 27, 2021

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There is nothing more beautiful than the houses of Bhutan, one of the best examples of ancient Butanes culture. Traditionally, the architecture of Bhutan features harmonious proportions and graceful designs designed to reflect and mirror the traditional lifestyle and serene landscapes of the country’s people.

Throughout Bhutan’s centuries of tradition, architecture has adapted as the local cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs shape it. Bhutanese architecture was designed not only to meet functional and economic needs but also to meet the needs of the Bhutanese citizens. The major building blocks of traditional Bhutanese architecture are natural materials found near the rural areas, including earth, stone, timber, and bamboo.

bhutanese architecture

The ancients never used paper or boards when planning the houses in Bhutan. The whole thing was in their minds. Colors and architecture are unique to Bhutan’s climate. Besides attracting tourists and famous buildings, even the ordinary houses use brightly painted wooden frameworks that give the towns a stunning look.

Houses in Bhutan are of ancient style. As part of the traditional design, all buildings need slanted roofs, small windows, and wooden doors, made of colorful wood. The purpose of this is to ensure uniformity in the architectural design of buildings throughout the nation. Bhutan’s cities are strict prohibition distinguishes from the rest of the world Bhutanese architecture on using iron bars and nails in the construction.

The community specifically reserved dzongs for them, and they shaped their roofs like square and golden-colored. A Jabzhi roof is known for having golden structures at the corners of its edges.

However, houses in Bhutan are still constructed using traditional methods despite the availability of inexpensive materials such as concrete and cement. For the construction of houses in Bhutan, timber and rammed earth are primarily used.

These houses have walls made of mud and rammed earth. Although, because of the geographical and climatic conditions of the eastern provinces, houses are built from stone.

The houses in Bhutan are constructed in lower altitudes from bamboo or wood, whereas stone is more common in higher altitudes. Normally, wooden handicrafts and paintings decorate the interior of a house. They commonly used timber in house construction because it is readily available.

The walls and roof of these houses have a lot of gaps between them to facilitate airflow. Despite the extreme weather, everything is designed technically.

Traditional Bhutanese Farm House

bhutan architecture

Bhutanese farmhouse, which has been showcased in Paro valley for many years, has captured the imagination of many travelers. The Queen Mother of Bhutan has introduced this concept of a Bhutanese farmhouse.

A Bhutanese building has three stories and is made solely of mud, stone, and no nails. There are three floors in all Bhutanese houses, and it once used the first floor for sheltering cattle, but now serves as a storeroom. As a result of this effort, the sanitation and hygiene of the city were improved. A farmhouse usually has two floors, the second containing the family’s living quarters, which usually include a large kitchen, a prayer room, a storeroom, a bedroom, and the third for hay production and drying.

There is strict architectural control for the houses in Bhutan that make certain architectural features mandatory (sloping roofs, intricate window designs, traditional cornices). Pitamber Sahni Design Studio minimized the materiality and let the details shine rather than fighting the control. Many of the exterior walls are plastered white, while they construct the decks from local dolep stone.

In addition, the pictures, patterns, and imagery used in the window frames and bhog (traditional Bhutanese cornice) are all traditional Bhutanese. Similar to the outside, the interior of the houses in Bhutan has a streamlined material palette. To make the doors, windows, and most of the wooden floors, we purchased teak and walnut wood from the area and allowed it to age naturally.

Unless you’re a construction expert, the construction of houses in Bhutan can be a tricky and challenging experience. Skilled labor is hard to find in Bhutan, and the law limits that how much they can import from India.

Therefore, construction is a slow process. The inherent charm in this was that we could calibrate the design along the way to meet changing needs. In place of fighting against these changes, adapting the design to meet their needs was the way to go.

houses in bhutan

Many places in Bhutan display paintings of erect penises, especially in rural areas. In the souvenir shops, above doorways, and even as a way-finding sign, you can see it curved on the walls of the houses. It is made of wood, metal, stone, and cloth.

You may encounter erect penises encircled by a dragon, spewing fire and comprising pastel pink or dark yellow colors. An ejaculating penis is also painted on the houses in Bhutan. In addition, tourists who aren’t familiar with this culture may experience a rude awakening upon arrival.

Historically, the phallus is regarded as an esoteric symbol that represents protection from evil and good fortune. Bhutanese people have an age-old belief in this, so that is why they paint it on houses in Bhutan. As well as representing fertility, they also associated phallus with fertility in other cultures.

Buddhist teacher Drukpa Kunley (1455–1529) has been credited with passing on the tradition of phallic worship. He was known as the “Divine Madman” for his unorthodox methods of teaching.

Bhutan architectures are just so brilliant that they can construct the house without any drawing on the paper. They just made it by planning all in their minds. The construction they do for their houses is so good that the houses don’t fall even when natural calamities occur.

The house in Bhutan is a good place to live, so whenever you visit Bhutan, try to book the Bhutan house for your stay instead of the hotels.

bhutan buildings

Bhutan is the first country in the world to use the GNH rate (Gross National Happiness) instead of GDP. As part of this celebration, the government of Bhutan will build a happiness center, a place where anyone can visit and share their experiences

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