Thinley Namgay

A three-storey traditional structure stands alone on a gentle slope near terraced paddy fields and a river bend in Kabesa, north of Thimphu, with vivid signs of urban sprawl inching closer all around. At a glance, this house looks like any other old, abandoned Bhutanese home, beguiling the fact that it is a 17th-century structure that has withstood the test of time.

Covered with a temporary roof, the outer walls of the house, measuring  10.5 m wide by 10.1 m deep at the bottom, and 10m tall are all earth rammed. The exterior walls slightly lean inward, which is a common traditional construction technique, to stabilise the structure.

As per the records, the house in Kabesa, which belongs to private individual Lham Pelzom, was built around the 17th century – almost four hundred years ago. 

This structure is among the three oldest vernacular rammed-earth houses in the country that   the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development (DCDD) and the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) are collaborating to conserve.

Lham Pelzom’s son Pema Lethro said that the house was not renovated after the roof was damaged and left unattended for more than two decades because of financial constraints. 

The family currently lives at their new house built near the old structure.  “This house is important for our family as it has served almost five generations of our family. It also showcases continuity of our family and the architectural prowess of our forefathers,” Pema Lethro said. “We are thankful for the DCDD and the team from Japan for helping us.”

According to DCDD, the early vernacular structures are characterised by fewer or no openings other than doors, thicker walls, and steeper slopes compared to those built in later periods. “Rammed-earth houses offer insights into our cultural heritage such as history, construction techniques, architectural evolution, and lifestyle of ancestors, among others,” a DCDD official said. 

DCDD considers Bhutan’s old farmhouses as a crucial part of national heritage similar to dzongs, lhakhangs, and other heritage buildings.  The department is working on preserving these heritage buildings and ancient structures in line with international norms and practices.

“We also want to raise public awareness on the significance of vernacular houses as vital cultural heritage and emphasise the importance of their conservation and preservation,” said the official. 

The old structure in Kabesa was abandoned in 2011 after the 2009 earthquake severely affected most of its structure. Left without care, its roof and flooring collapsed in 2017.   

The DCDD and TOBUNKEN team began salvaging and cataloguing the timbers for future restoration efforts.     

While the restoration works were disrupted by the  Covid-19 pandemic, the DCDD installed temporary roofing in 2020 to protect the building from further deterioration. 

Between August 13 and 22 this year, architects, engineers, and master carpenters from DCDD and TOBUNKEN identified the original placement of timber materials (both structural and non-structural), assessed the conditions of the timbers, and determined whether they can be reused. 

If full reuse is not possible, the team plans to explore how the old timbers can be integrated with new ones (joinery details) and strengthen the structural capacity without compromising the authenticity of the materials. 

The team found that floor joists and roofing materials had suffered significant damage. Most of the wooden components were constructed from dung shing (fir trees). Some of the materials can be reused.

The plan is to retain as much of the existing timber as possible, provided it can be reused. Additionally, fir trees will be used in the restoration.

The complete restoration and rehabilitation plans for the house are yet to be finalised.

DCDD’s architect, Tashi Wangchuk, said that any items that have been decayed, missing, or have not retained their original shape will be replaced with materials of the same quality.

“Both traditional documentation methods and modern technology, such as scaniverse, are used to document accurate records and finalise the conservation plan for the heritage house, as well as to prepare a project cost estimate,” Tashi Wangchuk said.

The Japanese master carpenters and nine experienced zopoens (master  carpentarss) from the DCDD’s conservation projects are working on this mission to conserve the structure. 

“This collaboration also provides an opportunity to exchange knowledge and skills, enhancing the technical skills of Bhutanese artisans in conservation practices,” Tashi Wangchuk said. 

The conservation of Kabesa house was planned in 2017, followed by re-survey in 2018.

The other two living rammed-earth houses are Haa Talung house and Punakha’s Changjokha house.  The renovation  of Haa Talung house was completed in 2023. 

The  structure of Punakha’s  Changjokha house is stable and no structural intervention was required according to DCDD. However, the rehabilitation proposal has been already completed by the department and submitted to the government.

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