Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law Library

Nestled among the mountains in Bhutan, the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law Library seamlessly blends traditional Bhutanese aesthetics with modern, high-performance, sustainable design strategies to create a beautiful place for students to learn at Bhutan’s first law school in the country.

Project Details

Location

Pangbisa, Paro, Bhutan

Client

Karuna Foundation

Year Completed

2022

Project Size

30,000 sq. ft.

Sustainability

The Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law Library was conceived as a demonstration project that would prove the benefits of high performance design to the Bhutanese people and aid in their adoption of efficient design and construction techniques. Working with local architects and builders, the design team merged traditional Bhutanese architectural forms with available technologies, materials, and skills to create a library that supports learning with superior air quality and comfort while saving energy.

Click here to learn more about sustainable design at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law Library

Land Recognition

As foreign architects working in Bhutan, we recognized that we had a responsibility on this project to thoughtfully bridge local architectural traditions and values with our design ideas. Holst worked with local architecture and cultural experts to design for the climate, available materials, and familiar aesthetics in a way that honors tradition and points toward a bright future. This project sits in the highlands of Pangbisa, Paro, a western town known for its many sacred sites and forests. You can learn more about the traditions of Bhutan through the Folk Heritage Museum.

Awards

2023 AIA Oregon Design Merit Award

Designing in Bhutan

Holst began their involvement in the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law Library as sustainability consultants but eventually expanded to include the design of the Law Library. As the first law school in the country, students now have the opportunity to train in their home country rather than studying in India or Australia and then coming home without having learned Bhutanese law. Being part of this exciting venture was a unique and exciting opportunity to design a building that layers traditional Bhutanese architecture with contemporary high-performance building strategies. It sets a new precedent for Bhutan, on display for the many future leaders passing through the School of Law.

Remote Location

Presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck, the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law campus is located in the dramatic slopes of the eastern Himalayan mountains, overlooking the Paro Valley.

Blending Tradition With Sustainability

For the project, Holst worked with a diverse team of architects, engineers, and craftspeople to combine traditional Bhutanese artisanship with sustainable design techniques. Sustainable design strategies implemented throughout the library include custom-insulated glazing units produced by a Bhutanese craftsman, radiant heating, and a simple roof truss system that protects the insulation and decreases roof weight. The building’s compact footprint also reduced construction costs and energy consumption.

Traditional Bhutanese Craftsmanship

It was critical that the building took on traditional architectural forms due to the cultural significance of the campus. On the interior, the layout took inspiration from circulation patterns of dzongs, a traditional Bhutanese fortress, which typically has a circuitous central area. A central stair serves as a focal point in the space, which connects the library’s three floors and features a wooden “mosaic” wall arranged to evoke the notion of an intricate textile pattern.