Modern Bhutan is directed towards its development goals by nine guiding principles conceived through the vision and foresight of His Majesty the King. One of these principles is the "Preservation of Traditional Art and Culture". Our long period of isolation and late entry into the sphere of socio-economic development has offered us the opportunity to examine the successes and failures of other nations and to learn from these examples. We have realized that the key to maintaining our sovereign and independent identity is the preservation of our unique traditions and culture. With its small size and population, Bhutan does not have the potential to become a political or an economic force but she does have the potential to become a cultural force. We are one of the last places on earth where ancient traditions arc still a way of modern life.

But, those traditions are being seriously threatened by the inundation of modern ideas and space-age technology. The dilutor effects are most visible in our houses. The import of modern materials and labor, the dependence on modern technology, ignorance of traditional Bhutanese architecture and the shrinking number of artisans have all contributed to the deterioration of our traditional building styles and practices. Efforts have been made to promote and incorporate traditional architecture with modern construction methods and materials but results have not been encouraging, primarily due to the absence of any formal guidelines. Bhutanese arts and crafts in general and architecture in particular have always been informal arts. While formal school for certain arts and crafts have now been established, unfortunately architecture and building skills are still taught or learnt informally through oral instruction and on-the- job training.

This book has been published as an attempt to revitalize a fading art in addition to the documentation on Traditional Architecture published in 1993 by the Department of Works and Housing. It aims to acquaint readers with the correct structure and organization of traditional architectural features and to provide guidelines in their usage in various types of buildings. This guideline will form the basis for further research into the area of Bhutanese architecture and will be revised periodically to be more dynamic to adapt to the contemporary needs.

I sincerely hope that this book will serve both as a record of our historical achievements and as a guide to our future generations. I humbly dedicate this book to our beloved King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, for the visionary leadership he continues to bestow on the Bhutanese people and for instilling in us the value of our culture and the importance of its preservation.

(Leki Dorji)
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Communications.