Architect and Engineer win awards

They win a three-week course on green building solutions next year in Vienna, Austria

Energy-Efficient Building Design: Unlike many community centres in rural Bhutan that are constructed with limited budget to cut construction costs, an architect of a private company has come up with a design for a new community centre, using solar diagrams, thermal comfort rainwater management, sewage treatment plants and solar panels.

This, according to architect Tshering Wangchuk, was to cut the running costs using renewable energy. “Components, like insulation on walls and ceiling, thermal barrier, double glazed glasses, water and air proofing of windows and doors are effective in keeping cold air out and the heat inside,” he said.

Tshering Wangchuk is a recipient of design for energy-efficient buildings awards, initiated by the Austrian Development Cooperation and the economic affair ministry’s department of renewable energy. 

Another recipient of the award is an engineer of Bhutan Power corporation, Kinley Yangdon, who designed a single-family home of solar energy use, waterproofing layers, partial wall insulation and thermal mass.

The award recipients will attend a three-week summer academy on green building solutions next year in Vienna, Austria.

Department of renewable energy’s director, Karma Tshering, said the energy efficient building designs come up at a time when the country is in need to address the affects of climate change and cost constructing buildings. “Constructing buildings with energy efficient components is important.”

The two energy-efficient designs were selected from four drawings submitted by Bhutanese architects and engineers, who attended a 3-day seminar in July on sustainable and energy-efficient building designs, ecological evaluation of buildings, thermal comfort and indoor quality, heating and sanitary and ventilation and electrical services. 

The competition was held to deepen the acquired knowledge with the development and design of virtual project.

Managing director of the Austrian development agency, Ambassador Brigitte Oeppinger Walchshofer, who awarded the certificates, said, with Bhutan’s domestic energy consumption and energy import on the rise, it’s important to set up efforts to achieve better energy efficiency. 

“Although it’s a challenge for Bhutanese architects and engineers to combine aesthetic Bhutanese architecture with energy efficient technology, buildings with low use of primary energy will have lasting impact on the sustainable development of our countries and common future in general,” she said.

However, Tshering Wangchuk said it’s not fair to draft codes for energy-efficient buildings, unless all green technologies and materials are given tax incentives and subsidies. “Without subsidies, making energy efficient codes will come as a great burden to the people,” he said. 

It’s, however, not known how much it would cost to construct the two energy-efficient buildings.

By Tashi Dema