Tibet Lingha Guest Houses

Shigatse, Tibet - 2002

In partnership with Renbu Construction of Shigatse, the Peak Enterprise Program of the Mountain Institute, and the Tibetan Autonomous Region Federation of Industry and Commerce, Van der Ryn Architects assisted in ecological site planning and building strategies for this guest house facility.

The hope is that the project will provide not only a place for recreation and enjoyment of nature, but also provide a model that educates Tibetans and tourists to new ways to preserve and enhance the precious and fragile high mountain plain.

Design principles include: integrate nature, culture and design; combine traditional Tibetan architectural forms with environmental building technologies; use the sun’s power; use local materials in efficient ways; integrated waste management system where no waste leaves the site; integrate s, landscape, circulation and infrastructure in a way that connects people with nature.