Amankora is comprised of five small lodges spread across the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan ranging from 8 to 24 rooms each. The design attempts to abstract the essence of what feels Bhutanese in spirit rather than what is seen as Bhutanese. The lodges are designed as a set of standard components that manifest in plan according to site and program. The interiors are lined with plywood – a box within a box. Guestrooms are designed to act as a cocoon, providing refuge from the sometimes harsh Himalayan climate. Walls and ceilings are wrapped in local timbers. Furniture, lanterns, fireplaces and fabrics are carefully considered throughout the project, and all have been designed by the

architects specifically for the Amankora project. Fabrics reference the varied and rich culture of indigenous weaving and dying processes. The construction of the stabilized earth walls for Amankora is a refinement of the indigenous mud building technique, which is one of the most common materials used for construction in traditional domestic Bhutanese architecture. Stabilized earth technology from Western Australia was introduced to Bhutan to provide a material that was structurally superior to their traditional counterpart, and take into account seismic resilience. Amankora evolved from site selection by the architects to completion over a period of 15 years. 1992-2007