The United Nations Environment Programme states that conventional construction materials such as bricks, concrete, and steel emit approximately 40 per cent of greenhouse gases. To reduce the carbon footprint in the construction sector, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport plans to incorporate nature-based materials and waste products into the industry through the ReBuilt project. Yesterday, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Chandra Bdr. Gurung inaugurated the ReBuilt Exhibition, which showcases research and projects in the capital.”
The Rebuilt project aims to achieve a low-carbon construction industry by utilising nature-based building materials such as wood, bamboo, rocks, mud, or clay, as well as waste products like sawdust, hemp, and rice husk.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the project will operate within the Thimphu Structure Plan framework.
In alignment with the project’s objectives, the ministry will pilot the Norzin Lam Mass Timber Project, which involves constructing a building using nature-based materials.
“For the pilot project, the mixed-use six-storied building, all the technical drawings were prepared but if we are to go ahead with implementation, we do not have the required mass timber volume. So that is why, first, we need to set up the mass timber manufacturing plant,” said Tshering Denka, deputy chief urban planner or architect of MoIT.
According to the deputy chief urban planner, efforts are underway in collaboration with international experts to establish the mass timber manufacturing plant, which is expected to take two to three years.
Officials further stated that the pilot project represents a significant step towards integrating environmentally friendly materials into the construction industry of the Paro-Thimphu region, with potential applications extending beyond that area.
The ReBuilt project is being implemented by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in partnership with Bauhaus Earth, based in Germany.
Singye Dema
Edited by Sherub Dorji
