RITH Royal Institute for Tourism and Hospitality 2005 - 2017

Irene Ott-Reinisch

The Royal Government of Bhutan established the Royal Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (RITH) with the technical and financial support of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). The RITH is a tourism college (operating in a refurbished existing Building complex) in the capital Thimphu which was functually upgraded with an event hall (new built, opened 2010). A new built training hotel was completed in 2017 allows on site training.
The construction activities carried out for the RITH can make a valuable contribution to a sustainable building culture in Bhutan, and also promote a reinterpretation of traditional architecture (where insulation was unknown before).
The training hotel was designed as a lowest-energy building and is adapted to the special climatic conditions of the Himalaya region. It might be the thermally soundest building in Bhutan especially regarding housing technology. The climatic conditions in Bhutan offer almost ideal conditions for the use of the lowest-energy technology. High quality of workmanship required in such demanding projects as well as the procurement and correct use of adequate building materials remain to be a major challenge.
Over the last decade the country has undergone dramatic transformations regarding societal, economic and political aspects. This dynamic climate of change was a necessary precondition for the project´s architectural endeavour, which helped to overcome architectural and technical hurdles. Building details and solutions which adapt to the local framework are especially crucial when it comes to matters of insulating, given the strict local regulations concerning façade aesthetics.
An additional goal of the project – executed and financed from the Austrian Government in the framework of development cooperation partner to Bhutan – is a to establish a code of practice, that can provide local architects as well as public and private clients with the previous knowledge necessary for future projects.

Project Gallery

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Training Restaurant in existing building

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Heating + Watertreatment Plant

Fassadenstudie für Genehmigung

Eingangsfassade Trainingshotel

Irene Ott-Reinisch AT

http://www.ottreinisch.at
Hollgasse 1/44 | 1050 Wien