Tibet Fund Research grant
Studio Nyandak won a small grant from the Tibet Fund to design and build an earthquake shake/shock table in Dharamsala. This grant is in support of our ongoing research project, Low-cost Earthquake Resilient Structures.
Our project focuses on conducting comprehensive risk assessments and developing innovative earthquake resilience interventions for key anchor institutions within Dharamsala, the heart of the India’s Tibetan exile community. Situated at the foothills of the seismically active Himalayas, Dharamsala is inherently at high risk for earthquakes due to its location near tectonic fault lines and its sloping terrain. Home to roughly 10,000 Tibetans, it serves as the central hub of the Tibetan exile community, amplifying the potential impact of seismic events.
Many essential community buildings in Dharamsala—including schools, hospitals, museums and monasteries—are non-engineered and vulnerable to seismic events. We are developing low-cost, high-impact retrofitting solutions that are locally adaptable, ensuring the safety and resilience of critical infrastructure while safeguarding the community’s cultural and social fabric.
Studio Nyandak won a small grant from the Tibet Fund to design and build an earthquake shake/shock table in Dharamsala. This grant is in support of our ongoing research project, Low-cost Earthquake Resilient Structures.
Our project focuses on conducting comprehensive risk assessments and developing innovative earthquake resilience interventions for key anchor institutions within Dharamsala, the heart of the India’s Tibetan exile community. Situated at the foothills of the seismically active Himalayas, Dharamsala is inherently at high risk for earthquakes due to its location near tectonic fault lines and its sloping terrain. Home to roughly 10,000 Tibetans, it serves as the central hub of the Tibetan exile community, amplifying the potential impact of seismic events.
Many essential community buildings in Dharamsala—including schools, hospitals, museums and monasteries—are non-engineered and vulnerable to seismic events. We are developing low-cost, high-impact retrofitting solutions that are locally adaptable, ensuring the safety and resilience of critical infrastructure while safeguarding the community’s cultural and social fabric.
TCV Career Counseling
Our Studio Nyandak Dharamsala team recently visited the Tibetan Children’s Village school at Bir and Mewoen Tsuglag Petoen School in Dharamsala to give a career counseling presentation. Our team members talked about their work at Studio Nyandak and encouraged students to use their education to give back to society!
This work is part of our ongoing collaboration with the TCV School network and our support of the Tibetan community in exile.
Our Studio Nyandak Dharamsala team recently visited the Tibetan Children’s Village school at Bir and Mewoen Tsuglag Petoen School in Dharamsala to give a career counseling presentation. Our team members talked about their work at Studio Nyandak and encouraged students to use their education to give back to society!
This work is part of our ongoing collaboration with the TCV School network and our support of the Tibetan community in exile.
Rubin Museum Research grant
Studio Nyandak and Prof. Karl Ryavec were recently awarded a research grant by the Rubin Museum to obtain, analyze and present declassified U-2 spy plane images dating back to late 1950s.
This grant is in support of our ongoing research project, Tibet from Above, which sheds light on the profound changes to Buddhist and Bonpo monasteries during the Cultural Revolution.
Studio Nyandak and Prof. Karl Ryavec were recently awarded a research grant by the Rubin Museum to obtain, analyze and present declassified U-2 spy plane images dating back to late 1950s.
This grant is in support of our ongoing research project, Tibet from Above, which sheds light on the profound changes to Buddhist and Bonpo monasteries during the Cultural Revolution.
Columbia University Tibetan Rural Green Business Training and Exchange program
Two team members from our Dharamsala office, Gangchen Dolma and Tsering Yangchen, were selected as fellows for 2024 Columbia University Tibetan Rural Green Business Training and Exchange program. They will travel to the US in October 2024 to learn about sustainability and entrepreneurship.
Two team members from our Dharamsala office, Gangchen Dolma and Tsering Yangchen, were selected as fellows for 2024 Columbia University Tibetan Rural Green Business Training and Exchange program. They will travel to the US in October 2024 to learn about sustainability and entrepreneurship.
Zanskar Monastery Documentation Trip Sep 2024
Our Studio Nyandak Dharamsala team went back to Zanskar to continue documentation of the Valley’s monasteries and nunneries. They drew the elevations and sections and documented the damage of each monastery's main chapel building. See more about this research project here!
Our Studio Nyandak Dharamsala team went back to Zanskar to continue documentation of the Valley’s monasteries and nunneries. They drew the elevations and sections and documented the damage of each monastery's main chapel building. See more about this research project here!
Rato Dratsang Abbot Office Visit
The abbot of the Rato Dratsang visited our Dharamsala office to discuss the ongoing Rato Dratsang campus design.
The abbot of the Rato Dratsang visited our Dharamsala office to discuss the ongoing Rato Dratsang campus design.
Tibet Museum U-2 Spy plane photo of Lhasa
Our office donated a large poster of the U-2 spy plane image of Lhasa taken in 1959 to the Tibet Museum director Tenzin Topdhen la in Gangkyi, Dharamsala. The image was generously donated by our research collaborator Lin Xu as part of our Tibet from Above research initiative.
Our office donated a large poster of the U-2 spy plane image of Lhasa taken in 1959 to the Tibet Museum director Tenzin Topdhen la in Gangkyi, Dharamsala. The image was generously donated by our research collaborator Lin Xu as part of our Tibet from Above research initiative.
Library of Tibetan Works and Archive (LTWA) visit
Our office donated a large poster of the U-2 spy plane image of Lhasa taken in 1959 to the director of Library of Tibetan Works and Archive (LTWA) Geshe Lhakdor la in Dharamsala. The image was generously donated by our collaborator Lin Xu as part of our Tibet from Above research initiative.
Our office donated a large poster of the U-2 spy plane image of Lhasa taken in 1959 to the director of Library of Tibetan Works and Archive (LTWA) Geshe Lhakdor la in Dharamsala. The image was generously donated by our collaborator Lin Xu as part of our Tibet from Above research initiative.
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification
Studio Nyandak is now registered as a Minority Business Enterprise ("MBE") by both New York City and New York State.
Studio Nyandak is now registered as a Minority Business Enterprise ("MBE") by both New York City and New York State.
Chandigarh Field Trip
Our Dharamsala team took a field trip to the city of Chandigarh to visit several material fabricators and distributors. They also visited the Rock Garden designed by the incredibly gifted artist Nek Chand. This trip was part of our ongoing efforts in the Studio Nyandak Workshop.
Our Dharamsala team took a field trip to the city of Chandigarh to visit several material fabricators and distributors. They also visited the Rock Garden designed by the incredibly gifted artist Nek Chand. This trip was part of our ongoing efforts in the Studio Nyandak Workshop.
Meeting with Lin Xu
Lin Xu visited our NYC office to discuss the Tibet From Above research project and to share his immense knowledge about U-2 spy plane and satellite images. We are very grateful to him for his generosity in sharing his knowledge and deep passion with our team.
Lin Xu visited our NYC office to discuss the Tibet From Above research project and to share his immense knowledge about U-2 spy plane and satellite images. We are very grateful to him for his generosity in sharing his knowledge and deep passion with our team.
Dharamsala Office Dinners
Once a month, our Dharamsala office members go out for a team dinner and explore different restuarants in the Dharamsala area. Their favourite spot is the karaoke bar in McLeod Ganj.
Once a month, our Dharamsala office members go out for a team dinner and explore different restuarants in the Dharamsala area. Their favourite spot is the karaoke bar in McLeod Ganj.
Radio Free Asia Lower TCV Interview
The Radio Free Asia interviewed Studio Nyandak for our ongoing pro bono work to renovate and transform the lower Tibetan Children's Village school into a Tibetan-medium school for children visiting from the west.
The Radio Free Asia interviewed Studio Nyandak for our ongoing pro bono work to renovate and transform the lower Tibetan Children's Village school into a Tibetan-medium school for children visiting from the west.
Meeting With Prof. Karl Ryavec, Catherine Tsuji, and Prof. Gray Tuttle
We hosted a meeting in our NYC office to discuss several of our research projects with our collaborators Prof. Karl Ryavec, Catherine Tsuji and Prof. Gray Tuttle.
We hosted a meeting in our NYC office to discuss several of our research projects with our collaborators Prof. Karl Ryavec, Catherine Tsuji and Prof. Gray Tuttle.
Zanskar monastery Documentation Trip May 2024
The Studio Nyandak teams from both NYC and Dharamsala visited the remote Himalayan region of Zanskar to work on the documentation of monasteries and nunneries. We were fortunate enough to be joined by our collaborators John Harrison and Ingun Amundsen. Tenzin was a summer intern for John Harrison back in 2007, and together they worked on the renovation of Munshi House in the old Leh town in Ladakh.
The Studio Nyandak teams from both NYC and Dharamsala visited the remote Himalayan region of Zanskar to work on the documentation of monasteries and nunneries. We were fortunate enough to be joined by our collaborators John Harrison and Ingun Amundsen. Tenzin was a summer intern for John Harrison back in 2007, and together they worked on the renovation of Munshi House in the old Leh town in Ladakh.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grant
We received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to work with the non-profit Folkstreams and Drung film collective to produce a documentary on our Zanskar research work. The documentary will be completed by the end of 2024 and will be hosted on Folkstreams website.
We received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to work with the non-profit Folkstreams and Drung film collective to produce a documentary on our Zanskar research work. The documentary will be completed by the end of 2024 and will be hosted on Folkstreams website.
NYC Office Renovation
Studio Nyandak completed the fit-out of our NYC office located at Union Square. The workstations and furniture were designed and fabricated on site in light Baltic birch plywood. A model making workshop and our library emphasize our interest in interdisciplinary design and iterative work processes.
Studio Nyandak completed the fit-out of our NYC office located at Union Square. The workstations and furniture were designed and fabricated on site in light Baltic birch plywood. A model making workshop and our library emphasize our interest in interdisciplinary design and iterative work processes.
