Recently, the renowned Danish office BIG announced the launch of its project for the city of Gelephu in Bhutan. This masterplan is inspired by the country's culture and its principles of happiness. The "Mindfulness City" aims to offer numerous possibilities for public engagement, fostering investments in infrastructure, education, and sustainable technologies—all aligned with the precepts of Gross National Happiness (GNH).
Although the concept has gained prominence in the architectural and urban planning sphere in recent years, Gross National Happiness has been a known and applied indicator in Bhutan since 1972. At that time, the king's vision aimed to measure the country's progress beyond the economic aspect, incorporating cultural, spiritual, psychological, and environmental considerations. The indicator was designed to assess various factors, including human well-being, the sustainable use of natural resources, and the balanced utilization of time by the inhabitants.
With GNH, Bhutan asserts the necessity to shift the development objective from profit to happiness. This alternative approach to measuring a country's progress and well-being, in contrast to traditional economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), aligns with the current societal challenges, given the planet's imminent threats of environmental, economic, and psychological collapse. In this context, Bhutan has become a reference point by placing environmental protection and sustainability at the core of its policies, recognizing the positive impact of nature on the population's well-being. Since the 1970s, through a series of human-centered public policies, the country has achieved significant milestones such as doubling life expectancy, nearly 100% enrollment of children in schools, and comprehensive infrastructure reform. In 2022, Bhutan achieved a FIB index of 0.781 on a scale of 0 to 1, determined through an extensive individual questionnaire with nearly 150 questions. Notably, Bhutan stands out as the world's first country to achieve negative carbon emissions.
In this context, while the Gross National Happiness indicator considers seemingly subjective aspects like the relationship with spirituality, individual optimism, and the allocation of time between work, leisure, and educational activities, many of these elements are intricately linked to the way cities and their architecture are developed. A well-thought-out mobility plan, for instance, can assist citizens in optimizing their time, allowing for more leisure and cultural activities during rest hours. Thus, it is undeniable that a substantial portion of the foundational principles of GNH is directly associated with architecture and urban planning, providing guidelines that can significantly impact the well-being of the population.
In theory, the GNH indicator is structured around four pillars: good governance, sustainable socioeconomic development, preservation and promotion of culture, and environmental conservation. These pillars, in turn, are further delineated into nine domains. Among them, in addition to psychological well-being measured by each citizen's life optimism and the utilization of time in daily life, GNH is also assessed through community vitality, gauging the sense of belonging and security within the community. It further considers education and health conditions, encompassing facilities and equipment; the standard of living in terms of financial security and housing quality; governance, including the election system and anti-corruption methods; culture and the reinforcement of local traditions; and, lastly, the environment, examining the relationship between citizens and natural surroundings.
In practice, the realization of these principles within the architectural domain is exemplified by the Bhutan Happiness Center, inaugurated in 2015 in the capital, Thimphu. This center commemorates Bhutan as the first country globally to adopt the GNH index instead of GDP. Serving as a gathering place for individuals to visit and share their experiences and philosophies on happiness, the center aligns with two key pillars of GNH: environment protection of the environment and the preservation of culture and identity. To fulfill these objectives, the Bhutanese government mandated the GHN center to be sustainable and reflective of both contemporary and traditional cultural identity. This was achieved by employing natural materials like earth, stone, and wood and incorporating solar energy and rainwater collection systems. The center stands out for its diverse program of activities, involving the community in interdisciplinary workshops. These sessions, often rooted in exercises that foster introspection and reconnection with nature, contribute to the holistic approach of the GNH philosophy.
In the urban context, the aforementioned 'Mindfulness City' aims to foster biodiversity by incorporating diverse ecosystems and natural landscapes. The city adopts a system of vibrant neighborhoods designed to mimic rice fields strategically arranged around rivers. Inspired by traditional Bhutanese architecture, the city's design prioritizes sustainability by utilizing locally sourced materials. Additionally, permeable pavements are employed to facilitate the absorption of rainwater.
Recognizing architecture as a way to improve well-being is not a recent idea. It is reflected in official classifications that utilize well-being as a quality index. However, despite increasingly present studies and research, what is impressive in the case of Bhutan is the scale on which the concept of well-being has been applied and how its public policies trigger much-needed reflection in a world in which Financial results are a priority. Through its examples, this small Himalayan country illustrates that the quality of architecture is not necessarily tied to extravagant investments in luxurious materials or megalomaniac structures. Instead, it lies in designs that harmonize with their surroundings, respect nature, and provide essential infrastructure. As the saying goes, “Happiness lies in the simple things in life.”
