The Division was first instituted in 1988 as the Engineering Section under Special Commission of Cultural Affairs and later upgraded as a full-fledged division named as the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites under the Department of Culture, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs. The Division is the central agency under the Department of Culture responsible for management and protection of heritage sites and following are core business of the Division:
Phuntsho Wangmo (Ph.D.), Executive Engineer, has served in the Heritage Sites and Archaeology Division under the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development since 2013. She holds a Ph.D. in Research and Advanced Studies in Design and Architecture (Rammed Earth Structures) from Nagoya City University, Japan (2021). Since joining public service, she has worked across structural design, project execution, heritage conservation, and applied seismic research. She currently manages the Dechenphodrang Lobdra redevelopment project while concurrently coordinating 12 national heritage conservation projects valued at Nu. 3.8 billion. Her work covers structural analysis, preparation of drawings, Bills of Quantities, technical specifications, tendering, construction supervision, and contract management. She also contributed to Japan International Cooperation Agency-supported seismic research, including full-scale specimen design, construction monitoring, and development of national technical guidelines for resilient traditional construction in Bhutan.
Email id: pwangmo@moha.gov.bt
Pema Wangchuk is a distinguished architect specializing in heritage conservation, currently serving at the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites (DCHS) since 2017. An alumnus of the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (2015 batch), Wangchuk’s academic excellence was recognized with a gold medal for the best architectural thesis of the 2014-2015 academic year.
Email: pemaw@moha.gov.bt
Dendup Tshewang has been working in the field of conservation under the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites since 2015. He has studied civil engineering at the National Institute of Technology, India. With a civil engineering background, he provides a structural assessment of the heritage buildings and accordingly prepares damage assessment and renovation proposals. He also provides technical backstopping to the conservation works of heritage structures across Bhutan. He has undergone various training in the field of seismic risk and conservation of heritage buildings/sites in India, Iran, Mali, France, and Vietnam. These trainings have broadened his knowledge in the field of conservation works. Currently, he provides technical assistance and guidance for the Rigsum Goenpa Restoration project, and also, he is the focal person of the Department for the National Land Commission.
Email: dtshewang@mohca.gov.bt
Kunzang Tenzin is an engineer at the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites. He completed his B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, India in 2016. His main area of work involves assessment, preparation of proposals, and technical backstopping in the field of conservation of heritage sites/traditional buildings. He has more than 4 years of work experience in the field. He serves as a working member for “Project Evaluation and Mitigation of Seismic Risk for composite Masonry Buildings in Bhutan” funded by the Government of Japan under the Scheme of SATREPS. Besides his main responsibilities, he is the focal person for Trans Bhutan Trail from the Department.
Email id: kunzangt@mohca.gov.bt
Pem Choki is a architect in the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites since 2018. She comes with a degree of Architecture from Assumption University. She is the project architect for the restoration project of Sangchoekhor Monastery, Paro and Pangrizampa Lhakhang, Thimphu. Apart from project management, she is involved in documentation and survey of heritages sites and preparation of management plan for Punakha Dzong and Paro Taktshang with its associated sites. Her interest in conservation of heritage sites led her into various type of conservation ranging from heritages sites, cultural landscape to traditional house in the country.
Email id: pemchokiar15@gmail.com
Sonam Gyeltshen is an archaeology technician working with the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites under the Department of Culture. He holds a bachelors degree in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology with a concentration in Archaeology from Banaras Hindu University, India. Prior to this current position, he worked for the Division for Cultural Properties under the same Department, where he was working for the management of intangible cultural properties. Trained by Dasho Dorji Gyeltshen, Gyalpoi Zimpon to His Majesty the Fourth King, he served as Drangzhab for five years until the Coronation of His Majesty the Fifth King. As an archaeology technician, he took part in surveying and documenting Chubjakha dzong ruin, a topographical survey of Doe-Choeten Goenpa archaeological site, survey and documentation of Drukgyal dzong, survey, excavation and documentation of Phobjikha mound. His aborad experience includes the survey and excavation of some parts of the castle ruin of Küssnacht, Swiss National Heritage, Canton of Schwyz, in Switzerland in 2019. He is also actively involved in the ongoing Restoration and Adaptive Reuse of Wangduechhoeling Palace Project, as a project coordinator since 2018. He is one of the key officials of the Department in implementing nationwide surveys, documentation, and inventory of cultural heritage sites project.
Email id:sgyaltshen@moha.gov.bt
Tenzin Wangchuk is an Archaeology technician/ Sr. Storekeeper in the Division for Conservation of Heritage Sites. He is responsible for archaeology-related works and the logistic arrangement of the Division. He comes with a wide range of experiences of having worked for more than 19 years with the Royal Government of Bhutan. He worked for more than 7 years as an administrative assistant in the Department of School Education at various schools in different Dzongkhags. In the Department of Culture, he worked as a record assistant at the Division for Cultural Properties and Store in—charge of departmentally executed projects such as the Lhuntse Dzong Conservation Project, National Conservation Laboratory Construction Project, and Tango and Chagri Restoration Project.
Email id: tenzinwangchuk@mohca.gov.bt