Friday, January 23rd 2026

6:30pm-8:00pm ET 

In-Person Only | FREE

High in the Western Himalaya, the Zanskar Valley is home to a remarkable architectural tradition shaped by centuries of Buddhist practice, extreme climate, and geographic isolation. At elevations nearing 13,000 feet, its monasteries and nunneries are not only places of worship but living records of Tibetan and Himalayan craftsmanship—built from earth and stone, adorned with vibrant murals and intricately carved woodwork. Living Sanctuaries follows Studio Nyandak—an architecture and engineering firm based in New York City and Dharamshala—as they undertake a research expedition to document these structures and engage with the people who sustain them.

Working in partnership with scholars and local community members, the team conducts architectural surveys, oral history interviews, and site assessments to better understand both the resilience and the vulnerability of Zanskar’s built heritage. At a time when the region faces mounting pressures from seismic risk, climate change, and shifting demographics, Living Sanctuaries explores the cultural and environmental significance of these sacred sites. 

The film weaves together fieldwork, reflection, and local voices to illuminate the complexities of preservation in a landscape where history, devotion, and architecture remain deeply intertwined. 

BIO & INFORMATION

The film was produced and directed by Drung, a nonprofit film collective based in Dharamsala, with support from Folkstreams and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Studio Nyandak is a New York City-based multidisciplinary design firm led by its founding principal Tenzin Nyandak, PE, RA. Studio Nyandak works collaboratively with public agencies, cultural institutions, local community leaders, entrepreneurs, developers, builders, and private clients in New York City and around the world to create places that are deeply engaged with social, cultural, environmental and community concerns.

In addition to our New York City office, Studio Nyandak has a robust team of architects, engineers, and researchers based in Dharamsala, India. This office works predominantly on pro-bono design and research projects of social and cultural significance for the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan Children's Village school network and other non-profit organizations supporting the exiled Tibetan community in India. They collaborate with scholars and experts across disciplines on research projects that support the wider field of Tibetan and Himalayan heritage preservation. 

Tenzin Nyandak, PE, RA, is a registered architect and a licensed structural engineer. Tenzin is a first-generation immigrant, a first-generation college graduate, a former US political asylee, and a former undocumented immigrant. Prior to starting Studio Nyandak, he was an associate at Caples Jefferson Architects and in 2015, he was named the Robert Silman Fellow for Preservation Engineering. He cares deeply about safeguarding cultural heritage, developing architectural identity that is authentic, creativity in structural engineering, and supporting the younger generation of architects and engineers. 

https://www.nyandak.com/