By Elizabeth Egan

Opened in 2022, Studio Nyandak manages public and private sector projects, ranging from designing private residencies and transforming commercial spaces to working on emergency structural stabilization and historic preservation projects. The firm has offices based in New York City and Nyandak’s hometown, Dharamshala, India.

Skilled at both math and drawing, Nyandak thought combining those talents into a career in both architecture and engineering was the perfect fit. He came to the United States in 2008 to study civil and structural engineering at UB after studying architecture in India. He was also interested in earthquake engineering and noted that he was drawn to UB’s strong earthquake engineering program and its renowned researchers in the field.  

“I felt like I received a top-class education thanks to the really incredible professors at UB,” said Nyandak. “The professors are passionate about their own research but also really dedicated to teaching.” 

Former UB faculty member Christine Human, who Nyandak worked for as a teaching assistant,

recommended that he pursue a graduate program in Europe for preservation engineering and structural analysis of monuments and historical constructions. The program led Nyandak to the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain and the Universidad do Minho in Portugal.

Following graduation, Nyandak was accepted into the Robert Silman Fellowship for Preservation Engineering. He moved to New York City where he spent half of the year working for global engineering firm Silman, now TYLin, and the other half at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C.

After a few years at Silman, Nyandak decided it was time to pivot back to architecture. He joined Caples Jefferson Architects while he worked towards becoming a registered architect. 

“It is not very common to hold both certifications,” said Nyandak, also a certified professional engineer. “At the end of the day, architects and structural engineers are both talking about the same things: the building. With my background in both fields, I feel that I can provide a very holistic approach in the way I look at buildings and problem solving when I work with clients. We look at how each part affects the other when it comes to building and design, which is advantageous for the client.”

Studio Nyandak’s New York City has grown to a staff of eight—or nine if you include the office “consultant” Joy, Nyandak’s Tibetan Terrier. It takes on projects that range from designing private residencies around the state to transforming a building in the Bronx from a retail space into a night club. 

“For these types of projects, we work directly with the client to try and make their dream come true by guiding them through the building and design process,” said Nyandak, noting that there can be many hurdles to guide clients through when it comes to building regulations. 

The team also works with the New York City Department of Buildings Forensic Engineering Unit, building owners, insurance companies, and general contractors on emergency stabilization and weatherproofing efforts for buildings that have declining structural integrity. Nyandak’s team designs temporary stabilization solutions and often the permanent repairs as well. 

When a parking garage in the Bronx began to show signs of flaking and separating concrete, the firm worked with the owner to repair the damage and develop solutions to address unexpected field conditions.

In the coming years, Nyandak hopes to expand the size of the office and the scope of its projects.

Nyandak was born in Dharamsala after his parents left Tibet and settled in the region that is now home to the Tibetan government in exile. 

“My family is now in the U.S., but the refugee community is where I am from, so I have always wanted to give back to the community and help to build skillsets and mentor the younger generation,” said Nyandak. 

His Dharamsala office employs 10 young Tibetan and Himalayan engineers and architects who take on pro bono projects and engage in research. The office also works with the local government, overseeing projects across India that relate to Tibetan refugee settlements, community halls, prayer rooms and more. 

The Dharamsala office faces unique challenges in comparison to the New York office. Materials can be harder to find in the remote areas that many Tibetan communities are in, says Nyandak, causing some projects to take much longer to complete. The firm works to transfer knowledge from the New York City office to Dharamsala on sustainability, installation, durability, structure and safety. 

“I am trying to develop contemporary Tibetan architecture, an architectural language for our community that expresses our heritage and is an authentic expression, technologically advanced, and sustainable,” said Nyandak. “This is an ongoing process that will take the next few decades, but it is very exciting to be working on!”

His dream project is already underway: designing a new science lab for the Upper Tibetan Children’s Village School, which both Nyandak and many of his Dharamsala office employees attended. 

On top of design projects, Studio Nyandak also conducts research. The firm is currently engaged in five research projects related to low-cost seismic resilience and cultural preservation, connecting Nyandak’s experience with earthquake engineering at UB and cultural preservation work from his postgraduate fellowship. 

Studio Nyandak received a 2024-25 Rubin x Research Grant from the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art to support using declassified CIA spy plane images of South and Central Asia during the Cold War to analyze structures that were destroyed and how the region changed over time. 

“All of these areas of research are topics I have been interested in since college,” said Nyandak. “Everything I do now is a culmination of my past two decades, paying attention and connecting the three areas.”