Traditional Kham architecture is seen in most dwellings in Kangding. Although the area has been previously heavily logged, wood is imported and used abundantly for housing. Horizontal timber beams support the roof which in turn are supported by wooden columns. The interior of houses are usually paneled with wood and the cabinetry is ornately decorated. In Ganzi, Kham, surrounded by forests, is known for its beautiful wooden houses built in a range of styles and lavishly decorated with wooden ornamentation. Although various materials are used in the well-build houses, it is the skillful carpentry that is striking. Khan houses tend to be spacious and fit in well with their environment. Their floors and ceilings are wooden as they are throughout in Kangding. Carpentry is a skill that is passed down from father to son and there appear to be plenty of carpenters. However a threat to the traditional Tibetan carpentry is increasing use of concrete structures. Some consider the increased use of concrete as a deliberate infiltration of the Chinese influence into Tibet. In Gaba Township, where there are few Chinese, almost all the structures are traditional

Probably the most prominent Tibetan architectural motif is the stupa. Most early Tibetan architecture owed much to Indian(Pala) and Nepalese(Newari)influences.Still, a distinctive Tibetan style of architectural design was soon to emerge,which found its greatest expression in the Kumbum of Gyantse, the monasteries of Samye and Tashilhunpo and the Potala.
Typical features of Tibetan design, which are used to a certain extent in the houses of nobility and even in villages throughout Tibet, are builidings with inward sloping walls made of large tightly fitting stones or sun-baked bricks.Below the roof is a layer of twigs,squashed tight by the roof and painted to give Tibetan houses their characteristic brown band. Roofs are flat, as there is little rain or snow, made from pounded earth and edged with walls.
In larger structures, the roof is supported inside by wooden pillars.The exteriors are generally white-washed brick,though in some areas, such as Sakya in Tsang, other colours may be used. In rural Tibet, homes are often surrounded by walled compounds, and in some areas entrances are protected by painted scorpions.
Noads, who take their homes with them, live in yak-hair tents which are normally roomy and can accommodate a whole family. An opening at the top of the tent lets out smoke from the fire.White tents with blue embroidery are used by settled town dwellers mainly at festival times.