City: BANGLADESH

Project Name : A KHANKA for A FAKIR

There is a story behind this project. In a MAZAR, client of this project met a FAKIR( a muslim devotee and master,most of the time who stay in MAZAR). MAZAR is a holy place where a PEER ( Islamic religious master and spiritual guide ) was buried. That FAKIR didn’t have any
home of his own. The client became his follower and decided to make a KHANKA with home for that FAKIR. KHANKA is a place where a islamic religious master prays and meets his followers. In a KHANKA an advanced grave is also made for that MASTER. The land which
was purchased is at road level and the road is in east side. North and West side is low paddy fields (In rainy season becomes shallow water-body).

It was an attempt to create a low cost traditional “BANGLA GHAR” architecture in a rural context with pitch roof and courtyard with crafted bricks which will contain two types of courtyard. Road side outer courtyard for public and inner courtyard in home for family members( who are very conservative about privacy ). According to functions from the road side the full facade was divided in three conceptual axises that is LIVE, PRAY and LEAVE. Live for home entry, Pray for Prayer space and LEAVE for the Grave. With some brick details and crafted wood with islamic patterns and calligraphy We tried to give this compound a little Islamic architecture flavour. The total construction materials and labours were arranged locally.

Material Of construction:

1. Foundation : Local Bangla Brick Foundation.

2. Structure: 10” gas burn pointed brick walls and metal frame for pitch roof.

3. Lintel: Metal (MS) L angle used for lintel.

4. Roof: For all the rooms and prayer space pitch roof was made with metal frame and industrial sheet. But the corridor roof around the inner courtyard was made with reinforced brick.

4. Floor Finish : Brick flooring for circualtion areas and NCF for all rooms and prayer space.

5. Door Window: Made with metal frame and wood.

6. Furniture: Made with metal frame and mehogani wood.

Special Features :

1. Brick crafted arch with metal.

2. Crafted brick jali walls.

3. On site casted soft pave.

4. Reinforced brick roof.

5. Sandwich ceiling panel made of metal frame , coconut fiber and Ferro cement.

Site area (sqm): 477 sqm

Entry plaza: 95 sqm

Main Prayer Hall: 177 sqm

Landscape area: 200 sqm

Temporary Ablution space: 5 sqm

Client: Mahbubul Alam

Year: 2012-2015

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

It was intended to design a Socio-cultural landmark for the village of Mohor para, which is associated with the needs and ambition of the client and the community. The client’s aspiration was not only to serve the community in the enlightenment of Islam, but also to present them a socio-cultural space to congregate, where the Mosque was the impetus of development. He wanted to build a mosque rooted to tradition yet contemporary in material and technology, so that the village dwellers move forth intellectually and spiritually. In this era of misconception of Islam, the respected client wanted to manifest true Islamic ideology and education to become more sympathetic to all religion. So he covets the expansion of the mosque platform with the provision for a library, research center, gallery (on northern side within school) and Maktab for elders (on southern side) in future.

THE RURAL LANTERN

Bangladesh is a deltaic plane dotted with many Mosques from various Architectural Style Period, mostly Pre-Mughal and Mughal. The Mohorpara Mosque is a contemporary endeavor to commemorate those traditional design in local context. 

The Mosque is conceived as a ‘rural lantern’ amidst the exuberant greenery illuminating Mohorpara and beyond with its spiritual guidance and omnipresence.  The white radiant façade bold yet sublime adjures the worshippers and passersby throughout the day. During Night the transparency of the mosque acts as a lantern against darkness and calls for submission to the Almighty. The white mosque became innate part of landscape as well as the landform, whereas the traditional mosques floating amidst lush green with the glimpse of red bricks or lime plaster. 

Pre-Mughal and Mughal Mosques were collectively small in scale yet monumental in essence. The Mohorpara Mosque translates the traditional lofty prayer halls and fore room (iwan) arched facades of the old mosques in Bengals by its contemporary rhetoric. The interweaving curves being detached from each other creates a progressive vista of oneness, resembling a pointed arch yet connected only in spatial-temporal-visual field.  It represents the abstract connection between believers and the Creator; Their faith in the unseen and Omnipotent amidst the rural setting. 

The pointed arch replaced by half curved lines creating an illusion of arches. These half arches diffuse the exterior light at day time and creates a pleasant ambience. On the contrary the half arches deflects light at night and acts as a lantern. 

The premise is naturally ventilated. The wide open windows on North-South façade ensures prevailing wind circulation. The hot air rises to the ceiling and a mechanical exhaust fan keeps the air circulating. The Mihrab niche has been also transformed to reflect the light from the sides. The Mohorpara Mosque has drawn certain attention within the Narshingdi Shibpur region by its communal service to people. During the regional Tablighi congregation period, Mohor Para mosque becomes a station point for the travelling Tablighs. 

MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION DETAILS: 

Structure: The R.C.C superstructure based on a shallow foundation and locally produced brick was employed in the construction, which is cost effective and locally practiced.  Local wooden formwork and steel formwork (for arches) had been made by local craftsman for shuttering.

Door System:  Metal framework with floor-mounted pivotal system designed for the ease of maintenance and usage. Furnished with wood and glass.

Window System: Swing window panels produced with custom made of hollow profile section with metal sheet. Floor mounted pivotal system, specially designed hidden hatch bolt concerning ease of maintenance was used.

Hardscape: Custom made hollow pavers was used to give the essence of tactility and permeability of storm-water runoff. The hollow paves help promote green grass and adds another tactile soft edge along the entrance of the mosque.

Flooring: Locally produced artificial quartz stone with reflective white finish contrasting brown marble inlay were used for floor finishing. These 2″ marble lines also define rows for prayer hall running transversely at 4′ interval.

Wall Finish: Plaster finish with bontile paintwork impacts the overall presence of the mosque, inspired from the Mughal Mosques of Bengal where plaster were used on brick walls.

Furniture: These are made of particle board and wooden frame in-situ to store the Qurans, other religious books along with prayer rugs.

Screen: Geometric patterned and especially cast iron jaail (latticed screen) were used on entry portico (iwan) and Minaret to behold a place to call the believers both visually and acoustically.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Weekly Friday prayer (Jummah) has become a ceremonial activity in the area. An Imam comes from Dhaka to deliver Khutba (Islamic preaching) every Friday. People from close community joins the Friday prayer particularly to attend the Khutba by the humble Imam. The Mosque also provides potable water to the school children, the mosque users and the passersby.

According to the client the white Mohorpara Mosque has an impact on the local users. They have become more aware about the cleanliness and hygiene. They try to keep It auspicious and pure like the color white. 

It has become a village center to gather. The low height walls around the mosque encourages the users and locals to sit and chat animatedly. The future extension of Islamic center is anticipated by the village dwellers. 

Native trees like Chhatim (Alstonia scholaris) is planted for its seasonal white small flowers with aroma and beautiful leaves formation. In traditional Bengali villages territory is defined by planting Betel nuts trees (Areca catechu). Here this arboriculture has been followed and Betel nuts are planted along the northern side. It’s an extension of the surrounding plantations to enhance bio-diversity.

Hardscape consists of hollow permeable pavers, infiltrating rain water for greener environment. 

 

Salient Features of the Project

 

Name & Location: Teach for Bangladesh House#, 210/A-2 Bir Uttam Mir Shawkat Sarak, Dhaka 1208.

Cost of Project: (US$) 9492.00                                                             

Built-up Area: 10853 sft.

Description of Project:

When the founders contemplated “Teach for Bangladesh”, which is part of a Global movement of young leaders working to end educational inequity in Bangladesh, their challenge was: Children are not in control over their destinies; their opportunity to succeed personally, academically and professionally is limited by the socio-economic condition of their families. In fact, tens of millions of children in Bangladesh are denied high-quality education as a result of an inequitable system.

Bringing about meaningful, sustainable changes to develop the status quo for disadvantaged children require leaders, who are rooted in their local culture, challenges and opportunities, and who believe in the potential of children and their communities. TFB takes a two-step approach to address the educational inequity prevalent in the society through reducing educational disparity in targeted schools and communities while simultaneously building a movement of leaders, who will spearhead the macro-level reform needed to reshape our education system and society in the long run.

Studio Dhaka Ltd. was handed the challenge to create a more minimalist yet brighter headquarter for TFB, featuring collaborative open-plan workspace. Also, since TFB is a donor-based welfare organization, there were fund limitations due to the charitable nature of their business. As a consequence, the concept of the project goes completely “against the wind”: A low-lying building constructed by materials of lowest possible cost. Studio Dhaka Ltd. followed a design philosophy that quite resonates with the Bangladeshi design aesthetics, with rooms that are typically light, airy and bright, with modern furnishings and natural materials, especially wood to complete the style of cool, calm and uncluttered working spaces.

The project is located at the densest commercial area of Dhaka city. It stands out from the surrounding corporate shiny high-rise buildings in its very humble and down-to-earth structure. As it goes, the edifice and the character of its spaces stand out in the utilization and interplay of natural resources like trees, plants, waterbody, the sun, wind, rain and shadows. The architectural volume goes green rather than being a glass and concrete corporate building. This way bricks, corrugated steel sheet, custom-made mild steel frames for all the openings and cement finish floors take over expensive materials to adorn the structure with environment-friendly materials.

Low energy consumption was another goal of the project, making utilization of the shadows of the existing trees mandatory. As a result, the pods have been arranged in an alternative manner on the opposite sides of the circulation. Through this thoughtful journey, the concept of the whole project evolved as “Weaving the Nature”.

To make a very minimum circulation, which is a semi-open space bound by only one-sided wall shared with the pods, the circulation configuration has been designed straight across the site and located in the middle just between the series of pods. It also plays a role to make the structure economic, which was the foremost goal to be hit. 

The straight but open-to-air circulation, which is full of surprises at every node of the pods, starts with a humble reception area and ends with all the services like kitchen, dining area, shower and rest rooms. The linear sky can be framed through the straight circulation spine over which polycarbonate sheet has been used as translucent canopy to let in daylight and make the spaces brighter. The trusses to hold the roofing system have been designed with customized MS rods such that it makes the structure light-weight. 

Through the straight but eventful journey, one will find secured spaces like workstations, meeting rooms, training areas in various pods, which have been arranged in between the natural setting of a huge mango tree, wide grass covers, a few figs and neem trees and also some man-made landscape like an amphitheatre and a lily pond. Above all, the building spaces are arranged as if the spaces are ‘weaving the nature’.

Each of the pocket of open space between two consecutive pods has also been utilized as a common large function to be used during the leisure by a large number of users like food court, discussion area, play arena or exercise zone and even an amphitheatre, which can be covered by tensile structure during the adverse weather for accommodating hundreds of trainees to attend a workshop or lecture session.

Beside every pod, there is an adjacent open-to-air court. Each of these amicable, introverted courts acts as an oasis not only for the users but also for the neighbours rather than being a distraction to the adjacent site. These courts along with their beautiful trees make a cool working environment for the office users. And the almost see-through walls on three sides not only create a relationship between the indoor and outdoor spaces but also conserve energy, providing proper cross-ventilation.

Ancillary facilities like guard room, drivers’ waiting area with toilet and five car parking facilities have been provided at the entrance of the compound. As part of the natural green landscape, pockets have been designed on brick facades to allow birds make nests so that chirping of the birds makes for a welcome sound, keeping the chaos of the city noise at bay. And if one wants to enjoy the nature while taking a stroll across the circulation spine, he/she may decide to take a pause and take advantage of the sittings arranged on window sills at intervals.   

Materials or Construction Details

The materials used in the project are environment-friendly. The provision for perforated brick screen walls was kept to let in free-flowing air all over the usable spaces. Local gas burnt bricks have mostly been used for construction. Silicon coating has been provided on top of the brick walls to make it more maintenance free. Brick dust mixture with pointing cement was a deliberate decision to render it an earthy elegance. These especially-designed brick screen walls also resemble the weaving pattern to represent the concept of the whole compound. 

We have experimented with different types of brick bonding to enhance the earthy character of the building. For instance, bricks were placed at forty-five angle at the vertices of intersecting walls as if the bricks have come together to create a seamless facade. Moreover, herring bond, which reminds us of familiar pathways of rural landscape, was laid across the circulation spine to create a familiar environment. 

Large multi-swing windows were designed with adjustable handles attached with each of the swings for the ease of operation. The framings for the openings were done with mild steel angle and flat section. 

In order to make the project energy-efficient, multi-layer roofing system of translucent, corrugated plastic sheet roofing beneath CI sheeting has been installed. On top of the roof, trees abound, making a vivid natural canopy so that the heat from the sun dissipates very easily. Moreover, during daytime, the whole pod gets natural daylight. As a result, there is no requirement of artificial light at daytime and simultaneously the workspace remains cool and comfortable, making void the use of air conditioning. So, the project was completed within budget and was economic in fact.

Special Features

Initially, the trees previously existing on site appeared as an obstacle to design, but we overcame the challenge by using them as design elements. Finally, the trees have been preserved and seating arrangements designed under the tree canopies as a backdrop of natural setting in sharp contrast to the concrete jungle in the site surrounding. 

An amphitheater, which has been so designed to host a gathering of around 100 people, is the most striking feature in the compound. The demand for a large lecture gallery, which emerges as a logical consequence of designing an amphitheatre, has also been incorporated into the design so that the outdoor space, shaded with trees, is often bustling with lively activities like discussions or gossips during the leisure, and even lectures or informal meetings, creating an exciting atmosphere. 

 

Name of Person : Md. Ishtiaque Zahir
Designation & Organization : Managing Director, Vitti Sthapati Brindo Ltd.
Date of Birth : 20th August 1965
Nationality : Bangladeshi
Education : M.Sc. in Architecture (Computing & design), University of East London, UK in 1998
Bachelor of Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) in the year 1991.
Membership in Professional Societies : MIAB, Member of Institute of Architects, Bangladesh. Hon. FAIA, Honorary Fellow of American Institute of Architects.

Name of Person : Md. Iqbal Habib
Designation & Organization : Architect Director, Vitti Sthapati Brindo Ltd.
Date of Birth : 1 January 1963
Nationality : Bangladeshi
Education : Bachelor of Architecture from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) in the year 1991.
Membership in Professional Societies: Ex Joint Secretary & presently Member of Institute of Architects, Bangladesh (IAB)
 Member-Secretary of Urbanization & City Governance Committee and
 Executive Member of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA).

 

Salient Features of the Project

Name & Location : Banani Graveyard and Mosque Design, Banani, Dhaka.
cost of Project : (US$) 564 Thousand USD
Built-up area : 2130 SQM
(In case of Public Building minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq. meter)

Description of Project :

Located at Banani, the Banani Graveyard and Mosque have a significant background as it tis the final resting place of the three leaders of Bangladesh. Family members of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and many other significant intellectuals of the country. The design philosophy for the pro•ect was to remove the stigma associated with grave- yards and to re-estab iSh it as a place where people can feel connected to both the tangible and intangible aspects of life and death. The mosque, office, and other supporting facilities were designed in a way to merge and blend with the landscape of the graveyard. To enhance the design, carefully crafted de- tails were integrated throughout the project

To further complement the design, purity of material expiration was pre- served by means of material honesty and clarity. Fair face concreate were used for the mosque and boundary walls were complemented by the warm feeling of wooden texture used for the louvers and screens.

 

Programme for the redesign includes two components.
Masterplan
1. Landscape
Walkway, Shade, Lighting, Sitting, Boundary wall, Drainage (partial), Vertical garden

2. Gatehouse
Entry gate, Mosque (70 pers.), Information room, Waiting room, Office, Mortuary (Janazah washing area), Ablution area, Toilet Facilities

Materials of Construction Details :

Minimalistic approach with detailed design was the basis for the rede- sign of the Banani Graveyard and Mosque. Materials such as concrete, wood,natural stone, and metal were used throughout the project. Islamic patterns made of concrete and metal were used in designing the gate, window screens and dome. Metal frame and poly carbonate sheet was used to lighten the tra-ditionally, heavy symbolic dome of a mosque.

Landscaping was based to keep the graveyard a place of spirituality and har-mony. Sitting areas plays an important key roll and are carefully placed on the nodes of the aisles. These contemplation spaces have an immense effect on the intangible spaces and the overall services of graveyards. Green creepers were designed along with sitting areas throughout the graveyard integrated into the landscape.

Diffused artificial lighting was provided throughout the landscape, highlighting focal points, and to ensure adequate lighting for evening visitors. The walkway within the graveyard was made of local clay brick and green kota stone while Black kota stone is used for walkway of the significant zones for the family members of Bangabandhu’ family and the three leader’s grave. Shading was designed with fair face column, wood and metal pergola with polycarbonate sheet on the significant zone pathway of the graveyard. The outside walkway is made with far face block and white stone.

Special Features :

The major special feature of the project is the main gate house, which houses the mosque, office, mortuary, and other supporting facility for the graveyard under one datum. The gate house structure was designed in a linear so that the structure blend and merges with the surrounding nature. Ad- ditionally, the structure was made to feel light and open by the use of full height glass windows, giving a sense of transparency and openness.

Another feature is the boundary wall. The boundary wall was designed to con-trast the traditional way graveyard boundary walls are designed. The bound-ary was transformed in to a work of calligraphy inspired from the Arabic word for “Allah”. Detail attention were given to the material, texture and lighting of the boundary wall. The boundary wall is lined with plants like kolaboti (canna indica) and katamehedi (duranta repens) which gives colour to the monochrome wall and is a highlight of the design that merges the wall with the landscape.

NAME & LOCATION : Ekmattra DBBL Academy, Haluaghat, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Built- up area : 2900SQ (incase of public building minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq.meter)

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT :

The project is an academy for the ‘EKMATTRA’ foundation which provides a home for the destitute children of Dhaka city.  It was founded with the vision of creating a place of hope with a sense of freedom and ambience to dream boundlessly.

The site is defined at Haluaghat, a remote landscape of northern district Mymensingh with lush green encircled by seasonal water channels at three sides in the context of a hilly background of Indian border. Built on a 3.4 acre land, the idea of the project was to create a place of learning, rest, and play. The built sheds are positioned to create a free-flowing space transiting from the court of learning to the court of play & leisure. The existing trees are embroidered with the built masses to blend into each other. The water retention ponds at the south and north are to safeguard the site from flush flooding besides acting as a pool of retained water in dry season. 

Like the common rural settings of built forms in Bangladesh, the northern courtyard or ‘Uthan’ at the beginning at north facilitate an ‘administration block’ at the east with health centre, multipurpose room and a kitchen which connects with pathways leading to the dining room and the two storied teachers’ quarter at the south. The other ‘academic block’ at the west with vocational training facilities is parallel to the administration building creates the conglomeration space for daily parade and formal gathering. The northern transit by a shift of axis into the southern courtyard contained by two single story boys’ dormitory blocks accommodating 80 boys & their adjacent toilet extensions. The two storied girl’s dormitory block accommodating 64 girls at the north with its common toilet is segregated from this court by a water pond at its south to create a cooler ambience for the living space. The Academy accommodates a maximum of 144 children at a time. The accommodation for the teachers is at a transit towards the dormitories to keep the compound under surveillance. It creates a sense of safety and security without a physical barrier in place for segregation. The complex accommodates a stage for open-air performances with the amphitheater which during leisure time is used as a play area too. 

MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION DETAILS : 

Local burnt bricks with exposed flush pointing technique are used as basic walls and floors, while locally available folded metal plate roof with metal framed windows are used. Doors created with colorful plywood panels framed on MS frames. The extended MS metal truss used to create a light roof structure with a buffer gap facilitating light hot air to blown away with the breezes, thus keeping the ‘usable space’ underneath in a comfortable temperature at all seasons. The overhang roof lines also ensure the required shades for the walls and protect them from rain as well. The roof waters are designed to be stored in a large rainwater harvesting tank to support with potable water at the dry seasons.

 

Name & Location: S. A. Residence, House # 37, Road # 100, Gulshan, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Cost of Project (US$): 17,33,333 $

Built-up area: 20,667 sft.
(In case of Public Building minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq. meter)

Description of Project

Inspiration

Water, the most precious, abundant and life subtly woven with it, makes Bangladesh a country of toil and poetry.

Bangladesh, the largest delta on earth has 52 rivers that carry water from the Himalayas in an intricate pattern to the Bay of Bengal. During Monsoon these rivers inundate two thirds of the country’s land depicting water the major element of the country scape. When the water recedes, it leaves a fine layer of fertile alluvial soil and the entire landscape is transformed into large patches of paddy fields dancing with winds.

As Lalon, a spiritual folk singer, Sufi and philosopher of this land, says in eighteenth century, “if there is not one thing inside the body then it is not outside the body either”. Just like human body, there is a body of architecture. Human body has two parts, shell and thinking as soul.

Architecture has similar, shell and Mother Nature as soul. Shell and soul are interdependent yet independent. They belong to each other and they belong to themselves. A good soul needs a good shell.

In this project the shell is cut out of a pure square made of ‘concrete’ transformed from celestial form “sphere” grounded.

Reality

The site is surrounded by multi storied buildings as onlookers. Considering the socio-economic condition of Dhaka, a very simple architectural vocabulary has been adopted through a subtle intervention with form, material and vegetation. The traditional spaces like court yard, pond, ghat (steps to the water), flat green both from urban and rural typology merged, transformed into one in this urban context.

In the current trend of real estate development, this residence has been a challenge particularly placing a water court as swimming pond in the middle of the house, a surely difficult task to ensure privacy. As a result, an introverted design has been adopted.

The south and the southeast have been designed to bring in cool breeze during the hot humid summer and the warmth of the sun during winter. The center “water court” acts as a natural exhaust, which flows out the hot air and makes the middle court a solace.

Materials of Construction Details

Exposed concrete walls are used as exterior and interior, mostly use of exposed cast concrete finish.

Here both interior and exterior is not only symbolizing nothingness but also sustainability, structurally and climatically.

Special Features

Dream

A small “dinghi” boat waiting by the “ghat”, patch green and light with its silence, the space becomes a natural habitat within a manmade dwelling and the layers of understanding to unfold nothingness.

When light caresses the wall, or the water touches the land, or the land pats the green, or the green cuddles the breeze or the breeze ushers ……… It’s all about touching and feeling soul. The destiny is ‘nothingness’ where soul and shell cohabit and purify themselves. Let the soul come inside the home and let go off it. And let it be and let it be……………..