Salient Feature of the Project

Name & Location : BRAC-Aarong Commercial Building at Plot-07, Sector-03, Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Cost of Project: 2.07 million USD
Description of Project
Built-up area: 5783.96 sqm.
(In case of Public Building minimum built-up area should be 1000 sq. meter)

The uniqueness and the contribution of Aarong, the country’s leading fashion house in the field of national development asked for the challenge of making an identifying bold and statement oriented physical entity. This project intends to meet the demand and to explore a new approach to visualize an international brand shop image. The exclusive 9 storied Brac-Aarong Commercial building is situated within commercial strip at Uttara on a site of 764.66 sqm area. The complex is divided into two parts: ground to 5th floor with continuous interlinked spaces housing the most competent retail brand Aarong which acts as Aarong flagship store. The rest three floors are designed to accommodate functional aspects mainly for BRAC users. The three basement floors are accommodating car parking & overall building services. All the floors are equipped with modern facilities/amenities such as central air conditioning, illumination, security, fire safety and management and 24 hour vigilance and is maintained by an advanced building system.

The interior of the building is well thought and fit with the elegance of the building the 3.66m high internal spaces provides the impressions of loft and elegance. The height ofthe false ceiling, innerwalls and the controlled ambience for the respective functional spaces enhances the space and transcends into a higher dimension for the shopping floors. The column layout with large span and combined structural system of beam columns, share wall enables each floor with maximum utilization and functional flexibility. The upper three flexible spaces that were reserved for BRAC is finally turned to accommodate the expatriates which consists of 21 rooms approached through the rear part of ground floor, leading towards 6th floorwith a reception lobby and a Restaurant. At the roof the 4.9m high canopy with open to sky terrace provides the platform of multidimensional outdoor activities and the fair face walls at two sides enclose the rooffrom surrounded building mass.

Materials of Construction Details

The selection of building materials and their implementation has been focused in view that they should be environment responsive, less maintainable, energy efficient, ecologically sustainable, human, comfort, thermal barriers for heat gain & contextual in terms of availability in construction method & expressions.

The front part of the building is made of as cast finished block of (1450mm x 1800mm) of Fair face concrete of 60:40 (White : Gray) ratio which is rapped with an urban canopy of 4.9m height at the roof top. Rest external spaces are cement plastered with complement colour scheme. Double layered laminated tempered clear glasses are used at the triple height entrance ofAarong with high strength technical support using spider system of glazing. Curtain section framing are used with tempered glasses for the rest parts. In hand rails double layered laminated tempered glasses are used providing highest safety and securities. Sand stone, marble, granite are also used mostly at the interior surfaces.

Combined structure of beam column, share walls and flat plate construction with larger structural span to accommodate the functional spaces. The design of nine storied building with three basements has taken the consideration for wind load and Earth quake effect.

Special Features
The awareness was urgent to build a smart, contemporary and comprehensive flagship store for the country’s leading fashion house arong. The design evolved around one guiding theme, the ‘Aarong’ which termed as a traditional village fair — a place attracting and accumulating people from different places, ages, sharing the same feelings offestive encounter. ‘Aarong’ , the traditional fair has been transformed into tight urban enclave— where the drama of horizontal arrangement experiences in vertical solutions, free flowing spaces. Inter level visual connections, panoramic lift, lofty processional stairs always connect people at different levels, ensuring the feelings of being together.

The site is blessed with two approached road along its periphery. Main entrance at the Dhaka-Mymensing road demanded an urban pocket which cut the people from the road and creates its own harbor. The diagonal Triple height fair face facade at the south east corner creates a spatial dialogue with the triple height solid mass starting at 11 m height formulates an entry volume that invites the people to an unique shopping plaza. At the rear the secondary entry volume is also created for the shopping mall with an overhead glass canopy. A separate entry for the office space/expetriate accommodation from the rear road is designed.

The basic functions such as the festival entry, introvert display, transparent upper floors, overall 4.9m height roof top canopy provide the main guidelines for the formal expression. The layout of each floor is a large uninterrupted horizontal space accommodating the important functional shopping floors. The first three floors with triple height clear glazed facade allow the maximum visibility to attract people, where the rest three floors with crafted facade accommodate the maximum display areas. The Aarong floors are connected with a lofty internal processional stair associated with a continuous 6 storey high wall leading towards a crafted joumey. The exterior composed of vertical fair face wall, complemented with painted surface, stainless steel hand rails, spider system triple height glass, the roof canopy — create an urban landmark with the sculptural aesthetics representing the inherent quality and crafted enrichment of Aarong itself.