Nabila Ferdousi _ Portfolio for Bartlett MAHUE _ Application ID : 23187654

SELECTED WORKS . . . . ACADEMIA | COMPETITION | PROFESSIONAL

Contents

CV

Academic Works

Rejuvenating Nagar Kashba : Creating An Atlas of Cultural Heritage

Let’s Grow: Architecture As A Vector Designing Architecture Center at BUET

Reintegrating Central Jail: Appropriating Old Dhaka in Place Making

Domino Effect: Design Of an Inter-Connected Product Gallery

Competitions

Memento for Shah Jahan

Kiribati culture_Floats in Pride

Professional Works

Bangabandhu Postal Museum & Cultural Complex

Retrofitting & Extension of Hanirpar Central Jame Masjid Complex and Islamic Cultural Center

Mirza Bari : Old Village Home Retrofit and Refurbishment

Other Works

WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCE, TRAINING, SEMINAR

Attended:

CPD COURSE on “Imarat Nirman Bidhimala, 1996”, Institute of Architects Bangladesh.

An Introduction to VIRTUAL HERITAGE & PHOTOGRAMMETRY IAB Heritage Platform | Sharing Experience

Improving LEARNING AND TEACHING SKILLS University of Asia Pacific.

Conference & Poster Presentation, FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH UNIT(FARU) University of Moratuwa, Sri lanka.

NABILA FERDOUSI

Nationality : Bangladeshi

Date of Birth : 16.10.1992

nabilaferdousi@gmail.com nabilaferdousi@uap-bd.edu

House 140/B, Level -04, Road 22, Mohakhali DOHS, Dhaka-1206, Bangladesh.

+8801676983465

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ nabila-ferdousi-b64b3a197/ https://www.facebook.com/ nabila.ferdousi.1/ https://www.facebook.com/ pluralworks

2009-2011

2004-2009

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

ACHIEVEMENTS

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION

Associate Member (AF-083), Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB)

LANGUAGE SKILL

Bangla & English

REFERENCES

DR. ABU SAYEED M. AHMED

Dean & Professor

Department of Architecture

School of Environmental Sciences and Design

University of Asia Pacific (UAP)

President, ARCASIA

Email: sayeed@uap-bd.edu

Contact: +8801711114084

DR. KHANDAKER SHABBIR AHMED

Dean & Professor Department of Architecture

Environment and Energy Division

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology

President, Institute of Architects of Bangladesh (IAB)

Email: shabbir@arch.buet.ac.bd

Contact: +8801819227003

MOHAMMAD TAHAJIBUL HOSSAIN

Assistant Professor

Department of Architecture

Coordinator : Heritage and Technology Integration Cell (BUET)

Email: tahajibulhossain@arch.buet.ac.bd

Contact: +8801914024644

RESEARCH GRANT WINNER

Merit position : 5th

2022

Inclusive Infrastructures, University of Asia Pacific, IEERD.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Conception, Design, And Publication of Research Idea, University of Asia Pacific. Training Course on BUILDING WITH ARCHES, VAULTS AND DOMES. organised by Auroville Earth Institute, UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture, India.

Higher Secondary Certificate (H.S.C)

Second Secondary Certificate (S.S.C)

Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) Holy Cross College, Dhaka Board. Holy Cross School, Dhaka Board.

Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) CGPA 3.53 out of 4.00 CGPA 5.00 out of 5.00 Golden CGPA Golden CGPA CGPA 5.00 out of 5.00

EXPERIENCE

ACADEMICIAN

LECTURER 2018 - Present Deparment of Architecture, University of Asia Pacific (UAP), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Design Studio Courses:

- Design Studio: VII- Reminiscing Old Dhaka: Designing Heritage Trails

- Design Studio: VI - Vertical Urban Assemblage, New Normal Verticals

- Design Studio: V - Reviving the Utility Heritage, -Memoires 71 : Liberation War Museum

- Design Studio: V - Recalling School

Supervisor of Thesis Projects :

- Reviving the Waterfront of Kamrangichar for the City and the People, 2023

- Zainul Abedin Art Gallery and Institute, 2022

- Tale of a treasureland (HAOR) Heritage Tourism and Research Center, 2022

- Rejuvenating the History of Cultural Capital of Kushtia, 2021

- S. M. Sultan Art Institute & Memorial Complex, 2021

- Resuscitating the essence of historical Haripur Rajbari, 2020

- Revitalization of Betila Banik-bari area, 2020

Sessional Courses : Architectural Graphics & II, Construction Workshop.

Theory Courses History of Architecture I, Building and Finish Materials

Activities : Competition Co-ordinator, Exhibition Co-ordinator, Member of Exam Committee, Member of Curriculum Committee, Student Advisor.

PRACTITIONER

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT/ PARTNER, Plural Works, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2021- Present

FREELANCE ARCHITECT 2018- 2020

ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT Tanya Karim N.R. Khan and Associates, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 2018

Project : Khilgaon Community Center, Jatrabari Park, Competition -Bangladesh Embassy in Bhutan.

RESEARCHER

2022 - Present CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Inclusive Infrastructures: Identifying the potential of converting the prevailing water supply infrastructures in Dhaka city into adaptive communal spaces. The Institute for Energy, Environment, Research and Development (IEERD), University of Asia Pacific (UAP), Dhaka, Bangladesh

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

2020-2021

On-site Research Data collection and Collaboration, for Enam Rabbi Adnan, MS in Architecture& Graduate Teaching Assistant

Advisor: Heather Ligler, Jose Duarte, Denise Costanzo, Madhuri Desai Penn State College of Arts and Architecture, The Pennsylvania State University

2022

2ND AS MENTOR

Design Competition : KSRM Student Thesis Award, IAB.

HONORABLE MENTION

Design Competition : Kiribati Floating Houses, Young Architects Competitions -YAC

2ND

Research Poster Presentation, Faculty of Architecture Research Unit (FARU) International Research Conference, University of Moratuwa, Srilanka.

HONORABLE MENTION

Thesis Design Competition : Tamayouz International Graduation Project Award 2018.

COMMENDATION

Design Competition, Berger Promising Design Award, BUET.

3RD Travel Grant Competition, Berger Travel Grant Award, BUET.

STUDIO RECOGNITION

Sustainable Restoration of Urban Community Park, Shahid Dr. Fazle Rabbi Park, North Dhaka City Corporation.

FINALIST

Design Competition School Without Classroom Berlin, Archasm.

HONORABLE MENTION

LAURIE BAKER CENTRE SUMMER SCHOOL.organised by Laurie Baker Centre for Habitat Studies, Kerala, India. BUILDING IS CRAFTING Bengal Institute. DESIGN RESILIENCE IN ASIA SYMPOSIUM National University of Singapore. UIA Work Program Symposium, Theme : Asian Age Friendly City, 17th Asian Congress of Architects, Arcasia, Hongkong.

Organised:

MATERIAL & CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP: Designing Playscape in Slum for Destitute Children, In collaboration with BRAC IED MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP, University of Asia Pacific

PUBLICATION

International Research Conference: Faculty of Architecture Research Unit (FARU). TITLE: ARCHIVING ‘NAGAR KASHBA’ - A study on the present condition and the architectural features of an evanescing historic settlement

TAMAYOUZ INTERNATIONAL GRADUATION PROJECTS AWARD 2018

Article : ‘An Atlas of Cultural Heritage: Nagar Kashba’, Published by SHOWCASE magazine, Issue: November 2018, N8, Vol 3.

Project Brief : Design Resilience in Asia_Sinking in Drought, Published by National University of Singapore.

2017

Design Competition : The Black Taj, Uni.xyz.

NATIONAL POSITION - 1ST, INTERNATIONAL - FINALIST

EXHIBITION

2017

Design Competition : ARCASIA Student Design Competition, Nepal.

Institute of Architects Bangladesh SELECTED Student Delegate, Arcasia Student Jumboree Hong Kong 2016

WINNER

Sketch Competition : Arcasia Student Jumboree Hong Kong

2ND

Design Competition : Liberty Museum New York, Archasm

FINALIST

Design Competition : Design Resilience in Asia, National University of Singapore.

FINALIST

Design Competition Hyde Park Library London, Archasm.

Urban Thinkers’ Campus SYMBIOTIC ADAPTATION_ Design Resilience in Asia_Sinking in Drought BUET.

ILLATION, Thesis project exhibition of Batch 11, Dept of Architecture, BUET.

Student Design Exhibition, 38th ARCASIA Council Meeting, Nepal.

Sustainable Restoration of Urban Community Park, Shahid Dr. Fazle Rabbi Park, North Dhaka City Corporation.

Design Resilience in Asia Symposium, National University of Singapore.

SCHOLARSHIPS

University (BUET) Merit Scholarships.

Bangladesh Education Board Scholarships for Merit Position in Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) examination.

Bangladesh Education Board Scholarships for Merit Position in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.

2013-

2018

20122018

20092011

REJUVENATING NAGAR KASHBA

Creating An Atlas of Cultural Heritage

LOCATION : NAGAR KASHBA , MIRKADIM POURASHAVA, MUNSHIGANJ

“The Heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future.”–Wendell Philips, an endeavor of a social reformer. Heritage is the storytellers of our own identity, culture, lifestyle, and pride.

Bangladesh, a small country with a renowned history, has a tremendous number of heritage structures that are being lost because they no longer respond to the customs and needs of modern society. Nagar kashba - a row of twenty magnificent courtyard houses on both sides of a narrow alley built in British Colonial style is another precedent situated in Mirkadim pourashava of Munshiganj district. During the Colonial period Kashba was built as residential settlements of elite businessmen who traded through Mirkadim river port. After the partition of India in 1947, most of the Hindu owners fled to India and the rest left during the liberation war in 1971. The buildings were then seized illegally by local influential people who have been living in the buildings for a long time, and now that the buildings are unable to satisfy their needs, the owners are counting the days until they are wealthy enough to demolish the artifacts and construct multi-story buildings.

Initiating the bottom-up process as opposed to waiting for the customary, ineffective top-down choice to conserve heritage is an unrivalled method of preserving the heritage immediately. With intense discussion with the local people, proper documentation of the historic buildings, and interdisciplinary discussion with multiple conservationists, landscape specialists, economists, and local political leaders, plausible minimalist contemporary architectural interventions with adaptive reuse were proposed to design a bottom-up solution for creating successful materialization of placemaking without letting heritage freeze in time.

To rejuvenate Nagar Kashba the design considerations are: 1. Identification of the Heritage Buildings_2. Conservation of the Edifices_3. Adaptive Reuse_4. Integrating New Additions_5. Consideration of the Street Factor_6. Proposition for Form-Based Coding for Street Front Buildings_7. Consideration of Water bodies_8. Connecting the whole Area Holistically.

Newly designed masses were integrated where portions of the edifices were demolished, altered, or abandoned by the local people and users. Interweaving the new addition of light-weight and transparent contemporary materials will let the old, robust structure breathe and show a distinctive timeline by creating contrast. All the decisions were considered to create a living heritage in both tangible and intangible sense and thus a sustainable community will emerge which will be benefited from the heritage and will let the place grow by itself into a cultural hub for the locality, tourists and creative people to cherish their own identity. It will be a source of pride that we are advancing toward a future that fuses our history, culture, and contemporary way of life.

Individual Work - Thesis

Academic Work - Level 5 : Term 02

Year - 2018

Studio Mentor -Dr. Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed - Maherul Kader Prince

Legacy of the PAST

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Realities of the PRESENT

Aspiration to FUTURE

Pal Rule (750-1350)

Sultani Rule (1342-1576)

Kashba as Administrative Unit

Mughal Rule (1576-1757)

Capital shifted to Sonargaon

Colonial Period (1757-1947)

Kashba rebuilt as residential area of elite businessmen

Partition of Bengal (1947) Liberation War (1971) Almost all residents fled to India, one or two families returned

Many residents fled to India, some returned

Journey Start

Waterway business activities

Destination

Sonargaon (The second capital of transit place for pausing journey (near Nagar Kashba)

Kamlaghat Bandar Launch Ghat

Rikabi Bazar

September 2017

Urban Mapping

Identification of the Heritage Buildings

Conservation of the Heritage Buildings

Conservation of the Historical Water Bodies

Adaptive Reuse of the Heritage Buildings derived from local needs

Integrating new massing additions for structural strength and owner need

Settlement of elite businessmen in Nagar kashba near the lauch ghat

After 5 months

Will be demolished after some years

Why is this happening?

PROGRAMME DERIVATION

Multistoried residence will be erected How to save the Heritage?

Considerations of the Street Factor

Proposition of Form Based Coding for street front buildings

Local People

Museum

Art House

Story Telling House

Literature House

Facilities:

Restaurent / Cafe Accomodation

Public Organisations

Tourists Private Organisations

Jewellary House

Craft House

Folk House

Archaeology House

Theatre House

Souvenir House

Media House

Multipurpose House

Knowledgable Functions

Entertainment Facilities

Tourist Facilities

Housing Facilities of the owners

Grand Celebrations

Atlas of Cultural Heritage

Reconnection of the Water Bodies

Connecting vehicular route for proper mobility

Tracing the Historic Canal Connecting pedestrian connectivity holistically

Collaboration with total urban environments

Sustainable approach of Historic Urban Cosmopolitan Conservation

Heritage BuildingHeritage Road

DERIVATION OF ARCHITECTURURAL INTERVENTION

House 12: Literature House

Actual heritage footprint

Local masses in demolished portion in recent time

Wood

Interweaving of old and new architecture

Outlining and formation of new designed mass

Existing situation - blocked heritage view

Designed situation:

- The trace of the heritages are visible.

- Let the heritage breathe

Light weight constructionto touch the existing structure as less as possible

Avoiding heavy construction to prevent the deterioration of the heritahe buildings from the vibration

Modular system for quick construction

Availability from site

keeping the trace of the historic materials

Easy maintainance

Steel Structure

RailingGlass Door and exterior wallGlass

Proportional Elevation of added interventions and Material Selection

Maintaing the contrast with the heritage

Keeping the trace of this era for the scope for research in future

Haji Modhu Dewan Bari, Dudu Munshir Bari

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAMME

House 03_Haq Shaheb er Bari / Art House

Connected roof area with refresment facilities

Connecting

Art Exhibition Room

Dining room for private owner

Space for relaxation

Art teaching space for local children

Using steel structure for new additions

Kitchen for private owner

Common CourtyardPrivate and guest Bedroom & Living roomfor private owner

Steel structure tosupport the roof

Proposed Condition

STREET FRONT POLICY MAKING

Problem: Blank surface of the local street front buildings No drainage Hafazard poster, banner and electric wire.

No set back and building height coding

Vehicle moving in this 6’ -7’ road create extreme chaos. No street light. Shops are very deteriorate condition.

Solution: Vibrant front building facade. Introduction to water drainage and electrical piping system. Appropiate policy making for poster and banner hanging. Building height coding for at least below three storied should be introduced.

No vehicle should be allowed & pedestrian only road. Street light and fixtures should be introduced.

Vibrant shop front. Public amenities like shop, restaurent and hotel should be established.

A Day in NAGAR KASHBA . .

1. A journey by launch

2. Horse cart

3. The concert

4. The narrow street

5. The Museum House

6,7,8. The Art palace 9,10,11,12. The folk house

13. The storytellers’ house

14, 15. The jewellary mine.

16. Heaven for the shopahollic

17. The water pavillionfishermans’ corner

18. The craft museum

19. The drama house

20. Secularity- Mandir & Masjid

21. Areal View from the roof

22. Theater Palace

23. The knowledge ocean

24. Journey back to home

Let’s Grow : Architecture As A Vector : Designing Architecture Center at BUET

LOCATION : DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE, BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, DHAKA, BNAGLADESH

Background

The process of industrialization and urbanization in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh in the1950s led to hectic development which suffered from lack of technological support. In view of the challenging situation, the Department of Architecture was established alongside the existing engineering education in 1962.

With the support of the Texas A&M University, the Department had a humble beginning with only one expatriate teacher, Professor Richard E. Vrooman and six students. After independence of Bangladesh, the building industry gained a new lease of life. The pressure of students intending to study architecture increased continually. Initially, the yearly intake of students at first year level was 25. In later period, enrolment was increased to 55 students per batch. Consequently the number of teachers unning academic programme at undergraduate and postgraduate levels (M.Arch & Ph.D.)has also increased.

So the Department of architecture is in a perpetual growth process with a promising vision, but space for adopting this growth process is being saturated. Currently the department lacks the amenities of modern labs with cutting-edge technologies. and space for workshop, Post Graduate Program, Exhibition spaces.

The above scenario renders that, the building for Department of Architecture, BUET designed is facing difficulty in adapting the growth process of the Department, Thus there is a need of new Architecture, that is adaptable to any transformation respecting the exiating building.

Objectives

Thus an architecture school with a provision for later extension according to the need was designed, through careful understanding of its genetic codes considering the issues like Green Architecture, Sustainability, Resilience, Energy efficiency, Adaptability. Here Architecture is considered as the discourse of events as much as discourse of spaces. For this reason, architecture is no more just a finished product or object, but a vector that can adapt changes, that can grow according to its necessity , following its vertical circulation as the spine of the building .

Studio Mentor

Individual Work

Academic Work - Level 5 : Term 01

Year - 2017

- Dr. S M Najmul Imam

- Mohammad Tahajibul Hossain

- Maherul Kader Prince

Existing Department Images and Memories :

extreme sun heat. louver needed.

Spatial Strategy and considered sustainability issues

:

that cut heat and sun capture solar power that cut heat and sun capture solar power according to user’

- Air flow through void from south to north and all the voids are used as exhibition and installation spaces.

see through during night manually operable during any need

- Double height common area through the connecting space of the masses

according

- Staircase is just not a way of getting from one floor to another. It is a volume of space where people meet, sit, exchange feelings and ideas

- Photosensitive louver with in built solar panel to protect from the extreme west heat gain.

- double height design studio keep the integrated learning factor.

- connection among design studios in diagramatic section

Building Mass Development :

- The terraces are connected by green terrace with rain water retention facilities

-The formation of the green field collect the water that clogged in the existing

The new block will no more be just a finished product or object, but a vector that can adapt changes, that can grow according to its necessity.

Scaled Model

old academic building - having heritage and emotional value

Office Building

Green Field

Memory Lane

Seating for enojying student function in the cafeteria premises

Central Cafeteria

Lab , Design Studio, Student Affairs, Teachers’ Room, Library, Exhibitoin space, Clubs, Departmental Cafeteria

Pedestrian Entry Bus Stop

-act photosensitively during daylight

-can be operated manually during any emergency or

- 15mm semi opaque solar panel

- 5mm cable that hold the panel together

- 5mm cable that move the cable according to sun path

any need.

Constant changing Elevation developed by grasshopper coding

View From The Office Block Bridge towards the new Academic Block View From The Staircase Of The New Academic Block

Reintegrating Central Jail: Appropriating Old Dhaka in Place Making

LOCATION : OLD DHAKA CENTRAL JAIL, DHAKA, BANGLADESH

Ruling regimes, colonial or native, require establishing law and order for the day-to-day functioning of a society. Jail, either termed as prison or correctional facilities, has been a specific building type servingthis broad purpose by imprisoning convicted criminals; or under trial individuals. Tracing jail making and management embodies and reflects a given society’s social and political history. ‘Dacca Jail’ has been no exception since its inception in the early 19th century and later updated to ‘Central Jail’ in 1879 (Muntasir Mamun, 2000, 90). Central Jail located at the northern edge of old Dhaka is arguably the last remaining vestiges of colonialism, dating back to the Mughal era as an alleged site for a Fort and Mint (Takshal). Central Jail has had been existing rather ambivalently: on the one hand,as an integral part of the morphology and infrastructure of old Dhaka and yet detached from its surrounding by high perimeter walls; on the other hand, as a place of fear and instruments of social-political control in the public psyche. The then government decision to relocate this over-crowded Central Jail to Keraniganj with modern arrangement had created a new opportunity to reuse the vacated area.

Objectives and Decisions:

• “maximum green and minimum buildings”.

• a moment of Central Jail’s reintegration within its immediate surroundings with the far-fetched,multi-faceted implications for the greater Old Dhaka.

• proposals include allocation of lands to different institutional,commercial and recreational facilities.

• Urban design response to this propose programme, to reuse and through intregration , first and foremost requires considering the core Central Jail area a heritage site. It implies the core heritage site’s authenticity of the visual and spatial experience by evoking simultaneously the, past memory and present recreational opportunities to a maximum possible level.

• Had to ensure that new developments’ not coming in conflict with the heritage site with all the preserved buildings for adaptive reuses, trees, and intimate open spaces.

• Urban design of the proposed Central Jail reuse programme involving the outdoor public realm in the way of ‘place making’ whose inspirations, and referents coming from the living and localities of Old Dhaka.

Group Work

Academic Work - Level 4 : Term 01

Year - 2016

Contribution to team : Design Decision, Drawings, Render, Presentation, Model Making

Studio Mentor - Prof. Dr. Shayer Ghafur

- Dr. Catherine D Gomes

-Faruk Ahmed

-Md. Tariquzzaman

Mughal subadar

A criminal ward was built inside

Used as jail & mental assylum

divisin of indian sub -continent

Father of the Nation -Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman got prisoned six point movement freedom fighters got prisoned and totured 4 great leaders got killed juditial killing of Collonel Taher

Sheikh Mujibur’s killers got hanged Rajakars got punished

Jail got shifted to Keraniganj

Perceptual

Successful public place provide reason to go there

Succesful public place provide safety and comfort welcoming and easily accessible successful public place gives people reasons to stay there and make them willing to come again

Zoning

Heritage Site

Existing site Public Plaza

Commmercial Zone

Existing Pond

An overlaping shape that directs towards all accessibilties to the site may act as the plaza and join two historical zone

joining water bodies in order to creating a continuous connection among commercial zone, historical zone and public zone

Creating accessibilty from outside to inside towards grand plaza creates option for green spaces.Thorugh bridges connectivity between the two heritage zone and the connectivity between the commercial zone and the public place zone were established

bridge that connects two public zone of the Jail Area.

Preserving the historic Mughal Wall

Conserving and Reuse the heritage building

New Building Addition

Designing Central Plaza to accumulate the whole essence

Water body - a scope of breathing for the urban people Landscaping

Elevated bridge that connects two restricted zone for museum

100 ft

Section AA’

Section BB’

Section CC’

Water Body

View From Elevated Bridge that connects two museum zone in the Urban Plaza

Curating the historic building jail building as jail museum

Heritage Plaza

Domino Effect: Design Of Inter-Connected Product Gallery

The studio was instructed to design a product gallery along with two persons’ accommodation facilities. The project title has a term ‘Inter-connected’ because your design would also depend upon the design of the adjacent site’s project. Each side would be designed by individual students. Design decisions made by the adjacent site will affect one’s design process. There will be a continuous circulation through the entire building. So a person entering the building at the entrance should be able to go freely to any product gallery without hampering any function.

Formal expression of the gallery had to reflect the type of the product on which one will be working on. Any innovative idea regarding form, structure and material were encouraged.

The assigned rectilinear shape consisted of 12 equal cells.Each student was assigned for one cell. He or she had to use one quarter volume of the adjacent cells. The total workable area will be [x volume+ 1/4 X + X]. Eleven students worked on each inter-connected volume.

Product : C A M E R A

Camera being an enclosed box, does the best utilization and gives the best dramatic experience (for what it was invented) that happens only because of light. Being a designer the motto was to use the light in order to give the gallery users a dramatic environment, so that they keep a picture of every space movement in their heart. The experience start from the bottom most floor to the topmost floor of designed gallery. Playfulness of the light could be perceived both in plan and section.

Individual Work

Academic Work - Level 3 : Term 02

Year - 2015

Studio Mentor

-Dr. Mohammed Zakiul Islam

-Atiqur Rahman

-Nesfun Nahar

-Maherul Kader Prince

Camera and Architecture both are same. They both help to preserve memoriesPlaying With Light

MEMENTO for for SHAH JAHAN UNFUSE_The Black Taj

Our design orchestrates a memento for Shah Jahan ‘Builder of Marvels’ where the most timeless material ‘Light’ has been used to create different abstractions & ambience of “Black Taj” (through shade, Total internal reflec- tions on all sides of the cube by the materiality of glass) at the core of an optically corrected glass cube (Cube signifies Purity, Stability, Simplicity, Boldness, Aspirations) to complete the story line, to fuse two spirit, to fuse two communities at two sides of the river. The Transparent glass Cube (Simplicity & lighter visual weight to enhance Taj) rejuvenates the significance of the Taj Mahal by interpretation of light on it, where beauty of spirit of Mamtaj can be appreciated on different ambiences of nature e.g. moonlit night, Foggy winter, sunlight through the spirit of Shah Jahan. Beneath the Octagonal reflection pool of Mehtab Bag, archives, galleries are located where people can absorb or learn Mughal history, contributions and dissolve or share the knowledges. These two complementary spirits at the two sides of Jamuna river will finally be united, fusing & activating both sides of the rivers & the story will continue on both sides of the river. In the void of this space below the glass cube, different ambiences will be created by ageless material Light through subsequent refractions, interferences, total internal reflections. Thus perpetual interplay of light will give this bold memento (which also reflects Mughal time) a timeless character. Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yarn for timelessness. -

Honorable Mention Year - 2017

Unfuse_The Black Taj Competition

Frank Gehry Team Work

Team Contribution: Design Decisions, Render, Diagrams

The glass cube will slightly distorted to create optical illusion, making the cube a perfect square while appreciating the Taj from Elevation

Pinned Location of Shah Jahan Ground

Underground archieve and museum

Rabindranath Tagore quoted, “The taj mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time.”

Now with the twist of time we are representing colourless but so valuable tear drop of Shahjahan by the glass cube that see the taj with fathomless love reflecting Taj in its surfaces and illuminating the undergropund museum where one may weaving the story line of Mughal Empire.

Kiribati Culture_Floats in Pride

LOCATION : Kiribati, An Island Country in Ocenia

“There is no Kiribati without its population. There are no natives without their island.”

The ferocious climate change bites Kiribati, a handful of atolls lying on the womb of Pacific Ocean with its rise in ocean level. As the days pass by every tide take Kiribati one more steps near to extinction jeopardizing the life of local people. The love for Kiribati is not enough for the people to keep their hold on culture when everything is going under sea water. The urge of possessing the land is a must to feel the cultural existence. So the project fights back against the cruelty of the ocean’s engulfment by creating artificial floating island which is made of plastic wastages, addressing the burning problem of ocean pollution. In this artificial island self-sufficient housing and community modules with flexible opportunities are introduced with proper vernacular materials, so that people can easily adopt it in constructing their adobe for battling against the ocean. And thus the culture will be carried from generation tto generation with pride.

Year - 2019

Team Work

Team Contribution: Design Decisions, Render, Drawings, Diagrams

Honorable Mention

Young Architects Competition

Kiribati Floating Houses

Kiribati Island

Solar Panel

Catchment

Flexible partition

Toilet

Rainwater storage

Coral Barrier kitchen Storage

Bio Gas Plant Shelter for domestic animal

Wooden plank

Soil

plastic in net

Farm Land

Fish Farming Zone

Rainwater Collection Tank

Living Zone With Flexible Partition

Dining Area

Toilet Kitchen

Rainwater Collection Tank

Biogas Plant

Bangabandhu Postal Museum & Cultural Complex

Bangladesh is enriched with numerous heritage edifices which reflect the tangible and intangible aspects of our historic and cultural identities from the past. But in the name of development, planners as well as people are blindly racing behind unplanned construction, demolishing the heritages. Conservation of heritage buildings is an undeniable medium of transcending our history and cultural identity. This project illustrates the vision, background research, and process of implications of a conservation project proposal for a colonial building named ‘Shuren Ghosh’s Tehsil khana’ located at the vicinity of the heart of Khulna city through proper retrotting and adaptive-reuse, which later faced the same fatal fact.

The heritage building was adorned with the Indo-European architectual features including excellent spatial formations. It carrieed the critical testament of the historical emergence of the area. Ignorance about preserving heritage, unscrupulous modications, and natural weathering triggered the deterioration and then it was left abandoned as the condition of the building no longer meets the demand. The research and design scheme explored how this project would create a dialogue between the successful concept of re-evaluating space and marching towards a visionary future amalgamating our heritage, culture and contemporary lifestyle fulling new demands. This proposal entitled as ‘Bangabandhu Postal Museum’ was accepted by Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, but when the work was about to proceed, because of internal political reasons, the total work got postponed and later they demolished the building in 2021, considering it as a threat to public safety.

Professional Work

Status - Conservation Proposal ; Unbuilt

Team Work : 2 persons.

Contribution to Team:

One of the Principal Architects

2d & 3d Documentation, Design Decisions, Render, Construction Drawings, Tender Documents Preparations, BOQ

Winner 2nd Poster Presentation

AN AMALGAMATION OF HERITAGE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LIFESTYLE

‘SHUREN GHOSH’S TEHSIL KHANA’ converting into ‘BANGABANDHU POSTAL MUSEUM’

FARU 2019 Internatinal Research Conference

LOCATION : AHSAN AHMED ROAD, KHULNA, BANGLADESH

Existing Condition : Inappropiate Addition

Tracing The Original Condition

Design Proposal : Proposed Addition

But the Building was DEMOLISHED IN 2021

Visualization of the Proposed Design for rejuvenationg the heritage buiilding, prepared in 2019

Image taken in 2023

Image taken in 2018

Retrofitting & Extension of Hanirpar Central Jame Masjid Complex and Islamic Cultural Center.

LOCATION : HANIRPAR, CHADPUR DISTRICT, BANGLADESH

The masjid complex is located at the center of Hanirpar village of Neel Char Mouza in Chandpur district of Matlab Uttar upazila adjacent to Kalakanda Union Parishad. Adjacent to the one-storey mosque are Union Parishad, Union Health Center, primary & high schools, a dilapidated pond ghat, a shady Eidgah ground at Battala and a proposed madrasa. Although men and women travel to this area on regular basis for the purpose of daily work and young boys and girls come every day for education, scope for praying here is extremely inadequate. Moreover, there is no scope for women’s prayer space.

At present, the AQS Trust has been teaching Quran and Arabic language to more than a thousand disadvantaged children in 20 maktabs considering the mosques as the central institution to influence the talent development of the promising children of this area.

Taking into consideration of the inadequate prayer arrangements and space for Islamic education, our firm has undertaken the task of expanding the mosque, keeping the arrangement for women’s prayers, an Islamic library, accommodation for imams and muezzins, office space, ablution space, washroom, and renovating the adjoining pond ghat within a very constrained budget. Till now 35% work has been completed. The remote location of the area, scarcity of an efficient labour force and the constrained budget limit are challenging us in every possible way.

It is dreamed that after completing the proposed aesthetic appearance of the mosque will enchant anyone spiritually and give the locals a wonderful alluring environment.

Construction On-Going Starting Year - 2022

Architectural Firm : Plural Works

Team Work

Contribution to Team: One of the Principal Architects Design Decisions, Render, Construction Drawings, Site Supervision

Render

Wodden Jali, providing privacy to Women Prayer Space

Stairs towards Library & women

prayer space

Library/ Learning Vault

Concrete roof over metal deck sheet

Transclucent corrogated sheet over stair

Light-weight Metal Beam

Book Shelf

Ablution Space & Toilet/ Upper Block (Women)

Operable Glass Opennings for Natural Light & Ventilation

Varanda Towards Graveyard Prayer Space (Women)

Mezzanine Floor for privacy of women

Library & Class Block

Open Terrace for outdoor learning

60 years old Banyan Tree

Railing_ms flat bar

Planter Box

Metal Deck Sheet RCC Casting 4”x2” ms

Pathway Towards Ablution Space

Entry

Prayer Space (Men)

Ablution Space & Toilet/ Lower Block (Men)

Kitchen & Storage

Muazzin’s Room Storage

Imam’s Room

Office

Wodden Jali, providing privacy to accomodation block

Community Pond Ghat, Playspace & Seating

Concrete Seating

Images of the On-going Construction

Mirza Bari : Old Village Home Retrofit and Refurbishment

LOCATION : MADARGANJ, JAMALPUR DISTRICT, BANGLADESH

The project was completed in a suburban region where individuals construct structures without the assistance of an architect. As the heir to his parents’ home and one of eight siblings, he sought to expand his portion and hired a local mason to construct a beam, column, and slab. Eventually he realized that he was unable to make it functional and was unsure whether he should dismantle the entire structure in order to achieve adequate natural light and ventilation.

When the client came to us, we took few decisions methodologically, as we also had to complete the retrofitting work, exterior outlook and interior refurbishment within eight months.

Firstly, we expanded shaded areas in the west and south retrofitting the structures considering the essential climatic considerations (sun and rain) of our region; for this, we provided large openings for proper lighting and ventilation in the house’s double height living room, dining and family space. Then we converted the shaded slab to usable large common varanda. For designing the exterior view we used low-maintenance materials and attempted to experiment with the modular nature of the bricks. We tried to devise a blend of ancient classical style with a touch of contemporary design to give the client the feeling of living in his village home. We transformed the interior of the ancient structure in light hues so that it may be well-lit even with the low light it receives from the east, as we were unable to modify the eastern portion of the structure because it could have an adverse effect in the future. Throughout the day, the curved brick walls play with the sun’s light, and at night, the entire home serves as a lamp for the compound. This project was effective in informing the public that it is not always required to demolish an entire structure and build a new one; rather, minor adjustments with delicate crafted touch as an architect in accordance with fundamental climatic considerations can create a solemn atmosphere for both clients and surroundings.

Construction - Completed 2022

Architectural Firm : Plural Works

Team Work

Contribution to Team: One of the Principal Architects Design Decisions, Render, Construction Drawings, Site Supervision

almost

of which he found least functional and aestheic value later

Retrofitting and extension for extended shading and varanda

materializing the design decisions step by steps

Old Block of

50years old Adjacent Building Block

Client erected the structures

Construction Documentation

Detail 3d Drawings for crafted construction

Images of the Detailed Works

Construction Documentation

International Competition : Participation

Re-use of The Castle of Ripafratta

Reuse Italy

Other Works

National Competition : Participation

Landmark Monument

Organiser : Institute of Architects Bangladesh

International Competition : 2nd

LIBERTY MUSEUM NEW YORK: Freedom to the people

Organiser : Archasm

International Competition : Finalist

School Without Classroom, Berlin

Organiser : Archasm

International Competition : Finalist

ARCASIA Student Competition

Organiser : ARCASIA

National Competition : Commendation

Berger Promising Award

Organiser : BUET

International Competition : Finalist

Design Resilience in Asia

Organiser : National University of Soingapore Common Ruins

International Competition : Participation

Organiser : Young Architects Competitions

National Competition : Participation

Dhaka North Civic Center & DNCC Tower

Organiser : Institute of Architects Bangladesh