Swadesh Bungalow

The stand-alone farmhouse in Gazipur is straddled by Saal forests and overlooks lowlands that flood in monsoon. The low large openings, and the use of clay bricks and timber, echo the lay of the land and the repose of its surroundings. The richly textured surfaces enhance the interplay of light and shade. Built in 2014 for Shwadesh Farms, the bungalow has a deep and wide veranda for shade and protection from rain.   Lead architect: Luva Nahid Choudhury

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SM Sultan Bengal Art College

S M Sultan (1923-1994), a contemporary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, is considered a leading modernist painter of Bangladesh. It is for his bold and expansive oil paintigs that he most well known. In his striking oils he framed epic narratives of the struggle and resilience of village life. Sultan had done some of his most iconic works in his beloved home town Narail, where he spent his last days in the company of pupils and an extensive menagerie. In 2015,…

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Shangskriti Utshab Sylhet

The Shangskriti Utshab was designed by Abashan in response to Bengal Foundation’s brief to turn the AMA Muhith Sports Complex at Sylhet into a venue for a multi-layered cultural festival, which would bring together audiences and artists from around the country. Drawing on Sylhet’s rich heritage of poetry and ballads, the 10 days long festival was conceived around a central stage for music, a hall for theatrical performances and screening films, an architectural exposition on the city of Sylhet, a…

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Bengal Museum

In 2015, the Bengal Foundation began work on a Contemporary Arts and Crafts Museum, at Singair, Savar, to house multi-media works from the organisation’s founder Abul Khair’s private collection, pieces by local artists, a sculpture garden, and a boat museum to celebrate the various cultural arts of local residents.The museum designed by Nahas Khali, was designed to sit on a 45-acre site in the outskirts of Dhaka, and would be the first instance of large-scale adaptive reuse. Although the project…

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Bengal Center

A four storied commercial building on the Airport Road was remodeled in 2006 to house offices of the Bengal Foudation, ICE Media, Bengal Publications, and the Safiuddin Bengal Printmaking Studio, Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements (BIALS), and Parampara Sangeetaly. The simple architectural language of Bengal Centre, with brick pylons defining the corners, helped establish an organic dialogue with the surrounding expanse of water bodies and woods. Principal architect (building and construction): Luva Nahid ChoudhuryICE Media Design Architect: Sumon…

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Aranya

Aranya is one of the earliest a crafts initiative in Bangladesh, to exclusively focus on vegetable dyes. Aranya uses authentic natural dyes freshly prepared from ingredients such as Madder, Indigo, Cutch, and other varieties, every morning, in wonderful shades of blues, greens, maroons and more. It also develops and sources authentic and original crafts and designs from all over the country and makes it available at its outlets. The architect Tahmida Afroze. The museum designed by Nahas Khali, was designed…

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Abdur Razzaq Bidyapeeth

The Abdur Razzaq Bidyapeeth is a research library and public education initiative established in 2015 by the Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation, around the rich and eclectic collection of books of the legendary scholar Professor Abdur Razzaq. The library is located in premises designed by architect Nahas Khalil. The architectural language of the Bidyapeeth as envisaged by Tahmida Afroze, celebrates the Professor’s extraordinary graciousness and humanity, humility and integrity, and his simple lifestyle. Principal Architect in the Design Team: Tahmida Afroze

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Bangshi Bari

The stand-alone bungalow on the bank of the river Bangshi is flanked by Mahogany forests. The use of handmade bricks and the simple geometry unify the building with the lay of the land and the repose of its surroundings. The richly textured surfaces echo a complex interplay of light and shade. Built in 2000, the bungalow has deep and wide verandas for shade and protection from rain. Lead architect: Luva Nahid Choudhury

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