An exhibition titled 'Architecture as Freedom' has started in Washington DC, United States of America, with the architectural details of 5 of the 8 new regional offices of BRAC built in different areas of Bangladesh.
The exhibition was inaugurated at the District Architecture Center in Washington DC on Wednesday (October 18) at 6 p.m. local time. BRAC, BRAC University, and the Center for Inclusive Architecture and Urbanism in collaboration with The Catholic University of America organized the event. Also, a book has already been published on the exhibition and project details.
The first-generation offices of BRAC were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Many of these were set up in rented houses. At the marginal level, BRAC activities have also been carried out in semi-pucca buildings in many places. Those buildings lacked adequate space. There were problems in serving the beneficiaries in the management of various programs. Altogether these office spaces had no specific architectural features of their own.
In 2017, BRAC decided to establish 8 new new-generation regional offices in different climatic areas of the country. The architecture department of BRAC University was commissioned for this. At that time, Professor Ar. Dr. Adnan Zillur Morshed was serving as the Chairperson of the department. Under his leadership, the design work was completed with the participation of teachers from the Department of Architecture and a team of young architects from the Centre for Inclusive Architecture & Urbanism (Ci+AU). From the very beginning of the design phase, their philosophy was that grassroots people who come to take services in these offices should not face any kind of inferiority complex. Rather, the essence of architecture should create some kind of optimism or sense of independence in them, so that they also consider themselves as partners in the socio-economic development of the country.
Mary Fitch, Director of the District Architecture Center, gave a welcome speech at the opening of the exhibition. Professor Dr. Adnan Zillur Morshed presented his note as the curator. Peter Kilpatrick, President, The Catholic University of America; Mohammad Imran, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States; Jim Moran, former US Congressman; Dan Mozena, retired diplomat and former ambassador; Scott McMillan, author of the book 'Hope over Fate'; Michael Kugelman, director of South Asia Institute; Mark Ferguson, Dean, Architecture, The Catholic University of America; and, Julio Bermudez, Professor of Architecture, The Catholic University of America, were present among invited guests and gave their speech.
A 7-minute video clip of the architectural projects was shown at the inauguration. After visiting the exhibition, the guests said, 'It was an opportunity to learn a lot about Bangladesh and BRAC through the architectural works of Adnan Morshed and his colleagues. Here is a great example of building a sustainable office following the grassroots tradition and culture of Bangladesh. Students studying architecture in the US will also find something new.'
The curator of the exhibition Dr. Adnan Zillur Morshed said, 'It was important for us to understand the philosophy of BRAC as an organization. From the beginning, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed focused on institutionalization so that BRAC would not be someone's individual property. He thought that poor people should be given a way to become socially and economically independent through microcredit, primary health care, and primary education; And they can change their lives if they acquire skills in any work. Our major challenge in designing BRAC's regional functions was to transform these issues into architectural language.'
Professor Adnan also said, 'We have worked on this project with emphasis on four philosophies. One of these is a deeper understanding of the relationship of place to development. Second, to spatialize the form of 'freedom', we designed spaces to inspire rural people. The third philosophy was to use limited local resources to create positive effects on a large scale, which would also influence the behavior of the users of the architectural project. Fourth, designing a sustainable infrastructure suitable for the rapidly changing environment of rural Bangladesh. Along with the development of cities or urban areas, changes and evolution are also taking place in villages. A new rural society looms before us, driven by the modernization of the agricultural sector, improved road connectivity, information technology, young entrepreneurs, and the rise of an aspirational class. Government policy support, NGOs' grassroots activities, and people's ambitions, all together, we found that modern rural, but with a reflection of tradition, and cost-effective and climate-friendly structures would be best suited there.'
He said, 'We have found inspiration from rural nature. Features of the riverine delta, ancient thatched houses, and trees standing in the courtyards, along with the horizons of green paddy fields, and farmer's huts, were our main livelihood. We want to create a new generation of architecture by weaving all these things together. As it was an attempt to reflect Braque's ideology, the idea was that the structure should be humane and empowering against poverty.'
He also mentioned that 'Each project incorporates the services of 14 programs of BRAC on a very small sized land. Each office design has separate public, semi-public, and private zones, with services arranged in such a way that it is inspiring for both BRAC employees and customers. Courtyards have been placed between the buildings, which have created an openness for natural light and ventilation. We used local raw materials and the construction was done by local workers and craftsmen.'
The exhibition will run until December 20 at the District Architecture Center in Washington DC. 5 office designs and particular architectural details are being presented through posters and models are being displayed. The organizers have invited all, including expatriate Bangladeshi students and professionals, to visit the exhibition.
Video of the event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcNBu6muF-Q