The 146th Angan Lecture Series:“Critical response” – Kashef Chowdhury

The 146th Angan Lecture Series event titled "Critical Response" featuring architect Kashef Chowdhury was organized by the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Design (SoAD) at BRAC University, recently. Kashef Chowdhury is the co-founder and director of Dhaka-based architecture firm URBANA.

The event was hosted by Zainab Faruqui Ali, Chairperson, Department of Architecture, SoAD, BRAC University. The first part of the event featured a presentation by the guest speaker, followed by a Q&A session with the students. Alongside, the presence of Shamsul Wares, one of the most renowned architects with decades of pedagogical experience, encouraged the session.

Throughout the lecture, Kashef Chowdhury showcased few of his works highlighting successful humanitarian endeavors. The projects Chowdhury shared demonstrate his dedication to finding creative solutions to challenging climate and migration issues. These included Plinth Raising, a plan to raise settlements in the Jamuna Brahmaputra River network region to protect them against seasonal flooding; Ukhia Schools, a prototype school in a Rohingya refugee camp built entirely of bamboo; and Kuakata Cyclone Shelter, an exposed concrete cyclone shelter for which part of the work was finding a client to fund the project's construction. As the lecture progressed, Chowdhury presented what he considers vital to architectural practice till today: “The sense of responsibility.”

Kashef Chowdhury co-founded URBANA in 1995 and has served as the firm's sole Principal since 2004. Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA's projects range from institutions and public buildings to projects in culture, education, sports, health, industry, religion, residential, and climate action. Chowdhury carefully selects his clients and commissions, investing sufficient time and research in each work to arrive at a contextually and socially responsible and appropriate architectural and planning response.

Kashef Chowdhury was awarded the Architectural Review's AR+D first prize in 2012, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016, and the Royal Institute of British Architects' RIBA International Prize in 2021.