The Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Design at Brac University hosted ‘Mud Futures: Urban Origin’ conference as a part of the iPAC 2021-2022 Mud Futures conference. This was in collaboration with the School of Art & Architecture at Sushant University, India. The second chapter of the nine month long conclave, coordinated by Sushant University was held online on 6 and 7 August, 2021 The theme explored by a vast spectrum of speakers, panelists and discussants explored the ‘Urban Origins’ of mud in the local and global
contexts. The first day opened with a glimpse of the architecture of mud in Bangladesh. Zainab Faruqui Ali, Professor and Chairperson at the Department of Architecture, Brac University and the session chair, welcomed all and introduced the theme of the conference. This was followed by the inaugural address by Mr. Asaduzzaman Noor, Honorable Member of Parliament of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Chief Guest of the event. His interpretation of Tagore’s urge to return to the land in the context of earthen huts resonated across the two day conference discussions.
Architect Yasmeen Lari from Pakistan not only discussed mud as an alternative building material but also introduced the socio-economic aspects of working with the marginalized who are benefited by this traditional architecture. Her talk inspired extensive discussions, moderated by Dr. Mohammed Faruk and Ms. Srijani Hazra. The session was followed by a talk by architect Jalal Ahmed of Bangladesh who illustrated through his projects, the possibilities of mud in modern architecture.
The first day event concluded with an engaging dialogue on the dilemma of handling mud. Prof. Vibhuti Sachdev, architect Marina Tabassum and architect Rafiq Azam participated actively in an insightful discussion on the technical and social challenges faced in working with mud. The conversations addressed the questions from the audience. The conversation was moderated by Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed and Ms. Srijani Hazra.
The second day began with a welcome address by the session chair Dr. Fuad Hassan Mallick, Professor and Dean at the School of Architecture and Design, Brac University. A talk by architect Khondaker Hasibul Kabir explained in detail his journey into the vernacular materials but working with various communities to find solutions. Three expert artisans, Mr. Azit Roy, Mr. Abdun Nime and Mr. Sepal Chandra Debsharma joined Architect Kabir for a conversation that explored adoption of mud in recent times, along with the social acceptance of mud buildings. The session was moderated by Mr. Himanshu Sanghani and Dr. Tanzil Idmam Shafique.
Prof. Zainab Faruqui Ali’s presentation was based on her research of the thermal performance of the traditional mud dwellings in Saudi Arabia. A series of illustrations by Dr. Sajid Bin Doza, Head of the Department of Architecture at State University of Bangladesh took the audience on a journey through the mud huts of Bengal. Prof. Soumen Bandapadhyay from Liverpool University also joined the conference, presenting in detail his research into the culture, society and house form of Oman. In the final segment, Dr. Fuad Hassan Mallick, Dr. Tanzil Idmam Shafique, Mona Doctor-Pingel and architect Khondaker Hasibul Kabir were invited to participate in a cross cultural dialogue. Multiple social, economic as well as technical and structural issues about the material were brought to the fore. The session was co-chaired by Prof. Amrita Madan.
The successful conference, part of a nine month conclave on Mud, ended with a vote of thanks by Dr. Mohammad Habib Reza and invitation to the next conclave by Himanshu Sanghani.
In the conclave, Nabeela Nushaira Rahman, Tanjina Khan, Ehsan Alam, Md. Samiur Rahman Bhuiyan, Mohammad Zillur Rahman, Shahriar Ahmed Shad, Shayeeka Binte Alam, SM Kaikobad, Khan Ishaan Mustapha worked together as the communications and operations team from Brac University. Shams Mansoor Ghani organized the music tracks.