Rafiq Azam S.A. Residence South Water Garden Mizan Residence Meghna Residence Alif Breeze
Content
1. Biography of Mohamad Rafiq Azam
2
a. Philosophy
3
b. Quote
4
2. Projects a. S.A. Residence
5
b. South Water Garden
8
c. Mizan Residence
11
d. Meghna Residence
13
e. Alif Breeze
15
3. Conclusion.
17
4. References
18
5. Index
19
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1. Biography of Mohamad Rafiq Azam
Figure 1: Mohamad Rafiq Azam (source: www.wikipedia.com)
As introduced, Mohamad Rafiq Azam is one of the famous architects internationally. He is from Bangladesh, by practicing in field of architect almost 22 years. Mohamad Rafiq Azam also manages to design and apply according to his st yle. On 1989, he graduated from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). From Ma y 1995 until now, he is practicing at SHATOTTO which inspiring by “Architecture for Green Living”.
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a.
Philosophy
Figure 2: Expert in using light and shadow
(source: www.homedsgn.com)
Mohamad Rafiq Azam architectural style is a fusion of tradition, nature and mysticism with significant harmony. In design, he likes to use of plants and roof gardens, blending of various materials with simplicity in expression, reviving traditional elements from old Dhaka. As an example, the elimination of boundary walls that segregates human from buildings is distinctive features of his designs. For him, a house is not only for human but also for nature likes butterflies and birds. Next, Mohamad Rafiq Azam also expert in using light and shadow, water and air inside and outside the building. His design influenced by Lalon and Tagore.
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b. Quotes
Figure 3: “I learnt architecture from my mother -” (source: http://archpresspk.com)
“I don't think Bangladesh client is good and Malaysian client or Indian client is better than Bangladesh client. Every situation has its own uniqueness, but the problem is that it's not important for a client to understand architecture. Why do they need to understand architecture, in the way that you understand architecture? They have their own idea, their own understanding of their environment, their living environment. So don't expect from them that they will be like you. If I say very harshly, architects are basically corrupt, because they have their own way of thinking and they don't see other ways of thinking. So they are already corrupted - they have their own tunnel view actually, which they are trying to impose on the client. That is not correct” “Architecture is all about creating place of desire, for hopefulness and memories - cherishing the memories”
Muhamad Rafiq Azam.
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2. Projects
There are 5 projects that Mohamad Rafiq Azam involved and applying his sustainable design style. a. S.A. Residence b. South Water Garden c. Mizan Residence d. Meghna Residence e. Alif Breeze
A.
S.A. Residence
Figure 4: S.A. Residence‟s courtyard and pool (source: www.homedsgn.com)
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First of all, S.A. Residence is a three-storey residence with contemporary home style and located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It completed on 2010. The main material use for this project is cast-concrete which is it the local material in Bangladesh. This house is simple but have sustainable elements. For an example, this house have courtyard, pond, ghat (steps to water) and ample. In short, Mohd. Rafiq Azam design and merge the urban and rural typologies in this building.
Figure 5: Colour water reflecting local culture (source: www.homedsgn.com)
This project located in city that surrounded by multi-stories buildings. So, designing building with swimming pool in the middle of the house to create breathing area to house and cool the house. Also, it is to ensure the privac y to owner of the house. The using of natural water, green colour of water, reflecting the local culture of Dhaka, Bangladesh. 6|Page
Figure 6: Pool in the middle cooling the house (source: www.homedsgn.com)
The architect, Mohd. Rafiq Azam designs the south and south-east of the building to allow the cool breeze come into building during summer but during winters, it allows the warmth of the sun. The pool in the middle of the house act as the natural exhaust system which allowing the hot air to escape and cool the building from the middle.
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B.
South Water Garden
Figure 7: Blend the building with the nature (source: http://www.architecturenewsplus.com)
South Water Garden located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This apartment building near to lake and a narrow strip of green patch on at back s ide of building. Basically, this building consists of five apartments and ground floor as parking area. As required by client, 75% of plot area as rule was strong requirement in order to create open green space.
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Figure 8: Plant in front of the building (source: http://www.architecturenewsplus.com)
For this building, 200 square feet of green patch in front of the building. It i s located at the east road. The material use also reflecting the local material, it is terracotta brick in fill, use for exposed column and beam. In plan, the simple interior with required functional arran gements is connecting the beautiful lake and large trees on the west, allowing the south east summer breeze to go through the entire house with ample light round the day.
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Figure 9: Lawn use as green roof (source: http://www.architecturenewsplus.com)
The scheme also developed the two roof tops of the buildings as community green with lawns and bushes around a small pavilion as a transformed subtropical architectural vocabulary addressing the concern of “shortage of green space” in city.
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C.
Mizan Residence
Figure 10: Enjoying the wind and rain (source: http://www.world-architects.com)
Completed on 2004, Mizan Residence is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This building is a duplex (level 5 and 6) within a 6 storied apartment. The concept is to live closely with nature and befriend with flora and fauna, water, aroma and natural habit at. By creating man made pavilion that create the bridge gaps between t he architectural value and natural. It is breeding conversation between human and nature.
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Figure 11: Depriving gentle breeze inside and tranquil view outside. (source: http://www.world-architects.com)
The purpose of living in this house is to rejuvenate with the summer cool breeze from southeast flowing over the lake. Also, the morning dawning sunlight to the last drowning light and twilight peeping through inside the house. A transformed courtyard in the middle of the house connecting the levels, extending the views to the lake through the glass st air, and bringing down the cosmos through the removable glass roof .
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D.
Meghna Residence.
Figure 12: Living in Delta (source: http://www.homedsgn.com)
Firstly, Meghna Residence is located at Dhanmondi, Bangladesh. It is a single extended family house. This house design by considering the context, climate and traditional typology. To response to surrounding context, the northwest road has median with large mahoganies acting as a screen providing privacy for the house. The house is facing a large open play field and a swimming pool belonging to the women sports federation across the northeast road.
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Figure 13: Courtyard one of the importance element. (source: http://www.homedsgn.com)
In Bangladesh the courtyard is a traditional typology creating space for living in privacy along with cross ventilation, ample daylight and vegetation.
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E.
Alif Breeze.
Figure 14: Merging nature elements (source: www.topboxdesign.com)
Alif Breeze Apartment building in Dhaka, Bangladesh can accommodate 20 families. The entrance design create open-to-sky body of water and support by a long marble benches, lounge and reception areas, green area, defused lights, terr acotta and granite flooring all merge to create a meeting point at the ground level.
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Figure 15: Local and natural material used (source: www.topboxdesign.com)
This building used to have 8,000 square feet of flat roof as community space with lawns, vegetation and terraces. This space act as reducing building heat and provided green space. Reinforced concrete beams, columns and sheer walls cast with exposed terracotta brick infill have been used.
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3 .Conclusion
In a nut shell, Mohamad Rafiq Azam shows that architecture is not just the building itself but it should be blend, merge or mix with t he surrounding elements, nature. In practice, most of people have their understanding of sustainability and ecology in term of green architecture, however, at last, they meet the same result and aim that will save the nature, our environment. What we take from the nature, we should give back as a balance in ecology system. For an example, to build a building, we cut the tree but as exchange or replace it back, we plant the tree by applying green top roof and so on. This balance had been said in Quran, “And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the ea rth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who k now.” (al-Rum, 22). Last, human and nature like a solid cemented structure held together in unity and strength, each part contributing strength in its own way, and the whole held together not like a mass, but like a living organism.
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4. References
Unknown. Rafiq Azam. Retrieved 13 February 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafiq_Azam
Daniele Domenicali. S.A Residence / Shatotto. Retrieved 17 August 2012, from http://www.archdaily.com/263940/s-a-residence-shatotto/
Dr. Afroza Akhter. South Water Garden. Retrieved 2007, from http://www.architecturenewsplus.com/projects/2218
Unknwon. SHATOTTO. Retrieved 2012, from http://www.architecturenewsplus.com/profiles/628
Rafiq Azam. Project Residential. Retrieved 1999, from http://www.shatotto.com/projectsresidential.html?id=1
DesignBuild. Alif Breeze Apartments, Bangladesh. Retrieved 2012, from http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/alif-breeze-leaf/
Admin. Meghna Residence by Shatotto Architects. Retrieved 2006, from http://www.homedsgn.com/2011/10/06/meghna-residence-by-shatotto-architects/
Zain Mankani. I LEARNT ARCHITECTURE FROM MY MOTHER. Retrived 2012, from http://archpresspk.com/new-version/architect-rafiq-azam-interview.html
Hassan Saifuddin Chandan. Mizan Residence. Retrieved 2012, from http://www.worldarchitects.com/projects/31497_mizan_residence
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5. Index Awards •2012: Winner of Emirates Glass Leading European Architects‟ Forum (LEAF) Award •2012: Winner of World Architectural Community Award, 11th Cycle •2012: The South Asian “Architect of the Year” Award, 2011 •2009: Winner, Cityscape Architecture Award for the” project S.A Residence”, Dhaka. •2009: Winner, 5th cycle, World Architecture Community Award. •2008: Winner, 2nd cycle (Most Thought Provoking Project), World Archi tecture Community Award. •2008: Winner, 1st cycle, World Architecture Community Award. •2007: AR Awards for Emerging Architecture awards, biggest architectural award for the young architects in the world. •2007: Berger Award for Excellence in Architecture 2007 •2007: The 2007 Kenneth F. Brown, Asia Pacific Culture & Architecture Design Award. USA. •1999: Young Architect‟s Award in the South Asian Architecture Award. •1996: IAB Design Award, awarded by the Institute of Architects Bangladesh •1991: Winner, Mimar International Design Competition-VI I, London. •2012: Berger Award for Excellence in Architecture (commendation) •2011: Short-listed, WA community Awards, 9th Cycle (Two project s). •2011: The South Asian Architecture Commendation Award. •2011: World Architecture News (WAN) Award, Long listed for” 21 for 21 Award” •2011: World Architecture News (WAN) Award, Long listed for Health Sector – Un-built Projects •2009: Highly Commended, Cityscape Architecture Award for the project Eye Hospital, Dhaka. •2009: Highly Commended, Cityscape Architecture Award for the project Meghna Residence, Dhaka. •2009: LEAF(Leading European Architects Forum), Short-listed •2009: World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards, Shortlisted for Health and Residential Category – Future •2008: Citation, 3rd cycle, World Architecture Community Award. •2008: „Selected‟ as one of the ten emerging designers of the world by “Urban Land”, USA •2007: Short-listed among the 27 finalists for the Aga Khan Award for Architect ure (AKAA) •2005: The South Asian Architecture Commendation Award •2004: Cityscape Architectural Review Commendation Award. •2004: Nomination for the “AAKA-1992” (Aga Khan Award for Architecture) for the project - Mahmood Residence at Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh. •2003: The South Asian Architecture Commendation Award •1997: The South Asian Architecture Commendation Award. •1992: Nomination for the “AAKA-1992” (Aga Khan Award for Architecture) for the project - Azam Residence in Lalbagh, Old Dhaka.
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Invited Speaker •Forum CSA (The Alumni of the City school of architecture), Sri Lanka, November, 2012 •Department of Architecture, Moratuwa University, Sri Lanka, November, 2012 •Master Architect Lecture Series: C.A.R.E School of Architecture, Trichy, October, 2012 •Shibpur Engineering University, 2012 •Daud College, Karachi, 2012 • National Institute of Advanced Studies in Architecture (NIASA), Cuttack, India, 2012 •3rd International Seminar & Exhibition, BaA , Melbourne, Australia, September 2012 •Jadavpur University, September, 2012 •T2F , The Atelier Pakistan, 2011 •“Architect‟s Forum”, organized by The Aga Khan Trust, London, 2011 •Bangladesh University, Dhaka, 2011 •MASA Conference, Bangalore, March, 2011 •361 degree conference, Mumbai, 2011 •“CAA” Sri Lanka, 2010. •Institute of Architects, Bangladesh (IAB), 2007,2010 •Mongolbar shobha, Dhaka, 2011,2012 •“ACA-14” Lahore, Pakistan 2010 •“Comsets , NCA and IAP Islamabad , Pakistan” 2010 •“PAM” Kuala Lampur 2010 •“Indian Institute of Architects, Kerala 2010 •Jadavpur University, Kolkata 2010. •University Teknology Malaysia, 2010 •Metro city Summit, Kuala Lampur 2009 •“My Tropical Architecture” for” Kuala Lampur vision 2020” , 2008 •RAIA, Sydney, Australia, 2008. •Reggio Calabria University, Italy, 2008. •The National University of Singapore, 2008. •Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 2008. •Young architect‟s festival, India, 2007. •Annual Conference of IAP, Karachi, Pakistan, 2007. • National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, Pakistan, 2007. •Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 2007. •The University of Hawaii, Manoa, U.S.A., 2006. •The Catholic University of America, W.D.C., U.S.A., 2006. •Datum: KL 2006, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. •The University of Malaysia, 2006. •SAARCH Conference, Dhaka, 2004.
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