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Architects: Plural Works
- Area: 3736 ft²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Maruf Raihan
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Manufacturers: Berger, DBL Cermaics, Mirpur Ceramics
Text description provided by the architects. In the remote suburb of Madarganj, where buildings are often constructed without consultants, the project was initiated similarly. The client, one of eight siblings, hired a local contractor to extend his portion of the ancestral home. However, upon erecting the skeleton, the resulting structure was found to lack proper light and ventilation, prompting reconsideration. The designers were appointed at this phase, reflecting many similar situations architects encounter, where architecture becomes more an act of surgery than novel creation, especially in suburban contexts.
The prevalent old structure was too vulnerable to heavy interventions, and the already erected newer portion inconsiderately adopted a shallow imitation of foreign templates. In sharp contrast to environmental considerations, openings were too small for the indoors to be well-lit and ventilated; shading devices and pavilions were totally absent, leaving no scope for the outdoor-indoor relationship, contrary to a context abundant in sunlight, wind, and monsoon.
The interventions were incepted as a thickened membrane over the already-constructed skeleton to incorporate pavilions and gradients of vegetation, offering a more livable, ventilated, and visually connected inner scape while adapting minimal structural surgery.
To complete the retrofitting, exterior and interior refurbishment within the time span, several key decisions were made. Plinths were stretched out to tie the building to the ground, welcoming gatherings in the neighborhood even when the house was closed. Retrofitted slabs were extended on the west and south, in both of the upper levels, as large, shaded verandas, gradually to be taken over by a screen of vegetation. The double-height living room, dining room, and family space were provided with large south apertures for daylight and ventilation. The already built washrooms on the north and adjacent east-side buildings restricted extensive interventions. The remaining northernmost spaces were designated as verandas, having a visual connection to the backyard. Frosted glass was used in internal doors and windows, allowing the first-floor bedrooms to be naturally lit. The bedroom at the top has the privilege of a larger southern aperture and shaded veranda overlooking the open areas around, to contemplate the seasons of sun and monsoon.
For the exterior, metalwork was adopted for lightweight and feasible extensions, with attempts to explore traditional masonry craft. Brick masonry, with its timeless tactility, warm, earthy tones and unevenness, creates delightful interplay with light and shadow, resulting in a myriad of visual textures and patterns. Throughout the day, the curved brick walls act as the canvas for light and shadows. At night, the lighter-hued indoors with warm-toned lights turns into a bright lantern for the whole compound. With gradients of vegetation, monsoon brings new life to the building, enveloping the space, materiality, and mood of the residents in a veil of mist and magic.
The project advocates an adaptive and sustainable architectural philosophy, informing locals that demolitions are not always essential for interventions. Instead, subtle changes incorporating climatic and contextual aspects can create a symbiotic, better living environment among unplanned concrete jungles, especially in a socioeconomic context where users with budget constraints hesitate to hire professionals for spatial surgery.
