City of Dhaka Map - Building Use
Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings
UTTARA Industrial Buildings Government Buildings Education
AIRPORT
Agriculture and Parks Roads Waterways
PALLABI
SITE I have decided to look at Banani as a possible location for my site as it is considered to be the centre of Dhaka’s affluent neighbourhood far from factories. A residential area for the elite, Banani is now home to a number of the city’s top restaurants, shopping centres, schools and members’ clubs. The neighbourhood also hosts the majority of embassies and high commissions in Dhaka. In reference to my initial statement in the previous pages about the lack of industries in the city centre’s, I think Banani will be a suitable location to analyse and understand it’s current building typologies and what the area require’s with regards to industries in the city.
MIRPUR BANANI
CANTONMENT
TEJGAON
MOHAMMADPUR
SABUJBAG
The Hazaribag Tanneries is the heart of the leather industry in Dhaka.
RAMNA
HAZARIBAG DHANMONDI
MOTIJHEEL LALBAG Kamrangirchar is the single largest concentration of slums in the Dhaka Metropolitan Area and reported that of the (approx) 300,000 people living there, 265,000 are slum dwellers.
KAMRANGIRCHAR
KOTWALI SUTRAPUR
BU
RI
DEMRA
GA
NG
A
RI
VE
R
The lack of visible industries near Banani make it suitable for my potential site as it is the heart of city living in Dhaka.
Dhaka City
In Bangladesh the architecture typology doesn’t often reflect a wide range of styles and variations. Usually most building typologies are disguised within the typical concrete jungle and a very commercial development style. Majority of the buildings range in a similar height of 4 - 7 storey building blocks. Often the only clear distinction from the outside is the use of full facade glazing in commercial buildings.
Towards the Airport on the New Airport Road, it is a direct link with the city and the Airport and to go to the old city vehicles have to go past Banani which is the first main city district (15 minutes from Airport).
Louiis Kahn’s National Parliament Building
BANANI SITE AREA
This makes Banani the main gateway to the old city as well as the vibrant new city centre for the tourists.
TEJGAON industrial area is main cluster of industries in the city, from biscuits factories to garments can be found here. The area is clearly kept out of site from the tourist although only 15 minutes from Banani. The waterways and the clever road planning makes sure that vehicles can take other routes through the city.
Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Industrial Buildings Government Buildings Education Agriculture and Parks Roads Waterways
MOTIJHEEL commercial district in the south of the city. It is the major business and commercial hub of Dhaka city and has more offices and business institutions than any other part of the city. It is the home to largest number of corporate headquarters in the nation. Many news, magazines, print and other media publishers are based here. It is the CBD of Dhaka.
The images below are prefect examples of disguised typology. They are both garments factories but none of them give the aesthetic appearance of an industrial building, rather more of an office or commercial building.
1:2000 Site Plan
Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Industrial Buildings Government Buildings Education BANANI
GULSHAN
Roads
New Airp
Waterways
ort Road
Agriculture and Parks
These block of towers enclosing Aminul Huq Road house some of the best Universities in the Country, large corporation offices, restaurants and hotels. More importantly it sits on a prime location at the heart of city’s vibrant life. Running parallel is the main road leading to the city centre towards Gulshan, Kemal Ataturk Road. This I think would be the perfect location for my architectural intervention as it is in the heart of busy city and this is also the area where most tourists coming to Dhaka will use as their base / hotel distinction. Vehicles driving into Dhaka get a clear view of the towers from the New Airport Road which makes it ever so attractive as a site to grab the attention of tourists coming from the Airport towards the city. The block is also special because this is one of the few places in the city where there isn’t a strict height regulation thus allowing these towers to be erected. The highest tower being Awal tower with 23 floors compared to most neighbouring buildings outside the block ranging between 3 - 6 storeys.
Area of Site Plan in focus.
Kamal At aturk Ave n
ue
New Airport road aerial looking North East.
Aminul H
uq Road
New Airport road looking North.
Aminul Huq road looking West.
Kamal Ataturk road looking West.
Site Focus - The Story
The Typical Transaction Scenario - the major retailers can keep themselves clean by not connecting the triangle while always having their demands met.
Time for new wardrobe !
Can’t wait for the new season !
We will have to subcontract! We need new orders by next week!
New trends !
Sure, it will be done.
Order Link Delivery Link
The Consumers
Major Retailers
Main Garments Owner
Can’t wait to see my babies again.
This is exhausting.
More orders, we need new premises, any building will do!
Subcontracted Factory Owner
Subcontractor can afford to buy any existing building, even if it isn’t purpose built for factory use because -
Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Industrial Buildings Government Buildings Education Agriculture and Parks Roads Waterways
- close to city centre and airport - quick start up to supply the sudden demand - easy profit - no need to build a factory
The Workers
Typology Disguise
Subcontracted Factory Owner buys existing commercial buildings near the city centre not built for factory and converts them into ad-hoc often temporary work spaces without any emergency exit provisions, adequate lighting or ventilation, risking the health and life of the workers.
Area of focus.
Application of impromptu fire escape routes on the facade.
Fire escape stairs often just applied to tick boxes and don’t consider building programme or number of users.
Sometimes there aren’t any emergency exit routes.
Aminul Huq Road - Site Massing
Residential Buildings Commercial Buildings Industrial Buildings Government Buildings Education Agriculture and Parks Roads Waterways The site as mentioned earlier is between the strip of tower blocks on Aminul Huq Road.
Existing Site massing.
Removal of 5 existing buildings to open new thresholds into the site.
More open site from both side of the tower block.
Internal site massing block.
Spreading to get the negative of volume of the site.
Testing with 3 by 3 unit population of the negative for smalled spaces like the worker houses.
6 by 6 unit population of the negative for the hotel and other public spaces.
12 by 12 unit population of the negative for the factory spaces.
Initial Concept Montage
Layering of architecture
Concept Montage
South Elevation
View from Kamal Ataturk Road