PORTFOLIO - Mahlaqa Fahami by Mahlaqa Fahami

PORTFOLIO MAHLAQA FAHAMI Architect . Heritage Practitioner

CONTENTS 01. Internship - Heritage for All 2021 (Professional Work)

02. Social Media Illustration - UNICITI 2021 (Professional Work)

03. Heritage Pictogram Competition 2021

(Competition entry - Honorable Mention Award)

04. Wine Culture Center, Huailai County, China, 2021 (Competition entry)

05. Study Project: Heritage-Based Social Practice (Master’s Project)

06. “Beyond Living”-Social Housing for RMG Workers (Bachelor Thesis, Competition entry - Shortlisted Project)

“Migration, Citizenship, and Urban Rejuvenation” in Berlin-Kreuzberg, “Architecture, City, Space” Course Booklet, SS 2021

07. “World Heritage” - Photography & Visual Arts Competition - ESACH 2021 (Competition entry)

01.

Internship - Heritage for All 2021. (Professional Work)

Tangible and Intangible Aspects of Baul Songs to Rejuvenate Entrepreneurially the Baul Heritage Community, Bangladesh Heritage for All 2021 Professional Work

The visual art collage depicts the age-old practice of Baul songs and Bauls in their inspiration spots at rural villages of Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. UNESCO in 2005 included Baul Songs in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The Baul song is a type of folk songs which is popular for its mystical nature. The Musicians of this type of folk song are called Baul and they have a spiritual community in the rural areas. The Bauls either live near a rural space or travel from one place to another for earning their livelihood from singing. The instruments they generally use are - the ektara, the lute dotara, a simple one-stringed instrument, and a drum called dubki. The Baul songs and the Baul community have been facing many challenges to protect such an important heritage of Bengal. The visual art is focusing on the tangible and intangible aspects such as, their practice and performing places known as Baul Akhra, the instruments, the lyrics of the Lalon song (Lalon Geeti), and overall, on the rural environment to better comprehend their chances in heritage-based entrepreneurship. If properly taken care of and given scope to represent in the global audience, these tangible and intangible aspects can rejuvenate the Baul community to be financially benefitted in the heritage field of Bangladesh as well as protect their age long tradition.

Sustainable Cultural Tourism at Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh Heritage for All 2021 Professional Work

02.

Social Media Illustration UNICITI 2021. (Professional Work)

Jaisalmer the “Golden City” UNICITI 2021 Professional Work

The illustration was created as a team member of graphic design at UNICITI. Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, India is considered one of the cities made of yellow sandstone and listed under the serial site of World Heritage under UNESCO. The illustration was a part of the social media content creation by the author to express the local architecture and colorful city through visual art medium. Adobe Illustrator was used as the software for the creation of this art with after eﬀects in Photoshop.

The Manhattan of Desert Shibam, Yemen UNICITI 2021 Professional Work

The illustration was created as a team member of graphic design at UNICITI. Shibam, Yemen, is home to one of the oldest and yet one of the best today’s examples of sustainable vertical construction. It is listed under the World Heritage of UNESCO for its exclusive contextual architectural solution. It does not use any steel or concrete. In the 16th century, the rapidly growing fortiﬁed city could no longer expand horizontally due to the lack of space. So the world’s ﬁrst skyscrapers came up. Shibam’s tallest mudbrick and cedarwood towers were 8 storeys and 30 metres high. The illustration was created in illustrator and photoshop.

Pandemic Placemaking An attempt by Kalaw, Myanmar UNICITI 2021 Professional Work

The illustration was created solely as a team member of graphic design at UNICITI. Healthy placemaking is one of the latest solutions for post-pandemic condition and Myanmar Municipalities have provided us with an exemplary street market solution for locals. The illustration was a part of the social media content creation by the author to express the planning and expression of post-pandemic placemaking through visual art medium. Adobe Illustrator and AutoCAD was used as the software for the creation of this art with post-processing in Photoshop.

03.

Heritage Pictogram Competition 2021. (Competition entry Honorable Mention Award)

Heritage Pictogram Competition 2021 by CONTEXT (Honorable Mention Award) Competition Entry

The competition was arranged by International Architectural Platform CONTEXT for depicting the Heritages of Bangladesh. For this, my entry was based on the Chandanpura Masjid in Chittagong, Bangladesh which bears the testimony of Historic Chittagong district. The pictogram illustrates the intricate design and works of the religious center with its vibrant color and minarets. This is the central place of prayer for many local people even in the 21st century and requires proper conservation measures. The main theme of the competition was to depict heritages of Bangladesh in 2D for its Universal Value and architectural importance. With its spacious interior, slender columns, elongated buttresses and intricately designed balusters, Masjid-e-Siraj ud-Daulah, locally known as Chandanpura Jame Masjid, is one of the great examples of Mughal-inspired architecture. The entry was recognized by the jurors as the Honorable Mention Award. Architect David Holm, Architect Raﬁq Azam, Architect Iftekhar Abdullah and Architect Dr. Sajid Bin Dosa were the jury members by CONTEXT.

Heritage Pictogram Competition 2021 by CONTEXT (Honorable Mention Award) Competition Entry

04.

Wine Culture Center, Huailai County, China, 2021. (Competition entry)

Wine Culture Center, Huailai County, China, 2021 Competition Entry Team members: Mahlaqa Fahami, Abu Sayeed Mohammed Ziad, Mutasim Billah Raﬁ The Proposed Wine Culture Center is situated at Huailai County that bears the heritage of winery and vineyard for many years in China. The surrounding mountain range, sprawling vineyards, and the local community act as the main site force for the design. Connecting axes between afore mentioned site’s forces are translated into primary and secondary lines, which create a network of structures and pathways on the site that perform as a collaborative landmark containing the vineyards at its heart.The primary aim of the design is to build collective union among nature, agriculture, existing wine culture and the residing community to sustain eco-tourism. The master plan invites an expression of networks through the landscape to create a path towards the functions. The site forces taken as axes guide the visitors to the multidimensional purposes through the promenade. The promenade is a social locus for the visitors as well as seasonal festival point for the locals to share their heritage and culture with the tourists.A sustainable approach is taken by creating Woodland Park with a waterbody in the landscape that balances the built space acquisition on the site and, thus bio-diversity is welcomed with the involvement of pollinators. It is essential to integrate biodiversity in the vineyard as it decreases our dependency on mechanical or chemical processes to protect the agricultural lands and creates self-sustenance in the larger extent. The pathway beside this green corridor connects with the brick-tower that stands as the signature landmark for the cultural center as well as works as a viewing deck for the tourists. The fabricated water body will act as a rain-harvesting zone within the structural forms that helps the local farmers to utilize the water for irrigation purposes as well as beautiﬁes the wine center landscape.

The Structures of the wine cultural center resemble the traditional vault character of the wine cave of local old wineries. The vaults are interpreted into arc and circles through the walls and interior elevations.The site-referred forms bring rhythm with arc shaped walls in the landscape to create curiosity and interest in the mind of the visitors. The traditional history of the wine culture of Huailai County will be represented with writings on the stone-based barrier walls to create a meaningful experience in the cultural center. The underground winery will not only be a cellar space but also, a place for wine tasting and visiting. The tourists can watch directly through the upper level the interesting vat cellar, barique cellar and bottle cellar and walk through the workshop processes if interested. This will make the tourists more compassionate about the local farmers and workers who work relentlessly for the winery heritage and production. The red colored freestanding columns in the museum space expresses the happiness, joy and luck for local community. The symbol of vitality and celebration of work and life through the exhibition of traditional Chinese Wine Heritage and Culture.

05.

Study Project: Heritage Based Social Practice. (Master’s Project)

STUDY PROJECT Heritage-Based Social Practice, Pankow, Berlin, Germany Student/Research Work (Master’s Course) BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg

Three Installation Ideas are proposed by the author to produce Heritage based Social Practice.

Installation 1 “Co-Habitation with nature in the Neighborhood” - The idea is to create co-habitation for city birds and pollinators in neighborhood housings such as, Carl Legien Housing Estate by Bruno Taut. The installation is named as “Eco-Bird” that promotes co-habitation with nature in the neighborhood through green and sustainable living measures. The housing buildings in Pankow and overall Berlin, have the balcony characteristic where they generally plant small local trees and ﬂower plants. What if, these tree-stand/holder has two additions that help the habitats around the neighborhood indirectly and directly with a bug hotel and a bird nest space. House Sparrow, European Starlings, Pigeons are common birds whose houses are generally created in vents, balconies, holes, chimneys in the city areas of Berlin. These birds can take shelter in here and also invite some bugs and pollinators such as, butterﬂies, Bees, insects to live which are often destroyed by human intrusion. The bug hotel also is a shelter for insects and a great source for the trees nutrition and bird’s food. With this small installation, the community will be directly and indirectly helping the habitats around them & participating in sustainable development & biodiversity for themselves. This installation can be created by local participation such as, the artisans from the locality and biologists can also help with the proper bird nesting and bug hotel ideas. The community housing people can suggest in the plantation ideas too. This collaborative approach create a baseline for the social practice in Pankow. The colorful walls of the bird’s nest will create a sense of beauty and it can be changed according to the neighborhood’s preferences. The artistic approach can be incorporated here.

Installation 2 “Arts driven Mural Wall”- To create a sustainable vertical garden wall & pollinator’s space with the addition of arts is the main idea of this installation project. Pankow is famous for its graffiti artists so the arts on the mural will change with time. There will be provision for different arts in different times. This Mural wall will be created by the school children of Gustave Eiffel Oberschule, local artists and artisans, biologist, landscape planner, farmers, architects, engineers. If the children are involved, the local neighborhood people will also get involved in it and social practice will be developed. The children will feel the belongingness with this project and after 20-25 years, they can come back and say they have created this artwork for their school & locality.

Installation 3 - Solar Panel Art Shading with “Gründerzeit Architecture” Inﬂuence of Pankow: A charging point and shading for Pankow People The Solar Panel art is present in Pankow for creating sustainable artworks for the future generations. “The Beam”-an artist team works with the recycled Solar Panel artworks in Pankow in collaboration with Little Sun foundation and other organizations. These artworks on solar panels can be used in future to generate power to charge mobile phones or small electric devices and the team is on the process to make it work for sustainable art movement. First discovered style in Germany and Austria in 1871. In Pankow historical buildings have this characteristics where natural elements are brought into design by ornamentation and motifs. The refreshing solution of the 19th century will be incorporated in the shading design installation. School Children will recognize the shapes and motifs they notice in the structures in Pankow Neighborhood and sculptors will bring it to life and paste it on the columns of the shading. A combination of old and contemporary style will be incorporated in the shading design where science and aesthetics will work together. School Children participation in choosing the motifs. Local artists participation in installing solar panel artworks and designing motifs. Artisans and technicians participation in creating seating and the installation itself. Materials such as sandstone, concrete which are vital elements of Grunderzeit with PV panels will be incorporated in a contemporary approach.

06.

“Beyond Living” Social Housing for RMG Workers. (Bachelor Thesis, Competition Entry Shortlisted Project)

Bachelor Architectural Thesis “Beyond Living” Social Housing for Migrant RMG Workers, Chittagong, Bangladesh Student/Research Work (Bachelor Thesis Submission) Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology The project is derived from a government proposal for Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector workers of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The proposed design and background survey are done for both female and male workers of the garments sector in order to understand their living and social issues in the urban areas. The main target group of this thesis work was the lower income group of Garment sector workers who play a significant role in our national GDP every year. There have been several approaches by different authorities previously to build shelter for the workers of this sector regarding their obstacles for finding a safe place to live in with their families while maintaining work life. But none of them worked properly for several reasons, such as, target group, house rent, lack in community supervision etc. This thesis did an intense survey before taking any decisions regarding the income group and their living spaces. The survey was done in several local areas near the selected site where the workers reside. Also, each and every decision has been taken through community participation and research on the income group. A communal and social space with better living places are designed for the workers and their family members while considering their income. Additionally, several amenities are provided for the housing complex with proper scope for income generation. Better housing in an urban context with proper community facilities, safe neighborhood, house rent considerations and most importantly community supervision are considered accordingly for the low income workers’ housing complex.

The common terrace between two units. There are spaces for storage and plantation with seatings for the users. Brick Jali is used for the railing which is cost-eﬀective as well as aesthetic.

The courtyard in-between the housing structures work as a source of community-supervision and social engagement. The ground ﬂoor can be utilized by the workers and their families for income generation activities and working place. Children can play safely under the authorization of the elderlies.

Perspective of the Housing Courtyard

07.

“World Heritage” Photography & Visual Arts Competition - ESACH 2021.

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(Competition entry)

Appreciation of Endangared World Heritage

When we speak of "World Heritage", endangered cultures, both tangible and intangible, and natural species should be focused on as largely as the other heritages for its vulnerability towards modernization, conﬂicts, and the course of time. This visual art illustrates diﬀerent segments of culture, nature, and people around the world that requires appreciation and appropriate action to protect their core values, culture, and environment to unite with other heritages of the world simultaneously. The illustration was created using photo collage, illustrator drawing and post photoshop rendering.

“I am an optimistic individual with conﬁdence on my design abilities and solution expertise. With each task and challenge, I strive to become a better scholar. I always believe, even with failure comes great lessons. Teamwork and good communication skills are my forte and, being a multilingual provides me with the opportunity to integrate in diverse perspectives. Learning about heritage, is my passion, and my fascination for research and community-based solutions have motivated me throughout my architectural studies and current master’s program.“