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World Architecture Awards Submissions / 51st Cycle
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Entresol On The Horizon: Generating A Cultural & Learning Platform for The Haor Area Community in Mithamain, Kishoreganj, Bangladesh.
Description:
The Kishorganj wetlands, a significant geographical expanse within the Bengal delta and historically a part of the Greater Mymensingh district, stand as a remarkable testament to the intricate interplay between environment and culture. This unique region distinguishes itself not only through its profound cultural heritage and diverse ethnological background but also through its pristine natural wetland ecology and dynamic waterscape. Indeed, the very topography of the landscape, characterized by the fluid and ever-evolving relationship between land and water, has profoundly shaped the cultural identity and traditions of its inhabitants.
The cultural fabric of the Haor (wetland) area community is richly woven with threads of folk literature, material culture, folk theatres, vibrant festivals, age-old rituals, distinctive musical instruments, traditional ware and ornaments, unique architectural styles, insightful proverbs and deeply held beliefs, and shared values and symbols. These multifaceted practices, often originating in antiquity and meticulously acquired by individuals and groups over generations, represent a cumulative repository of knowledge. This knowledge, deeply rooted in the regional context yet holding significant national value, now faces an imminent threat of extinction. The pervasive and often uncritical adoption of modernization and alien cultural influences poses a significant risk to the continuity of these traditions.
Recognizing the urgent need for intervention, this project focuses directly on the Kishorganj wetland community. Its central aim is to establish a robust cultural platform that empowers the local populace to actively promote and safeguard their tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This will be achieved through a multi-pronged approach encompassing educational initiatives designed to transmit cultural knowledge, the vibrant celebration of local festivals to reinforce community identity and cultural practices, and the creation of immersive experiences that allow individuals to connect deeply with the essence of their cultural traditions. By fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their unique cultural landscape, this project endeavors to counteract the homogenizing pressures of modernization and ensure the enduring legacy of the Kishorganj wetlands' rich cultural heritage for future generations.
The Design of the Rural Cultural Center respects Bangladesh’s north-eastern haor's (natural wetland) context and nature, maintaining its original identity and vastness. It aligns with natural environment, blending with the topography. Site forces are carefully utilized to avoid overpowering the haor's openness. Critical challenges like half-yearly flooding and soil erosion are addressed with natural solutions through detailed analysis. The design's metamorphosis elaborately considers and resolves site restrictions using natural solutions, natural resources, elements, traditional vernacular practices, and knowledge.
The design is site and context-responsive, nature-oriented, and self-sustainable, aiming to create an experience that promotes the region's culture. Key features include some interplaying spaces, simple spatial relationships, minimal geometry, consideration of natural barriers and ethnic social components, analysis of existing and lost structural and cultural elements, and the application of every relevant aspect. The project successfully balances aesthetics and functionality, achieving its intended purpose without excess or deficiency. This holistic approach to site emphasized and context responsiveness defines the project's success.
Profile of the Site:
Location: Mithamain upazila
District: kishoreganj
Authority: Ministry of cultural affairs, Govt. Of Bangladesh
Site area: 5.1 acres
Project theme:
A Rural Cultural & Learning Center.
A platform for promoting and archiving haor area culture through educational and cultural activities among the regional community.
Significance of the project:
-The ongoing process of the decline of haor area cultures can be decimated by invigorating the artistic & cultural activities of indigenous culture
-Local ways of life, literature, and music can get national and international appreciation through the practice, teaching, and spreading of performing and visual arts
-Facilitating a waterborne society along with its norms and customs.
-The “half-yearly (semi-annual) flood” issue can be both a formidable geographic challenge and an opportunity for the design process.
-Having the scope to learn about the local architectural treatment of establishments and also riverine conversations between earth and water.
Project Goal:
-Generating a cultural platform for the haor area community by invigorating the artistic and cultural practices of haor culture through training and practicing
Project Objective:
-Invigorate the declining culture of the haor area culture by including the indigenous community in the project
-To conserve the local culture, norms and practices of the area that ensured resilience
-To save the rich history of the haor( water-prone) area and appreciate it
Designer: Ommker Dutta Jay
Studio: Thesis (X)
Supervisor: Ar. Sarah Binte Haque
The Kishorganj wetlands, a significant geographical expanse within the Bengal delta and historically a part of the Greater Mymensingh district, stand as a remarkable testament to the intricate interplay between environment and culture. This unique region distinguishes itself not only through its profound cultural heritage and diverse ethnological background but also through its pristine natural wetland ecology and dynamic waterscape. Indeed, the very topography of the landscape, characterized by the fluid and ever-evolving relationship between land and water, has profoundly shaped the cultural identity and traditions of its inhabitants.
The cultural fabric of the Haor (wetland) area community is richly woven with threads of folk literature, material culture, folk theatres, vibrant festivals, age-old rituals, distinctive musical instruments, traditional ware and ornaments, unique architectural styles, insightful proverbs and deeply held beliefs, and shared values and symbols. These multifaceted practices, often originating in antiquity and meticulously acquired by individuals and groups over generations, represent a cumulative repository of knowledge. This knowledge, deeply rooted in the regional context yet holding significant national value, now faces an imminent threat of extinction. The pervasive and often uncritical adoption of modernization and alien cultural influences poses a significant risk to the continuity of these traditions.
Recognizing the urgent need for intervention, this project focuses directly on the Kishorganj wetland community. Its central aim is to establish a robust cultural platform that empowers the local populace to actively promote and safeguard their tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This will be achieved through a multi-pronged approach encompassing educational initiatives designed to transmit cultural knowledge, the vibrant celebration of local festivals to reinforce community identity and cultural practices, and the creation of immersive experiences that allow individuals to connect deeply with the essence of their cultural traditions. By fostering a sense of ownership and pride in their unique cultural landscape, this project endeavors to counteract the homogenizing pressures of modernization and ensure the enduring legacy of the Kishorganj wetlands' rich cultural heritage for future generations.
The Design of the Rural Cultural Center respects Bangladesh’s north-eastern haor's (natural wetland) context and nature, maintaining its original identity and vastness. It aligns with natural environment, blending with the topography. Site forces are carefully utilized to avoid overpowering the haor's openness. Critical challenges like half-yearly flooding and soil erosion are addressed with natural solutions through detailed analysis. The design's metamorphosis elaborately considers and resolves site restrictions using natural solutions, natural resources, elements, traditional vernacular practices, and knowledge.
The design is site and context-responsive, nature-oriented, and self-sustainable, aiming to create an experience that promotes the region's culture. Key features include some interplaying spaces, simple spatial relationships, minimal geometry, consideration of natural barriers and ethnic social components, analysis of existing and lost structural and cultural elements, and the application of every relevant aspect. The project successfully balances aesthetics and functionality, achieving its intended purpose without excess or deficiency. This holistic approach to site emphasized and context responsiveness defines the project's success.
Profile of the Site:
Location: Mithamain upazila
District: kishoreganj
Authority: Ministry of cultural affairs, Govt. Of Bangladesh
Site area: 5.1 acres
Project theme:
A Rural Cultural & Learning Center.
A platform for promoting and archiving haor area culture through educational and cultural activities among the regional community.
Significance of the project:
-The ongoing process of the decline of haor area cultures can be decimated by invigorating the artistic & cultural activities of indigenous culture
-Local ways of life, literature, and music can get national and international appreciation through the practice, teaching, and spreading of performing and visual arts
-Facilitating a waterborne society along with its norms and customs.
-The “half-yearly (semi-annual) flood” issue can be both a formidable geographic challenge and an opportunity for the design process.
-Having the scope to learn about the local architectural treatment of establishments and also riverine conversations between earth and water.
Project Goal:
-Generating a cultural platform for the haor area community by invigorating the artistic and cultural practices of haor culture through training and practicing
Project Objective:
-Invigorate the declining culture of the haor area culture by including the indigenous community in the project
-To conserve the local culture, norms and practices of the area that ensured resilience
-To save the rich history of the haor( water-prone) area and appreciate it
Designer: Ommker Dutta Jay
Studio: Thesis (X)
Supervisor: Ar. Sarah Binte Haque
Frequency Forum: Recording Studios & Conference Hall
Frequency Forum is a building consisting of social areas with terraces on the sloping land overlooking the sea, located at the Izmir Institute of Technology
In Frequency Forum, residential recording studios offer musicians a place to retreat from their daily lives and focus on composing music. The location of Izmir Institute of Technology is ideal for such a studio. Musicians can work in an isolated setting but can also reach both the city and vacation spots such as Alaçatı and Çeşme easily when they wish. Students and campus life will also benefit from interaction with professional musicians. The center will house spaces for recording music – separately for students and professionals. It will include a large auditorium mainly for musical performances and provide professional accommodation.
The project's ground floor works in common with terraces and is located close to the university gate and is open to social use. The cafeteria, open and closed amplifier and office units are here. On the first floor, we are greeted by a second entrance due to the slope and a common area overlooking the sea. The exhibition hall, recording studios and the first entrance of the conference hall are located on this floor. There are places where guests can wander around the exhibition area and on the terraces outside before using the conference hall. The sea view and the social regions are observed using the main core, and there is a foyer and conference hall on the second floor. At the same time, the backstage of the conference hall is connected to the accommodation areas for the upcoming artists. The accommodation units and recording studios reserved for the artists are separated by landscaping, and attention has been paid to the circulation of private areas. The accommodation has its terraces, and parking areas, and is not accessible to guests arriving in the building.
The structure, located on the sloping land at the Izmir Institute of Technology, was provided with a reinforced concrete system. Insulation materials are available for conference rooms and recording studios.
Location: Urla, İzmir, Turkey
Project Area: 5405m2
Status: Designed for AR301 Project
Designers:
Özgür Fırat Koç
Supervisors:
Onurcan Çakır, Dr.
Mustafa Emre İLAL, Dr.
Özüm DÜLGEROĞLU, M.Sc.
In Frequency Forum, residential recording studios offer musicians a place to retreat from their daily lives and focus on composing music. The location of Izmir Institute of Technology is ideal for such a studio. Musicians can work in an isolated setting but can also reach both the city and vacation spots such as Alaçatı and Çeşme easily when they wish. Students and campus life will also benefit from interaction with professional musicians. The center will house spaces for recording music – separately for students and professionals. It will include a large auditorium mainly for musical performances and provide professional accommodation.
The project's ground floor works in common with terraces and is located close to the university gate and is open to social use. The cafeteria, open and closed amplifier and office units are here. On the first floor, we are greeted by a second entrance due to the slope and a common area overlooking the sea. The exhibition hall, recording studios and the first entrance of the conference hall are located on this floor. There are places where guests can wander around the exhibition area and on the terraces outside before using the conference hall. The sea view and the social regions are observed using the main core, and there is a foyer and conference hall on the second floor. At the same time, the backstage of the conference hall is connected to the accommodation areas for the upcoming artists. The accommodation units and recording studios reserved for the artists are separated by landscaping, and attention has been paid to the circulation of private areas. The accommodation has its terraces, and parking areas, and is not accessible to guests arriving in the building.
The structure, located on the sloping land at the Izmir Institute of Technology, was provided with a reinforced concrete system. Insulation materials are available for conference rooms and recording studios.
Location: Urla, İzmir, Turkey
Project Area: 5405m2
Status: Designed for AR301 Project
Designers:
Özgür Fırat Koç
Supervisors:
Onurcan Çakır, Dr.
Mustafa Emre İLAL, Dr.
Özüm DÜLGEROĞLU, M.Sc.
Homeland world
In Taiwan's rural areas closely intertwined with the land, a naturally pure way of life has been cultivated, making daily life diligent and warm without haste.
However, faced with the rapidly changing demands of generations and the development of urban civilization, the countryside has gradually become the opposite of the city. In response to the natural development of life and the environment, it constantly absorbs disturbances from urban civilization, deviates from interference and demands, and causes the countryside to fall into a stagnant cycle.
The foundation of the countryside is seen as a breathing space for urban civilization, thus labeled as a salvation land. In reality, local residents have long closed their doors and windows, thereby closing the interesting alleyways that once flowed into the city.
Only the fields and structures left on the land record the traces of past lives. Therefore, I will use the countryside as the subject to unlock closed pathways, excavate the presentation of rural life, experience life from childhood to adulthood, ride on unfamiliar development contexts, reconnect communities, gather local consciousness, and regain the vitality and spirit of innovation.
The foundation of the countryside is seen as a breathing space for urban civilization, thus labeled as a salvation land. In reality, local residents have long closed their doors and windows, thereby closing the interesting alleyways that once flowed into the city.
Only the fields and structures left on the land record the traces of past lives.
Therefore, I will use the countryside as the subject to unlock closed pathways, excavate the presentation of rural life, experience life from childhood to adulthood, ride on unfamiliar development contexts, reconnect communities, gather local conscious.
Designer: Hsinya Tsai
Instructor: Chieh An Yang
Institution: Chaoyang University of Technology
However, faced with the rapidly changing demands of generations and the development of urban civilization, the countryside has gradually become the opposite of the city. In response to the natural development of life and the environment, it constantly absorbs disturbances from urban civilization, deviates from interference and demands, and causes the countryside to fall into a stagnant cycle.
The foundation of the countryside is seen as a breathing space for urban civilization, thus labeled as a salvation land. In reality, local residents have long closed their doors and windows, thereby closing the interesting alleyways that once flowed into the city.
Only the fields and structures left on the land record the traces of past lives. Therefore, I will use the countryside as the subject to unlock closed pathways, excavate the presentation of rural life, experience life from childhood to adulthood, ride on unfamiliar development contexts, reconnect communities, gather local consciousness, and regain the vitality and spirit of innovation.
The foundation of the countryside is seen as a breathing space for urban civilization, thus labeled as a salvation land. In reality, local residents have long closed their doors and windows, thereby closing the interesting alleyways that once flowed into the city.
Only the fields and structures left on the land record the traces of past lives.
Therefore, I will use the countryside as the subject to unlock closed pathways, excavate the presentation of rural life, experience life from childhood to adulthood, ride on unfamiliar development contexts, reconnect communities, gather local conscious.
Designer: Hsinya Tsai
Instructor: Chieh An Yang
Institution: Chaoyang University of Technology
Impermanent Substrates: Restorative Infiltrations in the Interstice
The Impermanent Substrates: Restorative Infiltrations in the Interstice project proposes an architectural and landscape intervention in territories impacted by large-scale infrastructures, such as the Ituango Hydroelectric Power Plant in Colombia. Its approach is based on the understanding of the interstice as a space of opportunity, where ecological, social and economic restoration strategies can be generated. It is conceived as a non-permanent, flexible and adaptable architecture, capable of evolving over time and responding to the dynamics of the environment.
The project explores the relationship between landscape, technology and memory, proposing architectural systems that allow the regeneration of the territory through modular, floating and self-sufficient structures. It focuses on the interaction between human and non-human beings, seeking to reestablish the ecological conditions for biodiversity and community life. Through architectural infiltration devices, new ways of inhabiting and activating marginalized spaces are generated, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.
This proposal seeks to transform hard infrastructure into living infrastructure, where interventions not only mitigate the damage caused by the dam, but also open up possibilities for a more equitable, resilient future in balance with the ecosystem.
The project program is based on interventions that promote sustainability and landscape regeneration. Support systems for adaptive crops that optimize water use, waste treatment to minimize pollution and strategies for rehabilitation of biological corridors are included. In addition, the implementation of floating spaces is proposed that allow communities to reestablish their relationship with water and improve their mobility through a system of transferring fish and canoes between the highest and lowest points of the territory. These strategies seek to consolidate a resilient and adaptable architecture that does not impose a rigid presence, but rather evolves with the landscape and its natural dynamics.
A key aspect of the design is the performativity of the landscape—its ability to transform and regenerate in response to different stimuli. To support this, the project employs strategies such as verticalizing the landscape with floating or suspended structures, restoring aquatic ecosystems through filtration devices, and using environmentally integrated materials that minimize negative impact.
Community participation is central to the design, fostering the co-creation of spaces that reflect local knowledge and needs. Rather than imposing a fixed architectural solution, the project envisions a dynamic, living system that adapts to environmental and social changes, acting as a catalyst for regeneration for both the landscape and its inhabitants.
Architectural Structure:
The project is based on a concrete structural skeleton anchored to the base of the mountain. A wooden beam structure is suspended from this skeleton, supported by a tension system. The assembly is modular and progressive, allowing for adaptability to the terrain and ease of assembly.
Transportation System: Funicular
A fast-moving funicular connects the upper and lower levels of the project. Its function is to facilitate the transport of people and goods, improving vertical mobility between inhabited and productive areas.
Fish Transfer System:
To restore the migration of species such as striped catfish and bocachico, the following are proposed: A controlled water release system at different levels. A stepped structure with moving water channels that simulate the natural flow of the river, allowing fish to manage the dam.
Bridges and Pathways:
Expandable and retractable bridges are integrated and adapt to the slope and water level, connecting multiple levels of the landscape. Pedestrian paths are part of the sensorial design, generating a lived experience of the landscape that changes with the topography and environmental conditions.
Key Elements of Functional Design:
Canoe Port and Pulleys: A pulley system facilitates the ascent of canoes to maintenance areas, providing logistical autonomy to the communities.
Performative Substrates:
The project introduces "substrates" as functional support layers for: Crops (atmospheric water capture), fisheries (marketing spaces), waste (treatment and reuse of sediment and organic matter).
These substrates act as inflow regulators and are adaptable to different water levels (high, medium, low).
General Principles:
The design seeks to transform a hard infrastructure (such as Hidroituango) into a regenerative machine for the social, environmental, and productive fabric.
Impermanence and adaptability are key principles, with structures designed to assemble and disassemble according to the environment and time.
This project was independently developed by a final-year architecture student as part of their undergraduate thesis.
Student: Alejandra Fajardo
Professors: Daniela Atencio - Claudio Rossi
The project explores the relationship between landscape, technology and memory, proposing architectural systems that allow the regeneration of the territory through modular, floating and self-sufficient structures. It focuses on the interaction between human and non-human beings, seeking to reestablish the ecological conditions for biodiversity and community life. Through architectural infiltration devices, new ways of inhabiting and activating marginalized spaces are generated, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.
This proposal seeks to transform hard infrastructure into living infrastructure, where interventions not only mitigate the damage caused by the dam, but also open up possibilities for a more equitable, resilient future in balance with the ecosystem.
The project program is based on interventions that promote sustainability and landscape regeneration. Support systems for adaptive crops that optimize water use, waste treatment to minimize pollution and strategies for rehabilitation of biological corridors are included. In addition, the implementation of floating spaces is proposed that allow communities to reestablish their relationship with water and improve their mobility through a system of transferring fish and canoes between the highest and lowest points of the territory. These strategies seek to consolidate a resilient and adaptable architecture that does not impose a rigid presence, but rather evolves with the landscape and its natural dynamics.
A key aspect of the design is the performativity of the landscape—its ability to transform and regenerate in response to different stimuli. To support this, the project employs strategies such as verticalizing the landscape with floating or suspended structures, restoring aquatic ecosystems through filtration devices, and using environmentally integrated materials that minimize negative impact.
Community participation is central to the design, fostering the co-creation of spaces that reflect local knowledge and needs. Rather than imposing a fixed architectural solution, the project envisions a dynamic, living system that adapts to environmental and social changes, acting as a catalyst for regeneration for both the landscape and its inhabitants.
Architectural Structure:
The project is based on a concrete structural skeleton anchored to the base of the mountain. A wooden beam structure is suspended from this skeleton, supported by a tension system. The assembly is modular and progressive, allowing for adaptability to the terrain and ease of assembly.
Transportation System: Funicular
A fast-moving funicular connects the upper and lower levels of the project. Its function is to facilitate the transport of people and goods, improving vertical mobility between inhabited and productive areas.
Fish Transfer System:
To restore the migration of species such as striped catfish and bocachico, the following are proposed: A controlled water release system at different levels. A stepped structure with moving water channels that simulate the natural flow of the river, allowing fish to manage the dam.
Bridges and Pathways:
Expandable and retractable bridges are integrated and adapt to the slope and water level, connecting multiple levels of the landscape. Pedestrian paths are part of the sensorial design, generating a lived experience of the landscape that changes with the topography and environmental conditions.
Key Elements of Functional Design:
Canoe Port and Pulleys: A pulley system facilitates the ascent of canoes to maintenance areas, providing logistical autonomy to the communities.
Performative Substrates:
The project introduces "substrates" as functional support layers for: Crops (atmospheric water capture), fisheries (marketing spaces), waste (treatment and reuse of sediment and organic matter).
These substrates act as inflow regulators and are adaptable to different water levels (high, medium, low).
General Principles:
The design seeks to transform a hard infrastructure (such as Hidroituango) into a regenerative machine for the social, environmental, and productive fabric.
Impermanence and adaptability are key principles, with structures designed to assemble and disassemble according to the environment and time.
This project was independently developed by a final-year architecture student as part of their undergraduate thesis.
Student: Alejandra Fajardo
Professors: Daniela Atencio - Claudio Rossi
Lavender Peak
From a tiny flower to empower city's nature investments, the magnificent “Lavender peak” will be a tipping point for Abha. It aims for contributing in blooming a unique heritage city to global as well as city changing to make Abha the purple city to become a remarkable global destination for lavender civilization, contemplation, and experimenting nature and adventures.
This project located on the highest peak in Saudi Arabia - Al-Souda region - which aims to provide a unique, breathtaking experience above the clouds and around the purple lavender mountains.
The philosophy behind “Lavender peak” is the art of harmony with nature. Which aims for taking people out of the bottom of their restricted materialistic life into the peak of contemplation in this great vast universe. The project is inspired by Aseer architecture, moreover, it aims to emphasize the magic of heritage buildings upon which comes from nature to nature.
Why particularly Lavender? Saudi Arabia prompted to choose purple as the new color for its ceremonial carpets. Purple was chosen as a touristic and cultural symbol, inspired by the lavender flowers. Lavender is a versatile and aromatic plant, and offers opportunities for tourism, economic development, and cultural preservation in the region. Also, lavender has the potential to become a focal point for tourism and a global destination for relaxation and contemplation.
Lavender project will be consisting of two main zones:
1- tourism area 2- production area
The first zone is a public zone provides a unique experience for tourist and consisting of:
• Lavender exhibition
• small hotel
• contemplation zone
• foot therapy
• lavender café, restaurant & retail
• Lavender farms
• workshops
• Lavender kid’s zone
The second area is the semi-private zone consisting of:
• cosmetics and perfumes production area
• honey production area
• lavender oil production area
Project Location: Al Soudah - Aseer region
site area: 30,000 m2
The project is located on the edge of the highest mountain in Saudi Arabia.
Structure System:
Super slanted columns
Student: Nasab Marwan Bamieh
Instructor: Ahmed Waseef
This project located on the highest peak in Saudi Arabia - Al-Souda region - which aims to provide a unique, breathtaking experience above the clouds and around the purple lavender mountains.
The philosophy behind “Lavender peak” is the art of harmony with nature. Which aims for taking people out of the bottom of their restricted materialistic life into the peak of contemplation in this great vast universe. The project is inspired by Aseer architecture, moreover, it aims to emphasize the magic of heritage buildings upon which comes from nature to nature.
Why particularly Lavender? Saudi Arabia prompted to choose purple as the new color for its ceremonial carpets. Purple was chosen as a touristic and cultural symbol, inspired by the lavender flowers. Lavender is a versatile and aromatic plant, and offers opportunities for tourism, economic development, and cultural preservation in the region. Also, lavender has the potential to become a focal point for tourism and a global destination for relaxation and contemplation.
Lavender project will be consisting of two main zones:
1- tourism area 2- production area
The first zone is a public zone provides a unique experience for tourist and consisting of:
• Lavender exhibition
• small hotel
• contemplation zone
• foot therapy
• lavender café, restaurant & retail
• Lavender farms
• workshops
• Lavender kid’s zone
The second area is the semi-private zone consisting of:
• cosmetics and perfumes production area
• honey production area
• lavender oil production area
Project Location: Al Soudah - Aseer region
site area: 30,000 m2
The project is located on the edge of the highest mountain in Saudi Arabia.
Structure System:
Super slanted columns
Student: Nasab Marwan Bamieh
Instructor: Ahmed Waseef
