Alif Breeze

For the respect and trust: One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Dhaka is characterized by an urban mayhem fermented by unregulated development, unreliable infrastructure and lack of green space. In addition the poor local law and order situation with global security problem put the over all social ambiance of the city distrustful and disrespectful.
Currently as a result, the house and street relationship is bifurcated by high boundary wall with barbed wire on top, “be aware of dog” sign making the society frazil and vulnerable. But even less than thirty years back the scenario of the city was otherwise. Houses, having no boundary wall but extended plinth called “Mer” with sitting bench and water pitcher showing the strong bondage, respect and trust amongst the people of the community.

Here in this project one of the main features is its low glass boundary wall. Semiologically this is an urge to the society to revive the trust and respect. The intention is also to create a kind of illusion and dream that we are forgetting and to make a dividing wall frazil and vulnerable but not the society.
Another important space in this twenty family apartment building is its car parking area on the ground. An open to sky water body at the point of entry as a memory of deltaic living, long marble benches for sitting, lounge, reception, connecting greens, defused lights, terra-cotta and granite floor in total all making the place a Rendezvous.

Initially backside (south) of the plot was connected to the lake and design has been done accordingly. But unfortunately, as typical south Asian political action, a plot has been created and given to a minister on the lake blocking all the views of this apartment to the lake. This unique situation in addition created actuate privacy problem when the minister built a six-story house with the entire servant rooms/ windows facing the project. This compelled us to create frosted glass louver screens for privacy and peeping lake from some points.

Almost all eight thousand square feet flat roof area is another space utilized fully as community space with lawns, vegetation, terraces and so on. This in one hand reduced the heat generation and provided some green space which Dhaka is lacking much now a day. All the twenty apartments in this building have been designed very carefully, examining the cross ventilation sun movement, vegetation, water body, privacy etc.
The use of reinforced concrete beams, columns, and shear walls as cast with exposed terracotta brick in fill has been done. Considering the tropical/sub tropical climate of Dhaka this approach is friendly and sustainable. This also justifies the earthquake resistant design of Dhaka zone 2.
Land area: 14400 sft. Built area: 60,000 sft