PEOPLES INSURANCE BHABAN

The design of Peoples Insurance Bhaban responds to two important parameters to consider are formal expression of the building mass and the site configuration. These two parameters ultimately helped in maintaining a rational and responsive built-form against the climatic considerations and the efficient usage of space. The configuration of the building is evolved through the dialogue between the site outline and the resultant orientation of the building block eventually ensures natural lighting to the centre of interior of each floor unit. As the facade fenestration moves form the east to the west, the horizontal stripes also get continuingly heavier with increasing sectional depths and the service areas are located to the west in particular to reduce the possibility of allowing unpleasant heat or sun of the day. The north has more of deliberate glazed curtain walls as a mark of response to the favourable sun and light to be penetrated deep into the workplace. This type of skin of the building, which clearly manifests the differential behavioural pattern of the local climate, prompted the designers for full-height glazing to enhance the quality of natural light and vibrant ambience in the internalized workplace and communal concentrations.

The building is conceived as a rigid structure rising above ground built with Form Finished Concrete material. All over the façade, the explicitly of formed finished concrete is being interplayed with reflective glasses. The abundance of reflective glass in upper floors is supplemented with the concrete formed finished concrete shading devices in varied forms; sometimes being vertical on the extreme SW portion and sometimes being horizontal crates in the lesser sun gain areas, the interplay of bare concrete and glass thus produce a melody of truth and beauty. At lower part of the building, the double height loft is being enveloped with clear frameless suspended glass system which is intended to invite the passers by.

The process of design began with the analysis of the given parameters suggested by the client primarily being local climate and site configuration in particular. The initial development of solutions for problems and opportunities within the project was developed in the light of larger contextual limitations like client’s brief, site constraint, energy consciousness, architectural and cultural values within the clientele, but turned out to be an expressed three-dimensional solution originated from climate interfacing with regard to the shape of the site. Flexibility, comfort and efficiency in the proposed building considered being the key issues in the total design process, and the design ultimately achieved a system solution responsive to the greater climatic comfort to its users ensuring efficient usage of space.

The building with a shape of cylinder or having a constant circular cross section as it rose above the ground and interfaced to the civic surroundings has been distinguished by projecting ledges with circle of concrete wall bands to form rotated ‘T’ profile shading device. The surface of the mass as one mark from the street is so punched out by the interplay of parallel bands that it gives an impression of a basic striped composition of cylinder with solids and voids. The most logical part of the site is considered as the main entrance to the building though unconventional for the formal approach for such morphology. The double-height covered entrance foyer flow inside the transparent vast entrance hall creating an inside-out street elevation for the passers by to relate to this building with dignity and comfort. Small offices directly related to public affairs supplement the ground floor activities. A separate stair is provided to facilitate the easy access to the first or mezzanine floor, which in the event of heavy traffic is planned to reduce the pressure on the elevators.

Peoples Insurance Bhaban is conceived as a composition of a circle tied with a<

20 Storied Commercial Building
Location 36, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka 1000
Built Area 20,000 Sq. M.
Project Cost US $ 5.0 Million
Citation Award wining entry, organized by IAB and PICL Authority in 1998
Berger Award for Excellence in Architecture 2007