A home for memories and daydreams

Savar, Bangladesh

Project Area: 2000 sqft

Project Status: Completed 2024

Photo Credits:  Asif Salman

BERGER Award for Excellence in Architecture, 2024

This project reflects the lifestyles of the Bangladeshi middle class. Unlike architecture for the wealthy, which often emphasizes privacy and security, or that for the poor, which can be shaped by social class constraints, middle-class architecture embraces inclusivity and openness due to its reliance on intricate social networks. It serves as a communal hub for multi-generational family, friends, relatives, and neighbors, while also accommodating the family’s most private aspects. Given the constraints of budget and space, public and private areas are necessarily close together, intensifying the relation and contradictions between these public and the private aspects. This intensity creates opportunity for a distinctive and engaging living environment.

In this Project a separation between public and private areas is achieved through a layering of walls and shifting viewpoints. This design approach results in a simple layout that supports complex layered activities. The public living area is delineated by a two-arched wall, while a shift in the building’s parti in the semi-private dining space effectively isolates private areas from the public zone. Arches and courtyards ensure that there is always something partially visible, inviting discovery and maintaining a sense of intrigue. The changing light within the courtyards continually alters the experience, making each visit truly unique.

Courtyards in this design are not merely overused symbolism of ‘tradition’’ but result from a series of thoughtful decisions. 

The first two courtyards serve to extend the living and dinning space, accommodating neighborly and family gatherings typical of Bangladeshi homes during holidays. As open spaces, they avoid the extra costs associated with roofing and flooring. These courtyards provide flexibility and multi-use functionality, creating a dynamic, three-dimensional flow of space and activity. The ever-changing garden spaces offer a sense of discovery throughout the day, seasons, and year. They maintain the building’s openness amid future developments and, finally, ensure continuous airflow and shade throughout the year.

To reduce costs, the design incorporates the boundary wall as part of the building’s exterior, leaving the setback outside, thereby enhancing security without the need for additional walls. This approach also converts the front setback into a functional courtyard and parking area.

The layout mirrors the surrounding checkered landscape, and the roof provides an uninterrupted visual connection with the environment. A blue staircase ascends from the entry to the roof, linking the earth with the sky. The roof serves as a versatile space for various activities under the open sky, including drying clothes, hosting family gatherings, sleeping on hot nights, making pickles, and even bathing children.

The use of white Chunkam plastered walls was both cost-effective and showcased the skilled craftsmanship of local labor, seamlessly blending with the surrounding environment.

The ‘Eye’ window in the master bedroom offers a sweeping, uninterrupted view of the entire house, creating a sense of visual authority over the home.

The direct connection between the kitchen and dining area facilitates casual conversations while cooking. The spacious, square kitchen accommodates traditional setups, such as sitting and working on a ‘boti’ or managing multilayered cooking arrangements, catering to the needs of multiple generations of women in the household. A large window ensures ample light, a pleasant view, and effective ventilation for traditional, aromatic cooking. 

The house includes numerous hidden storage spaces, catering to the middle-class habit of keeping items for future use. These storage areas are cleverly integrated under the stairs, in wide semi-outdoor corridors, and within the back courtyard.