Meghna Residence by Shatotto Architects

Architects: Shatotto Architects
Location: Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Year: 2005
Area: 20,000 sqft
Photo courtesy: Hassan Saifuddin Chandan
Description:

Because of absence of a legitimate ground breaking strategy, development tenets and mindfulness, Dhaka, a standout amongst the most thickly populated urban areas on the planet has turned into a city of urban disorder. Dhaka, having under five percent green zone for a city of more than 400 square miles with a developing populace of dissimilarity and tireless troubles with different utilities, is quick losing its living feeling.

Dhaka is a thickly populated city where the majority of the single storied private structures with open green spaces are quick vanishing and multistoried (six storied) flat structures are supplanting them. The Meghna Residence is a solitary more distant family house situated at Dhanmondi-an arranged local location of the mid sixties. This house has been considered in three layers — its encompassing connection, the atmosphere, the conventional typology.

The encompassing connection:

This is a corner plot uniting streets at the upper east and northwest. The northwest street has middle with vast mahoganies going about as a screen giving security to the house. The house is confronting a substantial open play field and a swimming pool having a place with the ladies sports league over the upper east street. On the southeast is a six-storied condo with a veneer having 49 windows peeping over the plot and a two-storied habitation on the southwest with possibilities of skyscraper development in future.

Atmosphere contemplations:

Dhaka is on the 24.5-degree scope close to the tropics of disease. Having summer winds from the east, southeast and the south move towards the southwest conveying rainstorm rain around 60 creeps yearly. The mid year solstice does not appear to be important that begins from the upper east to the vertex at late morning toward the northwest toward the evening. In any case, in winter when the sun grades further towards the south needs watchful mediation.

Customary typology:

In Bangladesh the yard is a conventional typology making space for living in protection alongside cross ventilation, sufficient sunlight and vegetation.

Outline contemplations and building arrangement:

To make a screen against 49 windows on the southeast especially to guard the swimming pool on the fifth level of the house with much protection and to guarantee winter solstice that is basic and summer cross ventilation for the living spaces that is for the most part gathered in the northwest and southwest side of the area was a significant test. The exertion was further to accomplish a customary living feeling with layers of greeneries and water to accomplish a deltaic condition. For this, a “U” shape design has been embraced.

Additionally a “stacking” configuration in diverse floors has been received to give much space on the ground and different levels. The part-semi cellar alongside the vast majority of the ground level has been assigned for administration procurements i. e. water treatment plant, weight vessel framework, power era, stopping and lift lounge and so forth. The second level for the formal spaces, for example, formal living and eating, visitor cabin, customer’s home office and the primary kitchen and the third level is particularly for private family spaces i. e. all rooms, parlors, feasting, library, water bodies and the patio nurseries. The forward level utilized for the swimming lake plate and other electro mechanical bolster offices. The fifth level contains sauna, gym, mostly secured swimming lake, deck alongside conventional “GHAT” and a neighboring substantial patio nursery. What’s more the swimming lake gives a delightful perspective of the green field with huge trees got by the sight far off.

Mr. M. Kamal’s (client’s) perspective:

The utilization of uncovered cement both inside and outside in real dividers alongside uncovered block at first made my family somewhat distrustful and uncomfortable as far as its mat and crude look of the house. In any case, my engineer disclosed to us the fittingness of the methodology considering the simplicity of support and the atmosphere of Bangladesh. He additionally made a decent attempt to make us envision the house changing slowly with the developing green that he kept in distinctive levels.

Presently after over a year living in this house, I can understand. Presently I appreciate the security, development of air and light, stable of water and clearly the carefully chaotic skipping green. On the off chance that I should be certain then I will discuss the fourth level music room (gosha ghar) encompassed by the porches and the greenery enclosures joined to the upper level swimming pool, extensive tree zone and the deck by an open to sky stair, I like the smoothness. After my daylong effort when I return home and sit loose or walk around this quiet and calm territory amidst riotous and uproarious Dhaka, I get to be nostalgic to my initial days in town and I cherish it.