Friendship Centre
200best ES
Kashef Chowdhury/URBANA
2011
Type
Social
Tags
energy sustainability, community infrastructures, 200Best, microcosms
Visitability
Allowed
Description
This social centre dedicated to job training serves the most deprived communities in Bangladesh. Budgetary constraints and climatic and geographical conditions are the starting point. Being located in a flood-prone area, the architects decided to protect themselves by enclosing the site by means of a slope. Inside, the level is below ground, so that the complex has zero impact on the surrounding agricultural landscape. The water collected inside is channelled into small pools that help to cool the environment in summer. These pools are connected to an outdoor lake where fishing is facilitated in the local tradition. The geometry is inspired by the temples of the area, especially the ruins of Mahasthangahr, which dates back to the 3rd century AD. In addition to the clear separation of the enclosure from the exterior, the axiality, which separates the area of the building into four parts, is taken from the historical example. The ground plan is completed with courtyards, galleries and pavilions built in brick. The project manages to generate a porous texture where light and shaded spaces alternate, favouring natural ventilation and passive hygrothermal conditioning. The green roof, in addition to integrating the complex into the landscape, increases the connection with the local archaeological sites, full of mystery and spatial wisdom.