Feature

Student's final output of 5 years effort
A snap on thesis of AUST architecture students

Deel Afsana

Architecture is generally conceived designed and realized response to an existing set of conditions. These conditions may be purely functional in nature, or they may also reflect in varying degrees the social, political, and economic climate. In any case, it is assumed that under the existing set of conditions the problem is less than satisfactory and that a new set of conditions would make a solution desirable. The act of creating architecture, then, is a problem solving or design process.
- Francis D.K Ching

In our country architecture plays a significant role in urban development and its demand is increasing day by day. Previously only BUET had the Department of Architecture. Later on many other public/ private universities introduced architecture along with other courses. Among those Department of Architecture of The Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) has been running successfully from the very beginning. The graduate students of AUST are now working successfully in both home and abroad.

Recently the students of the eighth batch of AUST has finished their final year thesis project under the guidance of Sirajuddin Raju and Tauhid Amanullah. The final jury was held on November17, 2007. The jury board was honored by the presence of several renowned architects of Bangladesh. Architect Professor Mir Mobasher Ali (former Head of the Department of Architecture BUET), Architect Shah Alam Zahiruddin (former Chief Architect, Department of Architecture, PWD), Architect Mobasher Hossain (President Institute of Architects Bangladesh), Architect Kazi Golam Nasir (Deputy Chief Architect Department of Architecture, PWD), Architect Bashirul Haque (renowned senior Architect), Professor Dr. Sayed Ahmed (Head of the Department of Architecture of The University of Asia Pacific), Professor Kazi Azizul Mowla (BUET), Rafiq Azam (renowned Architect), and Mr. Hasan (renowned painter) have attended the jury session. The board was chaired by Professor Dr. M.A Muktadir (Head of the Department of Architecture, AUST). They enlightened the jury by providing their valuable comments and criticism about all the thesis projects.

The thesis jury was organized by the different categories of the projects like National Film Institute at agargaon, Jainul Fine Arts Institute at Mymensingh, S.M. Sultan Kala Kendra at Narail Jessore, Four Star Resort at Inani, Cox's Bazar, Rakhaing Cultural Institute at Ramu, Cox's Bazar, National Cricket Village at Purbachal, National Centre for Science and Technology at Agargaon, Nasir Polytechnic Institute at Allarh Dargah Kushtia, Purbachal University of Engineering and Technology, and Civic Centre at Purbachal. Among those Jainul Fine Arts Institute at Mymensing and some other projects became quite appreciated in the jury board by the honourable jurors.

Sabrina Jahan Tofa explored the issues of contemporary fine arts institution with her thesis Jainul Fine Arts Institute at Mymensing within the small district town context of Mymensing urbanism. It may be the great gold rush of the 21-century, which fuelled the public building program represented in the urban texture of Mymensing at the bank of Brahmaputra River. According to the juror's criticism the form and space relationship of her project was noticeable. Presence of a public plaza, academic inner court, a burly landscape near the riverfront and the tranquility of indoor-outdoor space relationship made the project more appreciable. In parallel The Rakhaing Cultural Center at Ramu, a philosophical project for a particular tribal group, was done by Monir Hasan Dipu.Strong remarks and compliments were given by the jurors for this project. The outcome of this project was a series of build forms which are closely and densely interconnected at the both side of the central axis, intended to evoke and reflect the spatial and experiential conditions typical of buddhist temple streetscape, aimed to produce a contemporary version of the traditional situation of Bengal Architecture . The juror's expected was the project to be done with the amalgamation of architecture, and philosophy and social custom of that particular group as well.

Beside these Nasir Polytechnic Institute at Allarh Dargah Kushtia by Shafin Ahmed was quite substantial. The site was in the remote area of Kushtia and this influenced him to work with traditional court and brick fenestration for his design project. Nafisa Iqbal and Ishita Jamal have done National film Institute at Agargaon and National Center for Science and Technology at Agargaon. Her project produced a sense of continuity between its own discontinuous elements: the volume of Performing Art Centre and the build form for public facilities; auditorium, theatre and cafeteria, and the void cutting through and linking the two. The project scenario for buildings were accurately composed, shaped in thoughtful and neat plans; the road along its east side, and the flow and the speed of the silent urban traffic that run beside the site, attractors of the view from the entry level, the running canal at west side; the last grain of classicism; all were depicted in a context inclined towards the merging of strong landscape and architecture. On the other hand Ishita Jamal has worked with the dynamic form for her project National Centre for Science and Technology. Her project was highly encouraged for handling such a playful dynamic form, which give an impression of 'abstract' bridge, physically reinforcing the connection between the urban people and technology. It attempts to reinvigorate the Science Centre's immediate context. The jurors suggested that students should be careful about the structural solution of the project, which will make the project possible in reality. Other projects were also criticised as well as appreciated to some extent.

Overall the talent and abilities of the students were quite appreciated by the honorable jurors. Presently the students of ongoing thesis batch are working hard taking into consideration all the valuable comments, criticism and remarks given by the honourable jurors. The final jury of this ongoing batch is expected to be organized in the AUST own new campus.

(Lecturer, Department of Architecture
Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology)