Ceremony

Courtesy: One Step Ahead

Young architects win awards

Saad Adnan Khan

It is now a necessity that Dhaka has a strong, healthy architecture to guarantee people a happy, healthy life. So many problems require our immediate attention. Ranging from buildings crumbling down (regardless of earthquakes) to inavailability of open space, to pollution, everything should be paid attention to, under the planning of the place we live in. The youths are not clueless about the problems, and they are taking part in coming up with solutions-both actively and passively.

The fourth award giving ceremony of Berger Award Programme for the Students of Architecture, BUET (BASAB) was held on October 22, 2011, at the BUET Auditorium. Every year, this competition (sponsored by Berger Paints) is held to encourage young architects push their imagination and come up with designs and proposals. All the works had the qualities to benefit the surrounding and the society if implemented.

A total of 19 participants from four categories were awarded at the function. The categories were BERGER Travel Grant, Berger Best Portfolio Award, BERGER Promising Designer award and BERGER Best Design Award. Four groups won the Berger Travel Grant. The groups deserve lauding for all the effort and courage to step outside their comfort zones and travel (in and out of the country). They expounded on interesting and beneficial elements of designs they saw- whether it be the old forts of Dhaka, or models of ancient structures in India if implemented in planning, our buildings can withstand earthquakes or other forms od destruction. Short presentation clips were shown on the screens, where the winners and the teachers spoke about the special attributes of design. “As architects we cannot think about humans only, but also nature and ecology and so many other things,” says Labib Hossain, who was give an honourable mention in the BERGER best design award, along with Ishita Ferdousi. The pair came up with the design of an eco-friendly children's resource centre. The award giving ceremony was followed by a concert, where Shironamhin performed.

Professor Dr S M Nazrul Islam, Vice Chencellor, BUET was present as the Chief Guest and Rupali Chowdhury, Managing Director, Berger Paints was present as the Special Guest. Dr Habibur Rahman, Pro-VC, BUET was also present at the ceremony. AR Jalal Ahmed, General Secretary, Institute of Architecture Bangladesh, Professor Hashem Khan, Department of Fine Arts, Dr KH Shabbir Ahmed, Department of Architecture, Professor Shaheda Rahman, Department of Architecture and AR SK Ahsan Ullah Majumder, Department of Architecture were the members of the jury panel.

This is what Dhaka, and rest of the country need right now- passionate, determined and sensitive young people with concrete plans, solutions and designs. Berger award is a strong platform that young architects can use to feel encouraged and eventually channel into the mainstream and work for the entire community.

The winning works of the students were exhibited at the BUET main campus from October, 23- 27, 2011.