Asif Zahir Residence
Written by Sultan Md. Salauddin Siddique
Dhaka is becoming the city of urban mayhem where the high-rise building is severing the eyesight from enjoying the sky and nature. The Asif Zahir Residence, a single extended family house, is an endeavor to create a structure that not only becomes an abode for its dwellers but also can act like screens to provide see-through views rather than constructing an opaque building. To create the screens, porosity is developed in different layers of the house that allows both the residents and pedestrians to see the sky and the views, adjacent to the house, where the house acts as a number of frames. The morning sun always touches the east-facing house. Abundant summer wind and winter sun enter the house from the second floor as a two-storied building is there on the south side of the house. From the second floor, numerous punches have been made on concrete walls of the south side to get the sunlight and south air on the open terraces over the day. As the building has risen, the number of punches on the south wall has increased and ends with a large circular punch on the top floor to interact with the sunlight and the wind flow. The climate of Dhaka has made the southeast corner of the house the best option for making a garden. A forest with the combination of an engineered garden, an untamed garden, and a water body has been created on the fourth floor of the house that stays full with juicy bouncing greenery over the six seasons around the year. Actually, this floor is developed as a community space for creating spiritual contact with the nature. Attempts have been made to replenish the amount of green space that was lost in the construction of this house through gardens on different floors. Placement of utilities along with waiting lounge, water bodies, rock garden and parking spaces and substation on the ground level; a swimming floor on the first floor, formal and family living with dining on the duplex, containing first and second floor; mother’s living space on the third floor; a forest with garden & water body, a big terrace, gymnasium and hall room on the fourth floor; some part of the gymnasium, mechanical supports, and void on the fifth floor-. has opted for implementing the "stacking" design to provide much space on the ground and other levels. The “fluidal” design of the house reflects the action of time and nature and transform gradually over time what culminates in the Arcadian environment.