n

Friendship Centre

Gaibandha,Bangladesh

RecipientoftheAgaKhanAwardforArchitecturein
2016.
TheCentrewascreatedtotrainstaffofanNGOworkingwith
peopleinhabitingnearbychars,orriverineislands.Offices,a
library,meetingrooms,andprayerandtearoomsare
includedinpavilionlikebuildingssurroundedbycourtsand
pools.TheCentreisalsorentedoutformeetings,training,
andconferencesforincomegeneration.Thelocalhandmade
brickconstructionhasbeeninspiredbythemonastic
aestheticofthe3rdcenturyBCruinsofMahasthangahr,the
earliesturbanarchaeologicalsiteyetfoundinBangladesh.
Structuralelementsareofreinforcedconcreteandfinishes
alsoincludetimberandstone.Thenaturallyventilated
structureshavegreenroofs.TheCentreislocatedinan
agriculturalareasusceptibletofloodingandearthquakes,and
whoselowbearingsoilhasalowbearingcapacity.Asa
result,anembankmenthasbeenconstructedwithawater
runoffpumpingfacility.Constructedandfinishedprimarily
ofonemateriallocalhandmadebricksthespacesare
wovenoutofpavilions,courtyards,poolsandgreens,
DATE

Design20082010,construction20102011,completion
2011

corridorsandshadows.TheFriendshipCentreisdividedinto
twosections,theouterKoblockfortheoffices,libraryand
trainingclassroomsandtheinnerKhoblockforthe
residentialsection.Atatime,80peoplecanbetrainedhere

ASSOCIATEDNAMES

KashefMahboobChowdhury/URBANA(architect)
FriendshipNGO(client)

BUILDINGTYPE

educational

BUILDINGUSAGE

trainingcenter

DIMENSIONS

Totalsitearea:9,210mbuiltarea.3,053m

ASSOCIATEDCOLLECTIONS

FeaturedOnArchnet
13thCycle:20132016
AgaKhanAwardRecipients(Sites)
AgaKhanAwardforArchitecture2016Shortlisted
Projects

KEYWORDS

AgaKhanAwardforArchitectureWinner

http://archnet.org/sites/15121

infourseparateclassrooms.Simplicityistheintent,monastic
isthefeel.

Source:AgaKhanTrustforCulture