One of designer Kashef Chowdhury and URBANA’s superlative recent works has received a huge honor from the UK’s oldest architectural organization. The Royal Institute of British Architects has today announced the firm’s Friendship Hospital project in Bangladesh as the winner of the 2021 International Prize for the World’s Best New Building.
The rural hospital is one of several firm projects in the country commissioned by a nonprofit group called Friendship that looks to empower underdeveloped communities in different regions of the country through hands-on social innovation and collaboration. The hospital provides the village of Satkhira, which has been heavily impacted by rising sea levels related to climate change. The village has particularly bad agricultural problems related to the rising waters, which the project was also able to address through the introduction of a new stormwater drainage system that simultaneously produces valuable drinking water and serves in the much-needed area of flood relief.
The jury cited the project as a steadfast example of what it called the “architecture of humanity” as well as an “exemplar of innovative architecture that addresses critical global issues — unequal access to healthcare and the crushing impact of climate breakdown on vulnerable communities.” RIBA President Simon Alford said it was “innovative, clear, refined, economical and delightful” and pointed to its ability to “provide essential healthcare services in the rural area and address the increasing effects of the climate emergency” as deciding factors in the five-member jury’s selection process.
“In a sublimely important moment, RIBA and the jurors have identified a project from the global periphery to bring to the center of architectural discourse and be the subject of one of the most important global awards,” Chowdhury said of the jury’s decision. “I am encouraged that this may inspire more of us to commit, not in spite of, but because of limitations of resources and means, to an architecture of care both for humanity and for nature, to rise collectively to the urgencies that we face today on a planetary scale.”
The hospital design beat out two other shortlisted finalists for the award. It joins the Children’s Village by Rosenbaum + Aleph Zero and Grafton Architects’ Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología campus as past winners of the biannual award. Friendship’s founder and Executive Director Runa Khan had high praise for its architect, whom he credits with having worked brilliantly and within a confined budget to create one of the most inspiring pieces of infrastructure in the history of the country.
“Having worked with communities most impacted by climate change over the last 20 years, I have seen, time and time again, proof of my belief that ‘The poor cannot afford poor solutions’! Working with Kashef was a joy for us,” he said. “Someone who could efficiently use local materials, ensure efficiency of the work we were to deliver and keep the spirit of Friendship alive, and not ever compromise on quality either for himself or for the spirit we wanted it to be. Truly for me, he was the architect who could bring this — in his design, his care and delivery. It brings new hope of a better tomorrow to some of the most climate impacted people on this planet.”
44 Comments
I'd like to know how those lintels work.
Assuming you're not only being sarcastic I'm pretty sure the bricks forming the lintels are veneer on concrete.
My question is not sarcastic. My opinion on the design choice is not a positive one, but I am actually curious as to how it was done. The building doesn't look like face brick to me, so I was curious.
I think it's this; but with soldier bricks over the openings:
I think it's a real shame we've decided to ignore the way brick was done historically, even though it's in the public subconscious. Details like this one really stick out to me and, while I can explain why and the average person might not be able to, I believe they subtract from the overall cohesive nature of this lovely building.
All of this is not to say I have a complete understanding of all brick construction possibilities and, if this is a method that is traditional that I am ignorant of, I mean no disrespect to the design team.
Given the vast number of openings that needed to be built, it's a pretty reasonable solution for a place where simple bearing brick and poured concrete systems are the predominant building methods. The bricks act as the formwork for the poured concrete and rebar to be placed in. Stuff like this went away in most of the US many decades ago.
I guess I'm just in the camp of "if you can't make it right, at least make it LOOK right."
Here's another way you could create similar lintels. I don't think this is what was used, because if you enlarge some of the photos it does look like the soldier course is a thin-brick veneer ... but I ran across this the other day and thought it was pretty interesting and could accomplish this look without the veneer.
https://www.halfen.com/us/2783...
So much time and energy spent to make a brick do something a brick was never meant to do. :(
Did you peruse the website you got that image from? Those feature bricks are hanging from a steel lintel above. http://www.harvey-steel-lintels.co.uk/featurebrickoptions.htm
SP, I'm not in complete disagreement with your point. I get it, I really do. I'm just pointing out that during pure load-bearing bricks without steel lintels or reinforcement is pretty much non-existent with today's construction methods. There's probably a (financial) reason for that.
I asked the brick what it wants to be, and the brick said, "I want to b--" but the brick couldn't finish because the client interrupted and said they wanted it to be a color and texture and they didn't care if it was materially authentic as long as it fit their budget.
"Did you peruse the website you got that image from?"
Yeah, and you and I are fully on the same page. I just wanted a quick image of what the new methods are trying to look like. Skeuomorphism (of a sort) is a tricky topic, especially when the medium (buildings) are the same but materials are not.
Since stone is rare, and burnt bricks could be produced abundantly from the indigenous alluvial soil, architects viewed bricks as a phenomenological embodiment of the delta and its culture.
Adnan Zillur Morshed
He's referring to Bangladesh architects. There is a tradition here that goes well back:
And Kahn's work in India and Bangladesh would have been an influence, along with that of Muzharul Islam.
I like the Hospital a great deal. It is grounded in the land and the culture and has a character so much work we see today lacks. And it will maintain that character for years to come and be enhanced by wear. There is drama, even mystery and spiritual aspiration in the overall design. We can learn from this.
Obviously structural members are faced with thin bricks on the sides and bottoms. The vertical bricks exist just as a visual variation with only symbolic suggestion of support. I see nothing dishonest here, however. Expression overrides a strict sense of structure. I'm sure they are working on a tight budget, which leads to the question as to what they could have used in its place if they kept the design that would have maintained brick's character and expression.
And this is architecture for the people. Compare with the cheap, expressionless crap most of us get stuck with and the exorbitant sterile designs for the 1%. Neither has roots in anything.
I appreciate your thoughts, and I think you have said it well.
Actually I see your point from a purely structural point of view. It can look rather flimsy. The narrow columns themselves, some one brick-length wide topped with a line of mortar, do not inspire confidence. Then again, there are a lot of them, especially at the corners. Whatever Kahn did had much greater mass. Expression has definitely take the place of structural appearance. If you want to take Chowdhury’s side, you can say there is delicacy here.
So what did Kahn do in the India Institute?
I can't tell and don't know. Option 1 from SP's picture above is used on the horizontal beams on the right, 2nd. photo, but those diagonal bricks don't support anything other than themselves. Also the walls are decidedly thicker, likely covering something else.
The ovals are in compression all the way round, so it works (according to what I THINK I know...)
Both the ovals and the flat lintels in Kahn's IIM Ahmedabad building are in compression. Note the angled bricks on the right.
Likely the brick is just facing, however, of structure inside the thick walls. I'm skeptical it has any actual load bearing function.
Compare the vertical bricks here with the solutions in SP's diagram above. All of the solutions in the diagram extend over the columns to suggest and give actual support. Here, the vertical bricks rest on nothing. But there they stand, cemented together. Their use is purely esthetic—and perhaps seemingly gravity defying. This had to be an intentional decision. He is a modern architect, influenced by modern architecture, where the old rules don't apply.
Maybe, however, I will unknowingly step quickly walking down the corridor.
Society: We need efficient beautiful spaces to develop our community and protect against climate change. Let's celebrate the spirit of our architectural tradition.
Architect: But you used facing bricks?
Facing bricks have a long historical pedigree fwiw. They aren't the same as brick veneer, and in principle work the same as terra cotta tiles, stone, or other traditional decorative facing materials. History is deceptive.
beautiful project. wish there were images of the interior spaces though to properly judge it.
I didn't complain about facing bricks. Please reread what I wrote.
I read your follow up to Gary's post as a critique of decorative application of brick over the primary structure. But also I posted my comment as a strawman to stand in for the implicit argument for purity in expression of structure, which the discussion about the 'right' way to make a lintel seems to lead to.
It's not a simple conversation, and it not something I am clear on even within my own thoughts.
Sometimes, Sneaky its better to say "Wonderful project, but ..."
I love this project, and should have leaned harder into that. Very much a mistake.
its all good...
All in all you're just another lintel in the wall...
Bricks aside, the building looks to be a derivative of Louis Kahn's Jonas Salk Institute in La Jolla . The water feature for that project was suggested by Luis Barragán. The 60-year-old Salk Institute really is transcendent.
This detail is precious, and perfect.
Also, from other views it's clear these are not 'lintels' - this is a post and beam structure supporting the concrete slabs. You couldn't do this with a brick arch in any reasonable way. I do wonder about these paired-posts; it seems like they may be brick with a steel core or something, obviously too slender to be concrete columns. Other parts of the project have more conventional thick columns.
The soldier bricks just draw a picture of lintels to be cute. It is cute. Fake lintels are very common in architecture history [look up nearly any beaux-arts tower in NY / CHI]. https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/the-dorilton-residential-building-is-seen-on-october-05-2020-in-new-picture-id1278712207?s=2048x2048
I'm not anti-"fake", I'm suggesting that "fake" might try harder to look "real". As the quotation marks suggest, these words are simply stand-ins for a deeper set of ideas that have been debated for as long as we have been building.
oh ok. That argument makes sense. I still like the playfulness of intentionally nonsense pictures of flat-arch masonry beams. it enlivens what's otherwise a very simple facade.
The beam-like parts would have looked quite perilous without the soldier bricks, in places only five courses thick, waiting to snap.
Our sense of what a brick structure is here is pushed into something linear and delicate, yet durable.
The other thing to say about the brickwork is that it is warm and rough, and we are aware of the many hands that laid it. It is human, and a statement about humanity. Click on Islam's library, above.
We don't get into this discussion without SP's question, so thanks.
And I don't learn what a soldier brick is.
Compare with Chowdhury’s Friendship Centre:
More here:
https://www.archdaily.com/4237...
Same treatment of the cross sections.
It's interesting to read the comments on this building and what are the main concerns. Might be good hear from the people who actually use this building. I don't think any of them would care if the brick is veneer or not or whether "fake" might try harder to look "real". Pretty sure that building is real to them. As to whether it's really attractive or functional is for them judge.
Of all the people I expected to take the "your take is wrong and bad" it was not you. Might want to look into that.
The practical aspects of architecture are measurable—such as the practical requirements, climatic judgments, the advantages and limitations of the site etc.—but the humanistic aspects are not measurable. The loves of one’s own land is the eternal source of creative power, which in turn, makes a proper architect.
Muzharul Islam
It was Islam, in fact, who brought Kahn to the National Assembly project in Dhaka.
Nice.
"Lintels, to god-damned hell with lintels! We have no lintels. In fact, we don't need lintels. I don't have to show you any stinking lintels, you god-damned cabrón and chinga tu madre!"
Hey, if you are saying this brick use is wrong they got you!
Sure, we are told over and over masonry walls couldn't have thin large openings and it is for many reasons but this one they somewhat managed a wall-to-wall bricked look and pushed the limits of masonry openings. So what if it has a concrete bond beam inside. I liked the type of less industrial units used with an earthy texture. Very nice. Here we call it Mexican brick.
The ventilation-based zigzagged configuration of the plan with water is very beautiful, creating corner to corner reference points and shade relations, resulting in many spaces where people can claim throughout the day.
The architectural perspectives camera captured are picturesque. I read and liked the comment above alluding to bricks used as forming the concrete. Now, that's better than defining them as veneer.
While we're in the neighborhood looking at bricks:
School of Dancing Arches by Samira Rathod Design Associates, a primary school in India.
The asymmetry of the arches reiterate that it is not always mandatory to be straight or conventional, but the irregularity at first glance makes the forming mind curious and question. The habit of critical thinking, questioning and breaking away from the convention is what the building echoes. The plan is also irregular to allow for a meander.
We have stayed true to one material: terracotta - bricks and only bricks in walls, floors, and roofs. Sourced from a kiln close to the site, it is the love of labor from around the town and the craft they bring with themselves that lends the building its immaculate semantic and precision.
From the architects. More here: https://www.archdaily.com/9234...
Photograph by Niveditaa Gupta
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.