Imagine...a mesmerizing evening in Bamiyan and that the scene has a 5-year old girl playing ecstatically with her ever-loyal Tazi puppy that traces its regal looks, lineage and legacy to the region. Imagine that she suddenly runs towards her parents who enter their family home after a long day's work and the mother says, "Wa alaykumu s-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh". Imagine that the young child leaps in to her mother's outstretched arms, along with her pet, as she continues singing, "Buddham saranam gacchami, Dhammam saranam gacchami, Sangham saranam gacchami", while the father joins in embrace and meditatively smiles, as he reflects, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You".

The cultural clash embedded within the history of Bamiyan is countered by a heterogenous spirit of unified peace in the above story, which inspires our design. Our core design philosophy strives for a refuge, through "Salam" achieved through "Buddham", "Dhammam" and "Trust", for the "Sangham" of Bamiyan and our world.  It draws from the rich shared heritage of Bamiyan, while building for a peaceful future by offering visitors an energy experience that intently harnesses vernacular architecture, local art and technique.

The core design element is a solar-thermal "Bodhi" tree which concentrates solar energy through accumulators and radiates it throughout the building via a thermal network. The Bodhi transmits heat which is stored in a thermal sink and balanced by a geothermal reservoir. The trunk of the Bodhi is encapsulated by a glass column and the mirrored accumulators are visible from the Buddha Cliffs opposite. The Bodhi is enveloped by the building whose form is inspired by a human form meditating in the lotus position. The stepped roofs resemble the topography like a silk drape on the human form, in homage to the Silk Route connecting the various historic sites in the region.

The closed loop HVAC system creates a low-cost, low-tech, off-grid solution designed and proven in India, on one of our previous LEED-NC Platinum rated projects. A secondary heating mechanism inspired by the traditional "Qanat", draws air from the base of the hill into the building through a system of tunnels. The air picks up heat from the tunnel's lining, as it travels up the hill. A heat recovery wheel for exiting air improves thermal efficiency and is placed before passive hot air generators that are intrinsic to the façade.

The Center aligns along a sweeping arc and offering views of the Bamiyan Cliffs from almost every part. Window openings generally face south to maximize the sun’s incidence. The northern façade overlooking the OAT is of glass with UV protection to cut glare and provide daylight to viewing studios. Solar light pipes and Skylights at the roof levels ensure sufficient daylight in all publicly accessible interior areas. To achieve a net zero building, compressed mud pakhsa walls improvised by inclusion of Styrofoam or microcapsules containing phase change materials, wrap around the RCC structural frame, and enhance the thermal insulation/storage properties of walls.

The Offices and Conference Area in the lowest floor are partially underground to reduce external surface area, to create an earth-sheltered-wall effect. The brightly tiled RCC roofs absorb the sun's warmth. This bio-climatic feature improves comfort within the building. Cut and fill volumes at the site are matched. Lower levels of the building are positioned to wedge between the two contours of the site and prevent landslides. 

The glass column around the Bodhi contains a spiral ramp for visitors to transition between the two levels of the Center, while reminding them of our ephemeral passage through life and symbolizing a cosmic energy of "salam" that flows within us. Wrapping around the Bodhi, is a transition Courtyard leading to the seating steps of the outdoor performance arena. The Stage at the bottom is viewed without hindrance by a seating arrangement that descends with the steep contours of this portion of the site. The majestic Cliffs form the Stage's backdrop. The Galleries open to the café marked by stylized futuristically shaped columns, which borders the stepped seating of the outdoor performance arena. The tops of the array of columns are detailed to be wrapped by lights that display the Zoroastrian and Macedonian influence upon Bamiyan. The walls are plain with niches representing the Buddhists caves and ancient ties to India.

The design focuses on delivering long-term enhancements for the community. Along the Center's exterior is a provision for temporary adaptable "shacks" serving as a farmers’ market or for adaptive use during festivals, local market for artists and chefs. Importantly, these shacks can accommodate women entrepreneurs on a priority basis who may sell souvenirs or local food. This will contribute to the holistic sustainability index of the Center.

The interior is designed as an adaptable and transformable space accommodating a spectrum of usage and visitors. The design has been iteratively optimized to achieve all size and volume requirements per the competition guidelines. 

Aesthetically, it contains elements of Islamic architecture, such as the glazed tile ceiling, local expertise for metal carving and etching work detailing, wood work, miniature painting, and a mud wall finish, to provide a fillip to the local economy during construction and thereafter, for maintenance. The space besides the planned gallery, will be easy to annex for expansion.

The Courtyard surrounding the "Bodhi" and the Courtyard which is a transition space to the outside, are sunny and landscaped. Additional attention has been delivered to the landscape. A system of water ponds providing recreation during summer are envisioned as ice-skating rinks for the community winter. A grove of photovoltaic "trees" dot the landscape and augments electrical supply. Bare areas prevent disturbance to the site's natural condition and eliminates non-native plants.

The thrust of the design is “the recognition, acceptance and guardianship of Afghanistan's culture, to move forward as a nation in the 21st century”. A metal stallion sculpture is poised to leap invoking the local love for horses and symbolizes soaring aspirations fueled by a glorious heritage.