CATALYST FOR CHANGE: WOHA'S GREEN REVOLUTION

BRAC University's new Dhaka campus transforms an unloved dumping ground into a vibrant academic and civic anchor

- Seema Sreedharan

Architecture is never about a single project, it extends beyond the physical boundaries of the project, creating a dynamic relationship with its environment. One can't negate the impact it has on not just its intended users, but also the larger community it inhabits.

The built environment is a defining characteristic of a city's identity, transcending mere aesthetics to cultivate a sense of place. It endeavours to facilitate communal engagement and respond sensitively to the multifaceted needs – cultural, social, and environmental – of its inhabitants, thereby crafting spaces that narrate the city's story and elicit emotional resonance.

The BRAC University, designed by WOHA is a stellar example of meaningful architecture – buildings that are not just meant to impress, but inspire, educate and nurture. More than anything else, each building should be an exploration in responsible design and should in its own way serve as a template for the future.

TRANSFORMATIVE ARCHITECTURE

Architects Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell, Founders of WOHA, have constantly endeavoured to conceive and create integrated architectural and urban solutions that tackle the problems of the 21st Century. Their architectural language emerges from a profound awareness of local context and tradition, as well as an ongoing exploration of contemporary architectural forms and ideas, a unique fusion of deep connection and playful invention.