Home Detail Inspiration Shop

The community centre in Rajarhat in northern Bangladesh, built through the aid of the Dutch Pani Foundation, is a low-tech building with a passive climate concept that utilises the resources available on site. The intention is that, in the long term, the project will enable the poor population to achieve economic independence. Adults are trained here to produce products for the regional market, for instance bicycles with bamboo frames, while the children can attend kindergarten and play on the site.

The building and its construction method are adapted to suit the subtropical monsoon ­climate. A large roof spans the U-shaped, ground floor slab, which is slightly higher than ground level, and offers shade and protection from the rain for the two buildings placed beneath it and for the open, veranda-like areas lying between them. The positioning of the volumes and the considerable distance between their ceiling slabs and the underside of the roof ensure natural air circulation. The northern building houses a workshop, a shop and a storage area, while the southern, two-storey building contains the classrooms, toilets and water tanks.