Yafiz Siddiqui’s aspirations as a young architect
Yafiz Siddiqui completed his Bachelor's in Architecture from BUET, and is now working at Vitti Sthapati Brindo, a reputed architecture and urban design firm. His current project is based on acclimatising the robust elevated expressway going over Hatirjheel area, by creating spaces and necessary connections. His final year thesis, "School of Thought in 2021: Envisioning a Multidisciplinary and Collaborative Design School in Bangladesh", was recognised as highly commendable in the Global Undergraduate Awards 2021's Architecture and Design category. We recently caught up with the young architect to know more about his aspirations.
How did you develop an interest in architecture and design?
As a kid, I loved to draw everything and everyone around me. Over time, my interest shifted to drawing imaginary spaces. Like most people coming to architecture school, I did not really know what I was up for. But after a year and a half, I fell in love with it.
Which one is your favourite project so far?
I designed a graveyard with a small chapel as a third-year academic project. The exercise was highly contemplative, and I had a great time exploring different concepts of life and death, and incorporating them into physical space. Being a young architecture student, that was a transformative experience for me.
What are some of the biggest projects you have worked on?
I think my thesis is the biggest and most demanding project that I have worked on so far. I tried to create a design school that encompasses three university campuses as a network of collaborative learning spaces. To substantiate my idea of this post-contemporary design school, I carried out intensive background study on architectural history, theory, and its connection with other creative and technical practices.
Tell us more about your thesis. What was the main idea behind your design?
I wanted to reimagine the way we perceive design schools, and create learning spaces that would encourage collaboration among students of creative and technical disciplines. I took lessons from history, architecture theory, the site context, and global examples of collaborative learning spaces. The final design illustrates my vision for a school that is fragmented into small, interactive learning modules and spread across Dhaka University, BUET, and Dhaka Medical College, fusing all three into a super university network, where each module encourages collaboration and co-creation.
How did you come up with the concept presented in your thesis?
I expressed to my thesis supervisor that maybe after a hundred years since the Bauhaus, it was time for another change in the architecture education system. I am fascinated by the chronological changes in art and architecture, and how they were affected by socio-political events. I studied examples of experimental schools that started sprouting after the Second World War. These were mostly parallel institutions that dealt with the creative disciplines, and tried to remodel the education system from the ground-up. Learning about the Radicalism movement in Europe also helped me. Many conversations later, I found my core concept. I am thankful to my thesis supervisors, Prof Dr Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed and Maherul Kader, for their support.
How do you incorporate sustainability in your designs?
I believe sustainable design corresponds to responsive ideas. I want to find newer ways to involve the users in the decision-making process, so that the outcome is specifically suited to their context, time, and place. It is equally important to pay attention to the impact a design will have on the environment.
The author is a freelance journalist who likes reading, scribbling, and blogging. Email: [email protected].
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