Bashirul Haq

Bashirul Haq
Bashirul Haq
	Haq at studio
Born	24 June 1942; Brahmanbaria, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	4 April 2020 (aged 77)
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Alma mater	National College of Arts; University of New Mexico
Occupation(s)	Architect, planner, educator
Awards	IAB Gold Medal; Aga Khan Award for Architecture Three times nominated
Practice	Bashirul Haq and Associates
Buildings	Bhatshala House; Kalindi Apartments; Chayanaut Bhaban; ASA Head Office Building
Website	bashirulhaq.com

Bashirul Haq (24 June 1942 – 4 April 2020) was a Bangladeshi architect, town planner and visiting professor of MIT. He was regarded as one of the most influential architects in South Asia in terms of environmentally and socially responsive design.

Early life

Haq was born in Brahmanbaria (now a district of Bangladesh). His father was a deputy collector from the Sylhet district and for that reason, Haq spent the majority of his childhood there. He completed his Bachelor of Architecture from the National College of Arts, in Lahore, Pakistan in 1964. He received John Heinrich Tuition, Scholarship and Teaching Assistantship at University of New Mexico, United States in 1971 and completed his master's in architecture from the university in 1975.^[1]

Career

Haq (4th from right) at SUST jury session

From left; Haq, Ken Yeang and Kazi Ashraf

After completing his master's degree, Haq started working for the firm Kallmann McKinnell. He was interested in returning to his homeland. However, another Bangladeshi-American engineer, Fazlur Rahman Khan, discouraged him from returning to Bangladesh citing a newly independent war devastated nation. Khan, who was then the partner of SOM instead interviewed and advised Haq to join there. Khan suggested he visit Europe and return to the United States. But Haq flew to Bangladesh from Europe and started practicing architecture. He established Bashirul Haq & Associates in 1977.^[2] After several years of not visiting the United States, in 1989, he visited Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an invited visiting professor of design.

In his 46 years of professional career, Haq has designed more than 300 buildings. According to Haq, the works of Alvar Aalto and Aldo Rossi inspired him most.

Architectural works

Chhayanaut, Dhaka
MIDAS Tower, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Asra Apartments, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
East West University, Dhaka
Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation Building, Dhaka

Selected works

Residential

Architect's Family Home and Studio, Indira Road, Dhaka
Bhatshala House (Architect's village home), Brahmanbaria
Ramna Apartment Complex, Moghbazar, Dhaka
Century Apartment Complex, Moghbazar, Dhaka
Century Tower, Moghbazar, Dhaka
Lake View Apartment Complex, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Segunbagicha Apartment Complex, Segunbagicha, Dhaka
Kalindi Apartment Complex, 36 Indira Road, Dhaka
Gulshan Pride, Gulshan, Dhaka
Dhanshiri Apartment Complex, 35 Indira Road, Dhaka
Asra Apartments, Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Office

20-storied Association for Social Advancement (ASA) Head Office Building
20-storied Head Office Building of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), Dilkusha C/A., Dhaka
20-storied Head Office Building of People's Insurance Company Ltd. (PICL), Dilkusha C/A., Dhaka
Projects under Cyclone Related Disaster Preparedness Programme
Community Development Centre at Kutubdia, Moghnama and Moheshkhali and Cox's Bazar
German Red Cross Community Based Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters at Tolatoli, Kachubunia and Khandkar Para, Teknaf, Cox's Bazar
Cyclone resistant Housing in 6 Locations at Cox's Bazar district
MIDAS Center, Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Physical planning

Physical planning of three upazilas under Kishoreganj Distriction, namely Katiadi, Kuliarchar and Bajitpur
Physical planning of three upazilas under Faridpur District, namely Nagarkanda, Alphadanga and Charvadrashan
Physical planning of Faridpur District

Institutes

Facilities for American International and Secondary School, Baridhara, Dhaka
Hostel cum-Seminar Facilities Hosted People's Health Assembly
Shabuj Shona Center, Manikgonj
Training Center for Nijerakori, Bogra
Chhayanaut Bhaban, Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Sunbeams School, Uttara, Dhaka
East West University, Dhaka
Drik-Pathshala, Panthapath, Dhaka

Consultancy

Central Diesel Workshop and Housing Project for Bangladesh Railway
US Chancery Building, Dhaka. Kallmann McKinnell & Wood, United States
Rail II Project for Bangladesh Railway. Dhaka, Parbatipur, Pahartali, Ishurdi. International Rail Consultant, Canada
GMP Standard Factory Design at Tongi for Beximco Pharmaceutical Ltd. Tongi. CMPS&F Pty Ltd. (Egis Group), Australia

Awards and honors

Aga Khan Award for Architecture, shortlisted in 1980, 1992 and 2001^[3]
Member, Board of Trustees, Fazlur Rahman Khan Foundation, Dhaka^[1]
Became part of an International Exhibit Entitled 5000 years of Pakistan
Chairman of the jury board, Holcim Green Built Bangladesh Award^[4]^[5]
Works exhibition at Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel, Switzerland; 2017
Works exhibition at "Bengal Stream: The Vibrant Architecture Scene of Bangladesh" in Basel, Switzerland in 2017, and later on in Bordeaux, France in 2018 and in Frankfurt, Germany in 2019

Publications

1994 "Battling the Storm – Study on Cyclone Resistance Housing". Published by the German Red Cross, 1999.
Bashirul Haq: Architect. Monograph edited by Iftekhar Ahmed and Sheikh Rubaiya Sultana, was published in 2019 by Copal Publishing with the Department of Architecture of BRAC University.

References

^ ^a ^b "Bashirul Haq & Associates Ltd". architecturebd.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008.
^ Sthyapatya o Nirman, journal published by Institute of Architects, Bangladesh, July–September edition 1992
^ Ashraf, Kazi K. (1989). "Muzharul Islam, Kahn and Architecture in Bangladesh". Worldview. The Architectural League of New York. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
^ "Holcim Bangladesh launches "Holcim Green Built Bangladesh" contest". Holcim Group. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.
^ "Holcim awards 8 green projects". 17 June 2010.

[architecturebd.com-1] "Bashirul Haq & Associates Ltd". architecturebd.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008.

[2] Sthyapatya o Nirman, journal published by Institute of Architects, Bangladesh, July–September edition 1992

[Worldview-3] Ashraf, Kazi K. (1989). "Muzharul Islam, Kahn and Architecture in Bangladesh". Worldview. The Architectural League of New York. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2011.

[4] "Holcim Bangladesh launches "Holcim Green Built Bangladesh" contest". Holcim Group. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.

[5] "Holcim awards 8 green projects". 17 June 2010.

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