4th year studio projects: designed for community awareness

In the curriculum of B.Arch degree, the fourth year design studio exercise is specifically focused on understanding of architecture in bigger context, being part of a larger community. Students are given such projects where it needs elaborate research as well as direct participation with the community to grasp better the issues, problem and aspiration of a community. Eventually often architecture takes the back seat, by creating scope for empathy and a culture of responsibility. By default, every architecture students go through community study and participations within the scope of the curriculum. Some other community participations are as follows.

Partnering with Ekattur open scout group initiative for rehabilitation of flood victims

Housing for flood victims at Nageshwari, Kurigram (October, 2017), an initiative of Ekattur open scout group initiative for rehabilitation of flood victims has been supported by UAP and its Architecture Department through donation and student volunteering. Three students from 3rd year 2nd semester teamed up to design and erect the houses and community places in the project labeled as “Kurigram Nageshwari kutirchor Project”. In total 20 houses and 12 tubewells were installed. UAP funded for making two of them.

 

"Durbar Koisho" A Free school for street children

Department of Architecture, UAP Dhanmondi Campus was used as an Informal schooling facility during the weekend for street children (an initiative by a group of UAP architecture students). However the school is now adjourned because all the students were from that locality and the main idea was to help street children whoever was in that community. Coming to a new location has changed the target group, and therefore needs to re-establish trust and assess comfort requirements of local street children in the vicinity. One thing the school specifically was cautious about, not to give any impression that some privileged persons are doing favor to the underprivileged ones. Thats why new multistoried building is a symbolic hindrance to maintain the same philosophy. Durbar Koishor will resume functioning in future when this conceptual framework is worked out.  

 

Vending stall design, making and donation to small street vendors

Street vending is a desperate but honest survival attempt for many of the lower income group people.  One such vendor used to sell tea near our Dhanmondi Campus. However in a drive to clean footpath his vending stall was seized and his daily livelihood came at risk. UAP Architecture students and their faculty took an initiative to make a vending stall as a studio exercise, developing it with better options to function, made it by themselves and handed it over to the needy person.

 

Fund raising and relief distribution for flood victims

Department of Architecture students took multiple initiatives to help flood victims in different localities as and when needed in different times.

 

Winter clothes collection and distribution

In every year students of architecture take initiative to collect used clothes and take measures to distribute them to needy people, especially for the people in North Bengal. Sometimes students arrange the distribution themselves, while in other times hand them over to some other organization who takes the same initiative in a larger scale. 

 

Documentation of historic buildings

Department of Architecture students took part in multiple initiatives for documenting (measuring, drawing, photogrammetry etc.) historic buildings both as curricular and extra-curricular activities. Under the able leadership of Dr. Abu Sayeed M. Ahmed many students have developed special interest and skills in this field, especially in photogrammetry, who in later phases after graduation provided specialized service professionally.

Volunteering in Architectural Community events

Students of architecture regularly participate as volunteers in different architecture related events organized by IAB or any other such organizations. Events like exhibition preparation; competition entry management; model management during competitions; seminar/ symposium preparation and reception works; transport, catering or running errands during large scale programs like arcasia or jamboree; site survey; local guide; documentations, announcer, performer or rapporteur etc are among the tasks where our students actively served.  

 

Participating in Central club events regarding community works

UAP organizes many events like blood donation, or relief distribution through many club activities. Architecture students actively participate in those events.