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Tonni Islam
Sat May 19 2012, 10:44pm Print
Registered Member #2773 Joined: Thu Oct 27 2011, 04:30pm
Posts: 12
Hello Everyone!

My name is Tonni Islam and I'll go ahead and let you know right now that I tend to be a bit of a chatter box. So sorry and an warning in advance.

So I was born in Dhaka, then moved to the states around 6 and have continued my education here but frequently go back.

I always loved drawing and though my mother wanted me to be a doctor and my father wished I would continue with economics after he looked at whatever I had the best grades in. (I was better in Math and Economics as well as Art but my dad didn't consider that serious enough.)

After much persuasion both to join and STAY in the program I had the most invigorating five years at Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia at their Professional Arch Program.

I had thesis advisors that were both new after my original got promoted and they were the best I had in my five years.

I love critical thinking and discussing range of topics. Unless of course if it is someone who is clouded by ignorance, close-mindedness, or is discrimination. I have zero tolerance for that.

Ok I'll stop. Told you I talk a lot. Yikes! By the way I was wondering if anyone would be interested in talking about the recent activity down in Korail slum (Major part of my thesis project)? please message me or add me on Facebook!

Tonni.
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rubelraf
Sun May 20 2012, 06:41pm
rubelraf
Admin Registered Member #12 Joined: Sat Sep 17 2005, 01:22pm
: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Posts: 333

good to have you here at archsociety.
be here.
welcome to this community... [both in Architecture and in Archsociety]

about, what you can do in this forum, some hints [Though you might have a pretty good idea already]

Bubble of Ideas..
Discuss all your preliminary design ideas and Seek for HELP in the development of IDEAS, SITE & PROGRAM analysis

Design Development
Discuss your all other problems and possibilities of your project in design development level, post your development level drawings.. etc.

Jury, Presentation, Tools & Techniques
Put your finished projects here for crit. Discuss about Jury. Talk about presentation techniques, presentation related problems and possibilities. Drafting and rendering issues, CAD, 3dMAX etc softweres...

Project Reviews
Write about latest projects around the world you know or about any built projects or cities you might have visited..

there are many other things you can talk/discuss ...
and there is the Download section which you might find helpful.

hope, you will share your knowledge with others.
good luck...

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NEO
Mon May 21 2012, 04:25am
Admin Registered Member #4 Joined: Thu Aug 04 2005, 04:54am
: Dhaka
Posts: 666
Tonni so finally you introduced yourself

Well after Facebook, ArchSociety is more or less a quiet place, you may be a chatterbox, but there are very few around to join you in the chat Most people are coming and going just to grab what they need. Very few are contributing, it's typical.

It's great to know about your journey through the architecture school! Quite a story!
I was going to the States every year in February-March for the TED Conference in Long Beach. This year it was the end of my Senior Fellowship of TED. So I may not visit states again soon.

Btw one of my friends from Germany is working on Karail from long. They recently ran a petition against the eviction of Karail dwellers. They are also into a lot of other things on ground. If you are interested I can introduce with their team.

Although personally I am not a big activist for slum issues. I find it the other way around. Slums are the resultant of some other big issues. Slum should not begin or exist at all, if you could do the 'other things' properly. So I do not believe in any term as the 'development of slum'. Rather I believe in going deep, and eliminating the problems from the root. That is the planning of the cities and decentralization of jobs and opportunities. Well it's a long discussion, argument, fight whatever... some other time.
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Tonni Islam
Mon May 21 2012, 05:12pm
Registered Member #2773 Joined: Thu Oct 27 2011, 04:30pm
Posts: 12
I like the way slums work personally. There was a small one next to my Nana's house in Khilgaon and I always adored the fact how easy it was to talk to them and knowing them, like neighbors. Instead of the "others/poor people." I think they are organized in such an informal way and have such a good sense of community is something to be admired about. I feel like I see less and less of the Dhaka I adored every year I visit. It feels like these buildings have no idea of context..instead have this image of what moving forward is from the west and is laminating everywhere they can while pushing back the reality of the place.

But I think it's hard to define the complexities of slums with just one word. But my MAIN issue is the fact of just removing them? Absurd! They are human beings…you remove they'll settle elsewhere and whats the issue of them staying there? When the land encroachment by large buildings across from them are getting away with just skipping the wetland conservation act that I believe happened in 2000…by just calling one of the last large lakes in the area a lowland rather than a wetland.

I think what they lack is proper infrastructure both the slum and the city. Instead of concerning themselves with a different issue each week I do think they need to bring back the natural drainage system that used to exist due to dhaka being on a delta plain as a priority. Tying that with the appropriate programs than can morph and shift whether it is on land or water. Until they realize that being on the delta is not something they have to address aggressively I just don't see light at the end of this tunnel.

I'm tired of seeing the in forcement of formal/western inspired building typologies and systems. The formal system that I feel like they repeatedly try to enforce in the city will not work and neither will this mindless urbanization. (Every time I see Bashundura neighborhoods I get a headache). Informal and Formal can exist and depend on another. Theres no reason to be limited due to the context but ignoring it is stupidity. The waterways and the city's infrastructure need to be priority and work together before anything else. There should be better implementation of city codes but with varying levels of flexibility because the land will change due to its location.

But I understand what you mean by the decentralization of jobs. The reason for the largest slum across from the richest area is obvious…

I think that can be done if the waterways are not just connected by to the original lines but adapted as well to the new city fabric. I never thought they way the slums actually live is a problem..as far as close areas with houses made from corrugated metal and such. Its sanitation and lack of water access thats the issue. But those things should not be points but go through the city as a network that is routed after understanding the opening back the delta system. I think Dhaka has many issues but so does many other countries but I think Dhaka has great potential. I just wish Dhaka would take a step away from this intensely economically motivated strategies that applies to individuals rather than the city.

….. …Oops! I went on and on again. And knowing me and my ADD It probably will read like I said one thing to the next. Hopefully that makes sense. I'm sorry if its an issue posting it here but I just had a rather long discussion with someone about city planning strategies and he believed in one solution can work universally which I don't agree with. But I was in a rush to find out opinions of people that live there. (More than have)

Sorry again. Just ignore this post if it makes no sense or is too lengthy.




Original Discussion Thread HERE Edited Wed May 23 2012, 05:37pm
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Tonni Islam
Mon May 21 2012, 05:25pm
Registered Member #2773 Joined: Thu Oct 27 2011, 04:30pm
Posts: 12
Oh! I would love to meet your friends from Germany. =) I would like hear their view of things as well.

I was wondering if you ever went to see the Handmade School by Anna Heringer? I really want to see it the next time I visit.
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NEO
Fri May 25 2012, 01:07pm
Admin Registered Member #4 Joined: Thu Aug 04 2005, 04:54am
: Dhaka
Posts: 666
Well I think it's better we don't continue the slum talk here , my suggestion is to think more critically than typical NGO style selling by emotional talk.

I also don't like the Handmade School . And there are several reasons:

1. It goes against the very basic local climatic considerations. The orientation of the building is just the opposite of what it was supposed to be to avoid heat gain from strong sun from West and South. The openings lack proper shading devices. These are the ABCs of working in the delta.

2. Thousands years ago people here in this land learned to dry the clay bricks to make it strong and make building with it (there are remains from 4BC in Mohasthan Garh and the oldest Buddhist monastery Paharpur). I find no logic in going back and reinventing the wheel in the name of so called sustainability.

3. The building technology is extremely expensive if you compare it to concrete and brick and their life span. The rammed earth technique is typically more expensive than concrete (learned it from a presentation by Anna's teacher, the rammed earth guru, I forgot his name). And it last only 10 to 20 years under very high maintenance. While you can easily make a building of similar expenditure with several times high performance, low maintenance and at least 5 times more longevity.

So why would I at all make a building like that?

There's an old article (posted in February 2008, almost right after the building won the Aga Khan Award) in ArchSociety, here's the link http://www.archsociety.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.31
And found it kind of funny the way Anna tried to defend the climatic issues by 'thermal mass' thingi, I don't buy it at all. Edited Fri May 25 2012, 01:14pm
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Tonni Islam
Fri May 25 2012, 07:29pm
Registered Member #2773 Joined: Thu Oct 27 2011, 04:30pm
Posts: 12
Typical NGO style selling by emotional talk? hmm Interesting…

I never once said I am in love with her building. But her investigations are something that caught my attention. It was something different instead of the usual "I am civilized white man and I shall save you with my western methods little third world country with little research of the context."

It has many flaws I'm sure (Like everything in the world.) But I've made the effort to go see things that attract my curiosity and interest.

Anyway... thank you for the post. It was informative. But I just still want to see it =P, or even Marina Tabassum, Rafiq Azam MUCH more than Bashundara Mall….again. sigh.

Thanks Again.
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NEO
Tue May 29 2012, 03:10pm
Admin Registered Member #4 Joined: Thu Aug 04 2005, 04:54am
: Dhaka
Posts: 666
Of course it's a spectacular work after all, go see!

Yes Marina Tabassum and Rafiq Azam are good.
And don't forget to see Louis Kahn's masterpiece (if you have already been inside do it again like a ritual or pilgrimage it's healing, it's spiritual).
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