Project Name: Baral Biddya Niketan

Location: Kumargara, Chatmohor, Pabna

Client: Baral Biddya Niketan

Total build area: 319 sqm

Project Commencement: March 2023

Project Completion: December 2023

Cost: 1 crore 68 lac

Architect / Design team:  Iqbal Habib (Team Leader), Ishtiaque Zahir Titas, Shahnaz Parvin

Structural Engineer: Space Design Consortium, I-Built Engineering & Construction

Electrical Engineer: VITTI Sthapati Brindo Ltd.

Photographer: Wasik Edaaf

Award: VITTI receives Merit Award and Inclusive Design Excellence Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA International)

In a remote area where people struggle with poverty, building an aesthetic and environmentally friendly school for children is a challenge. Kumargara is a remote village in Chatmohar Upazila of Pabna. The Baral River flowing through this village is dying due to encroachment and pollution. This school was established here as part of the river protection movement. Therefore, the school has been named 'Baral Biddya Niketan' after the river.

Image: Bird's eye view

Image: Concept

It all started with a movement by local peasants and fishermen against structures like embankments, sluice gates, and cross dams being put in place by humans, destroying the very ‘beel’ area, once famous for fish in wetlands and crops of naturally alluvial soil. Nature, till then, was being replenished every year by the riverine system until ‘the cordon approach’ of river control destroyed the whole. As a result, a persistent struggle to balance nature and humanity ended up winning an ongoing restoration action plan by the government for the area.

This endeavor evoked a deep sense of urge to establish a center of knowledge for future generations to evolve as nature responsive & responsible entities. Mizanur Rahman and Dil Afroz, a couple, established Baral Biddya Niketan in 2019 with their own land and funding to make children aware of the environment as part of the movement to protect the Baral River. Impressed by such efforts to protect the environment, environmental activist and architect Iqbal Habib joined them.

CONCEPT

Rooted in a collective endeavor born from the struggle to restore the equilibrium between humanity and nature, the Boral Biddya Niketon embodies the ethos of nature-based solutions against the deleterious consequences of human intervention.

The design beholds the phenomenological principles, inviting pupils to engage with and reflect upon their natural surroundings. The project aims to create a nature-based solution that can be a beautiful example of coexistence between humans and nature.

Project Site:

The school is located on the banks of the Baral River in Kumargara village of Chatmohar upazila of Pabna district. The entrance to the site is on the south side from Chatmohar Road. The Baral River is located on the south side of the site. There is a lot of greenery surrounding the site. There is space for future extension on the south side of the site. Chatmohar Technical School is located on the west side of the site.

School Programs:

The school authorities have made arrangements for teaching in an exceptional manner so that the children are not bored at all. The institution holds cultural programs once a week. Children are taught dance, singing, recitation, drawing and debate. There is a library on the ground floor and a computer lab on the second floor. The teachers are committed to making every child a human being through a well-kept garden, laughter and songs.

When it was established in 2019, only class one was started, now it has been started up to class six. One class is being added every year. There are 280 students from class one to class six and 14 qualified teachers including a headmaster.

Design method:

Two single-storied side blocks were built concerning the existing site boundary lines, evoking the idea to create an interplay between the boundary & inner classroom space to accommodate sunlight, rainwater, plants as wall creepers, etc. in between.

The 25-meter-long double stacked block along its two wings of single-story blocks creates the ‘Uthan’ - the courtyard of the mango orchard at the south—a central void with covered space underneath for the kids to play & study. The elevated layer holding a series of classrooms envisioned not to be confined but of space tends to blend into the very ‘Uthan’ by opening up the south side of each room.  Operable drop-down screens of bamboo sticks were used in between the wide openings of the rooms to protect students from gushing rain, yet ensuring ample natural light & cross ventilation through perforated brick walls on the other side instead of windows, helping to combat the usual claustrophobic effects of confined classroom spaces.

A free-form library of rammed earthen ‘mud form’ at the lower level brings back the virtue of nature-based solutions, creating a playful but comfortable flowing space, providing natural protection against heat and warm weather. The use of handmade floor tiles to mild steel frame structure in combination with wooden roof frame cladded with finished roof tiles are placed as required to create a natural flowing space, which also guarantees inclusion and universal accessibility using ramps and stairs all the way.

Image: Site plan

Image: Ground floor plan

Image: 1st floor plan

Construction Method

The structures of this project are constructed mainly from steel and wood. As a result, the construction time is less, which helps in reducing the total cost. This is a successful method for the project.

Image: South elevation

Image: Section

The building structures are constructed based on steel and wood. Steel and wood create a strong structure that produces a lower carbon footprint than conventional materials. In addition, bricks, wood, bamboo and soil have been used to combine nature and children's education.

In an open and eco-friendly atmosphere beyond the conventional, the brick masonry and wall design allow for sufficient light to enter. Bamboo slats have been used between the classroom windows, which protect students from heavy rain, while also ensuring the movement of light and air. Instead of windows, the wall is made of brick lattice, which not only allows light and air to enter but also changes and enlivens the closed environment of the classroom.

The entire facility uses hand-made floor tiles, steel frames, and wooden frame tiled roofs. The ground floor of the two-story school building features bamboo rafters hanging from the open verandah.

The extended pitch roof is a traditional architectural style of the region, which serves as an effective design solution for the local climate. It provides protection against direct sunlight and heavy rain and makes the interior environment comfortable. Each material, including steel, solid mahogany wood, clay tiles, bamboo frames, curtains, and terracotta, was chosen to reduce carbon emissions and support the local economy.

A library built of clay has been created, maintaining a stable temperature inside. Each room opens to the south, with drop-down bamboo mat curtains and perforated brick walls for passive ventilation. This design principle eliminates the need for artificial cooling systems.

Image: Green architecture features

Water Management and Conservation:

The design incorporates rain chains to collect rainwater, which helps recharge groundwater. Promoting sustainable water management ensures groundwater recharge and proper drainage by reducing waterlogging. The interior design is eco-friendly, easy-to-maintain low-VOC (a type of chemical that can evaporate into the air under normal conditions) wall paint, energy-efficient lighting and hand-crafted floor tiles. Soft pave has been used in the outdoor areas to reduce the impact of temperature, which also allows natural water infiltration into the soil. The site is covered by the surrounding native trees and orchards, and there are also various native flowering plants on both sides of the walkway. The setback area is visible from the classrooms, allowing for easy cross-ventilation.

Every corner of this educational center speaks of a new education, where the joy of play and learning is mixed with nature. It is not just an educational institution, but also a practice of restoring our harmony with nature and our responsibility towards protecting the environment. The school, built in a natural and environmentally friendly way outside the so-called educational institutions in the remote area of ​​Chalanbil, is also a milestone for Bangladesh. This bond between nature and humans is our hope for the future, where the message of nature's peace will reach the present and future generations instead of man-made destruction.