Dhaka-based studio Shatotto Architects has completed the Meghna Residence project in 2005.
This 20,000 square foot contemporary house is located in Dhanmondi, one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. In Bangladesh the courtyard is a traditional typology creating space for living in privacy along with cross ventilation, ample daylight and vegetation. Due to lack of a proper master plan, construction rules and awareness, Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world has become a city of urban mayhem. Dhaka, having less than five percent green area for a city of more than 400 square miles with a growing population of disparity and persistent difficulties with other utilities, is fast losing its living ambiance. The Meghna Residence is a single extended family house located at Dhanmondi-a planned residential area of the early sixties. This house has been conceived in three layers — its surrounding context, the climate, the traditional typology.
To create a screen against 49 windows on the southeast particularly for guarding the swimming pool on the 5th level of the house with much privacy and to ensure winter solstice that is critical and summer cross ventilation for the living spaces that is mostly concentrated in the northwest and southwest side of the land was quite a challenge. The effort was further to achieve a traditional living ambience with layers of greeneries and water to achieve a deltaic condition. For this, a “U” shape configuration has been adopted.
