Encroachment of Urban Heritage and Conservative Resiliency: The Fluid Continual Approach

Written By Tanzil Shafique

By:

S M Kaikobad | Lecturer, Brac University

Abstract:

Dhaka is one of the densest cities with about 44,100 people per square kilometer (Ahmed, 2016). With the rapid urbanization, historical infrastructures such as Boro Katra, Choto Katra, Ruplal House, Armenian Church, Residence of Revoti Mohan Das Sutrapur, etc. located in the old part of Dhaka, has fallen victim to illegal encroachment and parasitic illegal construction due to lack of effective heritage conservation laws and the high demand of land.

The essay seeks to bring to the fore a critical conversation on the changing notion of conservation perspectives with rapid development and effective use of preliminary integrated approach as a possible method of rejuvenating historical edifices within the urban contexts for alternative futures.

Situated within the densest part of a burgeoning population density, the curious case of Choto Katra (small caravanserai/inn) evidently presents how Mughal architectural buildings in Bangladesh are shambles, completely hidden by illegal construction. Conservation is inevitable if one seeks to retain the age-old culture and essence of the place. However, displacement of the ‘parasites’ is socially unethical. This essay elaborated the aspects to assess and manage at the primary level with the community and dynamic urban situation to reach conservative resiliency and explore future scopes of the heritage conservation approaches.

Keywords:

Heritage, Conservation, Urban heritage, Risk assessment

Author Bio:

TBC

Tanzil Shafique

Tanzil Shafique, Assoc AIA, is a PhD researcher at the Melbourne School of Design. Previously, he was the Design Research Specialist at the Office of the Dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design at University of Arkansas, where, he worked also as a Project Designer at the University of Arkansas Community Design Center and was a faculty for the Urban Design Studio, leading the Urbanism Seminar. He graduated at the top of his M.Arch in Ecological Urbanism class from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York in 2014. His thesis was awarded the Faculty Graduate Award. He was practicing architecture in NYC before moving to Arkansas. Previously he taught undergraduate studios in BRAC University in Bangladesh. As part of the UACDC, his work has been awarded numerous AIA awards. He writes and lectures on design philosophy around the world. In 2016, he co-founded Estudio Abierto / Open Studio with Paco Mejias. 

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Nationalism and Modern Institutional Buildings of Bangladesh, 1947-71