An architect has to have a multifaceted approach in design, keeping into account the form, material, context and environment of a space. Nazimuddin Payel is an eminent architect who loves challenging works of design. According to him, architecture has a certain power and one should be dedicated while practising to understand its inner supremacy. His two such exemplary projects are Shadinata Tower at Jahangir gate, Dhaka Cantonment and Village Super Market at Dumuria, Khulna. Both the distinctive designs are acknowledged for their uniqueness and are deeply rooted in the context and shaped with abstractionism of modernity.
Village Super Market
The Village Super Market (VSM) was conceptualized as a marketplace for the rural agri-business hub to transform
the market system and benefit the ever deprived farmers and the supply chain actors. Dutch-funded international organization Solidaridad Network Asia (SNA) took the initiative of the project under SaFal (Sustainable Agriculture,
Food Security and Linkages) program in order to help the rural farmers to modernize their infrastructure. Vaastukalpa team took the challenge to deal with many inherent dualities of the project not only in its functions
but also in the difference in the culture of Bengal and Dutch. The result is a design that establishes itself as a place of pride for the agricultural community of the country.
The whole complex houses communal functions organized around a pedestrian spine, accessible for all visitors, farmers and traders. Following the traditional ‘Aarot’, the pavilion structure was surmounted by tensile members allowing natural light but protecting from the heat at the same time. Visual access through the perforations creates an interesting view vista and gives the whole trading space a sense of openness, allowing an abundance of natural light and ventilation. The space has clarity of both vehicular and pedestrian circulation and a served-service zoning that will help the village farmers trade smoothly and access technological facilities when needed. The market is organized along three main functions: the market function along one axis (horticulture and aquaculture), the facilitating of social and educational functions for the local farmers along the other axis (retail and information center) and finally the rear Tech Village where products are processed and cooled using state of the art hardware.
Shadhinata Tower
The Shadhinata Tower project started with a vision to make a unique space and its expression as well. Trust Bank Ltd. (TBL) took the initiative for a commercial venture on the project site owned by Sena Paribar Kalyan Samity (SPKS). Presently TBL is enjoying 6 nos. floors as a tenant and SPKS is the owner of the whole building. SPKS named the building as ‘Shadhinata Tower’ commemorating the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War.
Based on a very tentative organization, Nazimuddin Payel had a design workshop week where he worked with reputed Product Designer Frank Tjepkema, and a vibrant architectural team of Ar. Rob Vanhouten, Ar. Md. Sk. Maruf Hossain, Ar. Kaiser Habib, and had a conceptual discourse. After that, the Vaastukalpa team went along with the designing process.
Shadhinata Tower emerged from the response to its site: the location, its challenges, its orientation, its relationships with ambience and the resultant accountability. The project had to go with surroundings very carefully in order to ensure flawless intermingling between existing traffic and upcoming users. The inspiration from institutions and significant land use around the site suggests an iconic development which is not only pride and prestige for its users and client but also for the city.
Architect Profile:
S.M Nazimuddin Payel started his profession as a teacher at Architecture Discipline, Khulna University after getting his B.Arch degree in 2000. Consequently, he was also involved with regular architectural practice all over the country and was commissioned for some national level prestigious projects like Shadhinata Tower at Jahangir Gate, Delta Tower at Bogra and Khulna, KDA Liaison Office at Nikunja etc. In his 18 years of architectural practice, he has made a major contribution in shaping up the built form of the country.
He is the principal architect of Vaastukalpa Architects Ltd, architectural firm based in Khulna that has created a wide range of architectures that including residential, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, hospitals, and corporate towers. Nazimuddin Payel wants to contribute further towards the development of architecture and inspire upcoming generation to decentralize proper architectural practices all over the country including divisional city to upcoming towns.
