RE. - The Geometry of Change

BRAC University, Department of Architecture, Dhaka

Project idea

RE. is conceived as a cultural and educational hub that reflects the transformative potential of the younger generation as a catalyst for social change. Located in Agargaon, the project responds to the need for a dynamic platform where creativity, learning, and public engagement can coexist.
The architectural concept is inspired by the idea of revolution and renewal, expressed through a powerful spatial metaphor. A rigid primitive cube symbolizes the weight of societal constraints and established norms. From this central core, a series of dynamic oblique forms emerge, visually representing the moment of disruption when youth challenge limitations and reshape the future.
Through this formal transformation, the architecture narrates a journey of liberation, hope, and collective potential. The project aims to create an environment where cultural expression, artistic production, education, and community interaction converge, empowering young individuals to explore ideas, share knowledge, and participate in shaping society.

Project description

The project functions as a multi-program cultural complex organized around a central spatial core. The central lobby, conceived as the symbolic cube, acts as the main connector of the complex. Circulation spaces surrounding this core serve as a permanent gallery, displaying murals and artworks that convey the themes of resistance, transformation, and youth empowerment. A central open courtyard within the lobby introduces natural light and ventilation while creating a social gathering space.
The complex is organized into several functional zones radiating from the central core. The education zone includes classrooms, a library, indoor recreational spaces, and a café, providing facilities for learning and collaboration. The exhibition and event zone contains temporary galleries, workshop studios, and a multipurpose hall designed for cultural programs and public events. The commercial zone integrates retail spaces and cafés that support public activity and enhance the economic sustainability of the complex. An office block accommodates management spaces, co-working areas, a seminar hall, and supporting administrative functions.
Together, these programmatic elements create a vibrant environment where education, art, culture, and public interaction intersect, reinforcing the project's role as a creative hub for the youth community.

Technical information

The project uses a hybrid structural system combining a triangulated steel exoskeleton and reinforced concrete slabs. The exoskeleton acts as the primary load-bearing structure, supporting the oblique faceted volumes and allowing them to cantilever outward. At the same time, the concrete floor plates provide stability and flexible interior spaces. The central lobby block is enclosed with exposed brick masonry, offering thermal mass and referencing local construction traditions.
The oblique masses are clad with PVDF-coated aluminum composite panels, forming a faceted ventilated rainscreen façade that reflects solar radiation and reduces heat absorption. Climate-responsive strategies include a central courtyard for daylight and natural ventilation, a predominantly solid west façade to minimize heat gain, and glass with perforated mesh screens in the education zone to allow filtered daylight and cross-ventilation.
Additional sustainable elements include green roofs for thermal insulation and solar panels for renewable energy generation, thereby enhancing environmental performance in Dhaka, Bangladesh's tropical climate.