ROSETTA ROYAL: A Responsive Architecture that Replied Robustly.

Project Brief:
Project: ROSETTA ROYAL
Architect: Meheroze Al Hassan
Landscape: Meheroze Al Hassan & Sabin Huda
Interior: Meheroze Al Hassan & Sharfin Afroze Structural: Prof. Dr. Khasroo Miah (DUET)
Data, Network & Computer Support: Sabin Huda (DU)
Research & Analysis: Prof. Sureya Huda (EUB)
Text & Story: Associate Prof. Meherub Al Hassan (BUP) Photography: Ayan, Azan, Maisur, Rayya and Raiyan. Consultant: PERSPECTA Type: Residential Building
Area: 1200 sqm in 7 Apartment Floors, Car Park in Ground floor & Stair-Lift Room at Roof.
Unit Size: roughly 138 sqm/floor in G+7, 8 Storied Residential Apartment Building.
Construction Budget: $ 700,000 Usd (approx.)
Owner: Dr. Mohammad Zainul Abedin Builder: Comprehensive Holdings Ltd.
Materials: Major Local materials including Brick, Concrete, Paint, Sand, Tiles etc.
Construction Period: 2014-2017
Location: 9 by 10 Lalmatia Block-D, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Design Brief:
The Urban fabric of capital Dhaka city has largely been dependent on & influenced by the rapid growth of residential development in mainly private housing sector with no wonder. By stepping out of our usual range of familiarity, Meheroze plans to acquire the capacity to attempt a new way of life. The task is neighboring the higher-center thickness local location of the Lalmatia Residential Area in focal western district of Dhaka with a couple of moments strolling distance from Master Architect Louis Kahn flawlessly created National Parliamentary Complex. Before the property, there is a T-molded public 7.62 meter street that considers association and the well-being of vehicles entering and leaving.
The structure is not many meters from the street side green zone from the close by academic open ground. Meheroze believed, by shifting one of the front side bed rooms with overhang, attempts to acquire the most extreme gap with the adjoining encompassing with an objective that repeats the greenness and receptiveness of the urbanites Dhaka’s texture.

Design Philosophy:
Sometimes we learn about ourselves from being in relationship with society, and more about our responsibility when working for others, especially getting involved in designing a special featured project in any urban context. One thing that’s clear is that the changes we’re going through anywhere are changes they’re going to everywhere. According to Meheroze, “the Architect’s Design Duties & Responsibilities for Society has been something that is morally shedding a membrane and growing a fresh one and the journey never cease, rather keep on moving.”

Design Strategy:
Meheroze said, “The choice of using brick as the main material is also underlined by the use of the same also inside the house as a distinctive element for both levels of the building along which the paths develop.” The tapered rectangular mass tried to connect with the openness of the front side north bound greenish field to ensure the maximization of Micro-climatic effects including Air ventilation, Thermal Coolness for series of trees, Audible Serenity & Visual comfort in a densely urban residential backdrop.

Spatial Configuration:
The building on the ground floor is functionally conceived with a main entrance to the north & vehicular circulation comes with a straight drive way provides car parks at both sides. The vertical Circulation spine of Lift and Stair is easily accessed & viewed from the entry point with major services like Electro-mechanical room, Caretaker room, common Toilet at the back side of the building. Few chunks of Green zone & plantations in the ground level have somehow yet tightly been arranged in both the front and back side as well.

The Family Living cum Dining space has a central island and an enlarged front side visual access to the green, neighbor, openness, sky and tress. This central space connects both the right & left side wing of other functions like Bed rooms, Wash rooms, Living room, Kitchen etc. The eight storied small scaled yet space conscious Residential building has brilliantly been designed in such way, by Meheroze & PERSPECTA team, “where every single Apartment unit in each floor confirms is having the optimum amenities within and the best value as well.”

Green & Landscape:
With no exception, Meheroze kept continue with Green effort of the project Rosetta Royal. The Entry gateway has to be accessed from road though front Gardens at both sides with several seasonal flower plantations as well as grasses. Back yard has also been arranged with few flower beds in the designated Landscape elements around the green zone in miniature chunks. All the front balconies attached with Bed rooms are intentionally provided green zones to symbolize the continuity of the green zone from the Lalmatia College ground. Meheroze explained, “The green with Flowers, Grasses, Plantations & trees are free to move & access anywhere they like to do and as if they have been showing their solidarity with each other.”

Roof Top:
The Roof level of Rosetta Royal has also been exposed to several urban activities & small functions like Greening with Gardens or Planter boxes, sitting arrangements with permanent or temporary benches, Common Multi-purpose hall or community space with washroom, Bar-B-Q setup with grilling facilities, Cloth-drying arrangements, chunks of landscape etc. and few more. Here Rosetta Royal is no exception and we designed to address such urban needs to give value to the dwellers of this little yet prioritized residential project as all possible ways.

Link:
Meheroze at first attempted to recover and afterward began to restore the missing connection among Aspiration to Architecture, Belief to Building, Context to Concept, Crisis to Completion, Dogma to Design, and Heritage & Hierarchy through the Rosetta Royal creation.
The traditional Bengali houses with vernacular lifestyle have evolved for centuries to suit to the urban living pattern based on many reasons including Ability, Beliefs, Context, Design, Essentially, Family formation, Generation, Needs & Tastes etc.

Summary:
A worthy Style of Design is only possible, when Architects consider the apt awareness of Natural features and Sources of Heritage along with the innovation of Building Science, as well. That's what Meheroze countered “we ever could take all such as the scope to contribute to the society and humanity at large, by solving one of the human basic needs-housing, in any extensively critical context of the housing crisis in the South Asian urban areas.”