What do you think of when you hear "apartment building"? Maybe it's a box-shaped building in a residential area with many compartments or apartments.

Well, this is what Studio Morphogenesis wanted to deconstruct with their project "Politician".

This 3775 square meter residential building is located in the Gurshan area of ​​the capital and attracts your attention with its unorthodox structure.

The huge rectangular building extends from east to west. It has a large glass curtain wall on the north side and a patterned perforated metal shell on the south side. 

It almost seems unreal, and as a viewer, you may question the architect-how can such a long and slender plot accommodate seven apartments and a penthouse? Why should they use such a large glass curtain wall and metal shell?

We talked to the architect to find the answer.

Morph Team-Architects Shahla K Kabir, Suvro Sovon Chowdhury, Minhaz Bin Gaffar and Saiqa Iqbal Meghna-share with us this is their first project, and from the very beginning they wanted to question the traditional concept of the main managed residential space. sales ability. They want to provide a way of life, not just a living space.

The project won an honorary award at the ARCASIA Architecture Awards in 2021. 

Studio Morphogenesis was born in 2014. As the name suggests, the farm is dedicated to shaping the architecture of the city.

The ambitious team said: "We want to break the stereotypes or stereotypes. We want to bring new things to the city, whether it's a home, an office or a commercial structure."

They started their first project "Politicians" with these exact ideas-some innovations that can break boundaries.

Shahla K Kabir, one of the chief architects of the project, said: "The client, Eastern Housing Ltd (EHL), is very open to any unconventional or innovative design solutions, which allows us to break the norm."

Minhaz Bin Gaffar said: "The plot belongs to an ambassador to Saudi Arabia. In order to give this identity a proper distinction, EHL decided to name the project'politician'".

The team added that this is a luxury residential space, and EHL made it clear to them from the beginning.

The target audience is mainly newlyweds or elderly couples. Seven apartments and one penthouse are fully furnished. The entire space is paved with marble floors and travertine walls. The bathroom is also fully marbled and equipped with the best fittings and fixtures. All bedrooms and kitchens are equipped with custom-designed imported cabinets, including high-end European appliances. Residents only need to walk in with their loose furniture and belongings.

How do architects break the "model"?

"We want to expose the fact that our local functional planning and material usage standards lack innovation to some extent. We are considering introducing cutting-edge technology in several building components, combined with novel functional planning," the team explained .

The team did not use a long and calm wall structure, but instead used an asymmetrical frame. "We used perforated aluminum screens, and the patterns were created by RHINO simulation."

The interior of the building uses sliding glass walls, and the outer shell uses aluminum screens to blend the contrast between clearly defined public spaces and private areas.

This "extroverted" and "introverted" divisions create the illusion of space that is wider than the actual area.

The team explained why they did this. "Located on the corner plot of the residential area, we have an open field of view, but we must ensure the privacy of the residents. To solve this problem, we want to establish a dialogue between the outdoor and the indoor, using a large glass curtain wall on the north facade, Follow more common areas."

For example, the windows do not have any metal grilles, only glass slides.

This may seem too open. But it allows plenty of sunlight and ventilation to filter, and the metal shell acts as a curtain to maintain privacy and insulate heat.

In addition, since the east and west facades are both slender, this makes their north facade elongated, ensuring low heat absorption.

The shell of each floor rises in an asymmetrical form, with edges and corners. At first glance, this may seem chaotic, but there is also a rhythm.

These uneven edges and corners block the wind and protect the structure from wind.

Seasonally blooming plants and tall trees are placed with them and also placed on the hanging balconies, creating a soothing view for the residents.

Even with concrete, the team chose RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete), a system that can avoid blind tie rods.

Suvro Sovon Chowdhury, one of the chief architects of the project, said: “This is mainly about laying concrete in layers, rather than using large metal shutters with complicated joinery.”

Inside the shell

The introverted and extroverted features of the aforementioned structure are also included here.

The public level includes a continuous slender space, including a dining room, living room and rest area, and the north facade.

The private floor includes the south bedroom, which is separated from the public area by an island block containing a storage room, kitchenette and powder room. The kitchenette connects public and private when needed, because you can see the private area through it. When residents need more privacy, they can slide the glass panel and get complete privacy.

As part of the complex, the building has spaces for community gatherings, entertainment, and public facilities and services.

The building complex has a rooftop swimming pool, garden and fitness center, as well as a courtyard and common lounge on the ground floor, designed in a way that residents can easily socialize.

Minhaz said: "The success of any project is always the result of teamwork. In our case, it was our customers and our extremely efficient construction team that made us possible."

The team believes that architecture is more than just installing some highly engineered components, it requires more psychological involvement, a stronger thinking process, and a certain subtlety to the project. These are their main goals when making "politicians". 

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