The document provides details about the academic and work experience portfolio of Farmin Ahsan from September 2003 to September 2009. It includes 10 projects ranging from class projects to thesis projects. The projects include designs for an SOS Children's Village in Sylhet, a College of Performing Arts in Dhaka, housing designs, and a mixed use high-rise development. Each project provides information on the site location, duration, supervisors, semester, client, and grade received. Tables of contents and images of plans, sections, elevations and 3D models are also included for several of the projects.

1. SEPTEMBER 2003 SEPTMBER 2009
farmin ahsan
portfolio
architecture

2. studio x
studio ix
studio viii
studio vi
studio v
theses project
class project
class project
class project
class project
sos children’s village ,sylhet
college of performing arts
housing design
mixed use development-highrise design
residence for an extended family
table of contents
academic portfolio (september ‘03- december ‘08)
4 storey single unit residence
work-experience portfolio
01
04
07
10
12
14
page no.
10 day hands-on workshop on “modern earthen structure & architecture 16
photgraphy 18

3. keeping in the mind for whom the project was being
done and those who would be staying there, the
concept for the design was developed so as to give
happiness to all the children living in the village .
founder of sos kinderdorf - hermann gmeiner believed
that every child had a right to happiness and a family. in
the village, children are the first priority and thus to
give them an opportunity to identify with the spaces
was chosen to be a part of the concept. one important
aspect they lacked as human beings was the feeling of
identity, the feeling of belonging ness. so the target
was set to design such a complex where each and
every space was unique like each of the children of the
village and yet the whole complex would be of one
specific character like all the orphaned children.
the site plan was initially developed taking inspiration
from the topography of the site, sylhet. the contours of
sylhet ,ups and downs of the landscape inspired the
free-flowing curved lines. visualizing them extruded up
gave shape to the conceptual built forms.
the building material considered for construction was
available earth using the 5% composite rammed earth
structure system. generally earth structures are
always load-bearing in nature. but in this case as
sylhet region has a high risk of earthquake steel pipes
of 4” diameter were used as the structural system with
thin ferro cement slabs as the roofs. another purpose
of using slender steel pipes instead of concrete
columns was to give the interior spaces a touch of a
bamboo garden. the slender steel pipes are to be
arranged in random slanted directions vertically so as
to give the children a feeling that they are walking
through a bamboo cluster or in a forest of bamboos.
the reason bamboo is a part of the design is because
the site itself and sylhet is abundant in different kinds of
bamboo.on the exterior facades bamboo has been
used vertically in verandah or sitting ares so as to give
a sense of security yet abundant air flow.
the organic lines of the site are alternately built forms
and the shaded walkways. major walkways of the
complex have been shaded due to heavy rainfall in
sylhet. the walkways behave like pavilion-like
s t r u c t u r e s i n s o m e p l a c e s .
the individual built forms are developed such that each
contour like form has virtually several circles or
bubbles inside it and sometimes two or three circles
together form a space enclosed with a wall or act like
a n o p e n s p a c e .
the built forms were developed three dimensionally by
considering each bubble as a cylinder . the plan was
further developed and furniture was designed along
with structural details to enhance the design to its
optimum limit. each building block looks same but
when the plan is looked at deeply, each space is as
individual as lively and full of life as the children.
the final design resulted in sloped flat ferro cement
roofs for water drainage. the landscape was also done
keeping in mind the scale of the children’s perception.
the walkways and fields were surrounded by small
shrubs and wild flowers . the concept behind wild
flowers was that they are as delicate and unique as the
children at the village and always in a vulnerable
situation. fruit plants and flowering trees were used in
the landscape so the children's taste buds can
develop. their appreciation of beauty and the outlook
of life will develop if they see beautiful things of nature
a r o u n d t h e m .
landscaping of each area of the site has been done
separately considering the surrounding activities. as a
result not a single place all over the site acts as a
n e g a t i v e s p a c e o r i s u n u s e d .
site: sylhet (northeast bengal), bangladeshduration: 14 weeks (january ‘08-17 april ‘08) supervisors:
-dr. zainab f. ali (professor)_zainab@bracu.ac.bd
-hureira zabeen (sr. lecturer_ huraera@hotmail.com
semester: 5th yr level ii (theses) client: sos kinderdorf international,austria
when most of us come to hear of sos kinderdorf
international we imagine it to be as just an international
organization with a line of orphanages around the
world. it is a common mistake most people make when
they first come to hear about sos kinderdorf. in reality it
is a lot more than that. sos kinderdorf is an
independent, non-governmental and social
development organization, which has been active in
the field of children's needs, concerns and rights since
the year 1949. its activities focus on neglected and
abandoned children and orphans and as well as
d i s a d v a n t a g e d f a m i l i e s .
the project “sos children's village” is the latest project
to be executed in bangladesh. the present status of
sos is that there are 5 children's villages with a sixth to
be built. the aim of the organization is to build
children's villages in the main areas of a country , and
i n t h e s u b u r b s .
the sos children's village in sylhet will be focusing
mainly on the social center apart from the children's
village, as it needs it for the locality. it will not be
providing a school or a college as the area already has
enough number of good colleges and primary schools
in the vicinity. it will be accommodating a total of 120
children of different age groups in 12 family houses,
along with an administrative block, residences for the
director, assistant director, guests, and service staff,
community house fields and other secondary
requirements. the social center will have a clinic, day-
care center for children of extremely poor families, a
skill-training center, a community education program
and family strengthening program.the site is exactly 5
acres in square area and has access to all sorts of
services (electricity, water, gas, sewage, shopping
m a r k e t s ) r e q u i r e d f o r t h e v i l l a g e .
sos children’s village- sylhet
page01
grade: A(96/100)

4. sos children’s village,sylhet
master plan
plansimages of final model
roof plan
panee phool_lindarria anagallis (scrophulariaceae)
bokul_mimusops elengi (sapotaceae)
amrul_oxalis corniculata (oxalidaceae)
kodom_anthocephalus indigus (rubiaceae)
koromchaa_carissa carandas (apocynaceae)
kaakdumur_ficus hispida (moraceae)
kumariyalota_derris marginata (legominosae)
khurighaash_sclerostachya fuska (graminaeae)
potpoti_ruellia tubrusa (acanthaceae)
nol lota_thunbergia gradiflora (acanthaceae)
nolrashna_arundina graminifolia (orchidaceae)
pituli_trewia polycarpa (euphorbiaceae)
tabebuea argentea
batabinebu_citrus grandis (rutaceae)
bel_aegle marmelos (rutaceae)
cassia fistula
magnolia grandiflora
jasmine_ gardenia latifolia
alamanda _ allamanda cathartica (hendersoni)
kanchira, dholpata_commelina benghalensis
(commelinaceae)
kanduli, kureli_murdannia nudiflora (commelinaceae)
page02

5. sos children’s village,sylhet
site section
section of a cluster of family houses
elevation of social centre
sectionselevations
page03

6. site: badda,dhaka, bangladeshduration: 6 weeks (october ‘07- november ‘07) supervisors:
- dr. zainab f. ali (professor)_zainab@bracu.ac.bd
-farhan karim (visiting faculty)
semester: 5th yr level i
college of performing arts
efficiency. Another aspect it has is that it is double
layered with an air gap which stops the heat from
coming in.Solar panels have been proposed to be
mounted on the roofs of each building to supply
electricity during power failures which is a common
problems in Bangladesh, due to insufficient power
supply. also it can heat water during winter season in
t h e d o r m i t o r i e s .
The auditorium has been made specially sound proof
by proposing to use state-of-the-art technology.
The complex has abundant green spaces, including
outdoor classes, with specific detailing done to every
nook and corner of the landscape. each tree has been
proposed according to their seasonal flowering time,
the colours of the flower- applicable to all the herbs,
shrubs , trees and vines. The theme in case of
landscaping was to bring out contours or rather
mounds in the landscape, fields and around the
walkways so as to give a natural look. The trees are
arranged in way that the whole complex can be seen
blooming with flowers and colours ranging from white
to yellow, then orange and finally red , with an
underlying tone of green of the leaves.
Each aspect of the built forms seem like damaged
pieces of glass or concrete, giving a rugged natural
look.each opening , be it a window or a door or a fixed
glass bay window has no specific shape.they are
derived from the specific façade and requirement of
the view. each of the windows have been designed in a
way that they can remain open and yet give protection
from rain. there are louvers outside the building which
protect the windows from direct sun and also give
minimum protection over the walkways.
The structure has been solved through the use of one-
way joist flooring system .steel pipes has been used in
place of thick heavy columns so as to give the interior
a n o p e n l o o k .
the college offers institutionalised education in music.
it offers bachelor degree and masters degree in
eastern music- vocal, instrumental and dance. the
programs are north indian classical music , tagore ,
nazrul and folk songs, kathak and bharat natyam , and
north indian classical with flute violin , sitar , sarod and
e s r a j .
the concept was “freedom from a life of super-imposed
reality”. a lot of things we do in our everyday life is
super-imposed- they are believed to be right. we never
question ourselves why we do them or believe in
them. it is not always true that if we take a new path it
will always be wrong. if our motive it true to the heart
then whatever new path we take will always lead to
w h a t i s g o o d .
Music is the heart of the soul. its is so pure that it is
believed that to be specialized in music or related
forms of art – such as dance , instrumental music, or
e v e n a r t i t s e l f o n e c a n r e a c h g o d .
Other than providing the necessary requirements of a
performing arts college – sound proof classrooms,
auditorium, administrative section, dormitories, etc a
special requirement of the project was to make as
environmentally sustainable as possible.also another
challenge which I took up myself was to to use such
materials which makes the building structurally
unique, sound , visually appreciative, and extremely
s u s t a i n a b l e .
as a result of extensive study and research into
sustainability I came up with the material “autoclaved
aerated concrete” for the building material.this
material is a bit costly , and has to be imported from
abroad but the results it can give in case of
sustainability were marvelous.not only can it protect
the interior from gaining heat , also it can be
dismantled and reused , which increases its usable
grade: A-
page04

7. college of performing arts
plans
roof plan
plan development
master plan
page05

8. college of performing arts
elevationssectionsimage of final modelperspectives
walkways
music classes
amphitheater
sectional perspective of academic block
sectional perspective of cafetaria
front elevation of auditorium
detail of fenestration
page06

9. site: bashundhara,dhaka, bangladeshduration: 8 weeks (january ‘07- march ‘07) supervisors:
- rafiq azam (visiting faculty)
-abu md. rahat niaz (lecturer)
semester: 4th yr level ii(group project-4 members
task-in charge of drawings and design)
housing design
large-scale developer-built housing is a recent , but
increasingly widespread phenomenon in the urban
areas of Bangladesh. the problem of the developer
built housing is closely tied to the economic condition
of the users and their affordability. private initiatives of
housings have been trying to address the middle-
income group and the middle-middle class group. but
the strategies remains in exploring the users
economic conditions and their demand and needs.the
housing was to be designed for mid-income group to
l o w - i n c o m e g r o u p f a m i l i e s .
the housing area has been divided into 3 zones- upper
mid- income group, mid-income group, low-income
group. for upper mid- income only 4 highrises have
been designed, and incorporating about 20%
accommodations for low-income group. for upper mid-
income families, apartment sizes vary between 1130-
1500sft,and for mi-income , 830sft-970sft.for low-
income groups the range from 520-535sft.
the concept was to set culturally acceptable social
standards, socially sustainable approach, provide
peripheral circulation, provide liveable yet cheap
accomodation and to incorporate the mid-income and
l o w - i n c o m e g r o u p s .
of the total land area 60% land area=7.596 acres have
been kept for open space and 40%=5.064 acres has
b e e n k e p t f o r b u i l t a r e a .
the design proposal other than the apartment ,
includes services such as -community halls, school,
hospital/clinic,supershops, handicrafts shop, and
v e n d o r s o n t h e p l a z a l e v e l .
client: anadadhara housing society grade: A-
site area: 12.66 acres=547200sft
page07

10. housing design
plandevelopment
master plan
1 2 3
plan of high rise
plan of mid-income apartments
development
page08

11. housing design
3d viewselevationimages of model
8 am in the morning view from west
page09

12. site:mohakhali,dhaka, bangladeshduration: 8 weeks (march ‘06-april ‘06) supervisors:
-marina tabassum (visiting faculty)
-md. hafizul hasan (lecturer)_hhasan@bracu.ac.bd
semester: 3rd yr level ii
mixed use development-highrise design
the form has been inspired by the popular toy "slinky
spring".the floors rotate along the central axis from one
s i n g l e p o i n t .
the structural elements acts as the design element
enhancing the beauty of the form itself.
grade: A site area:64938.457 sft
page10

13. mixed use development- highrise design
plansconceptual sketches
south-east elevation
section
elevationsection
conceptual sketches
plans
study models-development
final model
page11

14. site:dhanmondi,dhaka, bangladeshduration: 8 weeks (september ‘05-October ‘05) supervisors:
-dr. fuad h. mallick
-ehsan khan (visiting faculty)
-hureira zabeen (sr. lecturer_ huraera@hotmail.com
semester: 3rd yr level I
residence for an extended family
grade: A site area:3554.91 sft
Eldest Daughter-in-law (35)- Housewife
She manages the whole household and
takes turn alternately with her sister-in-
law to do the cooking. At home she
spends her evenings teaching her
children. Her hobbies are listening to
old songs, watching television serials
e v e r y n i g h t a n d g a r d e n i n g .
Youngest Son (28) –Software Engineer
He loves to paint, read and playing
“SHARAD” .He enjoys cooking and
often experiments in the kitchen with his
eldest niece. He is very moody, that he
does whatever he feels like whenever
he wants. He is a very fun-loving sort of
person but basically reserved.
Youngest Daughter-in-law (28)- Interior Designer
She is also a very fun-loving sort of
person and always having fun and
playing games with her nieces and
nephew whenever she is at home. She
loves to write, sing, read watch movies
with her nephew and nieces. She cooks
alternately with her elder sister-in-law.
Eldest Granddaughter (19)- Unemployed
Her parents died about some 5 years
back .At that time she was staying with
her paternal grandparents out of
Dhaka. A year back her grandparents
got her married and then she got an
annulment withinfew months. her
maternal grandparents then shifted her
to dhaka at their place. she is very
attached to her younger uncle and aunt
and her cousins. she stays home and
helps manage the household with her
eldest aunt. she loves to sing and have
fun with her family members.
g r a n d s o n ( 1 4 ) - s c h o o l s t u d e n t
he loves to paint and is very much into
sports. mostly he likes spending time
with his grandparents and cousin. he
often gets into fights with his younger
sister. watching cartoons/movies,
looking after his many pets and painting
a r e h i s h o b b i e s .
youngest granddaughter (8)- school student
she is the youngest in the whole family.
she learns to dance. mostly when at
home, she spends time with the female
members of the family and her
grandfather. she likes looking after her
pets along with her brother.
initially the concept was to play with squares an
circles to create compositions for the plan. but finally
these compositions led to playing with simple , solid,
broken boxes and cylinders three dimensionally.the
end result - basic composition of solid forms with
simple punches.
the task was to create an imaginary extended family
and then solve each members requirements.
t h e f a m i l y m e m b e r s a r e a s f o l l o w s -
project-1 (residence for an extended family)
father (68)- retired government official
he likes watching sports with his
grandson. mostly he enjoys spending
his time grandchildren. he likes reading
books and is very religious.
m o t h e r ( 6 0 ) - h o u s e w i f e
nowadays she cooks only for her
grandchildren. that is whenever and
whatever special food they demand
from their grandmother. she enjoys
watching television and old movies with
her elder granddaughter; sewing,
reading, spending time with her
grandchildren are her hobbies. she is
very religious. she is a bit
claustrophobic which is why she always
wants a big verandah in whichever
house she lives so that in the
afternoons she can sit with her armchair
a n d e n j o y h e r t i m e .
eldest son (38)- chartered accountant
he likes watching action movies. due to
his profession he remains very busy
and even if he is at home he remains a
lot of the time on the phone or works on
the computer. so whenever he is free he
likes watching movies with his children.
page12

15. residence for an extended family
plansconceptual sketcheselevationsection
conceptual sketches
plans
section elevation
final model
page13

16. site:gulshan 2,dhaka, bangladeshduration: 1 year (September ‘08-till date ) architect:
-ar. nahas ahmed khalil_nahaskhalil@yahoo.co.uk
work experience
4 storey single family residence
site area:1107.2 sqm
the residence is being done at an old site-meaning the
garage and servant’s quarter section of an old
residence is being torn down to build the multi storey
single unit residence for the client. the old house will
then be put up for rent.
the house will be lived in by the client(about 70 yrs),his
wife(above 60) and his mother(above 90) and some
helping hands .
the plan has been solved in split level sections as there
is not enough space to accommodate all the facilities
i n o n e f l o o r .
page14

17. plansconceptual sketcheselevationsection
4 storey single family residence
plan
conceptual drawings
elevation section
page15

18. site: housing and building reasearch institute,mirpur, dhaka, bangladeshduration: 12 days(february ‘09 )supervisors:
-anna heringer -director, BASE habitat(germany)
-martin rauch-trainer(germany)
work experience
10 day hands-on workshop on “modern earthen structure & architecture”
the workshop was conducted by anna herringer and
martin from germany.anna is an architect herself and
has been working for the past few years in bangladesh
in north bengal and was recently awarded the aga
khan award for architecture.the aim was to by a
12’ x 12’ room which would act as the reception and
information point for the different services of the hbri
(housing and building research institute).
the workshop was sponsored by - kunst universitat
linz, institute of architects of bangladesh, and the hbri.i
was a full-time participant at the workshop.
page16

19. 10 day hands-on workshop on “modern earthen structure & architecture”
finished structure
anna putting finishing touches
finishing the floor
checking the condition of the soil raw materiallaying the foundation ramming the layers together
page17

20. photography
photography is one of my many
hobbies such as reading and making
sketches of faces.each of the
photographs represent a different
mood of mine. I have tried to capture
the essence of beauty in different
situations around me. sometimes I
find them while someone tenderly
holds a wild flower, sometimes after a
downpour when a tender exotic flower
rests on the pavement, in the play of
light on stored bamboo in a thatch hut,
or in the facial profile of a near one.
page18

21. photography
a thing of beauty is a joy forever
still life, portraits,nature,light and shadow
page19