The Department of Architecture of State University of Bangladesh (SUB) celebrated the World Architecture Day on 16th October, 2023 by hosting a Discourse on Architecture for Resilient Communities. The event was held at the Alliance Française de Dhaka, which provided a conducive venue for the discourse.

The event was inaugurated by Honorable Vice-Chancellor (Designate) Prof. Dr. Chowdhury Mofizur Rahman. The discourse started with a thoughtful speech from Shamsul Wares, the advisor of DoA, SUB and the vice chancellor of SUB. The head of the Department of Architecture, Dr. Sajid Bin Doza, introduced and invited the esteemed guests to the stage. The discourse featured four eminent panelists who have extensive experience and expertise on the topic of resilience in architecture.

Ishtiaque Zahir Titas, MD of Vitti Sthapati Brindo Ltd. and Vice President of UIA Region 4, moderated the panel discussion.  He showcased various projects from different backgrounds that demonstrated how resilient communities from all over the world are shaping architecture according to their needs.

Salma A. Shafi, an architect and urban planner, shared her insights on how to make Dhaka city more resilient through policy-making, master plan development and community engagement.

Dr. Apurba K. Poddar, an associate professor at BUET who explored the spirit and character of resilience of the tribal and marginalized ethnic groups in the hilly areas of Bangladesh and the importance of context in design decisions.

Fuad Quaium, an architect, landscape planner and designer, presented an interesting infographic defining resilience and the aspects that architects, planners and designers should consider for intervention.

The discussion concluded with a summary speech from Shamsul Wares. A Q&A session followed where the panelists answered questions from the curious participants.

The event was attended by distinguished guests such as the registrar, treasurer and faculty members of SUB as well as students of SUB and other institutions. The event was open for all who were interested in learning from the expert panelists. After the discussion, the panelists and distinguished guests were presented with beautiful artwork done by Dr. Sajid Bin Doza and especially hand-picked house plants. The program ended with some group photography and light snacks.

We thank all the participants, guests and panelists for making this event a success and hope to continue this discourse on architecture for resilient communities in the future.