gulshan club, dhaka, bangladesh

status:competition entry,2010 in assoc. with Ar.Taufiqur Rahman Khan & Ar.Mahmudul Islam Islam Forhad .

The main consideration of gulshan club is to make a built form that stands both as an iconic landmark and a place of relaxation, respite & entertainment for club members. The profile of the site & the phased construction has added to the complexity to the design as accommodating the program, zoning & segregation for seamless transition of functions & activities of the club is to be harmonious. The  composition of volumes are as such to set back the main tower  that contains guest rooms  as much as possible away from the intersection & road ,thus giving an opportunity  for a quieter & less chaotic ambiance .this also  creates a wider foreground for experiencing the building in a greater angle. A water body & a series of fountains feature to enhance not only beauty but also segregation from the bustling nearby road & intersection. By  axially shifting  the main mass a kind of cascaded shifted interplay of volumes are created that  not only give a vibrant formal expression but also  self shades lower floors from intense summer heat ,as the major façade faces west. In this way intimate spaces for club activities are also created in different levels.

 Entry: The planning of circulation ensures that guest house & club functions don’t overlap. The entry to the complex is a kind of aperture to the exterior & the interior to blend a rich & vibrant urban space. The quintessence of the design work of gulshan club lies in considering the shifting of axis of the main mass to facilitate a bypass road which works as a drop off & also a connecting road avoiding the intersection traffic & congestion The vehicular bypass & drop-off helps in phased construction as an alternative access to the basement from the main road as well as an opportunity for the secondary road users to avoid the nearby intersection (thus contribution to locality/club users living in the vicinity who use the secondary road frequently) this required elevating the floor in phase-1 & leveling floor level to it facilitated the floor height in phase-2 to be adequate enough to hold basketball/volleyball etc in block-b. Escalators would take club users with convenience from the lower levels up to the multipurpose level as well as the main bars & restaurants.Rooftop: The café in the roof along with mini bars & pools would be a vibrant space for the club users. The sports lounge with it’s over hanged deck would be a vantage point for hanging out during evening hours. The rooftop levels with pools make an interactive & enticing space for leisure & relaxation.

Amenities: The connecting mass between the two major blocks hold a suspended coffee deck, which opens view to the interior. Perforated walls are to modulate vision & protect from solar heat gain to spaces as men’s gym, admin, Jacuzzi etc. The ladies club with dedicated pool is a more secluded zone where its privacy can be maintained by means of trees & controlled fenestration & zoning. The guest house has prism shaped shading devices that would add some excitement to the elevation & interior of the guest house suits.

Services: The main services are grouped as such to buffer from nearby buildings in the east side of phase-1 (block-a) part. During phased construction service is given to the basement, after completion service docks in both g.floor or basement in block-b can both facilitate services through the entire building with ease via service lifts & corridors.

Security: when & if required necessary surveillance & security systems would be installed below the entry mass to ensure control to the building.

Structure: the structure is r.c.c frame structure with composite use of steel sections & trusses where required.

Regulations: all design parameters are in accordance to the latest building code prevailing in Dhaka metropolitan.