Bridging tradition and modernity: brick architecture and critical regionalism in contemporary village residence in Bangladesh

Abstract

Traditional brick has been the most preferred construction material in the Bengal region since the 300 BC. During the renaissance of modern architecture in Bangladesh, which began in the early 1950s, brick architecture was revived through large-scale national projects as well as smaller private projects. This trend has continued and evolved into various experimental approaches that integrate brick with other contemporary materials. This paper aims to illustrate the application of brick as a sustainable and contextual material and its use in different architectural elements to achieve climate-responsive architecture in a single-family residence. Moreover, it explores how contemporary brick architecture can blend seamlessly into the rural context of Bangladesh without disrupting the existing rich rural fabric and lifestyle. Adopting a qualitative approach, the paper presents a brief literature review on the chronological development of critical regionalism through brick architecture. Additionally, architectural drawings of the case study residence are analyzed to demonstrate the application of critical regionalism in contemporary architecture in rural Bangladesh. The findings show that incorporating conventional materials that can be locally sourced provides flexibility in terms of available expertise while enabling architecture to blend into the existing socio-cultural context. This approach supports the advancement of the architecture industry in contemporary times. As architecture is a dynamic field, further application of conventional materials in modern contexts will allow experts to balance consumption and regeneration, ultimately achieving truly sustainable architecture