German architect Anna Heringer’s “Anandaloy” project at Rudrapur village under Biral upazila in Dinajpur has won the prestigious Obel Award 2020.
This award is given annually to a building or architectural project that showcases excellence in architectural achievement, reports Wallpaper.com.
Anandaloy, which means “place of deep joy”, is a community therapy centre for people with disabilities which also houses a textile manufacturing workshop for local women.
Anandaloy, a community therapy centre and textile workshop in Bangladesh | Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
The structure, made out of rammed earth and bamboo, explores age-old local building techniques in soft curves and textures that connect with its place and the region’s vernacular, the report said.
“The key motivation always is to use architecture as a tool to improve lives,” Heringer said, who has spent a part of her life in Bangladesh.
She is also the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) chair of Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures, and Sustainable Development.
Heringer focuses on the use of natural and readily available building materials.
Anandaloy, a community therapy centre and textile workshop in Bangladesh | Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
“The vision behind, and motivation for my work is to explore and use architecture as a medium to strengthen cultural and individual confidence, to support local economies and to foster the ecological balance.”
“Joyful living is a creative and active process and I am deeply interested in the sustainable development of our society and our built environment.“
“For me, sustainability is a synonym for beauty: a building that is harmonious in its design, structure, technique and use of materials, as well as with the location, the environment, the user, the socio-cultural context. For me, this is what defines its sustainable and aesthetic value,” she said.
Anandaloy, a community therapy centre and textile workshop in Bangladesh | Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
The project was made using only local materials, construction methods and workforce, respecting local heritage and crafts.
This - climate-positive design and sustainability on all levels - was a key aspect in the judging process, the report further said.
The jury this year included Martha Schwartz, founder, Martha Schwartz Partners, USA; Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, co-founder, Snöhetta, Norway; Louis Becker, design principal and partner, Henning Larsen, Denmark; Dr Wilhelm Vossenkuhl, professor emeritus of philosophy, Germany, and XU Tiantian, founding principal, DnA, Beijing, China..
Anandaloy, a community therapy centre and textile workshop in Bangladesh | Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
“The Anandaloy building is not only a spatial solution to a number of both basic and specific human needs, the project as a whole is a multi-layered response to the challenge of mending by cleverly interweaving sustainable, social, and architectural design,” a statement from the jury mentioned.
“This prize was set up to promote new possibilities and the different directions architecture could have.”
“This year, the winning project has a very direct social impact - it is doing something every day to change the lives of people locally.”
“It also showcases what you can do by using local knowledge. It is very much aligned with what we wanted to do when we created the award,” Louis said