Monograph "Rafiq Azam Architecture for Green Living" | Md. Rafiq Azam

Monograph “Rafiq Azam Architecture for Green Living” – creating hallmark for Bangladesh Rafiq Azam Architecture for Green Living is the first ever monograph on contemporary architectural practice in Bangladesh, dedicated to international-award-winning architect Rafiq Azam. Rafiq Azam has recently received the LEAF 2012 Residential Building of the Year Award at the London Design Festival. He also bagged five times World Architectural Community Award, South Asian “Architect of the year” Award 2012, four times the South Asian Architecture Commendation Award, commendation in AR Emerging Architecture award 2007, Cityscape Architectural Review Commendation Award 2004 and many other awards in international arena. He has taken the Bangladeshi Architectural design in a global platform. Rafiq Azam’s design has a holistic approach which incorporates all the elements of nature, harnessing its beauty and potential in very practical ways. Considering the socioeconomic and city-planning conditions of Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, Azam’s architectural vocabulary is kept simple and essential, with traditional spaces like the courtyard, pond, and ghat (steps leading into water) and ample internal and external greenery that merge both urban and rural typologies in an intensely urban context. The monograph is a compilation of extra ordinary projects with more than 200 colour and black-and-white plates, exquisite design sketches, watercolour paintings and inspirational phrases providing a rich reference for clients, students, designers and practitioners alike. It is going to be published on November 26, 2013 by Skira, Milan, Italy along with co-publisher Bengal Foundation, Dhaka. Skira, one of the top class publishers of the world and Bengal Foundation, the leading promoter of the arts and cultural wealth of Bangladesh. Written in English language, hardcover, the book contains 336 pages. The editor is Rosa Maria Falvo, who is a writer and curator, and Skira’s international commissions editor, specializing in Asian contemporary art and photography. Foreword is written by Kerry Hill, an acclaimed Australian architect and an influential figure in South East Asia, completing some of the most ambitious projects in this region. Texts are by Kazi Khaled Ashraf, a Bangladeshi architect and historian, based at the University of Hawaii and Philip Goad, a professor of architecture and deputy dean of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Syed Manzoorul Islam who is a Bangladeshi writer and professor of English at the University of Dhaka has done the interview. Along with Bangladesh, the launching of the book shall take place in Sri lanka, India, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, UK, USA, China, Japan Pakistan. The book launching program in Dhaka would take place in May, 2014. The monograph is available in Amazon.com, one of the largest e-commerce sites in the world. The selling price in amazon.com is USD 95.00 (around BDT 7,300) but for pre-order it is available at discount of ten percent, USD 85.00 (around BDT 6,645). The book can be purchased in Bangladesh at BDT 5,000 from January 2014. Rafiq Azam believes the book will bring a new experience for not only architecture fraternity, but also for every individual in the country.