Daniel Dunham, Contribution to the profession and practice in Bangladesh

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Contribution of Daniel C. Dunham to the Profession and Practice of Architecture in Bangladesh

Rafique Islam, Architect, Arizona, USA; [email protected] Mary Frances Dunham, teacher and author, Shanghai, P.R. China; [email protected]

Abstract This presentation reviews the legacy of Daniel C. Dunham’s architecture in Bangladesh limited to his work there during the 1960s. He came to Dhaka as Chief Architect of Berger Engineers during a crucial time when most building ventures and architects were sponsored and employed by government agencies such as PWD and DIT. Such public sector architecture lacked analytical solutions to suit the local climate, materials and methods. Pioneering architects like Doxiadis and Muzharul Islam received some projects and produced ground-breaking structures in International Style. Dunham followed when the University Act established colleges and universities in the region. The demand for architects outnumbered those available locally. Dunham was uniquely suited to pioneering architecture under stringent conditions of the region: wet-dry climate, multi-cultural background, economic and material constraints, etc. His background included art and invention as well as architecture, backed by a wide range of previous experience in various jobs and countries. His academic training included the Beaux Arts Institute in Paris, the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and study in tropical architecture at the Architectural Association in London. Setting up Berger’s architecture office in Dhaka involved creating the first local private office in the region. Dunham’s work under Berger spanned a wide range of projects including: the master plan for Rajshahi University and various campus buildings, including the library, the cafeteria and buildings on the Mymensingh campus and the Barisal BM College. Dunham’s residential architecture included the staff quarters for Rajshahi University, BAU Mynensingh and BUET. Dunham’s largest project during the 60’s was Kamalapur Railway Station which was completed by Robert Boughey after he left Berger to join the ranks of the nascent Faculty of Architecture at BUET.

Keywords: Architecture, planning

Daniel Dunham, Chief Architect at Berger Consultants, Dhaka

Daniel Dunham arrived in Dhaka as chief architect of Berger Consultants in 1960. It was a time when many infrastructure projects were initiated by the government. Berger was involved in infrastructure building from turnpikes in USA to tunnels in Switzerland. The Meghna Bridge project at Bhairab with a budget of $100,000,000 was a major undertaking for Berger consultants and it opened an office in Dhaka to handle it. It was an engineering office with small staff in a 4-story building near Gulistan cinema Hall. Soon afterwards, Berger consulting sought opportunities in campus building planning and construction projects at various cities. To oversee these projects, Berger opened an architectural branch of its office. Dr. Berger himself came to Dhaka to survey the opportunities for other work. Daniel Dunham joined Berger Engineering as its new head of the architectural division. It would represent a turning point in the history of architecture in East Pakistan as the first private firm to handle public sector projects. Berger Consultants formed partnership with The Engineers Ltd. run by Maqbulur Rahman, Majid Khan and Sanaullah Sheikh. This partnership led to award of campus planning and design of buildings at Rajshahi University. Dunham arrived at Berger Engineers office on Jinnah Avenue to set up the first private architectural office in Dhaka with a load of projects but no staff and no equipment. After frustration with peons sharpening pencils using razor blades and sandpaper, he smuggled in pencil sharpeners from Burma which were prohibited by Pakistan government. He trained a peon to become a draftsman when he saw the peon idly sketching while waiting for work. Such were conditions in pre-Bangladesh times.

Daniel Dunham’s Contribution to the Profession and Practice of Architecture in Bangladesh

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Daniel Dunham was unusual among foreigners in that he and his family decided to live like the locals. Opting for a corutyard house in Siddeshwari rather than the comfort of a walled and insular air-conditioned flat in Dhanmondi, Dan tried to get used to the local climate and way of life. Dan also made trips to local buildings of architectural significance as well as historical structures in far away vilages. Muzharul Islam, himself a graduate of the London School of Tropical Architecture had set himself apart from the sterieotypical public sector architects by adopting a modern vocabulary. The typical load bearing and pseudo colonial architectural style that was practiced by government agencies, was finally on its way out. A more free and expressive form of architecture with columns, beams and rooflines exposed honestly was practiced by Daniel Dunham at Berger Consulting. While the existing structures in that time became a point of reference for Dan, modern architecture with honest expression of form and solution of the functional requirements were Dan’s way of practicing architecture. A style of architecture that relied on honest expression of materials to produce enivornmentally responsible buildings have had lasting impression on the next generation of architects to follow.

1.Dan’s sketch of DIT building 2.Dunhams’ residence in Siddeshwari 3.Berger office in Motijheel

Projects by Daniel Dunham in Bangladesh

Daniel Dunham lived in Dhaka from 1960 to 1967 and had produced many planning and architectural projects. These are still in use today and the following projects depicted here are examples of pioneering modern architecture in Bangladesh. Dan had taken pictures of many of these projects during and after construction. He also catalogued these projects with his own take on the unique programmatic and context issues. Before his death in 1990, he was teaching at Columbia University in New York and in his flat nearby, had left an extensive collection of notes, pictures and articles about his work in Bangladesh. Mary Frances Dunham had made a pilgrimage to Bangladesh to visit many of these projects and survey their current conditions. Mr. Iftekhar Ahmed had accompanied her to take photographs. Dan’s daughter Katherine Dunham, herself a planner cum architect had spent time in Dhaka as a Fulbright scholar to work on housing for factory working women and Notre Dame College extensions and documented many of Dunham’s projects. Following are some of Daniel Dunham’s projects in Bangladesh. The descriptions and photographs are taken from Daniel Dunham’s catalog of his work in New York City. Thanks to the detailed notes Dan kept; the reason, circumstances and solutions he designed can be understood.

4.Dan’s student pjoject at Harvard 5.Catalog of work in NYC 6.Daniel Dunham at Berger


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Bangladesh Agriculture University, Mymensingh; V.C.’s Residence & Guest House

The Agriculture University in Mymensingh required a proper residence for its Vice Chancellor. By any standard, the residence proposed was of a scale larger than those of Dhaka or Engineering University. Part of it may have been to compensate for the rural location of the Vice Chancellor who had equal standing among all the universities. The size and amenities of the Vice Chancellor’s residence would equal that of a Governor’s mansion. Dan took advantage of the rural location by designing the structure in a garden setting. A large overhanging canopy formed the entrance to the residence leading to a 2-story atrium lobby. Dining and other support functions on the ground floor opened to the garden. The spaces were provided with high ceilings, cross ventilation and easy flow from one space to the other. The bedrooms were located on the upper floor and were interconnected by a bridge way over the lobby. The flat roof afforded a nice deck for enjoyment beyond being just a roof plane. The roof deck was made accessible from the bedroom floor by a stair. Views of the whole campus and Brahmaputra River beyond could be enjoyed from the vast roof deck. The structure was concrete framed columns and beams properly expressed as elements. Getting away from load-bearing brick framing provided opportunity to create a light and airy structure and diminish the perceived scale and proportion of this rather immense residence. The bedrooms were set back from the façade with balconies. Large expanses of glass were introduced in the living, dining and lobby areas to open up the gardens beyond. In contrast to the grand scale of the VC’s residence, Dan designed guest housing quarters in adjacent land on the riverbanks. The units were individual temporary residences for visiting scholars and staff. Dan introduced unusual pyramid shaped concrete roof with vent at the peak. The units had adjoining inner courtyards and were interconnected by covered walkways. These units provide a comfortable home away from home for visitors to stay in a tranquil and relaxing setting.

7. Front view 8. Lobby 9. Guest House

Bangladesh Agriculture University Student and Staff Housing The rural and remote location of this university required residence halls for students. Rather than spreading the residence halls in the open landscape, three story cluster units were designed with views of playgrounds and open landscape. These buildings designed to house students represented a major departure from traditional form of student housing. Rather than a long and continuous structure housing 500 or so students, Dan cut down the scale and proportion by providing smaller units for 50 to 60 students and interconnected them with vertical and horizontal circulation elements. Another feature was the availability of private balconies accompanying each room. Single loaded corridor connected the rooms with the stair towers. The balcony side provided sunshade to the openings of the rooms. A distinct horizontal beam with a vertical member in the center adorned the balcony façade. Undulating building mass further reduced the apparent length of the units. The smaller units allowed more adequate breeze orientation. Student housing used to be institutional but this residence hall for students succeeded in making scaled down, clustered units. The Staff Housing blocks were duplex units with a common staircase. Dan used the stair element as the service tower tying the duplex units on each side. Entrance to the units was from a covered porch. The windows were stacked vertically within the façade. Large windows with sill to ceiling height assured day


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lighting to the interior. The bottom portion of windows was operable to allow for cross ventilation from prevailing winds. All window openings were protected by overhanging elements and roof.

10. Student housing blocks 11. Balconies at each unit 12. Staff housing duplex

Rajshahi University Campus Planning

Rajshahi University was in existence in the city of Rajshahi since 1953. With the University Act funding being available in 1960, approximately 300 hectares of land was acquired outside the city limits to set up a new campus. With a train station on the north and a road access on the south, the campus was to act as a semi-residential university. It was anticipated that while most of the students would come to campus from the city by train and bus, some residence halls and staff housing on campus would need to be provided on the campus. Among the list of buildings proposed for the campus would be the administrative building, library, conference center, science and arts faculties, auditorium, medical center, stadium, swimming pool, mosque, botanical garden, student and staff housing complexes. Dan’s first assessment of the site was to make a compact campus with all the facilities within walking distance. A grid of 1000 feet which corresponded to 5 minutes of walking distance was laid on the site. Another assessment Dan made was to save a large mango grove on the site. With the administration and library building centrally located off of the ceremonial entry drive from the main road, a systematic layout was placed on the site with buildings in first phase located nearby with outward future expansions to be done in tandem. The stadium and sports facilities were used as a buffer between the academic functions and housing blocks. The botanical garden was laid out in a classic Mughal pattern with the mosque occupying a prominent center spot in it. The vehicular link between the train station, bus stop and the campus was placed on the periphery to keep the internal movement mainly pedestrian. The campus was designed as a set of departments interconnected by pedestrian walkways. In an effort to use less land, Dan proposed two and three story buildings to house the students, library and departments. The linear 3-story dormitory building with facilities for meeting, mosque and dining room faced the street on the southern edge of the campus.

13. Rajshahi University Site Plan 14. Model of proposed dormitory at campus


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Rajshahi University Student Housing

To accommodate the housing needs of students in the campus, a three story dormitory building was designed. By local standards, it would have been of scale and height larger than any existing in the region. In addition to providing rooms for 300 students, associated facilities were built into the structure. An auditorium, dining hall and common rooms were also included. Proctor’s office and staff quarters were also provided. Also included was a prayer hall. The building was designed in a linear layout with residential units facing north–south. Common balcony with distinctive horizontal louvers connected the residential units to the common facilities. This building also served as a dominant façade to the campus fronting the main road. A major deviation from existing building construction practice was the use of concrete framework. Most structures at that time employed brick in load bearing application. Most buildings were also over designed due to doubtful construction methods employed. All steel rods and electrical, plumbing equipment had to be imported. By designing with engineered structural elements, the massing of the building was substantially reduced. The fenestrations of the rooms were independent of the light and airy column/beam framework. The design was sensitive to climate. Breeze and solar orientation made the rooms rely solely on natural lighting and ventilation. The horizontal louvers provided sunshade and reduced heat gain on the south facing rooms’ walls. To explain and convince the university authorities about the concept of the design, a large scale model had to be prepared. Model making was a rare art at that time. Dan had to travel to Rajshahi carrying the model in hydroplane, train and boat. There are amusing anecdotes of Dan placing a snake picture on the box containing the model to discourage curious people from trying to open the box. Dan was able to convey the design concept by the aid of a scale model.

15. Student Housing plan and elevation 16. View of student housing

Rajshahi University Main Library

The largest and most ambitious building in the new Rajshahi University campus was the Central Library building. At three stories and 55,000 s.f., this building was visually impressive first structure right beyond the main entrance to the campus. Situated in the Motihar Green, this library functions as a gathering place for students, researchers and is abuzz with activities at all hours of the day and evening. A large three story atrium with skylights above leads the visitor to the reception desk and reading rooms beyond. Spacious reading rooms on first and second floors are lit by natural and artificial lights. Dan designed the building using concrete columns and beams with exterior walls filled in by solid and perforated masonry. The structure is articulated to show the columns, beams and roof as individual elements. Protection from the elements is aptly portrayed by the massive overhanging roof element. Natural cooling and ventilation was built into the design of the exterior façade. The exterior of the building consisted of rows of solid and perforated walls within the regular rows of concrete columns. The infill portions were red color panels set in the white colored columns.


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The articulation of column and beam expressed honestly to reveal structural bays makes the building less bulky for its immense size and scale. Electrical lighting and suspended ceiling fans were employed to aid in the comfort and reading pleasure day and night. In addition to day lighting from sidewall, skylights were also provided on the roof to bring in light to the core of the space. The core of the building which is the reading room benefited from the articulation of the exterior. Defined entrance in the center brought the users directly into the building core and then led the patrons to the main reading halls via a grand staircase. The sequence of arrival and use of the building was clear and required no signage or direction. This building was a grand library so rare in this part of the country in scale and amenities.

17. Library exterior view 18. Library interior reading room view

Rajshahi University Medical Center

This building at Rajshahi University campus had some unique features and appearance. This single story building was laid out around a central courtyard garden. The office, treatment rooms and rooms for patients could be approached from the common corridor surrounding the courtyard. The layout also provided for added security and surveillance. The structural elements of this building were concrete columns and beams with short spans. In-filled brick walls were set back a small distance to reveal the structural bays. Within each bay, windows with operable transom panels or entry doors were placed at regular intervals. Deep concrete beams supported the flat concrete roof. At entrances and select locations, the concrete beams were projected out and cantilevered to give prominence to those areas of the building. It was customary at that time to pour a second layer of waterproofing mixture as rain barrier. It added considerable load and expense to the building. Dan saw abundance of brick and brick masons as an opportunity to introduce a key feature to this building. Over the deep beams, Dan placed vaulted brick arched roof over the concrete roof slab. The vaulted brick roof proved to be the same cost as the waterproof layer it replaced. Extreme summer heat in this part of the country meant heat absorption and dissipation from the concrete roof. Medical procedures, equipment and storage of medicine required temperature moderation. Instead of relying on artificial cooling, the vaulted roof provided cooling of the roof slab by means of cross ventilation. It was a non-air-conditioned building relying on innovative solution to function as a health center.

19. Main entrance 20. Courtyard 21. Canopy at infirmary


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Rajshahi University Cafeteria

This cafeteria building in the campus of Rajshahi University was a major departure from traditional buildings and represented a stylistic tour-de-force for Daniel Dunham. The building had many innovative features and set the tone for many of Berger’s projects in the following years. The building was conceived on virgin land without having to relate to any existing or adjacent buildings or views. This let Dan perceive the form as squares on 4 corners to house the support functions. The inner volume became the ding hall and this space was highlighted with a 6-segment clerestory roof. The building was raised from the ground and placed on an overhanging plinth. Six steps lead the visitor from an entry court to the plinth level cafeteria floor. In an area near a major river and prone to flooding, this represented a vital design statement. Overhanging veranda and roof projection made this an appropriate response to the climate. The entrance is sheltered and set in from the building façade. The structural elements such as columns and beams are expressed honestly to give this building its distinct identity. Roof scuppers are integrated into the roof beam and boldly expressed as functional elements. The strong horizontal elements of floor and roof lines are also further enhanced with a smaller horizontal band at transom level. The airy interior space that is inundated with transom glazing has been provided with a central space with raised roof. The central 6-segment pyramidal roof form allows for light to be let in thru glazing in the triangular shaped forms. There is veranda access from the main dining hall on three sides. The front entrance had built-in concrete benches. Concrete was the primary material for this building. Expression of columns, beams, and sunshade and bench elements in concrete gave this building a very coherent appearance. The building functions even today as intended attesting to Dan’s ability to deliver designs that function in a timeless way.

22. Main entrance to cafeteria 23.a&b Entry area articulation 24.Overhead view

BUET Staff Housing

The program given to Dan for this housing complex called for units containing 4 large rooms per family. It was typical of the allotment for upper level government employees. In this instance, the occupants would be western educated university professors who could have been comfortable with lifestyles different from that which locals come to expect. Dan made inquiry into the expectations of the professors who were going to occupy these units and came up with a solution that matched their expectations and needs. Even for the professors, the domestic architecture represented an urban twist to the traditional “on ground” living habits. Many of the professors had varying family structures comprising of visiting parents, children and servants. Further complication to the program was the desire to maintain privacy women in the family. This meant offering double circulation within the units. After carefully studying the cultural sensibilities and probable living style variations of the occupants, Dan came up with a revised layout. The strict tender/bidding process and budget allotment required the building provide the same square footage and adhere to the same cost estimate as was outlined in the initial scope of the project. Dan’s solution adhered to both while giving a solution that took into consideration cultural and lifestyle issues of the intended occupants. While most architects would be content with providing the square footage and meet the budget, Dan used this project to investigate living habits of locals. He tried to understand and explore the lifestyle and provide a solution that met and exceeded the programmatic requirements.


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The concept of antormahal was taken into consideration in the layout of the plans so that women’s areas were secluded. Another important consideration Dan had in the design is natural ventilation and provision of outdoor verandas. These verandas opened to women’s quarters, guest room and work rooms. All living areas were given south exposure to face wind direction and cross ventilation. All openings had overhang protection and the deep projected balconies with arched front gave this structure a distinct identity.

25.BUET Staff Housing elevations 26. Street view showing iconic balcony 27. Campus side view

Thana Housing Project

In an effort to raise economic level of rural areas, the government authorized in 1962 Thana training and Development Centers. 411 of these were to be situated in Thanas throughout the countryside. Each complex was to have classrooms, offices, storage/banking and a demonstration farm. Construction was to have been done with local materials and labor. Dan recognized the challenge of designing buildings in remote rural areas with limited resources and unskilled labor. The design was made simple and drawn with adequate detail to be understood and executed by local authorities. The buildings were grouped with two units per block and laid out with ample front, back and side yards to fit into the rural landscape. Land survey was not available at the time and reliance on local authorities to best situate the buildings with the Dhaka office’s guidelines was made available. Proper ventilation and solar orientation was assured by requiring the buildings to be oriented North-south. The residential units were designed as two story buildings with the kitchen area under one story volume. These were designed to be elegant by rural standards to entice officers to accept village assignments. The goal was to produce 1600 residential units and most were completed within a few years. This project serves as an example of quality architecture to reach each and every Thana of the country. Dan designed the residential units to be made of masonry with concrete floor and roof. Simple massing, proper orientation and intelligent layout made this model housing prototype at a time when such things were non-existent. Electricity was not available in rural areas at that time and the design assured proper ventilation and natural lighting of the interior. Dan involved students from the university to assist in the design and drafting of the prototype buildings. He even convinced the government to allow setting up a cell within the department of architecture to supervise the design and production drafting. Working drawings and instruction manuals were produced on mimeograph stencils for circulation in large numbers. This project exemplifies Dan’s ability to tackle difficult design problems and solve them and explain the construction in simple language so as to be able to be executed by rural folks.


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28. Site plan layout 29. Floor plan 30. Elevation

Barisal Brojomohun College

In this campus with traditional red brick buildings, Dan designed two buildings to house the administrative and library functions. The first building housed the administrative offices of the principal and registrar. On the ground floor of this two story building, the visitor could find the principal’s office on the left side of the entrance. The registration and other public function offices were also on the ground floor. A set of stairs led to the upper floor where more offices were located. A balcony wrapped the rear of the building. The horizontal louvers ran the length of the building. The louvers also shielded the doors on the balcony and roof line. The library building was located at right angle to the administrative office building. The main entrance within the rows of columns, led the visitor to the reception room where periodicals were displayed. Tables for reading periodicals were also located on this floor. The upper floor housed the book collection. There were tables for reading adjacent to stacks of books. The horizontal louvers shielded the regular rows of windows to provide diffused light on the reading areas. The architecture of these two buildings signifies a departure from traditional load bearing buildings. By transferring the structural elements to the exterior by columns and beam, the building mass was allowed to have openings at regular intervals. The entry areas had column spacing double the normal bay. A unified face treatment and horizontal louvers tied the two buildings together. In a campus of traditional structures, these two buildings offered a fresh outlook of modern architecture. The principal had sought to bring this college into modern outlook and the architecture has succeeded in making a bold leap into modernity in this campus in a distant location.

31. Construction site picture 32. Library building 33. Detail showing brise soleils

Kamalapur Railway Station

Kamalapur Railway Station project offered an opportunity to design a grand structure as a symbolic gateway to the capital city. The old brick building in Phulbaria was proposed to be abandoned and replaced with a new station at Kamalapur on land acquired by the government. With train and bus terminals in close proximity to each other, this part of town was to be developed as a transportation hub. Berger Engineers won the contract to design the structure and made few schemes before the final design was accepted by the authorities. This project required solution on a grand scale unequal to any other existing at that time. The Railway Board looked to symbolic shapes but the solution required flexible yet functional volume.


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Dan’s idea of a grand railway station comparable to those in Europe is evident in the first scheme. The site plan showed a two-storey arrival hall, sunken courtyard with a clock tower and an administrative building. The roof of the hall had vaulted profiles. The first floor roof was also articulated with an engaged vaulted shape to break down the scale of the building. The entry canopy featured two vaults with half vaults on ends. The use of vaults may have been response to demand by the railway authorities to convey an Islamic image. It was a common practice in those days to add symbolic shapes to facades to add style and perceived idea of Islamic identity. The first scheme did seem to have provided an acceptable solution, but was rejected by the railway authorities. It is possible that the functional requirements had to be revised and more flexible solution sought. Dan’s notes point to a desire by the authorities to have a historic Mughal style. The later versions were more flexible in the space allocation and also provided room to expand within the framework structure. It is also possible that the requirement to condition such a huge volume might have been proved impossible. Dan seemed to have made many schemes to solve the dilemma of functional and stylistic requirements. From his notes, it appears that he made a design of the roof in the shape of an arched dome. The final and accepted design seems to have met the stylistic demand and meet the functional requirements.

34. First scheme rejected by Railway Board 35. Arches at New Market&Ramna 36. Detail elevation

37. Final scheme with arch motif 38. Construction picture 39. Precast form

Conclusions: Daniel Dunham was a pioneering architect who came to work in Bangladesh at a time when infrastructure was still lacking. He analysed the programmatic requirements and used his education and knowledge to produce enduring architecture. From small residences in far corners of the country to the main train station in Dhaka, his buildings have provided shelter from the elements by using innovative materials and methods. His buildings have influenced the next generation of architects by introducing logical and appropriate forms suited for the local climate and culture.

Acknowledgements: Drawings1,13,14,15,25,28,29,30,32,34,37 and photos 2,3,31,32,35,38,39 are by Daniel Dunham. Photos 7,8,9,10,11,12,16,17,18,21,22,23,24,26&27 are by Iftekhar Ahmed. Photo 33 is by Towhid Amanutullah. Photos 19 & 20 are by Dr. Ali Azad Chowdhury. Photos 4, 6, 13.14, 15, 28, 29, 30, 34&37 are from Dunham collection.

References: 1. Editor, March-April 1959: Harvard Graduate Workshop, New England Architect and Builder 2. Louis Berger, July1, 1961: Architect-engineer Experience Data, Form DD 1071 3. Prof. Choudhury Zulfiquer Matin, March 2001, The Guardian 99, R.U. Pledges to Face the

Challenges of 21st Century.

4. Aninda Sarkar, All Tracks Lead to Kamalapur, Oct. 24, 1997, Star Magazine

Daniel Dunham, Contribution to the profession and practice in Bangladesh

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