Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited Headquarters (BTCL)

BRAC University, Department of Architecture, Dhaka

Project idea

BTCL HQ is currently situated in Eskaton Garden, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The new headquarters of BTCL is planned to be built in Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Tejgaon, a significant industrial center in Dhaka, is losing its distinctive features as a result of the development's haphazard and unplanned nature. As a result of increased urbanization, the region must continually adapt to meet rising demand and become a mixed-use center. Over the past two decades, heavy industries have changed and commercial activity has significantly grown. The majority of the industrially used plots are currently being converted to commercial ones.
The philosophy of the project follows new contextualism providing comprehensive and coordinated support to a community by creating the shortest distance from one point to another by the connection of a path. Centralizing multiple services in one location, the headquarters offers a comprehensive set of services, including social services, healthcare, education, employment assistance, and more, addressing various aspects of the neighborhood. This will result in cost savings for government and non-government agencies as they can share infrastructure and resources, reducing duplication and overhead costs, and will be more time efficient for running day-to-day errands as well. Additionally, maximized work productivity through job satisfaction is ensured because of environmentally friendly spaces. Lastly, integrating urban fabric’s essence in the project and giving back to the site surrounding the community.

Project description

Tejgaon has historically served as the city’s industrial hub. It has a large number of manufacturers and facilities in a variety of sectors, including clothing, food processing, metalworking, medicines, etc. As the whole neighborhood will change with the change of time, the common practice of treating an office building as just an office space should be changed too. it will be more beneficial and profitable in so many ways. Thus this project focuses on making an office space more comfortable. These changes will also ensure proper manpower as well as connect the entire neighborhood.
In the near future according to the DAP land use map, the Tejgaon area will undergo a huge change. All the industries will be shifted from here and this area will become a center for mixed-use building spaces. More green will be developed and housing will increase comparatively more near the mixed-use zone
The design has been done by keeping the future in mind which will adapt to the changes and needs of the future and how it can be utilized as a public space as well by connecting it to the site on macro and micro level as well.
The main concept of the project is to celebrate the changes in the whole neighborhood that it will undergo in the next 20 years by connecting the whole neighborhood.
The form has been generated in such a way that different forms interconnect with each other with respect to the designed path.
The whole project is designed in such a way that there are multiple entrances on different levels in the project that connect to the main path which is designed to ensure accessibility of the common public along with the office-going people.
The building complex has been designed in a single circulation which makes it easier for the people to have a proper sense of direction.
The ground floor has been designed in such a way that there are basic functions that can be enjoyed by the neighborhood as well as the office-going people. These public spaces can be rented by other people as well as per their needs. An accommodation has been designed which came by analyzing the present scenario of the site. Starting from the first floor of the accommodation block has been designed in such a way that it serves the purpose of serving the people living there. In the office block, from the first floor, it has been designed to serve the people working there.
There exists a total of 17 floors including two basements wherein one basement has public functions along with parking and the other basement serves the purpose of parking only. All the floors are connected to each other through visual connection and the flow of green spaces. This ensures connectivity without having to enter the building itself, which can be utilized by not only the office-going people but also the general public.

Technical information

The main headquarter has concrete encased steel exoskeleton structure and reflective glass to reflect light and reduce the amount of heat that enters the building. The connecting building block of the headquarter is made of brick and reflective glass as well. The construction material of the other building blocks which are available for civilian use follow the same materials of the headquarters to have a similar reflection.