In Dhaka, where concrete density leaves little room to exhale, rises a structure that quite literally breathes, not just for itself, but for the city that surrounds it. Brac University’s new campus, sited on an urban area in Merul Badda, is more than just a place of higher learning. It is a symbol of how architecture, when rooted in empathy and foresight, can nurture both people and the planet.
The mastermind behind this vision is Mun Summ Wong, the Founding Director of WOHA, a Singapore-based architectural firm globally celebrated for its climate-conscious designs. Wong, who also teaches at the National University of Singapore and serves on several influential urban and architectural boards, sees architecture as a force that should not merely occupy space — but transform it. And transform it he did.
Architecture should not merely occupy space — but transform it into something greater, something that engages with nature, people, and purpose.” – Mun Summ Wong
At first glance, Brac University’s campus appears to hover lightly above the landscape, as if shaped by air and water. While the original concept imagined the Academia floating above a lake, the design evolved with the site’s reality, a low-lying land shaped by seasonal water. Today, the building is surrounded by water bodies and greenery, with breezeways woven throughout the verdant structure, creating a porous, breathable environment where architecture and nature coexist seamlessly.
This intentional layering was inspired by the delicate relationship between mankind and mangrove, where built forms coexist respectfully with natural ecosystems. The campus doesn’t try to erase its site’s organic character — it embraces it, amplifies it, and makes it part of daily academic life.
One of the most pressing challenges in Dhaka — and much of South Asia — is the relentless tropical heat and humidity. Conventional campuses often try to seal this reality out, relying heavily on air-conditioning and closed systems. But Brac University, under WOHA’s direction, embraces a radically different philosophy.
The campus is designed to breathe
From porous facades to cross-ventilated breezeways, from garden terraces to elevated voids, every element is crafted to invite wind and light while keeping harsh tropical heat at bay. The sculpted building sections act as natural air funnels, guiding breezes into sheltered social spaces, shaded, naturally cooled, and open. Air-conditioning is not used in many of these spaces. This return to passive design not only reduces energy consumption but also reconnects students and faculty with their environment, offering an experiential link to nature that traditional closed-off institutions often lack.
Green isn’t just a color here, it’s a mission. WOHA’s design integrates landscaping both vertically and horizontally, maximizing green coverage in a dense urban footprint. Roof gardens, terraced foliage, and green walls soften the edges of concrete, drawing a bold contrast with the grey cityscape of Dhaka.
But it’s more than visual relief. These layers of vegetation cool the microclimate, encourage biodiversity, and help manage stormwater — turning the campus into an urban lung that filters, calms, and heals.
In a city often defined by its infrastructural chaos, this campus becomes an example of urban resilience, showing how greenery isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Dhaka is often listed among the most unlivable cities in the world — congested, hot, and struggling with infrastructure. Yet here, on a site once overlooked, stands a hopeful contradiction. What was once a neglected patch of land now thrives as a thoughtfully designed space that breathes life into its surroundings.
Against the backdrop of noise and chaos, this project offers a quiet resistance — a place where nature, architecture, and community meet. It’s not just a structure; it’s a statement. A reminder that even in the most unlikely corners, transformation is possible, and beauty can bloom amid adversity.
Mun Summ Wong’s architectural statement says it best:
This campus sets the direction that must be embraced to make Dhaka a modern, liveable, sustainable and humane city.
This isn’t just poetic ambition. The Brac University campus serves as a prototype for urban development in tropical cities, where learning, living, and nature can coexist in high-density environments. It tells a different story: that of learning in dialogue with nature, of community spaces shaped by wind and water, of architecture that listens before it speaks.
As students walk through the campus, across breezy courtyards, and beside reflective waters, they are part of something greater than an academic journey. They are living within a working model of sustainability. It’s a daily reminder that our built environment shapes how we think, feel, and behave and that when spaces are designed to inspire, the people within them rise to meet that inspiration.
Brac University’s campus is not just a marvel of design, it’s a declaration. One that says learning doesn’t have to be boxed inside four walls. That progress doesn’t mean detachment from nature. That Dhaka, chaotic, crowded, and brimming with potential, can still dream of a greener, brighter future. And perhaps, just perhaps, that future starts right here, where a university rises gently from the water’s edge, embracing its landscape, and teaches an entire city how to breathe again.
