A story of longing and reconnection unfolds at the heart of Bhawal forest, among the flowing rivers and the murmurs of winds through trees lies Sufi Bari. The architectural project consisting of ‘Four Blocks’ on 36000 sqm (26 Bigha) of land, incorporates biophilic design ideals. The house itself is 802 sqm. The terrain of Sufi Bari is a living, evolving, ecosystem designed to merge with the existing environment over time.
Sufi Bari was conceived by a family who, in the wake of the India-Pakistan partition, migrated from West Bengal to Dhaka. Their hearts, however, remaining tethered to the rustic simplicity of their ancestral home, this longing led them to acquire this piece of land in Lokkhipur, Gazipur.
The blueprint of the Bari harmonises with the eternal and timeless forces of the site, the trees planted around the home blocks act as shaded corridors and natural screens, meticulously chosen for their ability to merge with the landscape. The vaulted ceilings and minimal furniture inside the home contribute to the farmhouse aesthetic, adding a rustic charm. The concrete blocks themselves seem to shrink in comparison, humbly integrating with the natural surroundings. Like rural settlements, the trees scatter in a natural, random pattern. The country house is a sanctuary where the family can rejuvenate, and create cherished memories, offering an opportunity to sate their deep yearning for a village home.
Here, life embraces a slower pace while modern amenities seamlessly blend with rustic charm, ensuring a tranquil retreat without sacrificing contemporary comforts. A symphony of compositional and natural spaces, at Sufi Bari the terraces, corridors, and courtyards serve as observatories enhancing the sensory experience.
The trails, bamboo forest, surrounding jungle, the pukur par and its pathways serve as junctions between Sufi Bari and nature, creating unique, intimate, and communal spaces, allowing both moments of solitude and togetherness.
The project champions a self-sustaining lifestyle, producing its own food and energy, and envisioning a future off-grid existence. Building materials such as pigmented concrete, “Kota” stone with regional motifs, and hand-crafted wood, were chosen according to their ability to seamlessly integrate with the habitat of Bhawal. The structures were placed on elevated grade beam frames to respect the existing ecology, minimising intervention with land.
Sufi Bari embraces the eternal forces of the site, respecting the natural land formations. The interplay of lowlands and highlands, and the seasonal changes that breathe life into the landscape. The bamboo forest at the highland, known locally as Tek or Aak, serves as a focal point, a point where two wind flows converge—one from the Paruli Gung River and another from a private lake to the south.
Every element of Sufi Bari echoes an ode to moments lying still in the crosshairs of time, connecting the past, present, and the future.
