Photo: Courtesy of Jannatun Nayeem Nowshin

Jannatun Nayeem Nowshin, a young architect and researcher from Bangladesh, won the gold medal in the architecture category of the Asia Young Designer Award 2019. After completing her graduation in Architecture from Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, she pursued her postgraduate studies in Landscape at YACademy, Italy. Presently, she is a part of the design discovery programme at Harvard Graduate School of Design and has enrolled at Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Spain for her master's degree.

 Nowshin developed a passion for architecture when she was in school. In an attempt to explore the subject, she participated in various international architectural competitions over the years. "I wanted to go beyond what was allowed inside the educational scope, stimulating my creativity intensively and searching for innovative ideas while giving effective solutions," she added.

Nowshin also worked on several research publications about the climate crisis. Some of her notable projects include the designs of an eco-friendly hotel in France and a sustainable prototype house in Indonesia. She is currently working on a multi-university based in Uruguay.

Her project in France is regarded as the world's biggest permaculture centre, which also includes an eco-responsive treehouse tourist facility. It is situated right beside the "Château de Vibrac" and adopts an arrangement that enhances the castle's rich heritage and agricultural traditions. The sustainable prototype house in Indonesia is based on the concept of versatile modular design. The house is mainly designed to withstand earthquakes while remaining affordable and sustainable for locals. It uses a modular bamboo frame for seismic design guidelines.

Nowhsin's graduation project earned an Honourary Laureate Diploma from the International Academy of Architecture, ECOSOC, United Nations. She designed an aquarium with traditional waterscapes. "While working on this project, I was thrilled by the idea that designed spaces had the power to transport people and spur certain feelings in them," she explained.

Nowshin represented Bangladesh at Glam Goes Global, an interdisciplinary programme that asks participants to design pieces of wearable architecture, recently. Their two-day workshop sheds light on sustainability and critical thinking in architecture.

Architecture is a tangible opportunity for Nowshin to translate observations into spatial language. "I want to realise my ideas through my master's degree to contribute to responsive architecture with a positive impact on our environment," she concluded.