1. Let’s start with a brief introduction to your early life and career journey.

Muhammad Wahidur Rahman Adib: The inspiration for pursuing architecture began during my early academic years. I was immensely passionate about drawing and painting, and the appreciation from my peers inspired me even further. After completing my higher secondary education, I started exploring further opportunities. Inspired by my love of drawing, I started looking into the field of architecture and fell in love with it. I started preparing myself and got admitted to Khulna University to achieve my dreams of becoming an architect. Although the initial learning phase was full of challenges and sleepless nights, it was full of valuable insights and priceless moments. After graduation, I began my professional career with Rangs, and it has been 18 years since then. It has been a fascinating experience thus far, and I enjoyed every moment of it, exploring my creative horizons and experimenting with new things.

2. Share the design philosophy of INSPACE Architects Ltd.

Muhammad Wahidur Rahman Adib: While designing at INSPACE Architects Ltd., we follow the “Less is More” philosophy. This reflects the simple and minimalistic approach we integrate into our projects. As a concern of RANCON we aim to hold an ideology of providing excellence in everything we do. Unlike other companies that primarily focus on dazzling exteriors, we ensure functionality of spaces along with fascinating and bold exterior. We design the interior of a building in such a way that each element tells its own story. We want to incorporate modern aesthetics and functionality to make our interior spaces stand out. Our primary aim while designing the interior is to ensure convenience and comfort.

Regarding the exterior, our signature style consists of a minimal and contemporary approach. We prioritize functionality and use generic shapes to maximize the usage of space. As the land value in Dhaka is rising quickly along with the building materials, we must ensure the maximum use of the area and not deprive our customers of a single square inch. That is the signature style of our work, in my opinion.

3. In this era of technologies and globalization, how are you keeping up with modern trends?

Muhammad Wahidur Rahman Adib: In my academic days, I collected and studied many architectural books to enhance my knowledge, as technologies were not that prevalent back then. I used to gather many brochures of prominent architectural firms and examine their constructions to understand further the details they put into their works. I strived for knowledge to keep myself updated and used to observe structures for hours to understand the concepts behind them. That eagerness for learning brought me where I am today. Transitioning to the modern era, you can now find all the answers to your questions thanks to the internet. Modern technology gives easy access to knowledge but speaking from my decade-long experiences, you will learn way more by implementing rather than just reading. Finding a workplace that thrives in excellence in creativity and innovation is essential. I was fortunate to find Rangs Properties Limited (RPL) in my early career, which follows the same philosophy from the heart. RPL never allowed us to compromise on quality and standards regardless of anything, which enabled us to grow further. Thanks to RPL, we were fortunate enough to establish ourselves as a design-driven company, giving us the room to explore our creativity as architects. We research and study architectures from all over the world to keep ourselves updated.

Furthermore, thanks to our higher management, who encourage us to travel frequently, we travel at least 4-5 times a year to explore and observe modern constructions worldwide so that we can implement those in our projects. During my recent visit at Singapore, we observed many contemporary landscapes. In modern-day buildings, everybody offers all the top-of-the-line amenities, but there are limitations due to the size and scale of the buildings. So the key differentiator that makes the construction stand out is the landscaping it offers. So visiting architectures worldwide gives us a detailed insight regarding those we can later implement in our projects.

4. Tell us about a few of the notable projects you have worked on so far.

Muhammad Wahidur Rahman Adib: Among all of our completed projects, Rangs Eminence, located at Dhanmondi 27, received a lot of appreciation from many prominent architects of our country. Besides that, our most significant achievement of that project was when our Group Managing Director, Mr. Romo Rouf Chowdhury, went to the site visit; he was quite satisfied with the outcome. He addressed that project as flawless, which is one of our most outstanding achievements till now. Besides that, Rangs Symphony is one of our projects that offers many unique amenities that most of the constructions did not provide back then. That was a reference for many architects to follow in their future projects. Rangs RL Square is another of our notable projects as it incorporates modern concept and amenities.

Another project I would highlight is one of the most iconic projects in Chattogram I have done with RANKS FC Properties Ltd. called Memory 71, located at M.M Ali Road. Initially, we struggled with our projects at Chattogram as it was challenging to find people who could provide the uncompromised quality we aim to offer. On top of that, despite being adjacent to the port, we had to transport all the construction materials from Dhaka. The limited budget allocated for Chittagong projects makes it difficult to achieve the best results. The Memory 71 project site was used to torture hostages during the liberation war, and the landowner was also detained by the Pakistani military. Our goal in naming the project and creating the mural was to convey the historical significance of this place.

We currently have nearly 70 projects in Dhaka and Chittagong, and we hope to continue our journey of creating iconic constructions.

5. Regarding space design, the requirements may vary from individual to individual. How do you accommodate all the demands in your projects?

Muhammad Wahidur Rahman Adib: We selectively choose projects and follow our signature style that attracts our customers and admirers. We have undergone a significant transition in the last decade. As our customers get more global exposure, they are getting more aware of the international standards, so it becomes convenient for us to implement them in our projects. Furthermore, we are trying to adopt the open plan concept to maximize the usage of the space, which provides both privacy and spaciousness. We ensure attention to detail in every aspect of our project that makes us unique. This enables us to meet our customer’s demands and offer them a comfortable living experience. We keep the originality in our projects which makes us unique.

6. Describe the Philosophy behind the operation of  INSPACE Architects Ltd.

Ayesha Shafique: Speaking of our philosophy, Minimalism is our key to work, we mostly follow the contemporary tone of “Less is More.” With the help of modern technologies and our insights from international exposure, we want to implement all our understandings and imagination into a built form, which in turn will help our clients in the fulfillment of their desire. The functional use of natural tone of materials inspires us more than the ornamentation and we try to bring a sophisticated aesthetic out of it.

At INSPACE Architects Ltd., we believe in team approach and give constructive feedback on each other’s work, which enables us to improvise and bring better results. We put all our individual expertise into a single project which helps us to refine our works exceptionally. We practice a holistic approach rather than being individualistic for all our projects. We established ourselves as a corporate architectural firm where each individual matter, and we envision expanding globally.

7. What skills do you look for in emerging new Architects?

Himel Kumar Saha: As Architecture is a gradual learning process, we want to establish an interactive learning environment at INSPACE Architects Ltd. We want to keep an open environment for emerging architects to showcase their potential and give them opportunities to work as our partners. We establish an environment where even fresher’s can learn quickly and excel further in their careers. Our affiliation with RPL, RANCON Real Estate and Ranks FC Properties Ltd. enables newcomers to get a practical insight into the industry as they witness the implementation of the projects in front of them. This helps them to enhance their problem-solving abilities through experimental learning, which is a rare opportunity for many architects in our country. Moreover, INSPACE Architects Ltd. allows all its architects to expand their creative horizons thanks to our Group Managing Director, Romo Rouf Chowdhury, who has facilitated us in every aspect so that we can explore our creativity and individual thinking. His visions have directed us towards perfection, enabling emerging architects and us to strive further.

8. Tell us about your upcoming projects and what is coming new from INSPACE Architects Ltd.

Wahid Ahmed: At INSPACE Architects Ltd., we work as a team which helps us to innovate and excel further ahead. With this spirit, we want to add new dynamics to our upcoming projects. We believe it is a forever learning process, and we want to implement our learning in all our projects. We aim to construct the highest tower in Dhaka and create new benchmarks in modern architecture. We want to experiment with fresh ideas and bring out new innovations that will redefine modern construction in Bangladesh. We have further collaboration plans with global architectural firms to create new structures that will create a new benchmark in our industry. It is a gradual process, and we aim to strive further and establish ourselves as an entity separate from the crowd.