Dhaka

The American International School
Dhaka, Bangladesh

New 64,000 sq. ft. classroom and library addition to existing educational facility.

The American International School serves the expatriate community in Dhaka, providing K-12 instruction in English. The existing school facility was constructed in the early 1970’s and modified over the years with the additional classroom space to serve the growing student body.

Architect: Corlett Skaer Devoto
Structural Engineer: SOHA
HVAC Design: Peter Kogan Associates
Landscape: RHAA

James Gwise was CSDA’s Job Captain and designer for ASI Dhaka, leading project team from concept design through early stages of construction. James was responsible for development of plan layout concepts, classroom concepts, materials selection, coordination of architectural, structural and MEP systems and coordination of drawings and management of day to day project activities.

THE PLAN

Having exceeded capacity, the school embarked on a design and construction program to update and reorganize the campus. The program goals included:

Provide separate yet connected environments for kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school students, with the
Library and courtyard as the social and symbolic center of the re-configured campus.
Preserve and maximize open space

Materials Palette - Interior:

Flooring: terrazo with crushed glass divider strips
Partitions: brick cavity wall with painted plaster
Interior glazing: painted aluminum
Ceilings: vaulted perforated aluminum panels, 2x2 acoustic ceiling tiles
Lighting: direct and indirect flourescent lighting; HID at atria

MEP Systems Features:

Classrooms - split system with rooftop condenser and in room fan unit with direct exhaust to exterior
Library - Rooftop air handling units
Emergency Diesel Generator for life safety systems

Materials Palette - Exterior:

Foundation and Building frame: Cast in place concrete
Exterior walls - cast in place concrete and brick cavity wall
Exterior windows: aluminum and insulated glass and glass block
Horizontal sunshades: glass block and cast in place concrete
Vertical sunshades at atria: painted galvanized steel
Roofing: lime concrete

Entry to the campus is through 2 circular atria which function as vertical and horizontal circulatory nodal points, terminating primary circulation paths in the elementary and middle schools. The northern atria, larger of the two, is at the primary entry to the school and is immediately adjacent to school administrative offices. The southern atria is immediately adjacent the school cafeteria and auditorium.

The new classroom and library building houses the elementary school, K-- 5 and libraries for all three schools. Classrooms are organized around a west facing courtyard; K- 2 classrooms are located at grade level with direct connection to a dedicated playground and shade structure. Classrooms for grades 3 - 5 are located on the second and third floor as are specialty classrooms for language arts and digital studies.

To achieve maximum utility of site open space, shaded play areas were designed for the rooftops of the new classroom building and existing middle school .

THE LIBRARY TOWER