Enabling structures in Dhaka city: The urban potentials of a porous building culture

Dhaka is one of the world's most dynamic metropolises, growing at a dizzying pace that is increasingly difficult to control. Unsurprisingly, today's Dhaka faces criticism, with residents voicing daily complaints. Numerous articles in the press and urbanist publications discuss these issues, proposing solutions repeatedly in the hope of bringing much-needed relief.

Urban planning must be well-coordinated, and Dhaka urgently needs more green spaces, revitalised waterways, and improved public transport—critical for making city life bearable. However, while acknowledging Dhaka's harsh living conditions, it is far from a lost cause. In fact, Dhaka already possesses qualities that could help shape its future.

A 'Five-Minute City'?

Dhaka exemplifies the '15-Minute City' concept in ways even the most progressive urbanists might envy. Its dense, multi-layered use of public and private spaces offers daily amenities within walking distance. Given its urban fabric, it might even be called a 'Five-Minute City'.

The city's close-knit coexistence of diverse spheres of life highlights the flaws in monofunctional zoning, which many global cities are now rethinking. While Dhaka requires new strategies, hasty, fragmented interventions risk erasing existing strengths in favour of superficial modernity. Giant masterplans, glamorous but isolated developments, or wholesale demolitions will not save Dhaka. Instead, the city must build on its existing assets to preserve its identity and unlock its potential.

Breathing spaces: The key to vibrancy

Open spaces between buildings are crucial to a city's vibrancy, yet Dhaka's remain largely inaccessible. Many urban planning visions focus either on open spaces or on buildings, treating them separately. However, a city is more than a collection of structures and voids; the interplay between built and unbuilt spaces is essential.

Rather than rigidly categorising spaces, Dhaka should embrace hybrid environments that blur the lines between 'inside' and 'outside', 'private' and 'public'. A city thrives when these boundaries are softened, redistributing the pressure from limited street spaces.

The 'Both-And' approach

Bengal's architectural heritage, with its verandas and semi-open markets, seamlessly connects streets to inner concourses. These unprogrammed spaces accommodate a range of uses far better than single-function buildings. Verandas, for instance, form natural thresholds between home and street, offering a place for rest, work, or conversation.

Architectural icons in Dhaka already reflect this philosophy. Muzharul Islam's Institute of Fine Arts, Kamalapur Railway Station by Daniel Dunham and Robert Boughey, and the Central Hospital's portico by Louis I. Kahn all incorporate semi-open spaces that enhance usability and comfort. Kahn understood that climate-adapted, shaded, flexible areas are vital for a walkable, liveable city.

Contemporary architects, such as Nahas Ahmed Khalil, continue this tradition. His high-rises in Gulshan, Banani, and Dhanmondi feature open ground floors that serve as communal areas and playgrounds. Yet, despite this potential, many shared spaces remain underutilised due to physical and regulatory barriers.

The cost of barriers

Walls, fences, and glass shields create an illusion of openness while restricting movement. This forces pedestrians onto busy roads and drives out street vendors—vital to Dhaka's micro-economy. Removing these informal structures threatens livelihoods and erodes the city's unique street culture.

Even more damaging than physical barriers are the invisible ones—opaque regulations and private property claims that limit access to public spaces. The restricted green plazas in front of Parliament, only briefly reclaimed during the 2024 protests, highlight this issue. Shouldn't every city dweller have the right to access such communal spaces? Removing fences would create much-needed breathing room. Better still, they should never be erected in the first place.

Reimagining buildings: From boxes to breathing organisms

Dhaka's buildings must evolve from closed, self-contained structures into open, breathable spaces. Instead of hermetically sealed blocks, architecture should promote meaningful overlaps between different uses.

The veranda concept should be revived—not just for homes, but for offices, factories, and commercial buildings, where people spend most of their time. Balconies and shaded outdoor spaces provide natural ventilation, reducing reliance on air conditioning while fostering interaction.

External staircases, often neglected for profit-driven space optimisation, could enhance porosity. Transparent, scaffold-like structures would improve emergency exits and create everyday social spaces. Multi-use terraces and green facades could transform Dhaka's skyline into a lush, interactive environment.

Critics may argue that deep, open facades are inefficient, but this view is short-sighted. Such structures boost social and environmental sustainability, improving user well-being—a factor that directly impacts economic productivity. Additionally, deep facades require less artificial cooling, making them a more cost-effective long-term solution than glass-heavy skyscrapers.

To incentivise this approach, developers could be allowed an extra floor in exchange for incorporating accessible deep facades. Since people primarily experience a building's lower three floors, an additional storey would not significantly impact the skyline.

Upcycling Dhaka: The future of sustainable urbanism

The deep facade strategy is not just for new buildings—it can also revitalise existing structures. Just as clothing and furniture can be upcycled, so too can architecture. Adding porous outer layers to older buildings could enhance their functionality, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal.

Such measures would activate the 'grey zone' between the streets and buildings, filling it with life, greenery, and airflow. In doing so, Dhaka could cultivate a distinct urban identity—one that prioritises people over sterile, glass-box modernism. A 'Veranda City' vision could place Dhaka at the forefront of sustainable urbanism, making it a model for tropical metropolises worldwide.

Micro-architectures: Learning from Korail

Enabling structures need not be grand-scale developments; they can emerge from micro-architectures that activate unused urban spaces. Dhaka is already a hotbed of small-scale innovation.

The 'Korail Residency 2024' programme by Adda Collective explored enabling structures in Dhaka's low-rise settlements. Over six months, workshops engaged residents in co-creating sustainable, adaptable communal spaces. Using recycled materials, they built bamboo structures near Lake Banani, serving as shaded seating, swings for children, and vertical gardens.

A larger pavilion was also constructed, repurposing an existing water purification structure. Its skin, made from children's paintings, demonstrated how monofunctional infrastructure can be transformed into vibrant, interactive spaces. These modest interventions showcased how small, community-driven efforts can create lasting urban improvements.

A future built on adaptability

Dhaka's future depends not on rigid, pre-planned developments but on flexible, enabling structures that evolve with the city's needs. The answer lies in porous, multifunctional spaces that encourage interaction, sustainability, and adaptability.

Instead of mimicking the glass skyscrapers of Dubai or Singapore, Dhaka should embrace its unique strengths—its verandas, shaded courtyards, and vibrant street life. By learning from its own architectural traditions and fostering incremental, community-driven change, Dhaka can carve out a future that is both modern and deeply rooted in its identity.

A truly future-oriented Dhaka will not be a city of isolated towers but a living, breathing organism—a Veranda City, built for and by its people.

Niklaus Graber is a Swiss Architect and founding partner of Graber & Steiger Architects based in Luzern.