ARCADIA EDUCATION CENTER

The Arcadia education center is located in Kanarchor Bangladesh, 30 kilometers outside the capital city of Dhaka. The school was designed by local architect Saif Ul Haque Sthapati and construction was completed in 2016. Since then, it has faced a number of monsoon seasons, with varying degrees of success. During one storm, the vertical guidance posts failed to hold the building in place, requiring repairs and new guidance posts. Then, building was irreparably damaged by a catastrophic flood in 2019, and was no longer able to be used. In 2023, the building was demolished.

The building has four community spaces that provide space for school and preschool programs for young children. By amphibiating the structure, an inexpensive site could be used to provide this beneficial community program, and the local children could learn in close proximity to nature.

The Arcadia education center was built locally sourced, sustainable materials and assembled by local laborers. The floatation system was constructed out of large, recycled steel drums. Also, the building’s footprint was cushioned with old tires to reduce the risk of damage when the building settles back on land after a flood. In addition, vernacular techniques were used wherever possible, such as tying joints with rope instead of using steel fasteners. Some elements of the structure were chemically waterproofed with conventional products, but others were treated by applying liquid from the Gaab fruit, which has traditionally been used in this region to increase the water resistance of materials like bamboo,

The building is modular, with each room constructed separately with its own flotation devices and guidance poles. Then, all of the modules are connected together by a central corridor. This modularity means that it is also easy to add new rooms or platforms in the future, as well as replace modules if they get damaged. By constructing the center this way, the building has the potential to be modified as community needs change.