Shatotto Creates Another Astonishing Edifice of Concrete and Water

As in their Concrete House of Green Water, here SHATOTTO Architects are working just with concrete and water to create another stunner – this one in the tropical southern city of Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The heavy southwest wind from the Bay of Bengal and the year-round scorching sun are two major considerations for the deeply shaded and water-cooled design.

Lush tropical vegetation is the perfect counterpoint to the simple formed concrete structure.

Almost the entire second floor consists of water, both to cool the home, and for a more direct cool-off.

Viewed from a diving platform over the pool, one is conscious of an amazing concrete ceiling, two storeys tall, shields the pool from the hot sun.

A colorful wall next door is cleverly included into the aesthetic.

The perfect color balance of rust-colored concrete pavers, the bisque wall, the dark teak wood diving platform and the pool, provide the perfect jolt of color within the very incognito exterior.

The architects use a series of layered exposed concrete parasols against the sun and levels that contain water, cooling the air.

The monumental concrete edifice is not out of place in its urban setting.

A series of shadowed passageways cool the walker underfoot.

A stepped series of green roof gardens make their home in these concrete cliffs and caves.

To the street, the house is nothing but the most mysterious presence.

A marble stair entrance that is grand and also scrupulously correct in its textural balance of glass, dark tropical wood, lush greenery and concrete meets a door of lovely proportions.

From here it provides just a fascinating glimpse of an interesting and complex design.