BaA Podcast Samik Waiz

- A call for for a paradigm shift in thoughts for Architects in post-COVID World.

This talk is taken from the keynote Farhad Reza has given at the symposium 'Towards a New Normal'  jointly organised by BaA (Bangladeshi Architects in Australia) and CONTEXT.BD on 27 June 2020.

Farhad Reza is an architect, planner and a social activist. To complement his architectural and planning 'genre', his work focus is at the nexus of human capital development, community capacity building, impact investment and affordable housing. Farhad Reza is the founding President of ‘Build Bangladesh’. The key focus for Build Bangladesh is to capitalise on the collective strength of Bangladeshis to ensure social entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability by investing in human capital growth among Bangladeshis all over the world.

Farhad has been working for the government and corporate sectors nationally and internationally over the last 30 years. As a senior executive for the Australian Government, he led the team ensuring $120 billion worth of welfare payments being delivered to the eligible recipients. He also led the team at Infrastructure Australia to deliver the first-ever strategic policy for infrastructure in remote Indigenous communities in Australia. He was also the senior advisor to the Coordinator-General for the Remote indigenous Services involving high-level policy development and program delivery (in excess of $100 million per year) focusing on remote Indigenous communities.
Farhad also led a number of planning reforms in Australia including the Canberra Spatial Plan, Electronic service delivery for the Australian Capital Territory Government (Canberra Connect), Regional Cultural Policy for the Victorian Government, Infrastructure delivery and funding policy for remote Indigenous communities through impact investment, social impact bonds and social business. He is currently joined as one of the honorary advisors of UNSIF (UNDP SDG Impact Finance) to advice on the most important challenges, opportunities and decisions in the Asia Pacific regions. In his book, "21st-Century-Kunta-Kinte" Farhad talks about the struggles in his early life after moving to Australia. His talk in this keynote touches on -


How do we define the NEW NORMAL?
What changes in the new normal?
What are the characteristics of this new paradigm for our daily life?
How do we develop the capacity to adapt to the new paradigm?
How can we  establish a minimum hygienic accommodation Act for migrant workers

 Details of his talk, ideas can be found in this link and also an online publication on the recent  ‘Compendium on Affordable Housing’ can be found here.

The podcast is in Bangla.

Podcast Music score - 'Nothing Else Matters'- piano cover by William Joseph and mix of "waves-on-pebbles-beach" by Arnaud Coutancier from Freesounds.org with Creative Commons licences. 

Always smiling and humble  Bangladeshi Architect Shamsul Huda has worked in various organisations in the public and private sector both internationally and in Australia.   He has more than 30 years of experience in Architecture and Urban planning. He is the main designer of Canberra  Islamic Centre, Tuggeranong (hear that story through the link below) and worked at a Design-Build firm as a partner for a few years. More recently, he established "4thD Planning and Design" and running it successfully with his designs spanning in NSW, ACT and Victoria. Shamsul has a Bachelor Degree in Architecture and a Master of Science Degree in Town Planning. Both Shamsul Huda and his talented wife (also a Bangladeshi Architect and Planner) Rumana Jamali Rupa have been involved with Bangladesh Australia Association Canberra, Bangla Radio Canberra and Bangladeshi Architects in Australia(BaA) from the beginning.

His talk includes-


Why and how he came to Town Planning Sector,
A brief history of his wide range of career,
What's involved in establishing an Architecture practice independently,
What are the critical steps in a Design practice,
What's involved in ACT Planning and DA process.

This talk or Presentation was recorded on 26 October 2019 at Macquarie Links Community Centre in Sydney in Bangla arranged by Bangladeshi Architects in Australia (BaA) with   Introduction by Kazi Hussain Emon.

Links- 


An Article on Canberra Times about the Islamic Centre he was involved in,  https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6159097/new-mosque-for-tuggeranong/
involvements in Bangla Radio Canberra (Sitting 3rd from right)-  https://www.banglaradio.org.au/First-Anniversary-Photo
The story behind Canberra  Islamic Centre - Hear much younger Shamsul Huda at 4min-12min mark. https://www.banglaradio.org.au/sites/default/files/program_audio/2006/09Oct06.mp3

Podcast Music score - by The Piano Guys(2013) of - Titanium(David Guetta) _ Pavane - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz4MzJTeL0c

One of the founder advisors of BaA, Bangladeshi Architect Zia Ahmed has been working in the Planning sector as the Client Manager of Building and Development Advisory Service at City of Ryde Council in Sydney for many years. He is a community organiser with involvements in Bengali drama and film production groups in Australia, keeping the Bengali and Bangladeshi cultural milieu alive for Expatriates.  Back in 2016, Zia Ahmed produced a short film on 'Family Violence' targeting Bangladeshi community living in Australia in particular(subtitled in English), commissioned by the NSW Government Department of Health along with several Government organisations.

Both Zia Ahmed and his wife Molly Ahmed regularly ran a Bangla Radio segment called "Khanika" ( ক্ষণিকা ) in  Sydney 99.9 SWR FM,  a station that broadcasts to parts of Greater Western Sydney and in most of the Sydney metropolitan area.

This talk includes -


The certification process for Buildings,
Why and how he moved into Planning sector,
How one can get Planning related jobs,
Tiers in Council Planning policies in Sydney

This talk was also recorded in Bangla.  

This talk or Presentation was recorded on 26 October 2019 at Macquarie Links Community Centre in Sydney arranged by Bangladeshi Architects in Australia (BaA).
Background music in this episode is a mix of the 'piano with Ethera vocals played live over a heartbeat' from Freesounds.org by 'XHALE303' and 'Ural Mountain river in the valley' by 'newlocknew' with Creative Commons licences.


The short film on "Domestic Violence Awareness" link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4fmGRruxCQ 

Watch Zia Ahmed's other Short films on 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoJBe9UViw6KuJC48hL42mw/videos

Iftekhar Abdullah is one of the founder advisors and current President of the Bangladeshi Architects in Australia. He is a registered architect and the principal designer of ideas- iftekhar + design associates Pty Ltd in Australia. He graduated Architecture from BUET and has masters in urban design from Sydney University. He has extensive experience in architecture and urban design overseas and Australia particularly in residential, institutional and commercial developments. He is keen to design environmentally friendly and cost-effective structures. He is an A+ member of the Australian Institute of Architects and an accredited professional of Green Building Council Australia (GBCA).

In this episode of BaA podcast, Iftekhar Abdullah discusses  


Contract Administration,
What's in the Client-Architect Agreement,
Building Contracts,
Practice related advice i.e. why Security deposit is necessary,
Some of the example of his works and
Experiences with Councils and arbitration.

This talk or Presentation was recorded on 26 October 2019 at Macquarie Links Community Centre in Sydney arranged by Bangladeshi Architects in Australia (BaA).

This episode was recorded in Bangla(বাংলা) and music score - Until The Last Moment (Live at the Acropolis 25th Anniversary) Artist- Yanni from Album: In My Time, Released: 1993

This talk or Presentation was recorded on 26 October 2019 at Macquarie Links Community Centre in Sydney arranged by Bangladeshi Architects in Australia (BaA). Architect Mohammed Rezwan is the founder of Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, is a community leader acclaimed worldwide for his works for the ‘floating school’ that ensures access to education to poor children all year round and provides quality education in flood-prone regions since 2002.

Since then he's received many recognitions from world's leaders and leading organizations alike and kept on addressing big issues like Education, Climate change, Sustainable farming, Basic Health care in Bangladesh.

Those of us who have always had ideas to support greater community, Rezwan is a shining example.

This podcast was recorded in Bangla.