Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design

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Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design

Information

  • Project Name: Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh
  • Student Name: Sara Seifert
  • Softwares/Plugins: Archicad , Twinmotion
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Excerpt: ‘Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh’ is an architecture thesis by Sara Seifert from the ‘Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment – TU Delft.’ The project aims to improve the living conditions of tea garden workers by rethinking workers’ housing as a socially connected and adaptable living environment. Through incremental housing and a community-based masterplan, the project seeks to provide dignified spaces that support everyday life, social interaction, and long-term development while respecting existing cultural and spatial practices.

Introduction: The tea garden community in Bangladesh is one of the most marginalized and socially segregated groups in the country. The workers’ villages face a number of challenges, including overcrowding, inadequate housing, limited privacy, and a lack of communal spaces, particularly for women and children. This project is based on an ethnographic study of the community’s living conditions and social interactions, as well as on the use of traditional, local building materials and techniques.

The objective of the project is to transform the workers’ village by reimagining it through the lens of community and tradition at various levels, including the masterplan, the dwellings, and the construction. The masterplan incorporates a variety of residential types with a modular approach that provides a flexible system for the different needs and the possibility of incremental growth. To strengthen the sense of community, the project integrates shared spaces at multiple levels, from public areas to courtyards, in-home spaces, and community buildings.

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Site Context

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Existing Tea Garden Workers Village with Adjacent Tea Garden

This thesis project focuses on tea garden villages and the living conditions of tea garden workers. The project is situated in a context where workers’ settlements are physically and socially segregated from surrounding areas. These villages often suffer from poor housing conditions, limited infrastructure, and a lack of spatial quality. The program responds to these challenges by rethinking workers’ housing as more than shelter, but as a living environment connected to everyday routines, family structures, and community life. The project addresses the need for better domestic spaces, shared areas, and a village structure that can support dignity, social interaction, and long-term improvement.

Design Process

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Design By Research – Analyzing Existing Living Patterns in the Tea Garden Villages
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Design By Research – Analyzing Existing Living Patterns in the Tea Garden Villages

The design process began with multiple visits to the tea garden villages. During these visits, the designer observed the site, spoke with workers, and documented the existing conditions through photographs. The collected images were then categorized to understand different spatial situations, housing conditions, and daily activities.

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Design By Research – Analyzing Existing Living Patterns in the Tea Garden Villages
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Categorized And Documented Images for Understanding Living Patterns in the Tea Garden Villages

This research became the foundation for the design. The analysis focused on how workers use both interior and exterior spaces, including living patterns, extensions, shared areas, and transitions between private and communal life. Rather than starting with a fixed architectural form, the project developed from the realities found on site and from the everyday practices of the workers.

Final Outcome

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Masterplan Axonometry
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Courtyard Floorplan

The final outcome of the project is a housing proposal based on incremental growth and a village-scale masterplan. The housing types are designed to allow gradual expansion over time, responding to changing family needs and economic conditions. Instead of replacing the existing way of life completely, the project proposes a flexible framework that supports improvement step by step.

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Masterplan Axonometry – Zoom in on Courtyard | Masterplan Axonometry – Zoom in on Different Cluster Types
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing Types – Cluster Configurations
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Floorplans Type A | Structural Axonometry

The masterplan organizes housing, circulation, open spaces, and community functions in a more connected and dignified way. Together, the incremental housing types and masterplan aim to improve living conditions while respecting the social patterns and everyday life of tea garden workers.

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Courtyard Rendering | Street Rendering
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Model Photo – 1:20

Conclusion: Ultimately, this project proposes a flexible and community-oriented housing model for tea garden workers, combining incremental growth with a responsive village masterplan. By improving everyday living conditions and strengthening social connections, it seeks to create a more dignified, inclusive, and sustainable living environment.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]

Site Context

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design

Design Process

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design

Final Outcome

Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design
Housing for the Tea Garden Community in Bangladesh | Architecture Thesis on Community-Based Rural Housing Design

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