Marina Tabassum Architects
Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA) is an internationally recognized, leading architecture practice based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The firm was founded by Marina Tabassum in 2005 after her ten-year partnership in URBANA established in 1995.
MTA began its journey in the quest of establishing a language of architecture that is contemporary to the world yet rooted to the place. MTA stands against the global pressure of consumer architecture, a fast breed of buildings that are out of place and context. Our pledge of the practice is to root Architecture to the place informed by climate and geography. MTA’s work is well regarded in the world as environmentally conscious, socially responsible, historically and culturally appropriate. Every project undertaken is a sensitive and relevant response to the uniqueness of individual site context, culture and people.
Besides building design, MTA invests in extensive research works on the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh working closely with geographers, landscape architects, planners and other allied professionals. Our focus of work also extends to the marginalized low to ultra-lowincome population of the country with a goal to elevate the environmental and living condition of people.
Our practice is based on a simple model of studio with Marina Tabassum as the principal architect. The studio engages talented architects and professionals with an interest in self built projects, who are willing to push the boundaries of the conventional norms of practice. The associate architects who are responsible for research, design and management of individual projects work directly under the principal architect. The practice is consciously kept and retained in an optimum size and projects undertaken are carefully chosen and are limited by number per year.
MTA’s process-based practice model is well regarded in the international scene of architecture as a Twenty First Century model. As such MTA has presented works and research to numerous national and international institutions and events around the world. MTA received the prestigious Aga Khan Awards for Architecture in 2016 for the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque.