Comments on: Taking Tea with Chi Chi: How to Motivate People and Win Friends in Bangladesh

By: novera

novera — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:07:55 +0000

AWESOME!!!!!!!! the choice of location , architecture! the xperience she had ,u mention……i wish i cud b in hr place! two thumbs up CHI CHI!!!

By: Kristin Boekhoff

Kristin Boekhoff — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:48:45 +0000

Ashikur, I completely agree with you. There are so many resorts (not just in Bangladesh, but around the world) that are designed without regard to their environmental context. These concrete boxes with double-loaded corridors could be located in Kansas just as well as Bangladesh.

We believe in doing things a bit differently – all of our bungalows will be unique and will be in harmony with the local setting – the bungalow next to the bamboo forest will be different from the one in the mangrove orchard. We also hope to share our knowledge of modern mud construction and alternative energy with the local community.

Bangladesh is just starting to develop its tourism industry. As you pointed out, it has the opportunity to either develop along either the “traditional” concrete box path or it can evolve into something more. I hope we go the latter route!

By: Ashikur Rahman

Ashikur Rahman — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:10:16 +0000

Awesome.I’d be the first to agree that Bangladesh has a wonderful choice of locations for tourism but I think that tourism is lacking here for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is a shortage of resorts where tourists might stay. When an international traveller comes to a beautiful, remote, unspoilt place, the last thing they want is to stay in a concrete box – which is what most of the choices represent. Maybe they are clean and relatively new and even some are well maintained but they are on the whole soulless and do not sit in with the environment. I think this is where Panigram will really create a change in attitudes and I hope that it will be the start of many eco-resorts in this beautiful and largely undiscovered country.Esp. thanks to Chi chi for doing all that gr8 job..Ashikur Rahman.Pharmacist

By: Hasnat Anwar

Hasnat Anwar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:25:15 +0000

Thanks for the interesting update.’AMAR VALO LAGE’.

By: Adrianne

Adrianne — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:19:05 +0000

Chi-Chi!
Your design is simple and very beautiful. What an amazing experience!

By: Sophie

Sophie — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:45:00 +0000

Bravo Chi-chi!

I think it’s amazing how much you are seeing and learning in a foreign country! I cannot believe that even during a time constraint, speaking a different language and coping with cultural differences, you’re still able to bring out the best of you and apply what we learnt in school. After reading about how much you thought of the pavilion, the site, the pavilion’s relationship to the site, and building materials, I have no doubt that this project will be very successful for both you and your team. Hopefully the investors will see that as well.

These photos are beautiful and amusing. Also, thanks Brian for interviewing!