Department of Architecture

Shafinaz Sameen

AssistantProfessor, Department of Architecture

Shafinaz Sameen

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Architecture, MIST

 Email: shafinaz.arch@gmail.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafinaz-sameen-15b70919a/

 

Research Interest

Urban informality, gender inclusive design and planning, displacement and refugee crisis, community development for social justice.

Teaching Interest

Urban Design, Housing, climate and design, landscape design

Academic Qualification

Master of Urban Planning (MUP) from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Illinois, USA

Master of Science in Disaster Management (MSDM) from University of Dhaka

Bachelor of Architecture from Khulna University

Professional Experiences

Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, MIST, since January 2022

Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, State University of Bangladesh (SUB), since May 2021

Lecturer, Department of Architecture, State University of Bangladesh, since September, 2015

Research Fellow, Housing Division, Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), since August 2013

Assistant Architect, ARCHITECT’S, since August 2012

Principal Research Architect, Center for Housing and Building Research (HBRC) (Honorary), since 2020

Managing Partner, Zephyr Architects (freelancing), 2014-2018

Administrative Services at University level

Appointed as the coordinator to oversee international collaboration with TPTI program (The Master Erasmus Mundus Techniques, Heritage, Territories of Industry) with Dept. of Architecture at SUB

Assigned as the coordinator to oversee and launch journal of department of Architecture from (SUB)

Oversaw the duty of grade compilation of the department, at SUB

Chair, “Annwesha”– a recurring lecture series platform; organized 4 online events with 70+ audience at SUB 

Participated in a team of 4 members in the re-designing of curriculum of Dept. of Architecture at SUB

Organized biannual guest lecture series with guest academicians and practitioners for over 100 students 

Coordinated multiple cultural events including budget management with over 50 students;

Supervisor, debating club, SUB

Other Notable Experiences

Application review, Fulbright Foreign Student Program, 2021-2022 cycle

Administered two research projects including budget and purchase, recruitment, proposal writing and research design while assisted in a number of other projects undertaken on affordable & resilient building materials

Organized two hands-on weeklong workshops on “Emergency/Refugee Earth bag Shelter” conducted by Architect Iliona Khalili from London, UK, in collaboration with Institute of Architects’ Bangladesh (IAB)

Organized, instructed and moderated a number of workshops with different NGOs and professionals on disaster resilience and shelter design at HBRI

Trainer, “Build Home Yourself”, HBRI

Publications

  1. Journal

Sameen, S. Hybrid Landscape of Urban Informality: The Spatial Identity of Urban Refugees through Housing in Dhaka, Journal of SUB. (in press).

Sameen, S. Chowdhury, F. K. Islam, Z. and Ananna, A.T. (2018). Vulnerability or Capacity: A review on gender dimension of disasters SUB Journal of Sustainable Environment and Development 3(1), 49-67.

Islam, Z., Sameen, S. and Ananna, A. T. (2018). Water Logging Risks in Dhaka City: An overview and the way forward, Journal of SUB 8(1), 27-36.

Hafiza, R. Sameen, S. and Rahman, T. (2015). A Review on construction process of Ferrocement sandwich panel: Instigating an orderly approach in Bangladesh, IJSE, 3(1) 12-18

Rahman, M.M. Sameen, S. Hafiza, R. and. Sadeque, M. A. (2013) Behavior of Polymeric Fiber as an Alternative Reinforcement to Iron Wire Mesh in Ferrocement Elements under Flexural Load IJCEBS 1(5). 715-718

 

  1. Book Chapters/Book

Sameen, S. and Eshita, A. Freedom of Body and Presence: Women’s Inclusion in Public Spaces of Dhaka, NEXT:50 Collective Future. Manuscript accepted for publication. 

 

  1. Others (Conference Proceeding, workshop paper etc.)

Sameen, S. (2017). Process Inclusive Infrastructure: Notions towards Cyclone Resilience in Bangladesh, Elsevier Procedia Engineering, 212, 30-38. (Refereed conference proceeding)

Ahmed, J. Ahmed, A., Sultana, R. Subrina, S. & S. Sameen, (2017). “Should architects work for mastaans for house reconstruction activities?” Proceedings of 26th UIA World Architects Congress.

Sameen, S. & Razzaque, M. Z. I. (2016). Building Urban Resilience: An unplanned Built-up Area in Dhaka. Proceedings of 9th FARU International Research Conference, (329-340), Srilanka. (Refereed conference proceeding)

Sameen, S. Hafiza, R. & Sadeque, M. A. (2015). Versatile Application of Ferrocement: An Experimental Approach in Bangladesh. Preceedings of 6th National Convention on Ferrocement, (20-28), Ferrocement Soceity (FS), India

Sameen, S. (2015). Alternative Building Technology by HBRI. Contextbd

Sameen, S. Rahman, T. & Hassan, M. T. (2015). Emergence of Alternative Construction Technologies: towards a safer Dhaka, Proceedings of 14th International Symposium on Urban Safety of Megacities in Asia (USMCA), Kathmandu, Nepal.

Research Engagement

 

  1. Women’s Safety in Urban Public Spaces (Independent research)

Developing a research to study gender-based violence on the streets of Dhaka and possible ways out within urban studies. Conducted surveys and group discussion; primary findings are being published on NEXT:50 book currently in preparation

  1. An Investigation into Rohingya Women’s ‘Invisibility’ in the Camps of Bangladesh (Master’s Thesis (Master of Urban Planning; UIUC)

Rigorous qualitative research involving ethnography, group discussion (54 women) and stakeholder (6) interviews. Addressed gaps in current gender-based programs and advocated for ‘women’s inclusion’ in camp planning process

  1. Women’s Negotiations of Domestic Space in Flood Prone Areas, Manikganj (Master’s Final Project; MSDM, DU)

Qualitative research involving 6 FGDs (60 women) and case studies (5); based on oral history. Explored women’s daily survival, care roles and individual vulnerabilities while living in submerged houses. Presented findings in seminars and international conference.

  1. Community Resilience in Cyclone Prone Areas (Housing and Building Research institute)

Conducted extensive field survey in coastal villages of Khulna and Barishal. Documented types of housing and indigenous practices; reviewed global practice of resilience; findings submitted to HBRI in form of report and published on Elsevier proceeding.

  1. Developing Polymer Reinforced Ferrocement as an Alternative Building Material (Housing and Building Research Institute)

Studied feasibility of polymer reinforcement in ferrocement through various tests (tensile, compression, flexure and impact). Explored the potentialities of community and women’s involvement in building construction through pilot construction

 

Projects

  1. Consultant; Mapping Gendered Experiences of Shelter Project, Kutupalong Camp, Cox’s Bazar, Participatory Shelter Planning Project, Rohingya Camp, Friendship NGO
  2. Team member; Mapping Gendered Struggle of Re-entry and Homelessness, Cunningham Township Supervisors Office, Urbana, Illinois, USA,
  3. Team Member, Mapping Community resilience and Activism in Favelas, Fortaleza, Brazil
  4. Core team member, Post Fire Slum Reconstruction (Karail and Sattola), Dhaka; in collaboration BRAC
  5. Team member, Standard Guidelines for Rural Housing in Disaster Prone Areas of Bangladesh. A handbook of shelter design guideline for disaster prone areas developed by HBRI, Dept. of Disaster Management and Friendship, IFRC.
  6. Architectural consultancy for a number of projects- apartment buildings, interior design, HBRI training and display center etc. 

Awards and Recognition

Best Thesis Award, DURP, UIUC, 2020

Michael A. Carroll Memorial Award, DURP, UIUC, 2019

Fulbright Foreign Student Award, 2018

Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) World Fellowship, 2018

Rupa Merit Scholarship, Department of Architecture, Khulna University, 2010

Conference/Talks

“Sharing Experiences of Architects in Reconstruction of Fire Resilient Informal Settlement”, Webinar; World university of Bangladesh, August 2021

“Every day Spatial Negotiations of the ‘Domestic’ During Flood”, 4th International Conference on Bangladesh Environment (ICBEN-4) (virtual), December 2020, Bangladesh.

Refugee Women’s Invisible Agency: An Intersectional Investigation into Rohingya women’s everyday space in the camps of Bangladesh”, American Collegiate School of Planning (ACSP) 2020 Annual Conference (virtual), November 2020, Toronto, Canada.

“Process Inclusive Infrastructure: Notions towards Cyclone Resilience in Bangladesh”, 7th International Conference on Building Resilience, November 2017, Bangkok, Thailand.

“Emergence of Alternative Construction Technologies: Towards a safer Dhaka”, 14th International Symposium on Urban Safety of Megacities in Asia (USMCA), October 2015, Kathmandu, Nepal

Affiliations

Associate Member, Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB)

Member, Association of Collegiate School of Planning (ACSP)

Fulbright Fellow, International Exchange Alumni, US Department of State

Member, Women’s Association of Engineers, Planners and Architects (WAEPA)

Member, Bangladesh News Presenter’s Association