Asif Hasan Zeshan: Designing a Sustainable Future through Architecture 🇧🇩

According to the UN Environment Program, building operations and their construction combined account for a whopping 38 percent of total global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019. Asif Zeshan is a sustainability architect and educator from Dhaka, Bangladesh working to address this issue. His ongoing projects involve designing smart cities and smart buildings. While the term ‘sustainability’ often gets thrown around carelessly, for him, the meaning is crystal clear: sustainability is the integration of technology for net-zero architecture and infrastructure. 

Starting Out

In primary school, he learned that out of the total land area of Bangladesh, only 17% was covered by forests. Shocked, he asked his father what would happen to the future of Bangladesh’s environment. His father said, “What happens in the future actually depends on you. You can actually change this. You can plant more trees.” The idea of creating a greener future sprung in his mind for the first time. 

He gradually understood that sustainability is about much more than planting trees. The turning point was when he studied architecture at university. Surrounded by like-minded peers, he decided to act on building a greener future. Under a student club called ‘Environmental Watch’, he helped launch campaigns as the graphic designer. He then realized, “It's not only about knowing yourself what should be done. You should actually preach what should be done and what you think is right.” He then joined Bangladesh Science Outreach (BSO), an organisation that teaches young kids about STEM and the importance of sustainability. In remote areas of Bangladesh, due to lack of funding, equipment and knowledge, it is common for children to not major in the sciences. Since then, he has been incorporating sustainability in his professional and volunteer endeavors. 

Education for the Planet 

Among his myriad of achievements, he is most proud of the moments when he taught others about sustainability. When part of BSO, he visited schools and talked to children about how to preserve their environment. Successfully educating others, in his view, requires involving the students in the entire process. Instead of simply telling people to read books, he says that in teaching,

“You have to sometimes act on the things that you are trying to teach them. You have to listen to their feedback, what they think, why they think this is valid, and [why] something is not. And you have to counter that with the knowledge you have at the moment. It’s a give and take, like a debate.”

From 2014 to 2016, Asif was involved in a project called the SWITCH School, located in Mohammadpur, a residential area in Dhaka where he used to live. People from the adjacent Bosila Area come to Mohammadpur in search of work. The SWITCH School initiative works for the kids of these underprivileged people earning minimum wages. He taught about 40 students per class.

Asif with the young learners from SWITCH School. SWITCH organizes formal and informal schooling for the children of underprivileged populace in the Mohammadpur, Dhaka area of Bangladesh.

Before visiting the school, Asif did not know that there were so many underprivileged people in his own area. These kids were raised by families that had limited financial capacity. The parents did not make the decision that their kids should learn about sustainability like a net zero community. He taught the children that they can grow their own food in their backyard, and that this action can help them build a better future. The students promised him that they could do that and that was easy for them since their parents already grow some form of agricultural food. He also taught about sustainable urban habits, the harms of smoking, and the dangers of fossil fuels. “They were very happy to see me and they were very happy to listen to me. That's something I'll always carry with me,” he said. 

Another special teaching moment occurred in 2020, when Asif participated in the Asia Climate Leadership Camp on behalf of 350.org and taught a virtual session. In the same call were some Japanese students who asked him about what they can do about the waste management system of Tokyo. Surprised by the question, he said, “I have never been to Tokyo. Tokyo is a large city. I cannot actually explain to you what should be done precisely, but I can give you some guidelines.”  After giving them some guidelines, they tested out his suggestions and gave him feedback on the outcomes. The back and forth communication went on for two or three months. The best part for Asif was that they tried to implement one of his brainchilds in their own city.

Adversity Along the Way

Asif has not faced climate denial in Bangladesh. Rather, he has had a tough time convincing people that climate change is an emergency and that actions should match up to the severity of the situation. Some people took more time to persuade than others. Many also questioned the suitability and applicability of the methods Asif and his team have been employing for the long-run. He has encountered people who think that the talks he has given on environmental sustainability were part of a “frivolous children's propaganda”. This is especially true for people from the streets. Naysayers speak along the lines of, “Okay, now you're doing this, but three or four days later, you won't be here. The projects you're talking about. They won't be here. It's just a gimmick.” Asif shares that it's very hard to convince people that these are not gimmicks. When confronted with difficulties, what fuels him to persist is a sense of duty.

“It’s my duty to live a better example for future generations… it’s up to us to heal the planet.”

Asif was one of the members of team Hero4Zero, a sustainable supply chain project presented in the P4G Summit 2021 held in the Republic of Korea for the Global Youth Climate Challenges.

The current generation has access to tools that none of our ancestors did. “With these tools, everyone can play their own role in building a sustainable climate, or sustainable planet, our greener future for everyone. It's just a matter of being positive, being conscious and being aware.” He believes it is his duty to make people aware that a green future is very much possible and that each individual can and should act towards realizing that vision. With so much left to solve, he thinks it is motivation enough for any climate activist to persevere. 

An Implementation Gap for Sustainable Buildings

When Asif joined AEYN, he conveyed that fighting for environmental justice is difficult in South Asian countries. As people are still fighting for basic rights, they see environmental regulations as a luxury. In Bangladesh, every building should acquire 13 licenses from the Ministry of Environment before it can be built. 

The regulations sound great in theory, but all these can be bypassed. Asif pointed out, “There are buildings in the city that are actually not aligned to any kind of environmentalist idea.” Unsustainable materials  are still being used in his city’s buildings, like brick and reinforced concrete. Some designs ignore the very basics, like the need for natural ventilation. He thinks existing policies are outdated and inadequately address this problem. “We're living in a utopia in terms of regulations, and rules. In reality, we're kind of on the brink of living, at least here in Dhaka.”

Asian Heritage from an Architect’s Perspective

Asif thinks that the oldest civilizations in Asia were naturally aligned to environmental preservation. “If you look at the old buildings, they used materials like timber and mud. They had cities that had a lot of trees.” However, as civilizations developed over time, people adopted less sustainable materials and building practices. In his view, “Asia is currently following trends from other parts of the world to build a sustainable city though we always had our own ways to do that.” While models from the likes of Europe and America work when implemented in their respective regions, Asif believes that region-specific models matter and should be further researched on. The climate differs by place. 

“Every step we take should be properly researched and should be thought out on a scale of the locality.”

For instance, Bangladesh launched a campaign to plant millions of trees. However, the trees planted were from the Acacia family, which absorb too much water and harm local crops. Asif thinks a similar situation has occurred in countries dependent on foreign aid. On paper, planting a million trees looks very sustainable. But on the ground, those trees are actually harming the environment. That is why when he worked with a group doing contemporary landscaping for buildings, he encouraged landscapers to choose plants ultra-aligned with the local ecosystem. 

Asif in action for an academic project titled “Material-ity.”

Message for Asian Youth 

Asif believes that there is no good age to start doing something for the environment. Some young people get involved at very young ages while others are well into their careers. Having as many people across generations advancing the sustainability agenda is key considering how much there is to be done. Asif also encourages youths to take advantage of the available information to educate themselves first.

“An educated young person is the most valuable resource this planet needs at the moment.”

Asif thinks there are two ways to make change happen in society. One way is by urging people in power to take systemic action. As an activist, one can join protests and raise awareness on issues that cannot be solved alone. Educating others, a major part of activism, requires stepping out of one’s comfort zone and engaging with people from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints. “You have to get a lot of people on your side if you actually want to make a difference,” Asif shared. The other way is by directly implementing sustainability solutions as an individual like through one’s profession. He says, “You have to come up with your own personal agenda as well. As an architect, I think my projects should talk about what I believe in.” When many architects collaborate under the vision of sustainable design, and people in power set up enabling mechanisms for sustainable living, transformative change can be made. 

Goals for the Future

He feels that his knowledge in climate change and architecture is incomplete given how rapidly the field grows. Hence, in the short term, he wants to pursue further studies. He plans to take up a Master's or PhD degree on something relevant to environment preservation and new generation architecture. Then, he would like to do hands-on projects like teaching.

“I want to keep on educating young people with all the knowledge I have gathered throughout my journey to make them realise that this planet needs their expertise. Their journeys, I think, will keep my dreams alive.”

Follow Asif's works and adventures here at www.asifhasanzeshan.xyz.

Written by Wynona Curaming