# The Archive House

# The Archive House A study in tropical brutalism and atmospheric light. Location: Purbachal, Dhaka Typology: Public / institutional (library and archive) Status: Conceptual design (ongoing) Tools: SketchUp, Twinmotion (custom lighting) Year: 2026 Visuals: Caelo Studio ## Concept Located in the developing green belt of Purbachal, The Archive House is designed as a sanctuary for knowledge — a decompression zone where the chaos of the city is quieted by heavy concrete masses and filtered northern light.

## Content

# The Archive House A study in tropical brutalism and atmospheric light. Location: Purbachal, Dhaka Typology: Public / institutional (library and archive) Status: Conceptual design (ongoing) Tools: SketchUp, Twinmotion (custom lighting) Year: 2026 Visuals: Caelo Studio ## Concept Located in the developing green belt of Purbachal, The Archive House is designed as a sanctuary for knowledge — a decompression zone where the chaos of the city is quieted by heavy concrete masses and filtered northern light. The design explores the balance between history and nature, using a restrained material palette: raw concrete for permanence and strength, Corten (rusted) steel for the passage of time, and native greenery to soften the hard edges and bring the tropical context inside. ## Reception The lobby acts as an arrival decompression zone, stripped to three core elements: raw concrete, glass, and native greenery. The reception desk is a floating concrete block with a hidden light strip, set against a Corten steel backdrop. A custom geometric sculpture in weathering steel anchors the lobby, bridging the architecture and the garden. ## Cafe The ground-level cafe is the social hub of the building. Where the archives are quiet and cool, the cafe introduces exposed timber ceiling beams to lower the visual scale and add acoustic warmth, with terrazzo flooring and private booth seating separated by mesh screens for focused work or quiet conversation.

## Source

- Canonical URL: https://www.caelostudio.com/projects/interior/the-archive-house
- Typed record: https://agents.caelostudio.com/index.json