Bangladesh’s Marina Tabassum wins Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Renowned architect honored for climate-resilient housing design “Khudi Bari,” her second time receiving one of the world’s top architecture prizes
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum has been named a winner of the 2025 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, earning the prize for the second time in her career. She is the first Bangladeshi architect to receive the honor twice.
Tabassum was recognized for her project “Khudi Bari,” or “Little House,” an innovative housing model designed for families displaced by Bangladesh’s frequent flooding and river erosion. The lightweight, portable structures are affordable and quick to assemble, offering vulnerable communities a lifeline in the face of worsening climate impacts.
The Aga Khan Award, considered one of the world’s most prestigious architectural honors, celebrates projects that combine design excellence with social impact. This year’s prize recognizes seven projects worldwide, with the ceremony scheduled to take place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 15.
Tabassum first received the award in 2016 for her design of the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque in Dhaka, a minimalist brick structure praised for blending spirituality with community function. Her latest recognition highlights a career defined by socially conscious design and architectural innovation in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.
Born in Dhaka in 1969, Tabassum studied architecture at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) before co-founding the practice URBANA, where she helped design the country’s Independence Monument and Museum of Independence.
She later established Marina Tabassum Architects, pursuing projects that fuse contemporary design with local needs and traditions.
The award committee noted that “Khudi Bari” exemplifies how architecture can address urgent global challenges. Tabassum’s work underscores the role of design not just as aesthetics, but as a tool for dignity, resilience, and human survival.
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