Company Overview

Mukta Dinwiddie MacLaren (MDM) Architects is providing its contribution to design and construction industry for more than 30 years. The firm was established in London in 1982 with its wide range of Architectural and Engineering services to clients. Later MDM opened its branch office in Dhaka in 1995. It is now one of the leading design and construction firm in Bangladesh designing sustainable and contemporary structures all over the world. Many of MDM’s projects are constructed in UK, USA, China, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Mr. Ahmed Mukta [B. Com; B. Arch; C. Build E. FCABE (UK), P. Eng. (UK) MSPE] is the Principal of MDM Architects. With the help of a high-profile team consisting Architects and Engineers, Mr. Mukta is providing design and construction services following international standards.

All the structures are produced with expertise, attention to detail, and sensitivity to the needs of clients and the environment. It provides energy-efficient solutions and encourage clients to use sustainable, locally produced materials where possible. MDM architects provide a comprehensive range of design and project-management services in the fields of architecture, interior design, landscaping, and civil, structural, and building services engineering, and advise clients in the commercial, medical, residential, industrial, recreational, and educational sectors.

MDM architects dedicated team have an excellent understanding and knowledge of construction technology in the Indian sub-continent and our network of consultants means that we can provide a single point of service for all requirements, from initial feasibility studies to full project management through quality planning and design.

MDMA has completed projects for the British Business Group (Village Transformation Project), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Core Shelters Project), the Australian, British, and Canadian High Commissions in Dhaka, as well as for DFID, Médecins Sans Frontières, USAID and international conglomerates such as Shell and HSBC, Bangladesh Navy (BN) amongst many others.

Sustainable Eco-Friendly Policy

MDM architects introduce professional practice in Bangladesh that conforms to international building standards both in its design and construction methodologies and committed to sustainability in its broadest interpretation.

The three pillars of sustainability – economic prosperity, environmental protection and social justice – have an impact across all sectors of development in Bangladesh including rapid urban development, energy and water consumption, and adaptation to climate change In Bangladesh we are at the epicenter of the sustainability learning curve: Dhaka being the fastest growing city in the world has put tremendous pressure on housing, energy and water resources. Climate change effects can be felt annually with floods and cyclones a regular feature of the weather pattern. Global warming will bring severe consequences for most of the 160 million people of Bangladesh; with a rise in sea level of up to one meter, by the turn of the next century, up to 20% of land area will be underwater. More than ten million people will immediately be affected. Forests, agriculture, infrastructure, coastal aquaculture, flora and fauna would be severely damaged.

MDM architects strive to educate clients in the benefits of sustainable development, whilst ensuring that the project achieves clients’ requirements. It’s a member of both LEED and Green building council.

Economic and Social Development

MDMA always have unique approach to any of its assignments, which made it inimitable especially in Bangladesh as in Bangladesh there are no such team of execution who follows approach like us. After cyclone Sidr in November 2007, British businesses Group (BBG) set up an innovative and broad-reaching reconstruction initiative in Majher Chor, a Coastal area in Bangladesh.

The project provided 167 housing units as a part of a corporate social responsibility initiative, MDMA designed a low-cost housing product combining a Ferro-cement, hollow block construction. The greater mass allowed for increased stability in cyclone conditions and improved thermal properties. These materials will also be more durable and require less maintenance than CGI sheeting. The project earned the great satisfaction of donors and the local community acting as a potential model for future projects.

MDMA has also designed and built a number of Coastal Crisis Management Centers (CCMC) and Multi-Purpose Cyclone Shelters (MPCS) in areas of Bangladesh that are prone to natural disasters. MDMA gained huge applause and has, in the last several years, become a trusted name in designing and constructing natural calamity resistant structures in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. The US Army Corps of Engineers tasked the MDMA with building multipurpose cyclone shelters in different coastal areas of Bangladesh. In 2012, delighted with the quality of the work done by the MDMA, received “Safety Awards" from the US Army Engineers Corps.

Following the brutal atrocities faced at the hand of the Myanmar military, nearly 1 million Myanmar nationals fled to Bangladesh in 2017. The government of Bangladesh stood by the oppressed and assured them of a temporary living space until their return to Myanmar. More than one million Myanmar nationals, often known as Rohingyas, are currently residing in 34 camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar province. To relieve the pressure on Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar, the Bangladeshi government has begun the process of moving some Rohingyas to Bhasan Char Island in Bangladesh's Noakhali region.

For such a large number of Rohingya displaced individuals, the environment in the existing camps has been exceedingly vulnerable and unsustainable. Floods, cyclones, landslides, and the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as man-made and natural disasters, have caused tremendous agony and lost human lives in the camp sites. As a result, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken a number of steps, including the development of the Ashrayan-3 project on Bhasan Char Island in Noakhali district, under the banner of 'Refugee Management Approaches,' to better manage refugees with proper amenities and security measures. The primary users of the housing and other amenities inside the project areas are displaced Myanmar nationals, while secondary users include various humanitarians, government staff, and officials who will be residing in the Bhasan Char area to administer aid and development work. Thus, the island of Bhasan Char was chosen to be developed and provide safe and transient accommodation for the forcefully displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs).

MDM Architects has been appointed as onshore consultant to turn this grand vision into reality and successfully designs and constructed 1,440 cluster houses, 120 shelter stations (which withstand wind speeds up to 260 km/hr., whilst providing protection from flooding and surges) and other basic amenities.

For the successful execution of this humanitarian project, MDMA architects won several international prestigious awards, for instance DMI (Design Management Institute, USA) honors MDMA with Design Value awards for delivering significant value through innovative design and management practices; and also received BID Quality Excellence Award, BID bestows the award on companies and organizations from across the world that best adhere to excellence and innovation in their activities, prioritizing quality at all levels of the project and organization.

Although Bhasan Char was built with the express aim of hosting Rohingya refugees, experts say the project has opened up new possibilities, and that it might serve as a model for building townships in other areas. It could potentially lead to a Singapore-like situation! While ambitious, such a goal isn't completely unrealistic. The demand for land to cultivate food and for industrial purposes is increasing as the economy grows. The value of a piece of land has surpassed that of life itself. Experts are striving to create measures to turn remote islands like Bhasan Char into centers of blue economy, with their eyes rightly placed on the possibilities. As a result, a desolate and unattractive islands like Bhasan Char might become a portal to new opportunities for Bangladesh.

Not only in the coastal area, MDMA has also been successfully designed and constructed structures in difficult mountainous terrain. MDMA was appointed as the design-build contractor for a new blood bank facility at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. The project was funded by the US government and executed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Sustainable design and "green building principles" were adopted wherever possible. The facility was designed to withstand the impact of an earthquake, with solar panels providing sufficient energy to run emergency systems during a power cut. The structure features a reinforced concrete frame, external brick walls, and internal stud walls. The external aspect of the building was modelled on a traditional Nepalese house with clay roof tiles, providing a welcoming atmosphere for patients. Just over one year since it opened, the Kathmandu blood bank center for the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) has been put to the test with the recent earthquakes in Nepal. The facility has the capacity to supply 75% of the medical facilities and hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley. The blood center is working 24/7 in full swing to support the injured. The building structure withstood the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. The state-of-the-art facility features a component separator, enabling blood packs to be divided according to requirements, allowing more people to be treated and supporting the work of nearby hospitals. MDMA made it so that it could withstand a hit of up to 8.4 on the Richter scale. This project got positive applause from international media such as USA Today.