Green Field Factory, a seven-story rug and textile facility in Rangpur, has won the prestigious RIBA International Prize, with judges recognising its nature-integrated architecture and emphasis on the well-being of its predominantly female workforce.
The project was among four buildings shortlisted for the biennial award, which was announced yesterday (15 October). The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) praised the factory as a "work of quiet humility," according to a report by CNN.
Designed by Bangladeshi architectural firm Nakshabid Architects, the factory spans more than 144,000 square feet and draws inspiration from traditional Bengali homesteads, where courtyards and ponds are central features.
Gardens, plant-covered verandas, pond-lined walkways, and a facade draped in tropical greenery bring nature into the industrial setting. RIBA said the design helped "bring nature directly into the workplace."
The facility accommodates around 5,000 employees, most of them women. Its amenities include a rooftop daycare centre, an on-site medical practice, and shaded communal spaces. A large statue of a woman at the entrance symbolises what the architects describe as the "strength of women's empowerment."
According to RIBA, members of the judging panel visited the factory in September and found that workers frequently returned to use its facilities with their families outside working hours. The organisation said the project offered an "alternative model for factory design and operation."
In a statement issued ahead of the award announcement, Nakshabid Architects founder and principal Bayejid M Khondoker said he wanted to "prove that industry can breathe, nurture, and inspire."
"We asked a simple question: What if a factory were designed first as a home for the people who work in it?" he is quoted as saying. "Every courtyard, garden, water body, and shaded verandah grew from that question. A factory should not be a machine that consumes human energy. It should be a living place that restores it."
The building's design also challenges conventional workplace hierarchies. Jury chair Bijoy Jain highlighted its large central entrance, which is shared by workers, managers, and owners. In Bangladesh, factory employees and senior staff commonly use separate entrances.
Jain described the shared entrance as an "equanimous shared portal," while RIBA said the project challenged "ingrained social hierarchies."
The award comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over worker safety in Bangladesh's garment and textile industries. In 2013, the collapse of Rana Plaza, a building housing several garment factories on the outskirts of Dhaka, killed more than 1,100 people. Workers' safety concerns had been ignored, and many were forced to return to the building even after cracks were discovered.
Green Field Factory is operated by Karupannya Rangpur Limited, which manufactures handmade rugs as well as other textile products, including doormats and bathmats.
Another Bangladeshi project, BRAC University in Dhaka, was also shortlisted for the prize. The other finalists were a renovated 1960s office building and an expanded art institute, both in Belgium.
Established in 2016, the RIBA International Prize recognises buildings that demonstrate "visionary, innovative thinking and design excellence." The award is generally presented every two years, although the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted its schedule.
The previous winner, announced in 2024, was a six-story timber social housing project in Barcelona, Spain. Earlier recipients include a school in rural Brazil, a university in Lima, Peru, and a hospital in a remote, flood-prone area of Bangladesh.