An architectural and urban design philosophy exploring the relationships between people, place, history, culture, ecology, and the built environment. https://newcontextualism.org/feed.xml 2026-06-23T00:00:00.000Z New Contextualism (editors) https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2026-reading-bengal/ 2026-06-23T00:00:00.000Z

Argues that Bengal should be read on its own historical terms, through what the author calls ‘a syncretic cultural history’, a method of reading layered civilisational formation.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2026-bongabdo/ 2026-05-14T00:00:00.000Z

Reads the Bengali calendar, Bongabdo, as a long-term expression of Bengal’s delta civilisation rather than the invention of a single ruler.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-rahman-2026-somapura/ 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z

Proposes a New Contextualist framework for managing Somapura Mahavihara, the Buddhist monastery at Paharpur, as sacred heritage. The only published text found that names a New Contextual heritage management.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-nitu-2025-people-place-justice/ 2025-09-16T00:00:00.000Z

Presents five guiding principles, the ‘ten-layer lens’ and the Read–Plan–Process sequence, with case studies from undergraduate theses and a competition entry.

https://newcontextualism.org/community/events/#2025-08-16-reflections-on-new-contextualism 2025-08-16T00:00:00.000Z

An online symposium bringing together architects, educators and researchers to reflect on the approach in practice and pedagogy.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2025-deltaic-bangladesh/ 2025-04-23T00:00:00.000Z

Sets out five core tenets, including the ‘tenfold matrix’ of contextual dimensions, and describes the further development of the approach as New Contextualism 2.0.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/arch-bangla-2024-workshop-report/ 2024-02-21T00:00:00.000Z

A report of the February 2024 workshop on New Contextualism 2.0, with an account of each lecture and of the hands-on exercises.

https://newcontextualism.org/community/events/#2024-02-17-exploring-new-contextualism-2-0 2024-02-17T00:00:00.000Z

A design-thinking workshop on New Contextualism 2.0, combining lectures open to all with hands-on exercises.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2023-new-contextualism-path/ 2023-12-19T00:00:00.000Z

The founder’s first extended essay on the approach, setting out its principles, its origins in practice and doctoral research, and its place in teaching at BRAC University.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/bracu-2023-workshop-report/ 2023-06-21T00:00:00.000Z

The university’s report of the first public workshop, with the programme of lectures and an account of the hands-on exercise.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/arch-bangla-2023-workshop-report/ 2023-06-12T00:00:00.000Z

An independent report of the 2023 workshop, with the lecture programme and speaker biographies.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/rahman-2023-case-studies/ 2023-06-10T00:00:00.000Z

Lecture analysing how context was interpreted and translated into design in projects following the approach.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2023-introduction-lecture/ 2023-06-10T00:00:00.000Z

Opening lecture of the 2023 workshop, introducing New Contextualism as a response to the limitations of contemporary architectural practice.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/khan-2023-global-practice/ 2023-06-10T00:00:00.000Z

Lecture on how the components of the approach can be traced across different cultural and geographical contexts.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/bhuiyan-2023-possibilities-challenges/ 2023-06-10T00:00:00.000Z

A critical lecture on the strengths and limitations of the approach, including an analysis of its ten parameters.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/kaikobad-2023-understanding-context/ 2023-06-10T00:00:00.000Z

Lecture on how site-specific factors shape design decisions in architecture and urban design.

https://newcontextualism.org/community/events/#2023-06-10-exploring-new-contextualism 2023-06-10T00:00:00.000Z

A daylong workshop combining a lecture series with a hands-on group exercise in applying the approach to a design challenge.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2023-natha-bengal/ 2023-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

An article in Bengali on the origin and development of the Natha tradition in Bengal.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2021-sultanate-ponds/ 2021-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

Traces the cultural continuity of Bengal from the ancient to the Sultanate period, and reads the pond beside almost every Sultanate mosque as one sign of that continuity.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2018-chhoto-katra/ 2018-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

A chapter proposing a community-involved management plan for Chhoto Katra in Old Dhaka.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/ahmed-reza-2018-re-imagining-bengal/ 2018-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

An edited volume on the architecture, built environment and cultural heritage of Bengal, co-edited by the founder.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2018-post-gupta-bengal/ 2018-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

A chapter on settlement and architecture in post-Gupta Bengal.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/awal-reza-2017-mohakhali/ 2017-06-27T00:00:00.000Z

A conference paper on how migration reshapes the household environment in Mohakhali, Dhaka.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/bandyopadhyay-et-al-2014-bahla/ 2014-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

One of five documentation and heritage management plans for traditional oasis settlements in Oman to which the founder contributed.

https://newcontextualism.org/research/reza-2008-bengal-gupta-viharas/ 2008-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

An early article from the founder’s research on the Buddhist monastic architecture of Bengal.