1.1 Overview
Philosophy
An account of New Contextualism in ten parts, drawn from the founder’s published writing. Every claim is linked to its source, and summary is kept distinct from interpretation.
In this section1 · Philosophy
New Contextualism is an approach to architecture and urban design originated by Mohammad Habib Reza, an architect, architectural historian and Associate Professor at the School of Architecture and Design, BRAC University, Dhaka (Reza 2025). In his account it ‘emerged not as a prescriptive style, but as a critical framework’ (Reza 2025).
It is a philosophy in development, not a settled doctrine with a single definition. The pages of this section trace how it has been articulated in published texts, and where those texts differ: its definition and origins, its principles, the ten layers through which it reads a place, its position in relation to other theories, and the questions it has yet to settle.
The titles of the pages follow the platform’s structure. Where the structure names a concept that the published record does not yet define, such as a relational ontology or a family of related frameworks, the page says so and sets out what the sources do say.
- 1.2 Definition and Scope What the approach is, why it was proposed, and what it covers.
- 1.3 Origins and Evolution From practice in Barisal and research on Bengal to a developing theory.
- 1.4 Foundational Propositions and Key Principles The principles of the approach, as they have been formulated.
- 1.5 Relational Ontology of the Built Environment Context as a living, layered and evolving fabric of relations.
- 1.6 The Ten Contextual Layers: Definitions Each of the ten layers, defined in the founder’s terms.
- 1.7 Global South and Postcolonial Positioning Knowledge, power and local epistemologies in the approach.
- 1.8 Framework Family and Related Concepts New Contextualism and the frameworks developed from it.
- 1.9 Relationship to Other Theories Contextualism, critical regionalism, place theory, heritage and sustainability.
- 1.10 Critical Perspectives and Open Questions Questions the approach has yet to settle.
Sources
New Contextualism
- Reza 2025Reza, Mohammad Habib. 2025. “New Contextualism: An architectural philosophy for deltaic Bangladesh.” The Daily Star, April 23, 2025. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/focus/news/new-contextualism-architectural-philosophy-deltaic-bangladesh-3878456. Record