Green Field Factory Wins RIBA International Prize for Worker-Centric Design

The seven-story Green Field Factory in Rangpur, Bangladesh, received the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Prize. Judges highlighted the building as a “work of quiet humility,” praising its integration of tropical vegetation across more than 144,000 sq ft. The prize, regarded as the most prestigious accolade for a single building, is awarded biennially for projects that demonstrate visionary and innovative design.

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Designed by Nakshabid Architects, the factory draws on traditional Bengali homesteads with courtyards, ponds, and verandas. Its façade is draped in plants, and landscaped gardens provide shaded social spaces. Amenities include a rooftop daycare, an on-site medical practice, and a large statue symbolizing women’s empowerment. Four of the seven floors house textile production, while the remaining levels accommodate packaging and warehousing. Approximately 5,000 employees—most of them women—use the facilities, often bringing families to the shared courtyard and eating areas after work.

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Jury chair Bijoy Jain noted the central entrance as an “equanimous shared portal,” emphasizing that laborers and senior staff enter through the same doorway—a departure from typical Bangladeshi factories. Nakshabid Architects’ founder Bayejid M. He argued that a factory should restore, rather than consume, human energy.

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Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest textile producers, yet factory safety has been a persistent concern. The 2013 Rana Plaza collapse, which killed 1,100 workers, underscored systemic hazards. Green Field Factory’s design, which foregrounds employee wellbeing, offers a stark contrast to that tragedy.

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By demonstrating that large-scale production can coexist with extensive green space and comprehensive worker services, the project may influence other manufacturers to adopt more humane, environmentally integrated facilities.

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