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ARCHI TIMES AUGUST 2018
TALKING ARCHITECURE
Karachi Grammar School, Karachi
with IoBM before getting Karachi Grammar School (KGS). The owner of IoBM contacted me even before they got the land possession for the project so I was involved in the project since the initial of the initial stages of design and construction, KGS came later after signing up for IoBM and both projects were constructed simultaneously. As a team, we learned a lot by designing Karachi Grammar School of what an ideal school model should look like. We studied the functional linkages, hierarchy of spaces and incorporation of the passive designing techniques to make the building a comfortable hub of learning. These projects brought many other clients to the company like Beacon House, City School, Karachi Public, Jesus and Mary, Army Public School etc. Alhamdullilah! we have done projects all across the country; we also have a long list of international projects as well. Besides schools I have done a lot of factories, banks, multistory office buildings. I wanted to get started with interior designing as well; therefore I started taking up a number of retail outlet interiors
as well as a number of offices and call centers and we have completed all of them successfully. Bank Alfalah Call center design is also one of our talked about design and brought many clients to us. MJ (mJafferjees) has also become our valued client after then. AT: Of all projects which project of you found most challenging in all? QC: No project in particular came as a challenge for us. We have always kept a fair approach towards the project brief to keep it precise and accurate as per the client's requirement. If the client wants the project to be budget friendly we incorporate budget into the design; if the client requires specific ambiance of the project we aim for it that way; so it has been always like this. AT. Can you describe your creative process and how do you approach a new project? Q C : Creativity in designing mostly comes in homes and interiors. If the clients are open to ideas you can do a lot with the design otherwise office buildings, schools and banks are usually based on modular design approach and again the cost limitations become a hindrance in
such projects; one cannot implement the materials and attributes to design where cost becomes a factor. My approach towards any project is always as per the clients brief like any other architect. Then we go through the analysis of the site or whatever problem solving we can do with the project and later we base the design on our analysis. So it's an overall approach else every project is different from another and we always have to keep thinking out of the box to come up with innovative ideas. FA. Do you follow any single design philosophy? QC: Yes off course, I work on a single design philosophy which incorporates use of straight lines, bold vocabulary, wood work in detailing, subtle a nd neutral colors especially gray and beige, I have my own office designed in gray and white. I do believe in incorporating a lot of green elements in the design and integration of the indoor and outdoor spaces. Most of my designs are revolving around a courtyard space and I have been doing this before this approach was in vogue. I still work on these principals in residences and
other big projects of mine. AT: What happens when a well-conceived design does not fit with a community's local way of thinking? QC: This has never happened over my career. I always read my client's mind and design according to it. Mostly we come up with an initial concept plan and then two or three follow up revisions are just what it takes to freeze the design. AT: Do you believe in educating a community via Architecture and Design? Have you ever experimented with it in your career? Q C : Yes I do believe that architecture and design possess the power to educate people. Masses don't actually know what makes a good architecture but whenever one is made they unconsciously appreciate it. And a good architecture is one that incorporates ethics into it and allows people to act accordingly. But I have never got a chance to experiment with it. AT: Have you done any Urban Projects? Do you intend to do any?
QC: Not yet. But yes there is one in the pipeline and the client seems interested in getting it done as we are planning to have a meeting with them in coming days. So keeping fingers crossed. AT: How do you see the development of architecture in Karachi city on small and urban scale? Are we as designers heading in the right direction? QC: Karachi city's developing architecture is a disaster including commercial buildings, high rises, main arteries and urban fabrication. It's becoming a lost cause with time. Most of the urban fabrication is done by builders and they have not been much sensitive about the development of the city. Karachi city is the heart of our nation and seeing it turning into a concrete jungle is heartbreaking. On a small scale I still think that we work in a bubble and do not analyze the impact of the built structure on our context. It's sad but architects have not done much about it and they are tied up until proper bye laws will not be introduced to control the organic growth, constrain the land use of