Yasmeen Lari
Yasmeen Lari (born c. 1941; Urdu: یاسمین لاری) is the first woman architect in Pakistan.[1][2] She is best known for her involvement in the intersection of architecture, social justice, and grounds for an equitable society. After she retired from her architectural practice in 2000, her UN-recognized NGO Heritage Foundation Pakistan often takes on projects in rural villages all around Pakistan.
Early life
Yasmeen Lari was born in the town of Dera Ghazi Khan and spent her early years in and around Lahore. Her father, Zafarul Ahsan, an Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer was working on major development projects in Lahore and other cities, through which Lari was exposed to architecture. Her sister is Pakistani politician Nasreen Jalil. When she was 15 years old, she first left Pakistan to go to London with her family.[2] Initially there for a vacation, she and her siblings ended up enrolling in school in London.[2] Upon her rejection from an architecture school for not being able to draw, Yasmeen Lari studied two years of arts in London before finally being accepted into the Oxford School of Architecture.[2]
Career
After graduating from the Oxford School of Architecture in 1964, Lari returned to Pakistan at 23 with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari and opened her architecture firm Lari Associates in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.[2] She became the first female architect in Pakistan.
Initially in her career, she faced many difficulties when workers at construction sites would challenge her authority or knowledge because of her gender.[3]
In 1969, Lari was an elected Member of Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).[4]
Her later projects included housing, such as the Angoori Bagh Housing (ABH) (1978), and commercial buildings, such as the Taj Mahal Hotel (1981), the Finance and Trade Center (1989), and the Pakistan State Oil House (PSO Company headquarters) (1991) in Karachi.[2]
Lari retired in 2000 from architectural practice.[5] However, she remains active with her historical preservation by serving as the advisor of the UNESCO project, Heritage Foundation Pakistan, the executive director of the non-profit she co-founded with her husband Suhail Zaheer Lari, and the chairperson of the Karavan Initiatives.[5]
Since 2010, Yasmeen Lari has built over 36,000 houses for those affected by Pakistan's floods and earthquakes. Lari implements traditional building techniques and local materials in rebuilding the Sindha Valley region of Pakistan.[6]
In 2013, she helped villagers in Awaran District who were hit by the 2013 Balochistan earthquake.[6]
Architectural work
Completed projects
- Naval Officers Housing, Karachi[7]
- Angoori Bagh Housing (also known as ABH) (1978)[7]
- Taj Mahal Hotel, Karachi (1981)[7]
- Finance and Trade Center (also known as FTC Building), Karachi (1989)[7]
- Pakistan State Oil House (also known as PSO House), Karachi (1991)[7]
Historical conservation and restoration projects
- Khairpur Heritage Centre[8]
- Sethi house in Sethi Mohallah (2010–2012)[8]
Bibliography
Some of Yasmeen Lari's publications include:
- Slums and Squatter Settlements: Their Role and Improvement Strategy
- Our Heritage in Muslim Architecture
- Tharparkar and Sialkot after the War
- 1993 – Traditional Architecture of Thatta[9]
- 1997 – The Dual City: Karachi During the Raj (co-written with her son, Mihail Lari)[8]
- 1997 – The Jewel of Sindh: Samma Tombs on the Makli Hill (co-authored by her husband, Suhial Zaheer Lari)[8]
- 2001 – Karachi: Illustrated City Guide (photography by her husband, Suhial Zaheer Lari)
Awards
In 2002, the Heritage Foundation received the Recognition Award from the United Nations System in Pakistan for its efforts and results.[2]
In 2006, Lari was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, one of the highest civil awards by Government of Pakistan, in recognition of her services to the architectural profession and to heritage conservation of historical sites in Pakistan.[10]
In 2011, she received the Pakistani "1st Wonder Women of the Year Award".[11]
References
- ↑ "Yasmeen Lari", International Archive of Women in Architecture. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kazmi, Laila (2008). "Women of Pakistan - Yasmeen Lari". Jazbah Magazine. Jazbah. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
- ↑ Iftekhar, Anadil. "The Queen of Architecture". You! The New Woman Lifestyle. Jang Group of Newspapers. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- ↑ "Yasmeen Lari". ArchNet. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- 1 2 Gillin, Jaime (2 July 2012). "Q&A with Pakistan's First Female Architect". Dwell. Dwell Media LLC. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- 1 2 Watkins, Katie (26 August 2014). "Al Jazeera's Rebel Architecture: Episode 2, "The Traditional Future"". ArchDaily.com. Al Jazeera. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Kaleem, Ayesha. "Yasmeen Lari: The Architect and the Saviour". NUST Science. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- 1 2 3 4 Noorani, Asif (2012-10-29). "Fighting on different fronts". Dawn. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
- ↑ "Traditional Architecture of Thatta". www.academia.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
- ↑ "About us". heritagefoundationpak.org. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ Wonderwomen of the Year Awards. Retrieved 27 February 2012.