Yasmeen Lari
Encyclopedia
Yasmeen Lari is the first woman
architect
in Pakistan
. Motivated by her father, she set her goal to study architecture. Throughout her career, she experienced challenges from the opposite sex in the industry but was still able to uphold her interests and expand on it. Her influence reaches to the citizens, the businessmen, and the Pakistani government.
, Yasmeen Lari was born in the town of Dera Ghazi Khan
and spent her early years in and around Pakistan’s bustling city, Lahore
. Her father was working on major development projects in Lahore and other cities. Yasmeen Lari was exposed to architecture through her father.
She was 15 years old when she first left Pakistan to go to London
with her family. Initially there for a vacation, she and her siblings ended up enrolling in school in London. Upon the rejection of the architecture school for not being able to draw, Yasmeen Lari studied two years of arts in London before finally getting accepted to Oxford School of Architecture.
While still in school in London, Yasmeen was married to Suhail Zaheer Lari and about a year later gave birth to their first daughter.
, Sindh
, Pakistan
. Yasmeen Lari became the first female architect among the dozen architects in Pakistan. In the beginning years, she faced many difficulties when workers at construction sites would be challenging her often. She was president of the Institute of Architects in Pakistan from 1980 to 1983.
Yasmeen Lari has a keen interest in exploring different kinds of things.Though her first project was a house for her brother, Yasmeen really enjoyed designing the house, her main interest from the beginning has been in research and developing solutions for old towns and low-income housing. One of her early achievements includes the study of slums and squatter settlements of Karachi, her later projects included housings, such as the Angoori Bagh Housing (1978), and business buildings, such as the Taj Mahal Hotel (1981), the Finance and Trade Center (1989), and the Pakistan State Oil House (PSO Company headquarter) (1991) in Karachi
.
Lari is also interested in researching and developing solution for old towns and low-income housing. And because she believes that her designs are driven by the people who use the space, she took the effort to study slums and squatter settlements in Karachi to improve her designs. "For the low income groups, you have to understand their needs. If it is housing, I always talk to women because they are the ones who spend most of their time in these houses, we need to see where the children will play, if they need to grow something [in the garden] to supplement food for the kids. Also the outer spaces become very important like the sahan, the roof terrace where they can have the open sky. So you just think about it (the design) and sometimes its torture for several days and then you suddenly wake up and things fall into place… When you are in the design process, it is with you all the time. Whether you are sleeping or you are awake, doing something else, it's with you in your mind" (Women). Beside the design, the cost is also important, and that is why for ABH (1978), she built it with the cheapest local bricks in Karachi while still maintaining the quality of the building.
Yasmeen Lari also has her interests in preserving historical buildings, monuments, and cities in Pakistan. She founded the Heritage Foundation Pakistan to advocate the documentation and preservation of historical sites and buildings. Her effort was rewarded when the Pakistani government was persuaded to set up a law in 1994 to protect buildings and landmarks with cultural heritage. As a result, over 600 buildings were legally protected by 1997. In 2002, the Heritage Foundation received the Recognition Award from the United Nations
System in Pakistan for its efforts and results.
project, the executive director of the Heritage Foundation, and the chairperson of the Karavan Initiatives.
Yasmeen Lari has three grown children. She lives in Karachi with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari. Her most recent publication is the Lahore Heritage Guide. Along with her husband, she has also been working on a two-volume publication on Lahore Fort and they hope to publish the first volume some time next year.
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Motivated by her father, she set her goal to study architecture. Throughout her career, she experienced challenges from the opposite sex in the industry but was still able to uphold her interests and expand on it. Her influence reaches to the citizens, the businessmen, and the Pakistani government.
Early life
Sister of renowned politician Nasreen JalilNasreen Jalil
Nasreen Jalil is currently the Naib Nazim of the district of Karachi, Sindh. Her father was the deputy commissioner of Lahore at the time of Partition...
, Yasmeen Lari was born in the town of Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan is a city located in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan is one of the most populous cities in Southern Punjab, and it is the largest district in Punjab in terms of area, being approximately in extent....
and spent her early years in and around Pakistan’s bustling city, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Her father was working on major development projects in Lahore and other cities. Yasmeen Lari was exposed to architecture through her father.
She was 15 years old when she first left Pakistan to go to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with her family. Initially there for a vacation, she and her siblings ended up enrolling in school in London. Upon the rejection of the architecture school for not being able to draw, Yasmeen Lari studied two years of arts in London before finally getting accepted to Oxford School of Architecture.
While still in school in London, Yasmeen was married to Suhail Zaheer Lari and about a year later gave birth to their first daughter.
Career
After graduation, in 1964, at the age of 23, Yasmeen Lari returned to Pakistan with her husband and opened Lari Associates in KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Yasmeen Lari became the first female architect among the dozen architects in Pakistan. In the beginning years, she faced many difficulties when workers at construction sites would be challenging her often. She was president of the Institute of Architects in Pakistan from 1980 to 1983.
Yasmeen Lari has a keen interest in exploring different kinds of things.Though her first project was a house for her brother, Yasmeen really enjoyed designing the house, her main interest from the beginning has been in research and developing solutions for old towns and low-income housing. One of her early achievements includes the study of slums and squatter settlements of Karachi, her later projects included housings, such as the Angoori Bagh Housing (1978), and business buildings, such as the Taj Mahal Hotel (1981), the Finance and Trade Center (1989), and the Pakistan State Oil House (PSO Company headquarter) (1991) in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
.
Lari is also interested in researching and developing solution for old towns and low-income housing. And because she believes that her designs are driven by the people who use the space, she took the effort to study slums and squatter settlements in Karachi to improve her designs. "For the low income groups, you have to understand their needs. If it is housing, I always talk to women because they are the ones who spend most of their time in these houses, we need to see where the children will play, if they need to grow something [in the garden] to supplement food for the kids. Also the outer spaces become very important like the sahan, the roof terrace where they can have the open sky. So you just think about it (the design) and sometimes its torture for several days and then you suddenly wake up and things fall into place… When you are in the design process, it is with you all the time. Whether you are sleeping or you are awake, doing something else, it's with you in your mind" (Women). Beside the design, the cost is also important, and that is why for ABH (1978), she built it with the cheapest local bricks in Karachi while still maintaining the quality of the building.
Yasmeen Lari also has her interests in preserving historical buildings, monuments, and cities in Pakistan. She founded the Heritage Foundation Pakistan to advocate the documentation and preservation of historical sites and buildings. Her effort was rewarded when the Pakistani government was persuaded to set up a law in 1994 to protect buildings and landmarks with cultural heritage. As a result, over 600 buildings were legally protected by 1997. In 2002, the Heritage Foundation received the Recognition Award from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
System in Pakistan for its efforts and results.
Professional Work
- Naval Officers Housing, Karachi
- Angoori Bagh Housing (1978)
- Taj Mahal Hotel, Karachi (1981)
- FTC Building, Karachi (1989)
- PSO House, Karachi (1991)
Retirement
Yasmeen Lari has retired since 2000. However, she remains active with her historical preservation by serving as the advisor of the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
project, the executive director of the Heritage Foundation, and the chairperson of the Karavan Initiatives.
Yasmeen Lari has three grown children. She lives in Karachi with her husband, Suhail Zaheer Lari. Her most recent publication is the Lahore Heritage Guide. Along with her husband, she has also been working on a two-volume publication on Lahore Fort and they hope to publish the first volume some time next year.