Your lifestyle dictates your home

Architect Samar Ali Khan shares his views on how housing development has evolved over time in Karachi.

KARACHI:

CEO and principal architect of Design Group Practice, Samar Ali Khan, suggests that when constructing and designing houses one should strictly keep in mind humane architecture. Long before he was known for his political affiliations, khan was designing the ideal home for many people, a craft that he is still recognised.

In conversation with The Express Tribune, he stresses on how you can give your own house a modern or less traditional look while keeping it very personal at the same time.

Basic norms for designing houses

Khan, who has locally been designing since the 1980s, initially took inspiration from Pyarali Merali architects. Their influence was greatly reflected in his work, which modeled around contemporary designs. The first two houses that he designed were for Dr Amir Ali Shoro near Dhoraji and Javed Ghauri in Gulshan-e-Iqbal back in 1984. They were seemingly happy with his work and requested his services again, 30 years later, when they wished to get another house constructed.



“I am happy to see them happy. However, when people tell us to duplicate something we did years ago, they need to be told that times have changed and one moves forward. The house must answer the occupiers’ needs and must be appropriate for their lifestyle,” says Khan.

He strongly believes that the design and structure of your house is directly related to the family structure which itself has evolved over the years in Pakistan.



“About 30 years back, there was the concept of a nuclear family set-up, but today, it is atomic. Back in the day, the family would watch TV in the living room and have dinner together, but now, each member is self-sufficient in his needs. Therefore, our architectural design as per every house is very organic in nature,” he explains.

Organic architecture: as the water flows

During the 1990s, Mexico and Spain had ear-marked influences on the houses he designed and later, 2000 onwards, they have been greatly inspired by Mediterranean and Gulf regions.

“We have never done classical and always believed in organic architecture. In organic architecture, the form develops out of function, instead of the other way round. It’s like water that flows from need; the house is tailored according to the occupiers’ needs,” he says.

Back in the day, material for house-building was not easily accessible. “We didn’t have many materials then, but now, the market is flooded. However, our work force remains pretty bad. There is no vocational training for the labour to become skilled and our contractors are not evolving,” says Khan.



Human bonding

While designing a house, he acknowledges that family members have become atomic and human interaction is becoming difficult. And despite there being a great need for respecting each other’s privacy, there is also a need for human bonding. Therefore, he chalks out strategies that encompass an open space plan. He cites relevant factors such as society has become increasingly casual and now prefers the no drawing room concept. “I plan according to the family’s taste and hope that each room is an adventure for them. The story should begin once you enter the house each space must define itself.”

As he reveals the most common mistakes people make, when designing their houses, Khan says, “They don’t go to the architect. He is the one who is able to put the colours, lights and feelings together.”

Cities and their dynamics

He stresses the need for urban planning, explaining in different cities the dynamics are different. “Big cities like Karachi have their own dynamics. Earlier, the energy issue wasn’t stressed to this great an extent, but now, we question where the energy is going. Density is an issue and so is the increasing value of land that has become a lot higher and pricier,” says Khan. Commenting on the current situation of urban planning, Khan says, “It could be worse. They have been planned, but not very well. Rain water, sewerage issues and traffic movement, nothing has been taken into consideration. We have used all the land for construction purposes, without adequate and necessary planning. Sadly the entire plan is drawn up by money.”



Khan says Altaf Nagar is one such locality and has major flaws, from sewerage systems to chaos in urban planning; laws exist, but there is no implementation and the land mafia is taking over everything.

Taking in perspective other countries and cities, he says, “Dubai architecture looks really insensitive, and has no connection to the environment. Whereas Muscat, Oman is all white and the scale is good, giving it a humane effect.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2014.

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