Under one roof: ‘Collaborative Ecologies’ attracts people from Islamabad, Pindi

Provides platform to architects to analyze the faults of their past work

ISLAMABAD: Bringing together interior design and architecture students, senior architects and building material vendors under one roof to aid each other and discuss innovative ideas for future projects, a three-day exhibition, Collaborative Ecologies, is ongoing in Rawalpindi.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, CEO MOD Consultancy Tahir Siddiq, the mastermind behind the exhibition said that that the Institute of Architects has four chapters; Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar. “This is an initiative by the Islamabad-Rawalpindi chapter to host an exhibition with forums, seminar and conferences to discuss the innovations of materials in this field along with the development of architecture in the past few years,” he said.

He further said that this exhibition provides a platform to architects to sit together and analyze the faults of their past work and find sustainable solutions to those faults and problems.

The exhibition featured presentations by Nadeemul Hassan, Taimur Mumtaz, Salman Mansur, Ahmed Mukhtar and Sabahat Nawaz. A debate on collaborative ecologies involved senior architects including Nadeemul Hassan, Ahmed Mukhtar, Ibrahim Dil, Irfan Ghani, Ibtesham A Peerzada, Salman Mansur and others.

Prominent vendors at the exhibition included Al Asif, Chawla Group, Interwood, Kitchen Care, HB Furniture, ANSA International, MPI, Mirage Group and several international vendors.

Al Asif CEO Waqas Asif said the exhibition is a great opportunity for vendors to meet up with architects, interior decorators and other stakeholders and inform them of the new varieties. “It also gives us a chance to learn about the new trends and demands of the market and evaluate our own offerings while staying competitive,” he said.

Areeba Arshad, a young architect said visiting the exhibition has been a learning experience for her as it gave her an opportunity to meet seasoned and senior architects who are otherwise not available to meet due to their busy schedules. “A mere conversation with someone who has 20 years of experience gives you a chance to learn so much in a field where you have just started working,” she added.

Sunaina Nasir, a second year student of interior design at the University of Faisalabad, said that it is the versatility and variety of offerings at the exhibition under one roof inspire to use unique products in your designs. “It is one thing to read about materials in books and a completely different thing to actually see them because that is when you truly get inspired to form something unique.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2016.