Company and re-designing the façade of Hirani Centre among others.
She feels that part of the problem is the lack of local expertise and solutions on ground to get things done that compel developers and architects to look up to the West for solutions to their local problems. “There is hardly any research on the subject in our country and because foreign solutions and design principles do not work here, it takes foreign graduates a while to understand and adapt to the local methods.” Moreover, she says, the local workforce refuses to give up their traditional method of work that makes the job of delegating responsibilities for a foreign architect even more difficult. “That’s when you realise you have to learn their tricks of the trade first before you can teach them the right thing.”
Giving verbal instructions to labourers is one thing in particular that she finds chaotic. “The workers are not quite organised nor are they used to written instructions and then sometimes we don’t remember the exact (verbal) instruction we gave, so that creates confusion but you gradually learn to work in the environment,” she laughs.
One of the other reasons Ghani says she finds the job more difficult here is because of the relationship between the client and the architect with the former dictating instructions to the latter without understanding the intricacies of architecture. “Health and safety standards are ignored and compromised upon by clients only to save money. Then on the other hand, you run short of stockpiles of building material as labourers waste a lot of material during the construction process. Everyone seems so insensitive in the entire business out here,” she observes.
Discussing a conversation she had with one of her clients while designing a project, Ghani disclosed that she was asked to get rid of one of the two fire exits in the building to reduce the cost. “The client said that instead of another staircase, residents of the building can use the elevator in case of an emergency. It was hard to believe that the client did not know that an elevator is a recognised hazard in case of fire,” she says appearing clearly shocked with his statement.
For Ghani lack of proper education and research in the field is the reason behind incompetent people running the state of affairs in the government department, including the Karachi Building and Control Authority (KBCA) and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). “I think part of the problem is that there are no teachers hired at universities from the industry and if they are, they are not paid well enough. This ultimately affects the quality of students being produced each year.” She feels that the country’s human resource cannot be transformed into its (country’s) strength unless educated by professionals from the industry, as happens in the West. Until that happens, universities will not produce the required skilled professionals.
In the US, after attaining a degree in architecture, a student has to enroll the Intern Development Programme during which they prepare the student for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). It is after the clearance of this exam, the architecture graduate stands eligible to apply for an architectural license. “Over here, the PCATP issues a license and the procedure is not as difficult.”
However, she believes that it is a win-win situation as she is able to impart her learning to her own people. “Instead of working in the West where the competition among architects is tough, I thought I should return to my country so my people can benefit from my knowledge.”
