Architects, home decorators brought under one roof

Islamabad : Bringing the country’s architectural masterminds and home decorators under one roof, the three-day Exhibition of Building Materials and Products opened here on Friday.

Organised by the Institute of Architects Pakistan’s Rawalpindi and Islamabad chapter with the theme of ‘ArchiFuture – Future Living, Technology, Sustainability’, the event, commonly known as IAPEX 2018, which attracted architects, engineers, builders, members of allied professions, students and people from other walks of life. Jang Group is the media partner of the event which will continue till April 29.

Islamabad’s Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz inaugurated the exhibition, visited stalls of builders and architects and learned about their initiatives for modern and affordable housing.

He said architecture had undergone a drastic change over a period of time due to technological advancement and therefore, architects along with builders should act accordingly to respond to our current and future needs.

The mayor said more and more such events should be held to the benefit of all, especially common man.

IAP, RIC, chairman Kabeer Malik said the institute, which provided equal opportunity to the architects and allied industry to interact and develop professional relations, organised the exhibition every year to bring new building materials, technology and innovation, and building solutions to the doorsteps of end users and consumers.

He said the institute had expanded its horizon to greater avenues of linkage of professionals through seminars and interactive sessions, augmenting synergies of architectural schools in the region, and displaying the works of architect experts and students.

“We’re hopeful that the IAPex 2018 will set new standards for the upcoming year and thus, benefitting our stakeholders to promote their innovative products,” he said.

Kabeer Malik said the event’s topic, ArchiFuture, was meant to instil in the young designers the challenges of modern day technology and its impact on the people’s lifestyles.

He said the discourse on contemporary architectural issues during the event would inspire and motivate stakeholders to create a vision for sustainable world of the tomorrow.

IAPex 2018 chief convener Rana Arif Rehman said he was confident that the event would help bridge gaps between the architectural community, interior designers, developers, potential home builders, and allied building construction professionals.

“We’ve people from every major city of the country showing their bonding, commitment and enthusiasm to participate in this mega event. With so much support from vendors and sponsors, this exhibition is growing and achieving new heights of success,” he said.

Rana Arif said the exhibition’s theme was about challenges of the technology that both older and younger generations feared and took as an opportunity to mould future.

He said the event had the ‘iChat’ forum to explore the encode and decode the future of living in light of technology, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

The organisers said in a bid to enhance the exposure of students, academia and practicing professionals, world-famous architects Raya Ani and Andre Meyerhans would also make it to the event today (Saturday), address the IAPEX Forum titled ARCHIFUTURE, interact with audience, and judge the ideas of architecture students and experts along with IAP, RIC, chairman Kabeer Malik.