RIBA Royal Gold Medal Award 2023 Awarded to Yasmeen Lari

Yasmeen Lari, source by Dezeen

Pakistan's first female architect Yasmeen Lari received one of the prestigious awards, the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects for 2023; Yasmeen said, "I am very surprised to hear this news and, of course, very happy! I never imagined that because I focused on the most marginalized people in my country—venturing downward. The path of an uncharted tramp -- I could still be considered for the highest honors in the architectural profession."

"RIBA and the Awards Committee have announced a new direction for the profession, encouraging all architects to focus not only on the privileged but also on humanity suffering from diversity, conflict, and climate change. There are innumerable opportunities to apply the principles of circular economy, de-growth, transition design, eco urbanism, and Barefoot Social Architecture (BASA) to achieve climate resilience, sustainability, and environmental justice worldwide." Added

Octa Green Cottages, source by Dezeen

Yasmeen Lari graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 1963, and in 1964, Yasmeen returned to Pakistan with her husband to open the architectural firm Lari Associates in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. In 1969, Lari became an elected Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). In his practice, Yasmeen designed several residential buildings, such as Angoori Bagh Housing (ABH) (1978), and commercial buildings, such as Taj Mahal Hotel, Karachi in 1981, Finance and Trade Centre in 1989, and Pakistan State Oil House (PSO Company headquarters) in Karachi in 1991.

However, in 2000 Yasmeen decided to retire from architectural practice and remain active in historical preservation by serving as an advisor to UNESCO projects, executive director of the Pakistan Heritage Foundation, and chairman of the Caravan Initiative. Yasmeen and her husband founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan in 1980, and since 2010 have built about 50,000 homes in Pakistan for humanitarian purposes, such as in the 2013 rebuilding after floods in Pakistan's Sindh Valley region. The same year, he helped villagers in Awaran District affected by the 2013 Balochistan earthquake. In 2018, Lari designed a fuel-efficient and affordable challah (stove) that is better than traditional stoves and does not emit toxic fumes into homes in Pakistan. The stove design won the World Habitat award that year.

Chulha design, source by The Architectural Review

Yasmeen is also known as the 'Architect for the Poorest of the Poor' and women's rights advocate and advocate of zero carbon footprint. Yasmeen also founded Barefoot Social Architecture (BASA) which combines social and ecological justice principles to empower marginalized sections of society using methodologies that leverage tradition by providing training in low-tech, participatory, and disaster-resilient methods. In addition, she has made several major movements for disaster-affected communities, particularly women, to become self-reliant.

RIBA President Simon Allford said in a statement: "It was an honor to chair the committee that elected Yasmeen Lari. An inspirational figure, he went from a great practice centered on the needs of international clients to focusing solely on humanitarian causes. Running missions throughout its career, 'both' have empowered Pakistani society through architecture, involving users in design and production. He has shown how architecture changes lives for the better. Lari's work in championing zero carbon and zero waste construction is exemplary. He has reacted imaginatively and creatively, creating affordable projects that address real and often urgent needs for accommodation and basic services, but with generosity and attention to the potential of everyday materials and crafts to create architecture at all scales. The way it works is also set to address the physical and psychological damage caused by major natural disasters – disasters that are unfortunately bound to become increasingly prevalent on our densely populated planet and this challenging climate."