Yasmeen Lari facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yasmeen Lari
یاسمین لاری
Lari speaks to BBC News (2020) in front of some of her houses.
Born	c.1941 (age 83–84) Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab Province, British India
Alma mater	School of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University
Organization	Lari Associates
Spouse(s)	Suhail Zaheer Lari
Children	3
Parent(s)	Zafarul Ahsan (father)
Relatives	Nasreen Jalil (sister)

Yasmeen Lari (Urdu: یاسمین لاری; born around 1941) is a very important architect from Pakistan. She was the first woman in Pakistan to become an architect! She is famous for using her skills to help people and make the world a fairer place.

After she stopped working as a regular architect in 2000, she started an organization called Heritage Foundation Pakistan. This group helps people in need and saves old buildings in villages across Pakistan. Yasmeen Lari has won many big awards, like the Fukuoka Prize in 2016 and the Royal Gold Medal in 2023.

Early Life and Education

Yasmeen Lari was born in 1941 in a town called Dera Ghazi Khan. She grew up near Lahore, a big city in Pakistan. Her father, Zafarul Ahsan, worked on many building projects. This showed young Yasmeen how exciting architecture could be. Her sister, Nasreen Jalil, is a well-known politician in Pakistan.

When Yasmeen was 15, she moved to London with her family. She planned to go on vacation, but she and her siblings ended up staying for school. At first, she didn't get into architecture school. So, she studied art for two years. After that, she was accepted into the School of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University.

Building a Career

These village houses were built by Yasmeen Lari's Heritage Foundation of Pakistan in 2020.

After finishing her studies in 1964, Yasmeen Lari returned to Pakistan. She was 23 years old. She opened her own architecture company, Lari Associates, in Karachi. This made her the first female architect in Pakistan!

It wasn't always easy. Sometimes, workers at building sites didn't listen to her. They doubted her knowledge because she was a woman. But she kept going and proved herself.

In 1969, she became a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). This is a very respected group for architects.

Some of her famous projects include:

• Angoori Bagh Housing (built in 1978)
• The Taj Mahal Hotel in Karachi (built in 1981)
• The Finance and Trade Center (built in 1989)
• The Pakistan State Oil House (built in 1991)

Yasmeen Lari stopped her regular architecture work in 2000. But she didn't stop working! She still helps save old buildings. She advises a UNESCO project and leads the Heritage Foundation Pakistan.

Helping People Through Architecture

In 1980, Yasmeen Lari and her husband started the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan. This group helps people in need. Since 2010, she has built about 50,000 homes for people in Pakistan. These homes are for families who lost theirs in earthquakes or floods.

She uses old building methods and local materials. For example, after floods in the Sind Valley in 2013, she helped rebuild homes. She used bamboo and mud plaster to make simple, strong, and affordable houses. She did this again in 2023 for flood victims. She also helped people in Awaran District after an earthquake in 2013.

In 2018, Yasmeen Lari designed a special cooking stove. It's called a chulah. This stove uses less fuel and doesn't let out harmful smoke inside homes. Her design won a World Habitat award!

Yasmeen Lari also helped start the Pakistani part of the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism (INTBAU) in 2018. She is currently its chairwoman.

Design Ideas

Yasmeen Lari believes that buildings should grow from the lives of the people who use them. She thinks it's important to use local materials and respect the environment. She is known for her work that connects architecture with social justice. This means she uses design to help make society fairer for everyone.

Important Buildings and Projects

Completed Projects

Saving Old Buildings

Yasmeen Lari has also worked to save and restore many important historical places, including:

• Khairpur Heritage Centre
• Sethi house in Sethi Mohallah (from 2010 to 2012)

Awards and Recognition

Yasmeen Lari has received many honors for her amazing work:

• In 2002, her Heritage Foundation received a special award from the United Nations. This was for their work in saving cultural and historical sites.
• In 2006, the Government of Pakistan gave her the Sitara-i-Imtiaz. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in Pakistan. It recognized her work in architecture and saving heritage.
• In 2011, she won the "1st Wonder Women of the Year Award" in Pakistan.
• In 2016, she received the Fukuoka Prize for Arts & Culture.
• In 2020, she was awarded the Jane Drew Prize. This award celebrates women who have made a big impact in architecture and design.
• In 2021, she received an honorary degree in Architecture from Politecnico di Milano in Italy.
• In 2022, she became a special professor at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Her title was The Sir Arthur Marshall Professor of Sustainable Design.
• In May 2023, she received an honorary doctorate from Oxford Brookes University. This is the same university where she studied architecture.
• On April 27, 2023, the RIBA announced she would receive the 2023 Royal Gold Medal. This is one of the highest honors in architecture!

When she heard about the Royal Gold Medal, Yasmeen Lari said she was surprised and delighted. She felt it showed that architects should focus on helping everyone, especially those who are struggling. She believes architects can help with climate change and make the world fairer for all.

Personal Life

Yasmeen Lari lives in Karachi, Pakistan. She was married to Suhail Zaheer Lari, who sadly passed away in 2020. She has three children.

See also

• Nader Khalili, another architect who focused on traditional building methods.
• In Spanish: Yasmeen Lari para niños