Critical Regionalism in Pakistan: A qualitative analysis of IBA

Student Centre, Karachi

 Samar Anwar
 Farheen Amir
Faculty of Architecture and Design, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore,
Pakistan.

Abstract:
Critical regionalism is an architectural approach that rejects and works to counter the
placelessness and lack of identity of the Modern Architecture, conjointly rejects the
impulsive individualism and ornamentation of Postmodernist Style. One can also say that it
is the amalgamation and blend of regionalism and modernism. This research paper deals
with the critical regionalism found in Pakistan. It includes the qualitative as well as
quantitative analysis of contemporary institutional building in Karachi, that is, Alumni center
of IBA University, Karachi. Focus of the research paper is to analyze the architectural
structure using digital technologies and to derive quantitative results using different digital
tools. The aim of the paper is achieved in three sections. The first section deals with the
understanding and to gain the knowledge of relationship between architectural context and
climatic conditions of Karachi. The second section includes the comprehension of building
program and the third section is based on the results driven out by various digital tools. The
particular interest is to understand the relation of the regional yet contemporary
architecture with the climate of the city.
Keywords:
Critical regionalism in Pakistan, IBA student center, software analysis, building program,
behavior of structure, digital methodologies.

Literature Review: and official ideology manifests itself in state

After many years of Independence, Pakistan is architecture, used by the leaders of the nation to
still grappling with the nature of its existence as define and establish a national identity.
secular or religious, and therefore its identity. Contemporary building in Pakistan is carried out
There is, not surprisingly, no agreement by two kinds of bodies. One is the popular,
concerning the source of this identity, and its playing out the aspirations of the masses. The
validation. Issues surrounding this pervade most second, a Janus-headed intellectual body of a
civil life, and this is equally true of architecture. Western educated elite, which rejects popular
There are some writings which describe expression [ CITATION Zar97 \l 1033 ]. Concrete-
architecture of Pakistan as well as the important box parliaments have indistinguishably joined
Pakistani architect's work and philosophy as a concrete-box offices and housing blocks, creating
possible direction or approach for contemporary an International Style far more ubiquitous than
architecture in Pakistan. The political struggle anything out of Hitchcock and Johnson.

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The terms 'cultural identity' and 'national talented individual working with commitment
aspirations' seem almost mutually exclusive in toward some sort of rooted expression"
the architectural context and the final [ CITATION Fra83 \l 1033 ].
architectural designs. While "national
In Pakistan, the architecture is based on the
aspirations" included progress and were fulfilled
critical regionalism of this state. In this
by the image of Modern buildings, yet 'cultural
perspective, the materials and the forms of the
identity' was an invented tradition, a constructed
buildings were being decided according to the
identity[ CITATION Zub93 \l 1033 ]. Kamil Khan
climatic conditions of this region considering the
Mumtaz, a famous architect of Pakistan, does not
amalgamation of vernacular and modern style of
seem to be critical of their work in his book,
architecture [ CITATION Hir95 \l 1033 ]. Since the
simply analyzing their work as being in the best
cheapest and most permanent material available
traditions of Corbusier and post-war British
is brick so that it is being used in the modern
modern architecture", inspired by "Corbusier's
way. Buildings are oriented to reduce sun's
functional mannerism". Also he calls it
penetration, as most of the openings are small
"International Style modified. 'Brutalism' adapted
and face north and south. The design solutions
to local conditions". This coincided with what he
are the result of application of modern structural
calls the phase of "foreign architects" [ CITATION
design and analysis to develop an efficient and
Kam85 \l 1033 ]. The non-contextuality of this
economical use of material [ CITATION Boz92 \l
International Style resulted in buildings not
1033 ]. In popular architecture, the use of brick as
responsive to climate or socio-economic
an appropriate material becomes a brick-tile
conditions. However they were taken as
facade pasted over a concrete block structure.
paradigms of modernity and models to be
And the courtyard as an indigenous architectural
religiously followed, images to be mimicked
element developed in accordance with the
superficially by local architects. A good example
climatic conditions over time, becomes a status
of the modified modern style is the WAPDA
symbol for a class of noueveou rich building
House in Lahore, by Edward Durrell Stone -"a
residences on large plots of land with central air-
parody on a Victorian imitation of a Mughal
conditioning, where the courtyards are almost
imitation of a Gujrati pavilion".
randomly punched holes with an aesthetic,
At that time the modern style of architecture was rather than utilitarian purpose.
being evolved in the modern cities of Pakistan. In
Regional architecture is what is often referred to
Pakistani architecture, irony abounds. While the
as the vernacular whose generating principle is
designs for secular buildings were selected on the
an un-self-conscious pragmatism [ CITATION
basis of Islamic nationalistic sentiments of the
Fra83 \l 1033 ]. The recognition of critical
bureaucrats, the designs for the Grand Mosque
regionalism as a valid architectural discourse is
were judged according to secular considerations
reflected in the seminar proceedings and jury
of the international jury dominated by architects,
selections of awarded projects of the AKAA. Since
in accordance with the "contemporary" planning
the definition of the term is not rigid, as laid out
ideals of the modern city of Islamabad.
by Frampton, the work of an architect like KKM
"Regionalism, as we have seen, is often not so
can be termed as critical regionalist.
much a collective effort as it is the output of a

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Japanese architect, Tadao Ando's arguments, This research paper deals with the analysis of
according to Frampton, are similar to those institutional structure in Karachi, that is, IBA
posited by his theory of critical regionalism. Student Centre in University of Karachi.
KKM's similarity with Ando's theories lies in their
realization that a universal vocabulary of
IBA Student Center:
modernism makes a rooted cultural expression The project brief is as follows,
difficult [ CITATION Zar97 \l 1033 ]. An interesting • Architects: Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative
fact is that critical regionalism is not time-bound • Area: 34,000 sq. ft.
or a contemporary 'movement'.

Introduction:
Karachi being the capital of the Sindh province
includes many cultural, educational and political
masterpieces of architecture. As it the Pakistan’s
cosmopolitan city, it is most linguistically, Figure 1: Exterior of IBA Student Centre
ethnically, and religiously diverse city, as well as
one of Pakistan's most secular and socially liberal
cities. The architectural hierarchy of Karachi
includes the skyscrapers and mostly
contemporary architecture. The amalgamation of
regionalism and modernism comes under the
factor of dry and humid climate of the city. Even
in the past, the Britishers also developed some of
the structures that showed timelessness and
were made environmental friendly. The
architects of that era used to observe the climatic
conditions of Karachi and then produced
structures like HBL headquarters. Many buildings
in Karachi comes under the critical regionalism,
for example, Kapadia residence by coalesce
design studio, 345 Telenor campus by Arcop, • Year: 2013
Warda retail store by MSA, IBA student center by
Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative and many more.
These buildings are a blend of regional materials The Student Centre was conceived as complete
with contemporary style of structure. The facility for recreational respite and “to create a
contextual architecture of Karachi includes the space which encourages social interaction.” In
materials such as concrete blocks. With the use addition to the student lounges, computer lab,
of passive techniques, glass is also incorporated societies’ offices, indoor play areas, gym,
in the building design to show the modern style badminton courts, a dining hall and coffee shop
of architecture. and various open spaces for students to gather,
the most notable feature that determined the

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 fluidity. The interior that is meant to be
“youthful”, is a combination of natural materials
and exquisite detailing, ceiling ducts exposed. 
The majestic use of color is through vinyl graphics
designed by the architects themselves. Each
space is illuminated with natural light and views
into intimate landscaped areas, more like
personal spaces within a communal setting.
The beauty in its access lies in
form of the Figure 3: First
structure Flooramphitheater.
is the The the exterior facade with the
challenge was to locate the amphitheater in the tapered edges that conceal the
limited area available of campus. It was resolved stairs and a
by placing it on the roof (Figure 4). Two tapered landscaped
triangular masses intersect at a point that ramp leading
accommodates the geometry of the
Figure 5: Interior of IBA Student center
amphitheater section (Figure 9).
to the roof. 
The ramp,
covered with
the grass, is contiguous with
Figure 4: Roof Top plan (Amphitheater) the surrounding landscape;
thus, at first glance, it appears
as if the building emerges from
the ground. There are pockets of green space
introduced on the roof as well and collectively,
the ramp and these areas provide natural
thermal insulation. The facade itself follows the
architectural language of all the new IBA campus
buildings, also designed by the same architects.
Fair-faced plaster bands, silbatta stone and
recessed glazing are its standout finishes (Figure
5)

The site layout of the student center shows that

the building is placed in such a way that the front
Internally the spaces are more than connected facade is facing the SE direction. There is onsite
through a horizontal platform; double height parking is placed at the entrance of IBA center
spaces create visual interaction and the use of with a road passing by.
framing the outside environment, as well as
Figure 2: Ground
incorporating landscape Floor
within, allows for visual

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The site plan shows that the NW side has open
cricket ground. That enables wind to flow
through that part of the building. The other sides
as well are not hindered from the building
structures rather it is kept open for the air to flow
across the building structure.

The building program

of the structure is kept
very simple by joining
the main parts of the
center through atrium. Also the tapered structure
is dealt in such a way that at one corner the
Figure 7:
double GroundisFloor
height used for basketball court
Figure 8: First Floorwhile
on the other end the height is used by creating a
mezzanine floor for gymnasium of the student
center (Figure 9). The floor plan is kept very
simple yet with some complexity by playing with
the variating levels inside the building. This
particular specification in the layout of the
building is in modernism, that is, this building The figure ground relationship is also shown in
inhibits simplicity yet complexity in its flow the figures 10, 11 & 12 (Ground floor, first floor
Figure 9: Sectional Elevation
inside. and roof top floor respectively). The white part
shows that public flow whereas the black part
represents that they are just structural elements
that are not used for the flow of the public. These
figures will be able to analyze the flow inside the
structure.

Cricket Ground
Student Centre
Parking

Figure 6: Roof Top plan (Amphitheater)

Figure 10: Ground Floor Figure 11: First Floor

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 The highlighted sections both in plans and
elevations shows the responsive elements
installed in the structure.

 Lady Bug Analysis:

The sun and wind
Figureanalysis
12: Roof is
topdone
Floor using a plugin
in Rhinoceros software which is Ladybug. It is a
Analysis of IBA Student Centre: plugin that is primarily used and built for the
 Responsive Elements of building: climatic analysis of the site such as, wind analysis,
The whole structure is analyzed in different solar analysis both direct radiations and diffused
phases. Firstly, the building is analyzed by radiation. It helps to analyze a building by
identifying the responsive elements that are providing complete information about a city’s
incorporated in the structure for passive climatic conditions throughout the year. These
techniques. The most important property of this diagrams are convenient way for designers to
structure is that slit windows are used understand the solar access and shading
throughout, but recessed property is being requirements for the site and for the specific
implemented, that is, the glass is placed after time of the year. They all provide the same
creating an appropriate buffer zone in order to information but are read in a different way
prevent the sun radiations from entering the (azimuth and altitude are distributed differently
inside. Whereas, the entrance of the student on the chart). Similarly the wind analysis is done
center is all glass faced but is it placed in an through this plugin. It gives the detailed
appropriate shade and in a recessed manner. information about wind direction and frequency
These results are also being proved by using of the site for a month or a whole year. The
different softwares as well as by just looking at concentric circles indicate the wind speed (km/h).
the building. These properties are clearly visible The degrees around the outer circle provide the
in the plans as well as the elevations of the azimuth of the wind or the direction from which
student center (Figure 13 & 14). the wind blows.

By looking at the radiation charts created by the

ladybug plugin it is seen that mostly the
radiations are coming from the South, SW and SE
direction. But the front façade is placed as that
direction, so inFigure
order13: Floor Plans
to reduce the radiations a
design element is added to create a recessed
glass façade with comparatively smaller amount
of radiation coming inside. Similarly the wind
rose submitted by ladybug shows that mostly the
winds are impacting on the structure from North,
NE and West. The winds are then used in the
open amphitheater so that natural air would flow

Figure 14: Elevations

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through the raised platform in order to have a evaluation as well as solar analysis. It is a location
natural environment. using software that gives an accurate result by
Analysis via Lady bug analyzing the solar conditions of that area and
then applying it to the model generated in the
software. It also connects with the Insight 360 to
generate energy consumption charts.

The method for the solar analysis is simple as

compared to other softwares. First step is to
Total Radiation (kWh/m2) Diffuse Radiation create the model using tools inside the software.
1 JAN 1:00- 25 DEC 24:00 (kWh/m2)
The software also helps to create levels in
1 JAN 1:00- 25 DEC 24:00
between the simple cube structure unlike many
other softwares. The second step is to set the
location by going into the ribbon or tool bar and
press the location symbol in order to set the
coordinates of the area. The second step is to
generate the solar analysis by clicking on the
Direct Radiation(kWh/m2) Sun-Path Diagram
1 JAN 1:00- 25 DEC 24:00 1 JAN 1:00- 25 DEC 24:00
option right next to location bar. Then, set the
date and time for the solar analysis.

Location tool Solar Analysis

Figure 15: Working preface of FormIt

Wind-Rose (m/s) Wind-Rose (m/s)

1 DEC 1:00- 30 DEC 24:00 1 JULY 1:00- 30 JULY 24:00 The analysis driven by FormIT of the month June
gives us the result that the recessed areas of the
structure is getting very low amount of the
radiations while the roof top is getting the
maximum radiations. Whereas, the elevations of
the building has average amount of radiations
acting upon them. Also the least amount of
radiation is acting on the front facade of the
student center. Whereas in the month of
December
Table 1:the whole
Analysis structure
on Ladybug is Author
Source: getting an
Circuit for analysis (Ladybug)
average amount of radiation. But the elevation in
the NW is receiving minimal radiations.
 FormIT Analysis: Analysis on FormIT
FormIt is a modelling and analyzing software
which supports iteration with Revit to connect
design concepts to BIM. It is also used for energy

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 Isometric views of the building with analysis

Isometric views of the building with analysis

Top view of the building with analysis

Table 3: Analysis on FormIT (DECEMBER) Source: Author

Top view of the building with analysis Energy impacting on the surface area of building
Table 2: Analysis on FormIT (JUNE) Source: Author

 Insight 360 (Revit):

Energy impacting on the surface area of building Insight 360 is a plugin in Revit software. The main
purpose of the plugin is to determine the annual
simulation of PV energy production estimates. It
also generates the analysis for heating/cooling,
lighting and solar radiations of the building.
Basically insight solar analysis provides in context
solar radiation analysis results to help us track

8|Page
solar energy throughout our design. The plugin
provides automated settings for specific study
types, as well as customizable options. There are
three types of solar analysis available annual
cumulative insolation analysis, average insolation
analysis and peak insolation analysis. Top view of the building with analysis
Project Location: Karachi, Pakistan
To do the analysis you go to the analyze tab and
Sun Study start date time: 1 Jan
click on solar and a dialogue box will appear. 12:00:00 AM
Revit will only allow the results to be generated if Sun Study end date time: 31 Dec
you are in 3D orthographic view. The results of 11:59:00 PM
the analysis is determined by the sun settings. Figure 16: Working preface of Insight 360 (Revit)
The results
Table are on
4: Analysis drawn
Insightfor
360single day, insolation
(Cumulative month or
whole year. Also the settings
analysis) Source:should
Author be turned on
for sunrise to sun set.

PV energy production chart

We have also drawn the results for IBA student

center. The derived results for all type of
insolation shows that the roof top has most
radiations whereas the recessed windows
experience the least amount of radiations. The
result gives us the understanding that the
designed elements serves the purpose for which
they were built. The results drawn are as follows,

Analysis on Insight 360 (Revit)

Isometric views of the building with analysis

Top view of the building with analysis

Isometric views of the building with analysis

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 Project Location: Karachi, Pakistan
Sun Study start date time: 1 Jan 12:00:00
AM
Sun Study end date time: 31 Dec
11:59:00 PM

PV energy production chart

Table 5: Analysis on Insight 360 (Average insolation
analysis) Source: Author

PV energy production chart

Isometric views of the building with analysis

Top view of the building with analysis

Project Location: Karachi, Pakistan
Sun Study start date time: 1 Jan 12:00:00
AM
Sun Study end date time: 31 Dec
11:59:00 PM

Table 5: Analysis on Insight 360 (Peak insolation

analysis) Source: Author
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Conclusion: Insite 360 is a plugin in the Revit
From all the data above there are two Insight software. It is usefull for the fact that
conclusions that could be made. Firstly we can 360 it can calculated the energy
(Revit): consumption on the building even for
conclude that IBA Student Center is following the future.
critical regionalism, that is, the blend of
modernism and regional architecture. It also Problem for driving the results comes
states the responsive behavior of the building in in the modeling. The model has to be
Table 6: Pros and cons of Digital tools used.
the particular climate. made in Revit rather than any other
Source: Author
modelling software. .axm files can also
Secondly, one we can conclude from the digital be imported to analyze the energy
consumption. Detailed analysis can be
analysis of the building that the elements used drawn from insight 360.
within the buildings are fulfilling the purpose of
making the design more environmental friendly.
But still there is a need of performing the analysis
more in depth that would also help to analyze
the floors levels of the building. From all the
three softwares following pros and cons can be Bibliography:
figured out,

The plugin is rather hard and complex

Ladybu to use for the analysis of a particular
g building. the circuits can sometimes
(Rhino): become messy and one cannot
understand it by the go.
But still it can create charts of climatic
conditions of a city month wise that
could help us to have an
understanding of the solar radiations
as well as wind direction.

This software is quite easily to handle

FormIT and for the model making. It has
: many tools that would make model
making for solar analysis easy. The
location tool makes it more accurate
than many other softwares. The .axm
files can also be mported in the Revit
program by installing the insight 360
which is an updated analysis plus
energy calculation plugin.
 Ansari, Zarminae. 1997. A Contemporary Architectural Quest and Synthesis:. Lahore: MIT Libraries Document
Services.

 Ansari, Zubair. 1993. Barefoot, Traditional, Modern or Populist? Pakistan: The Frontier Post.

11 | P a g e
 Bozdogan, Sibel. 1992. "The Aga Khan Award for Architecture: A Philosophy of Reconciliation." Journal of
Architectural Education 183-189.

 Frampton, Kenneth. 1983. "Prospects for a Critical Regionalism." Perpecta 20 146-162.

 Hirji, Fatima Amir. 1995. Building New Thoughts: The Aga Khan Award For Architecture. thesis, Pakistan:
MIT.

 Mumtaz, Kamil Khan. 1985. Architecture in Pakistan. Pakistan: Concept Media Pte Ltd.

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