Daily Times

For the uninitiated, the Institute of Architects Pakistan Expo (IAPEX) is an annual building material exhibition and architects convention, where vendors and prestigious brands from around Pakistan come to showcase new materials and technology.

This year’s IAPEX opened at Expo Centre, Lahore on Friday and is to continue until tomorrow (Sunday). All structure, architecture and building exhibition enthusiasts as well as prospective buyers are invited to attend, an event that is free of cost and offers a wide variety of lifestyle and architectural displays to choose from.

This year, IAPEX featured Beyond Boundaries and Datum which are events that incorporate building materials to create groundbreaking art installations.

“Being association with Datum is a huge honour as it stands for everything that I personally believe in; one of a kind art installations that represent what the building materials’ are all about,” Saulat Ajmal of Datum said, while talking exclusively to Daily Times.

Speaking of art installations, the “transformative/interactive” experience displayed by architect Raza Zahid located quite centrally within the exhibition caught many eyeballs and attention.

“It’s important to think outside the box when setting up installations, and with this one, I wanted to erect an interactive almost 3D feel to the structure,” Raza Zahid said also while talking exclusively to Daily Times.

Other noteworthy installations were Gratto by Sami and Nakai, Hanging Garden by Hussain Jamil Studio and Pipe Dream by Faran Faisal and Sidra Khawaja.

“I feel proud to be associated with such a prestigious platform and the biggest gathering of architecture and construction community of Pakistan. I’m thankful to architect Fatima Zaheer Khan and her team to give us the opportunity to be PR partners of the event,” Amber Liaqat of Aura PR & Consultancy said.

The Institute of Architects Pakistan was established in 1957 by a small group of architects who were trained in the west, had worked for the government and were in practice with the following objectives:

To organise the profession of architecture in Pakistan and look after professional interests as well as those of the public in general concerned with the building profession. To promote the cause of Architecture in Pakistan and to assist in the setting up of schools of Architecture throughout the country.

To enforce a code of ethics and discipline amongst the practicing architects. For this purpose, they have promoted the passing of a statutory Registration Act for Architects in Pakistan.

To establish contact with other national and international professional bodies of architects

Throughout the world and to conduct research and organise seminars, conferences and exhibitions for promoting the cause of the architectural profession. Over the years IAP has to its credit the establishment of the first school of architecture in Karachi, in 1954, which was subsequently upgraded to a five-year degree programme.

Members of IAP have been instrumental in setting up and running many of the other architecture schools in the country. Apart from the majority of the full-time faculty who are members of IAP, a large numbers of senior members of IAP are associated with schools as visiting professors, thesis advisors and jurors.

IAP has also conducted several architectural design competitions at local, national and international levels for the government and corporate clients.

There are currently over 2,500 fellow and associates members borne on the register of IAP, besides over 2,600 student members.

The IAP has been a member of notable international organisations such as the International Union of Architects, the Commonwealth Association of Architects, the Architects Regional Council Asia, the SAARC Association of Architects and the Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning & Human Settlements.

Members of IAP have been on the Council of UIA in different periods and have been very actively involved with ARCASIA since its inception and held various offices including the Chairmanship.

IAP is a founding member of the Architects Regional Council Asia that comprises of 21 Countries and is dedicated to improving architectural education in the country especially with the increase of schools in the last decade.

The IAP Chapters have been very active in organizing several events in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Gujrat for the members. The activities include the hosting of conferences and symposia, workshops and lectures, conducting design competitions for professionals and students, organising local and international architectural exhibitions and agitating with the concerned government authorities on issues of environment, architectural education, built heritage, civic amenities and building bye-laws and city planning.

Nominees of IAP serve on many committees of the local, provincial and federal government bodies and are involved in assisting the government at different levels including revision of building byelaws of different towns and cities. IAP also organises design competitions for the government and corporate clientele.