It was 1985 when I had graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and upon my return to Pakistan after five years, having spent my educational years abroad, I was oblivious to the architectural fraternity. However I was fortunate to have received offers from ASA, Nespak and few other leading and well-known firms. My interview with Habib Fida Ali concluded with a direct offer to work as a lead architect on a recently commissioned project at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). I am so glad that I took the decision to join Habib Fida Ali as this opportunity established the basis of my successful career in architecture.
Habib sahib was an institution by himself: a man with a clear vision, totally dedicated and committed to his profession. Above all, I found him to be thoroughly honest - a man of integrity.
I often say among my peers that having had Mr. Habib Fida Ali as my mentor, I learned so much from him that even today I feel I could not have achieved the professional success that I have, had I not spent those five brilliant years working for this very unique man. He not only taught us how to design but also how to be patient. He taught us how to be good, attentive listeners and how to be assertive when it was required.
Completed in 1978 in Karachi, Shell House is one of his most well-known design projects
Completed in 1978 in Karachi, Shell House is one of his most well-known design projects
Habib sahib had a typical style of going about his work: he would pick up his sheet of butter paper and his freshly sharpened pencils and begin working on a grid. His style of doing all this is still followed diligently and fondly by all of his pupils.
For me, a crucial aspect of his architectural designs is the clarity of his functionalist approach. With that approach as the overriding factor in his sketches, he could design a whole university campus by laying the first piece of furniture in a faculty member’s office and making an entire room around it. Then by repeating the module and developing all the remaining functions in similar manner, he could connect them all with such simplicity and skill that the observer is never quite lost in his buildings.
He was a master when it came to creating spaces with simplicity both in the form and the overall layout - the flow of space with a straightforward circulation. He would connect each space with ample, balanced light quality, thus achieving design perfection. He was a true follower of the principle that “form follows function”.
Habib Fida Ali was a master at the use of fair-faced concrete. He loved that material as he was acutely aware of the fact that buildings age. The results of his design were buildings that withstand the environment and the weathering impact of the elements over time. His buildings still look as fresh as they did when they were first constructed – and that too with negligible or zero maintenance. He had, of course, a clear understanding of the construction process and worked closely with the contractors in this context. He was able to impeccably envision not only the grooves but the distances between them. He would even stay on top of the finest of details: the window sills, the drip course and the deep punched windows.
He was resolute in upholding his approach that every building must have a firm base, middle and top. He would use the same fair-faced concrete in different finishes and textures to achieve this – always holding firm to his design philosophy, and yet experimenting with innovative textures and Platonic forms.
He taught us how to conduct ourselves in the presence of clients, how to present our designs to the clients and how to provide confidence and assurances to the clients that what is presented to them on paper will actually turn out in accordance with their wishes and aspirations.
As a boss he encouraged us to learn and hone our skills. He groomed us to become successful architects by providing us with equal opportunities to accompany him in presentations and giving us the opportunity to participate whenever possible.
Architecture was his true love and passion and he has successfully transferred that into many exceptional buildings. He even developed a vocabulary and style for us professionals to be able to follow in his footsteps.
We as a nation in general and the architectural community in particular owe a lot to him and his services to his profession. I am confident that Habib sahib will be remembered and his design philosophy and style will be taught in architectural schools for ages to come.
