DHAKA, Jan 04, 2025 (BSS)- Pakistan’s first female architect and an internationally celebrated humanitarian Yasmeen Lari today underscored the need for designing a future for mankind where sustainability and humanity go hand in hand.

She said this in a lecture on “Save the Planet, Save Humanity: Decarbonize, Decolonize, Democratize Architecture” at Brac University here today, said a press release.

“By decarbonizing, decolonizing, and democratizing architecture, we can design a future where sustainability and humanity go hand in hand,” she said.

Department of Architecture at Brac University has hosted the lecture at university’s Merul Badda campus marking the 150th edition of the department’s Angan Lecture Series.

Angan Lecture Series is a platform for leading thinkers and practitioners in architecture and design to share innovative ideas and inspire the next generation of architects.

Lari emphasized the transformative role of the architecture in addressing climate change, fostering equity, and building resilience in vulnerable communities.

“Architecture is not just about building structures, it’s about creating solutions that heal the planet, empower communities, and foster equity,” she said.
 
Later, the audiences comprising students, faculty members and architects from across Bangladesh engaged in a discussion, moderated by Chairperson of the department Zainab Faruqui Ali.

Yasmeen Lari also conducted a week-long Winter School where architecture students built a Zero-Carbon Bamboo building, a prefabricated structure which can be used as a disaster rehab building. She also attended a multi-disciplinary session as the main panelist.

For over two decades, Lari has been champion in disaster-resilient and zero-carbon housing solutions and empowering marginalized communities through her Barefoot Social Architecture philosophy.

Her efforts brought her accolades, such as the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2023 and the Jane Drew Prize in 2020.