Khizar Farooq stared designing in 2010 while he was still a second year student at The National College of Arts (NCA). After graduating in 2014 he established his own design wing at Farooq and associates. Khizar is a true follower of “Form follow Function”. He pairs raw and natural materials with fair faced facade acutely aware of the fact that buildings age. The results of his design are buildings that withstand the environment and we Read More

Khizar Farooq stared designing in 2010 while he was still a second year student at The National College of Arts (NCA). After graduating in 2014 he established his own design wing at Farooq and associates. Khizar is a true follower of “Form follow Function”. He pairs raw and natural materials with fair faced facade acutely aware of the fact that buildings age. The results of his design are buildings that withstand the environment and we Read More

Farooq & Associates are architects and constructors with an enduring commitment to designing and building environments that shape the way people live, learn, work and play. The firm is dedicated to producing meaningful building of lasting value. Read More

Dr. Shahzad’s residence is sandwiched between house and adjacent public road. It is therefore built on an ordinary site with no extra, eye pleasing features. So basically the design revolves around the ideology of creating views within an enclosed space. The focus is designing the house as an ensemble of internal and external spaces that are engaged in an intimate dialogue.

To enter the house from the car park/driveway, one has to cross the lush green lawn to step on a wooden deck that leads the main entrance door. The floating wooden deck enlarges the sense of open space as it pushed the eyes upward and outward.

The facade has a two tonal cemented face which is a balance between strong geometries of tapered volume overlooking the softness of green space with vine crawling over the boundary wall. The tapered volume also works as a P-Cap for the wooden deck. The vertical steel louvers installed on the exterior above the porch serve to block the line of sight from the outside while also ensuring the residents have unobstructed views from within.

While it is tempting to want to design architecture as sculpture, it is more important to understand what the building feels like from within.

The staircase takes you on a journey to staggered floor levels experiencing surprising views and perceiving the connectivity of space horizontally and vertically. The first level being a vegetable roof garden and then a rectangular volume with a tapered window which over looks the garden which serves the purpose of a formal dining area. When reaching the second the level of the floor, one lands on the bridge that connects a semi open terrace to the first floor to the first floor lounge. The terrace provides framed views while still having the space hidden

The bridge also overlooks the ground floor’s secondary entrance. Looking above from the bridge are skylights creating views up towards the sky. From the first floor leaving space, a couple of steps takes you to a small study area that is further connected to roof top.

Basement works as a multipurpose hall creating spaces with simplicity both in the form and overall layout. With a formal sitting in the middle sandwiched between a Zen garden on the right side and a Kashmiri style floor sitting on the left side.

The most promising sight is right when you land on the basement. Featuring a fountain and looking above from it one can see a majestic 37 Feet vertical void enclosed within the skeleton of the staircase and a skylight on top of it.