Pakistan’s first female architect Yasmeen Lari receives UK’s King Royal Gold Medal for Architecture for her work in zero-carbon self-build concepts for displaced people.
“Congrats Yasmeen Lari on winning His Majesty the King’s Royal Gold Medal for Architecture!,” said the British High Commission in Pakistan while congratulating Yasmeen Lari.
The High Commission also shared the pictures of the Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi students gathered at the Granny Square in London to “live build 2 zero/low carbon structures designed by Lari”.
Royal Gold Medal is one of the world’s most prestigious accolades for architecture. The medal is personally approved by the monarch and is awarded to people or groups who have made significant contributions to the advancement of architecture, according to the Royal Institute of British Architects. The award was first presented in 1848 and is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of architecture.
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Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal have included some of the most influential architects in history, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The medal has also been awarded to architects from a variety of countries and backgrounds, reflecting the global nature of the architectural profession.
🎉 Congrats Yasmeen Lari @ylari 🇵🇰 on winning 🇬🇧 His Majesty the King's 👑 Royal Gold Medal 🥇 for Architecture! 🇬🇧🇵🇰 people-to-people ties #BestHai
📸: @pkBritish brought together 🇵🇰🇧🇩🇬🇧 students to live build 2 zero/low carbon structures designed by Lari at Granary Square. pic.twitter.com/81eAuxfQmM
— UK in Pakistan 🇬🇧🇵🇰 (@ukinpakistan) April 27, 2023
The Royal Gold Medal will officially be presented to Yasmeen Lari in June 2023. Yasmeen Lari is a Pakistani architect and social entrepreneur. She is known for her work in sustainable architecture, disaster relief, and humanitarian aid. Lari began her career in the 1960s, working on modernist projects in Pakistan. However, in the 1980s, she became interested in the principles of traditional architecture and began incorporating them into her work.
In 2009, she founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which aims to preserve and restore historic buildings in the country. In 2010, she founded the Chitral Relief and Rehabilitation Trust, which provides disaster relief and sustainable development initiatives in northern Pakistan. Lari has received numerous awards for her work, including the Fukuoka Grand Prize in 2020 and the Jane Drew Prize in 2021. She is considered a pioneer in sustainable architecture and a role model for women in the field.