Yasmeen Lari, the first female architect in Pakistan and founder of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, has been awarded the 2023 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The award recognizes Lari’s significant contribution to architecture and humanitarian work, including her sustainable development projects such as the Angoori Bag housing in Lahore and the Chulah Cookstove.
Lari, who graduated from the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University, established her firm Lari Associates in Karachi in 1964, completing projects for various institutional clients, including the Pakistan State Oil House headquarters and the Taj Mahal Hotel in Karachi.
After retiring from practice in 2000, Lari co-founded the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan with her husband, which has since encouraged sustainable construction and provided shelters for areas prone to natural disasters and conflict zones, receiving a United Nations Recognition Award in 2002.
Lari has received several accolades, including the Jane Drew Prize and the Islamic Development Bank Prize for Women’s Empowerment.
She is the first female winner of the Laurea Magistrale ad honorem in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 158 years. The award ceremony for the Royal Gold Medal will take place in June.
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