Designed by: Arch. Ejaz Ahed [Ahed & Assosiaties]
Client: Capital Development Authority [CDA]
Contractors:
Plot size: 800’ x 280’
Height: +150’
No. of Blocks: 6-8
Office Floors: Variable
Parking Floors: 10 Storey Block
Location: Mauve Area, Shahrah-e-Aiwan-e-Sanat-O-Tijarat, G-8/4, Islamabad

Rendering – Front Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-9.jpg


The Jury declared the design prepared by Ar. Ejaz Ahed as the winning entry for an Architectural Design Competition for CDA Headquarter Building in Islamabad which was duly organized by the Pakistan Council of Architects and
Town Planners in accordance wilh the Gazetted PCATP Competition Regulations. In this One-Stage competition for Architects registered with the PCATP, Ar. Nasir Iqbal's design secured 2nd position whereas Ar. Habib Fida Ali's stood 3rd among 7 designs submitted by the pre-qualified architectural firms.

The theme of the new CDA Headquarter Building was set as a search for " Authenticity and Identity ". This project generated a chance for architect to go beyond mere functionality and explore the dimensions, from which a meaningful architecture emerges. CDA envisaged a design, which makes a worth Architectural and Intellectual contribution to the
city of Islamabad.

The aim of the competition was not just to get a functionally correct solution, but also to involve architects in a visual dialogue, which goes beyond conventional market approach, and leads to an authentic and
valid solution in the context of Islamabad and Pakistan. The location of the project, near zero point, makes it further symbolic as it is placed at the entry gate to Islamabad.

In response to the Invitation extended by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in May 2005 to participate in the Design Competition for its Headquarter Building on a plot measuring 800' x 280' (24,889 Sq.Yds.) in Islamabad, 24 firms applied and nine out of them were short listed as per the criteria set by the Jury Members. Two firms declined their participation later on and thus PCATP received seven entries altogether which includes:

1. Ar. Ejaz Ahed of Mis Ahed Associates
2. Ar. Amir Ali Qamar of Mis Amir.Ali Qamar
3. Ar. Habib Fida Ali of MIs Habib Fida Ali
4. Ar. M. A. Moktader of Mis Naqvi & Siddiqui Associates 5. Ar. Nasir Iqbal. of Mis Nasir's Design
6. Ar. Naveed Aslam of MIs Naveed Aslam & Associates (declined)
7. Ar. Asad I. A. Khan of MIs NESPAK (Pvt.) Ltd.
8. Ar. Sikandar Ajam Khan of MIs Siknadar Ajam Associates (declined)
9. Ar. Tariq A. Qaiser of MIs TAQ Associates (Pvt.) Ltd..

A jury of assessors comprising of the representatives of CDA and PCATP regulated the Pre-qualification and competition process including following members:
(a) Promoter's Representatives

1. Brig. Nusratullah, Member,
Planning and. Design, CDA
2. Mr. Mustafa Kamal Pasha, Deputy Director General, Planning CDA
3. Mr. M. Tahir Banuri, Director, . Architecture, Design Work, CDA

(b) Advisor

Ar. Shahab Ghani Khan, Chairman, PCATP

(c) Professional Representatives

1. Ar. Syed Akeel Bilgrami
2. Ar. Suhail Abbasi
3. Ar. Muhammad Arshad
4. Ar. Abdul Qayyum Khan

Whereas Ar.! Tahira Sadia Fazli served as the Coordinator I SecretaIy to the JUlY.

Initially the submission of the design was scheduled for Nov 11, 2005 which was later on extended till January 18, 2006 due to the earthquake calamity that hit up northern part of Pakistan in early October 2005. The judging of all entries to the competition was carried out anonymously in order to ensure the transparency of the process.

The wining design was awarded Rs. 200,000/- and next two received Rs. 100,000/- each. All Pre-qualified Architects Architectural Firms who participated in the Competition were also awarded Rs. 50,000/- each.



All References taken from ‘Archi Times Jan 2006’

Arch. Ejaz Ahed
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhed-1.jpg

Winner - Arch. Ejaz Ahed Design

Perspective View
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-1.jpg

View From Zero Point
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-2.jpg

Views
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-3.jpg

Bird Eye View
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-4.jpg

Roof Plan
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-5.jpg

Front Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-9.jpg

Rear Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-6.jpg

Left Side Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-7.jpg

Right Side Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/EjazAhedDesign-8.jpg

2nd Prize
Arch Nasir Iqbal Design

Perspective
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/NasirIqbalDesign-1.jpg

Front Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/NasirIqbalDesign-2.jpg

Bird Eye View
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/NasirIqbalDesign-3.jpg

Interior View 1
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/NasirIqbalDesign-4.jpg

Interior View 2
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/NasirIqbalDesign-5.jpg

Interior View 3
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/NasirIqbalDesign-6.jpg


3rd Prize
Arch. Habib Fida Ali Design

Perspective
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/NasirIqbalDesign-4.jpg

Front Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/HabibFidaAliDesign-2.jpg

Other Proposals for the projects

Amir Ali Qamar Design
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/AmirAliQamarDesign-.jpg

Asad I. Khan Design

Front Elevation
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/AsadIKhanDesign-1.jpg

Roof Plan
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f298/techno-architect2/Islamabad%20UC/AsadIKhanDesign-2.jpg

Well I as far as my opinion goes the 2nd one is better and the 3rd is just like a few match boxes.

Salam,

Now, that is one beautiful design. It may be a low-rise, but it gives a sense of beauty, cleanliness and organization.

I'm impressed with the first design.

Peace.

same here im also impressed by the first design...the second design is also good...but the first one has the islamabad touch ....nature freindly

Wow! awesome design by Mr Ejaz Ahed!
invokes classicism of the old world and modernism of the new world both at the same time!
would be a wonderful building for Islamabad.

Great design. I like both the first and second design. I wish there were more designs like these being structured in Pakistan.

When are they planning to start the construction? Any idea?

the first one is just awful...whats with the brown patches? what really gets to me is why they didnt keep the second one..thats just stunning!

No idea about the construction right now, they havent planned it yet!
The brown patches is an aluminium sheet basically similar to what we mossly see as silver colour sheet on most builldings, but i think the brown one is a textured effect of brick on the AL Sheet.....!

It may be a low-rise...


It completely a high rise building with floors varying from 14 to 18/20 storeys!

The 2nd design is simply stunning! I really don't like the first one... I hope they change their mind and select #2 instead!

I think the first one has more character. The second one is just a steel and glass contraption. And Islamabad needs some character.

The first one is excellent for Islamabad, it will give it more of a "Capital City" sense. It will give Islamabad an "rich" image and similar styles of building will pop-up in the capital. The second one would be excellent for Karachi or Lahore.

I feel second design is more attractive, it should be chosen over first one.

Is that the best design all of those who participated come up with? I dont know which part of that design portrays "nature" or whatever. It is so plain and boring. It conveys nothing to me personally. Just a hothc potch of straight lines and boxes coming together in a weird formation. British were designing much better buildings 100 years ago and history is witness Mughals had access to a heck of a lot more talented architects 400 odd years back, if this is all we can do. Seriously people just look at it objectively. Its hedious. If this was in some other country, we'd be making fun of it day in and day out. Its that bad.

^ I agree! I absolutely hate it! Perhaps they should release better renderings... that (just) might convince us... the 2nd one is cool IMO.

the designs are just about ok, but projects like these launch everyday day in london,

The winning design has a few too many triangles and slopes for me.. if they made it just a bit more conventional I'd like it a lot more. The second one is nice in terms of structural design.. but it just doesn't have the details and personality that the first one does.

Is that the best design all of those who participated come up with? I dont know which part of that design portrays "nature" or whatever. It is so plain and boring. It conveys nothing to me personally. Just a hothc potch of straight lines and boxes coming together in a weird formation. British were designing much better buildings 100 years ago and history is witness Mughals had access to a heck of a lot more talented architects 400 odd years back, if this is all we can do. Seriously people just look at it objectively. Its hedious. If this was in some other country, we'd be making fun of it day in and day out. Its that bad.

Currently there are around 2000-2500 architects in this country and out of which only a few are into multi-storey construction! Out of them, 24firms applied for the comptetion and only 9 were short listed on the basis on their experience and portfolio. And about 5 designs i have posted here....n you all can see their work....these are no ordinary firms....but still their designing certainly lacks the modernity compared to the rest of world.

Our design lack modernity and aesthetics due to a number of reasons, like technolgy, construction method and attitude, clients requirement and demands etc. But over here everyone will comment on the design aesthetics not knowing the fact that maybe the building designed properly fullfills the functional requirement of the clients or not. Compare the architecture of Norman Foster with W.S.Atkins....Foster designs are nothing compared to Atkins in aesthetics yet Foster today is worlds leading archtiect in skyscrapper...but y? Itz because the client is satisfied since all the requirement are full filled. Every architect has his own concerns while designing a building, Fosters concern is not design aesthetics but it belongs to use of technolgy and innovation in technology.

On the other hand our architect try to adopt the international styles of design yet forgetting our cultures climate and other factors. In multistorey building we are not able to produce a style that would be called something great. The design in simply psuedo. We dont innovate rather we copy and ditto copy everything. And its not architects only who r the culprits but our society too which doesnt let us come out of the copy culture.

A foreign architect would come here and place a landmark building yet does that building really suites our culture tradition and social values? Talkin about the colonial architecture. To your understanding, it took around 200 years for the Bristish to fully understand the nature and elements of architecture of the subcontinent....in their early years they tried to mix gothic, barouqe greek and roman styles into our society but those building simply look alienated cauz they were neither functionally nor aesthetically fitting into our society. Compare the example of the Tollinton market with the Lahore musuem of Lahore Highcourt.....wut it the purpose of a pitched roof in a reason of providing a pitched roof in a hot region where 8-10months u dont have rain......they only designed it cauz they lived in pitched roof bak at home......they superimposing of the style didnt work out so gradually over the years trying to understand the different factor influencing the previous architectural style such as that of Mughals, they began to use the element that suited our societies.....n that is the reason why GPO, Highcourt, Musuem give us the feel that they are somehow interlinked with both Mughalz n British......

The mughal building are so enriched cauz of the fact the buildings were made fer the emperors and not fer ordinary ppl so they had to be good. Today the function of construction and building is different, so how can u compare a Mughal building with a office building in modern era?

Agreeing to some extent on current style of architecture, i would say that there is not much of innovation goin on although we have very talented ppl today aswell but due to numerous factors restriction and setbaks we have not been able to generate architecture that would represent the time and culture of the area inwhich it is being built in!

Is that the best design all of those who participated come up with? I dont know which part of that design portrays "nature" or whatever. It is so plain and boring. It conveys nothing to me personally. Just a hothc potch of straight lines and boxes coming together in a weird formation. British were designing much better buildings 100 years ago and history is witness Mughals had access to a heck of a lot more talented architects 400 odd years back, if this is all we can do. Seriously people just look at it objectively. Its hedious. If this was in some other country, we'd be making fun of it day in and day out. Its that bad.

I wouldn't even WANT that the government should spend billions and make a Taj Mahal for some government building. We dont need more governmental palaces. They should try and use the money as efficiently as possible without much excess. The current chosen design does not look excessive and is not in any way plain either. With its triangles it blends well into the Islamabad city-scape of mountains, and with its interplay of geometry, it gives something of an interesting layout.

We didnt no the concept of using triangle especially at roof top. The designer has tried to make an energy effecient building by providing solar panel of those taper triangled roof. He has used his design to cater the need of the client along with makin the design a profilic for future high riser.

A foreign architect would come here and place a landmark building yet does that building really suites our culture tradition and social values? Talkin about the colonial architecture. To your understanding, it took around 200 years for the Bristish to fully understand the nature and elements of architecture of the subcontinent....in their early years they tried to mix gothic, barouqe greek and roman styles into our society but those building simply look alienated cauz they were neither functionally nor aesthetically fitting into our society. Compare the example of the Tollinton market with the Lahore musuem of Lahore Highcourt.....wut it the purpose of a pitched roof in a reason of providing a pitched roof in a hot region where 8-10months u dont have rain......they only designed it cauz they lived in pitched roof bak at home......they superimposing of the style didnt work out so gradually over the years trying to understand the different factor influencing the previous architectural style such as that of Mughals, they began to use the element that suited our societies.....n that is the reason why GPO, Highcourt, Musuem give us the feel that they are somehow interlinked with both Mughalz n British......

The mughal building are so enriched cauz of the fact the buildings were made fer the emperors and not fer ordinary ppl so they had to be good. Today the function of construction and building is different, so how can u compare a Mughal building with a office building in modern era?

Agreeing to some extent on current style of architecture, i would say that there is not much of innovation goin on although we have very talented ppl today aswell but due to numerous factors restriction and setbaks we have not been able to generate architecture that would represent the time and culture of the area inwhich it is being built in!

Not saying we need Mughal style palaces all over but the government should give some consideration to our cultural heritage. And its not just govt. that is to blame for all these bland structures, the private sector has not done much either. think of it like this. When you look a picture of London without a caption, u know its London because of its buildings architecture. But take a similar test for Islamabad. You can't tell which city it is. Given this is not a fair comp[arison but u get the point I am trying to make? This CDA building just does not fit in. But to be fair, not a whole lot others do. Look at the buildings in Blue Area. Look at our Parliament, the Supreme Court building, the lodges.....there's just no pattern. Its so sad.

swerveut,

Nobody wants them to spend billions on a building but to my mind whatever they ARE spending on this design is a waste. Thats all.

Techno-Architect, what is the status of this project? Do you know something about it?

Not saying we need Mughal style palaces all over but the government should give some consideration to our cultural heritage. think of it like this. When you look a picture of London without a caption, u know its London because of its buildings architecture. But take a similar test for Islamabad. You can't tell which city it is.


It was in the old days that Architecture was an orthodox tradition. Entire cities were built with the same or similar style of buildings. Be it Ottoman, Roman, Gothic, or Italian. This however is the modern era where architecture follows more of the present social norms and is more free from orthodoxy or conformism. That is why most newer cities of the world dont have a similar style of buildings all over.

Think most American or Canadian cities. Or Dubai, new Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Vancouver etc. None of them have traditional architecture littered around everywhere. Therefore it doesnt really make sense for Islamabad (which is a new city) to recede back a hundred years in time and start building old style buildings for all its infrastructure. No doubt, one or two mughal inspired buildings would be good, but more than that would just be stupidity and not living in the present.

That building is beautiful! Seldom do I see bold designs in Pakistan. My only beef is the color. If only that building is done in glass. That'd look amazing. 8/10!

Current Status is PROPOSED yet. I dont have any news of construction or further progress.

This however is the modern era where architecture follows more of the present social norms and is more free from orthodoxy or conformism.

then again following the social norms is conformism too..wont u agree?



Think most American or Canadian cities. Or Dubai, new Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Vancouver etc. None of them have traditional architecture littered around everywhere. Therefore it doesnt really make sense for Islamabad (which is a new city) to recede back a hundred years in time and start building old style buildings for all its infrastructure. No doubt, one or two mughal inspired buildings would be good, but more than that would just be stupidity and not living in the present.

Just as there are cities with modern architecture, there are cities...beautiful cities with traditional architecture "littered around everywhere". London, Paris, Berlin, New York...In fact the architects used fake facades on some buildings in New York to give them the traditional look. Sure u may like this glorified brick cuz it manifests our architects' supreme abilities in designing large rectangular shapes but I am afraid in the long run it does not give the city any identity. Worse, it can't be classified as a modern looking building either. Its exactly the sort of neither here nor there buildings we dont need in an already bland capital.

Any updates

What's up with this project? Where in Islamabad will it be constructed? Any site pictures?

That building is just a proposed(and approved) one.

Which means, its agreed upon in principle that all concerned departments of CDA should come under one roof, and a proposal was floated for such a building, they got the renders selected but its formal launching will only go ahead when CDA has enough money, and after some of the other more crucial work is done. Currently, infrastructure development, parks and new residential sectors have been given priority over this building.

Hence, its there in the pipeline but could take some time to get initiated. I heard CDA plans to allocated some money for it in the next budget. In simpler words, it will be build but sometime later when CDA can finance it. It will be located in G-8.

I personaly know Mr. Nasir and think that his design should have been selected as it s better than the Mr. Ejaz' design

updates, news, anything??