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Ar. Misbah Najmi (1944-2009), Founding Chairman
Born in Meerut, India, Misbahuddin Najmi received his early education from German Model School. He decided to be an architect when he was in 9th Class. He proceeded to US for higher studies and received his bachelor’s degree in Architecture in 1971 from the University of California and became a member of AIA.
After having worked in California for a few years, Ar. Misbah moved back to Pakistan in 1975 to start his own practice under the name Misbah Najmi & Associates (MNA). Over the years, this office has attracted and nurtured many young architects most of whom subsequently started out on their own and are running successful practices. He was a mentor to scores of students and young architects.
In 2006, Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative (Pvt.) Ltd. (NBCL) was established with the pooling in of resources of Misbah Najmi & Associates and Bilgrami & Faruque. Ar. Misbah Najmi became the first Chairman of the new firm. Ar. Misbah Najmi has been deeply involved with professional organizations in Pakistan.
A fellow of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan (IAP), he was at various times a member of the National Council, Hon. Secretary, Vice President and also twice Chairman of the IAP Karachi Chapter. He was an Alternate Council member of the International Union of Architects (UIA) during 1985-91 representing the Asia Pacific Region. He was a life registered member of the Pakistan Council of Architects & Town Planners and was elected Chairman PCATP in 1995-97.
A successful architect, whose practice extended to the Middle East, he represented a particular style that is evident in the vast number of buildings designed by him. His architecture has a certain charm that makes it belong to this particular part of the world. He has to his credit projects of all scales and types, from housing schemes and individual homes, to institutional and public buildings and corporate interiors. He was the recipient of the IAP Award for Architectural Excellence in the first award cycle in 2005 for Masjid-e-Faran in Karachi.
Ar. Syed Akeel Bilgrami, Chairman
Born in Hyderabad, India, in 1944, Ar. Syed Akeel Bilgrami received his early education at the St. Georges Grammar School and then at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai and the College of Fine Arts & Architecture, Hyderabad, from where he graduated in 1967 and moved to Karachi the following year.
From 1968-72 he worked with Naqvi & Siddiqui and thereafter started his own practice, first as Bilgrami & Associates and then as an AE firm, Bilgrami & Faruque, in partnership with Eng. Faruque Sultan. In 2006, Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative (Pvt.) Ltd. (NBCL) was established with the pooling in of resources of Bilgrami & Faruque and Misbah Najmi & Associates.
A Fellow of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan, and Life Registered Member of Pakistan Council of Architects & Town Planners (PCATP), he has long been closely associated in the affairs of both these organizations. He was twice elected President of IAP, 1983-86 and 2004-06 and served as the Vice Chairman of PCATP in 1989-91. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Architectural Education. He has represented Pakistan on numerous occasions at different international architects’ forums across the world. He was also the first Pakistani architect to be elected Chairman of the seventeen nation Architects’ Regional Council Asia (ARCASIA) in 1990-92.
Ar. Akeel Bilgrami is one of the founders of the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture (IVS), Karachi, established in 1990 and has been on the Board of Governors and twice served as Chairman of the Executive Committee. During 1997-2000, he was the Executive Director of IVS and taught as adjunct faculty from 2000-08. In addition, he has been a member of the Academic Council of University of Karachi, member of the Executive Committee of DCET and member of the Board of Studies at other architecture schools. He has served on the jury, also as Chairman, of over 30 national and international design competitions and awards.
Throughout his architectural practice, Ar. Akeel Bilgrami has promoted sustainable design solutions and has shown strong commitment to employing indigenous technologies in his varied work, particularly in the residential sector. His projects have been showcased in national and international architecture journals and on the electronic media.
Ar. Ahsan Najmi, CEO
Ahsan Najmi, received his early education at Karachi Grammar School and then studied at the Rhode Island School of Design to receive a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts and Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture in 2003. He returned to Pakistan and joined Misbah Najmi & Associates as Partner. After three years, he established Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative (Pvt) Ltd., along with late Misbah Najmi, Syed Akeel Bilgrami, Syed Zayd Bilgrami and Sarah Najmi Bilgrami.
He is an Associate of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan, Member of Pakistan Institute of Interior Designers and Life Registered Member of Pakistan Council of Architects & Town Planners. He served as Vice president of American Institute of Architecture Students, RI Chapter (AIAS) and President, South Asian Students Association, RISD Chapter, in 2003. He is also a Board Member of The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP)
Ar. Sarah Najmi-Bilgrami, Director
Sarah Najmi Bilgrami, received her early education at Convent of Jesus & Mary, Karachi and received a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts and Bachelors Degree in Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design, USA, in 2001. After graduation, until 2005, she worked with Payette Associates in Boston, for most part on the design of the new Campus of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Aga Khan University, Education City, Karachi. Upon return to Pakistan in 2005, she joined Misbah Najmi & Associates as Partner and then established Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative (Pvt) Ltd., of which she is a Director.
She is an Associate of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan, Member of Pakistan Institute of Interior Designers and Life Registered Member of Pakistan Council of Architects & Town Planners. She was also a member of the American Institute of Architecture Students, RI Chapter, and member of the Boston Society of Architects.
Ar. Syed Zayd Bilgrami, Director
Syed Zayd Bilgrami, received his early education at Karachi Grammar School and received a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts and Bachelors Degree in Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design, USA, in 2005. Prior to founding Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative (Pvt) Ltd., he joined Perry Dean Rogers and Partners, Boston, in 2005 as project architect on the design of Norwich University Housing. After a year, he returned to Pakistan and joined Bilgrami and Faruque and then established Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative Private Limited as Director, along with late Misbah Najmi, Syed Akeel Bilgrami, Ahsan Najmi and Sarah Najmi Bilgrami.
He is an Associate of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan and member of the Pakistan Institute of Interior Designers and Life Registered Member of Pakistan Council of Architects & Town Planners. He is also affiliated with American Institute of Architects (AIA) and member of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) and has worked at key positions on various projects both internationally and nationally. At NBCL, he is part of the design team and is responsible for many of their projects.
