ARSHAD ABDULLA The teacher, the architect, the persona
Text: Ar. Tariq Alexander Qaiser
Photography: ASA & varied sources
If the measure of a man is in the manner in which he is remembered,
If the humanity of a man is in the number of people he has impacted,
If the integrity of a man is in the strength of his word,
If the importance of a man is in the institutions he has nurtured,
If the capability of a man is in the tasks he has completed,
If the legacy of a man is in what he leaves behind,
If the humility of a man is in how he treads,
Arshad Abdulla is a man we would do well to emulate.
It is very difficult to write about a personality such as Arshad sahib. The need to do justice by him and his life is a task that lays heavily on the heart and mind. The affection and esteem with which he is held can only be truly understood through the eyes of people who have had the privilege to interact with him.
Arshad sahib will always be remembered by many of us first and foremost as a teacher. He has trained and developed a large number of architects that have walked through his office. The learning received was not restricted to design or detail, or confined to level and plumb. If you joined his team his goal was to hone a better human, a capable professional a caring person and a compassionate citizen. We hope we approach his ideal, but he was a perfectionist, and truth be told the day one is satisfied is the day the ideal is lost. He lived thus; the search for improvement in ones work could not be stopped.
Reevaluation of the merits of a design was constant. The search for the correct, the appropriate was perpetual. In our younger days many of us would fall prey to impatience, but yet the inquiring and questioning continued. The why and how it could and should, be better was not only put to us, but very clearly to himself. Arshad sahib’s desire to improve himself, us and his office was evident and self explanatory. He however, had always extended his thoughts beyond his immediate context and needs. In his own words: “the stakes are much larger”, was said in context to us as a nation and country. There was a burning desire to serve community through education. This led him to work towards the Citizens Foundation, and the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. Both of these are institutions that need no elaboration. Arshad Abdulla has been a leading founder member of both these eminent organizations.
Photography: ASA & varied sources
If the measure of a man is in the manner in which he is remembered,
If the humanity of a man is in the number of people he has impacted,
If the integrity of a man is in the strength of his word,
If the importance of a man is in the institutions he has nurtured,
If the capability of a man is in the tasks he has completed,
If the legacy of a man is in what he leaves behind,
If the humility of a man is in how he treads,
Arshad Abdulla is a man we would do well to emulate.
It is very difficult to write about a personality such as Arshad sahib. The need to do justice by him and his life is a task that lays heavily on the heart and mind. The affection and esteem with which he is held can only be truly understood through the eyes of people who have had the privilege to interact with him.
Arshad sahib will always be remembered by many of us first and foremost as a teacher. He has trained and developed a large number of architects that have walked through his office. The learning received was not restricted to design or detail, or confined to level and plumb. If you joined his team his goal was to hone a better human, a capable professional a caring person and a compassionate citizen. We hope we approach his ideal, but he was a perfectionist, and truth be told the day one is satisfied is the day the ideal is lost. He lived thus; the search for improvement in ones work could not be stopped.
Reevaluation of the merits of a design was constant. The search for the correct, the appropriate was perpetual. In our younger days many of us would fall prey to impatience, but yet the inquiring and questioning continued. The why and how it could and should, be better was not only put to us, but very clearly to himself. Arshad sahib’s desire to improve himself, us and his office was evident and self explanatory. He however, had always extended his thoughts beyond his immediate context and needs. In his own words: “the stakes are much larger”, was said in context to us as a nation and country. There was a burning desire to serve community through education. This led him to work towards the Citizens Foundation, and the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. Both of these are institutions that need no elaboration. Arshad Abdulla has been a leading founder member of both these eminent organizations.
0 comments: