A Pakistani architect’s groundbreaking work in disaster-resilient community building has become a centerpiece of one of the Middle East’s most ambitious architectural exhibitions, underscoring Pakistan’s growing influence in humanitarian design on the global stage.
Yasmeen Lari, co-founder of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, is among more than 40 architects featured in ‘Beyti Beytak – My Home Is Your Home,’ a major exhibition that opened at Doha’s historic Fahad bin Ali Palace in late October and will run through May 2027. The showcase, organized by Qatar’s future Art Mill Museum, examines how architecture can address community needs while promoting hospitality and belonging.
Lari’s contribution—a bamboo community centre designed in 2024—demonstrates an innovative approach to construction that empowers disaster-affected communities to rebuild using locally available materials and traditional techniques. The structure features a perimeter veranda and a distinctive dome crowned with a waterproof palm-frond roof, showcasing bamboo’s structural versatility through various assembly methods.
The design philosophy behind the centre stems directly from decades of fieldwork by the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, which Lari established in 1980. The organization has built shelters and entire villages for communities devastated by earthquakes and recurring floods across Pakistan, developing construction methods that communities can replicate themselves.
“I realised her work is a direct legacy of Hassan Fathy. Like him, she empowers the poor to build their own futures,” said Aurelien Lemonier, the exhibition’s co-curator and architect at the Art Mill Museum, speaking to international media.
The exhibition represents an expanded version of a presentation that appeared at the 2025 Venice Biennale, marking Qatar’s inaugural official participation in that prestigious international architecture event. The Doha edition brings together architectural drawings, photographs, scale models, films and archival materials spanning three generations of architects who have shaped the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region.
Pakistan’s architectural community is further represented through the work of Nayyar Ali Dada, joining an international roster that includes legendary figures such as Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi, Iraqi architect Rifat Chadirji, and Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa.
The exhibition is organized into seven thematic sections exploring community centres, urban housing, mosques, museums, gardens and reimagined traditional oases. Featured projects range from the Mleiha Archaeological Centre in the United Arab Emirates to the Palestinian Museum and Qatar National Library, illustrating how architecture responds to local environments and community requirements.
Curated by Lemonier alongside Sean Anderson, the exhibition includes original archival research into Doha’s urban evolution. The event also marks the first time Qatar Museums and the Art Mill Museum have opened the historic Fahad bin Ali Palace to public visitors.
By situating the exhibition within the palace’s heritage setting, organizers aim to create dialogue between contemporary architectural innovation and regional tradition, emphasizing architecture’s role in strengthening social bonds and collective identity across diverse communities.
