“Drawing on Islamic City-Building Traditions to Create a 21st Century Community of Learning”
David Dixon, FAIA – Principal in charge of Planning and Urban Design
Goody, Clancy & Associates
The Aga Khan is building a new liberal arts campus on the outskirts of Karachi. The campus’ mission emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking and seeks to encourage people of different backgrounds to learn from each other and bring a new generation of leadership in addressing global economic, social, cultural and environmental challenges. To support this new campus, the Aga Khan commissioned planning for a new “university village” for more than 20,000 people that would take its inspiration from Islamic city building values of human scale, environmental fit, and nuanced transitions between public and private spaces. This village represents a “community of learning” that through its planning both addresses the realities of 21st century life in Pakistan and reinforces the campus’ mission by fostering informal interaction, shared civic experience, and sense of connection to the surrounding environment.
Ismailimail 