May 29, 2024, University of British Columbia (Canada)
One of five graduates of UBC Applied Science tackling equity locally and globally, Zahra HIrji was recognised for her efforts to build more inclusive places and solutions for people around the world.
Growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, Zahra Hirji experienced gender disparity first-hand. Like many girls in the city, she was not allowed to walk to and from school unescorted for fear of harassment and violence.
As a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) student at UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Hirji returned to her old neighbourhood in Karachi for her graduate project, with the aim of revitalizing underutilized parks and to give women agency in their landscape.
Hirji isn’t stopping there. She intends to present her project to NGOs in Pakistan to see if it can be implemented in urban parks in Karachi, and to advocate for minorities and diverse ideologies in her future designs. She encourages future students to celebrate their individuality, cultural background and identity:
“Women are resilient, strong and, if given the opportunity, only help the city grow to be more inclusive and safe.”
Source: UBC Applied Science
About Zahra
I grew up in the bustling city of Karachi, Pakistan. I finished my undergraduate from University of Toronto and returned to Karachi to work in the Design Office of the Aga Khan University Hospital. It was here that my love for well-designed public spaces began, where landscape and vernacular design was at the forefront of many of the design ideas. I met the renowned Landscape Architect Vladimir Djurovic at the Hospital and after talking to him briefly, I went on to do an internship with him for 3 months in Broummana, Lebanon. I learned a lot here but mostly the passion in which he spoke about landscape architecture inspired me to further pursue my masters in the field.
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