Photo Credit: Simone Lenz. 2022

Marvi Mazhar is an architect and researcher, her practice combines visual culture, spatial advocacy and interventions. Recently completed her Masters (MA RA) at Goldsmiths, University of London (2021) and in 2022 started teaching at Indus Valley School of Architecture (IVSAA) M.Phil Program, Pedagogies of Place.

Her present ongoing research focuses upon the representation and production of Karachi’s Urban Coastal Periphery, and its Ecology.

Mazhar’s advocacy creates a dialogue between the changing footprint of Karachi’s inner city through personal archives, and visual ethnography of purana shehr (old town), versus naya shehr (new/reclaimed town). It is an attempt to understand the legalities of public heritage properties, amenity plots, urban parks of Karachi, and extends towards understanding the gated community from a socio-analytical perspective. 

Through her practice, she continues to examine how cities grow in an isolated architectural , versus those in a mohalla /neighbourhood-based design practice.

Marvi Mazhar served as Director at PeaceNiche (T2F), and is the co-founder of (ADRL) The Architectural Design Research Lab, housed within, and affiliated with, the Department of Architecture at the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture- a research laboratory devoted to projects within the fields of architecture and urban design. In 2016, Mazhar founded Pakistan Chowk Community Centre and was the Project Manager of National History Museum (Lahore, Pakistan), conceptualized by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan.

As an independent Heritage Consultant, she has collaborated on projects with Endowment Fund Trust for Preservation of Sindh, Arcop, NBCL, Shahab Ghani & Associates, Pursukoon Society, Planning, Development and Works Sindh / Culture, Tourism & Antiquities Department (PDMI). Apart from leading her design studio practice, Mazhar currently serves on several government boards, and actively participates in numerous city rehabilitation politics and urban interventions. 

• 2016 Secretary to South Asia Foundation (SAF-Pakistan)

• 2017 Outreach Committee Member of Karachi Biennale

• 2018 elected as Treasurer for ICOMOS-PK

• 2018 appointed as adviser to the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, and
  National History & Literary Heritage Division, Islamabad, PK.

• 2018 appointed as adviser to International Public Art Festival (IPAF), IAMKHI, Karachi, PK

• 2019 appointed as member (Sub Committee) of Sindh Culture Tourism and Antiquities Department.

• 2019 Member of Commonwealth Association of Museums (CAMs)

• 2019 Member of International Council of Museum (ICOM)

• 2020-21 Chevening Scholar, Goldsmiths, University of London | MA Visual Cultures

• 2022 Appointed as Amicus Curiae (Land Reclamation Case against DHA), Karachi, Sindh High Court

• 2022 Award Grantee (British Council & Koel Gallery), Saahil ki Kahanian (Collective)

• 2022 Appointed to be part of think tank to develop and strengthen Sindh Heritage Bylaws 2022

• 2023 Award Grantee (British Council), ‘Gender Ecologies’ in partnership with Prof. Corinna Dean (University of Westminster, UK)

View/Download Marvi Mazhar's Resume
View/Download Marvi Mazhar’s Portfolio
[PDF | 223 KB]

Current Employees

• Arch. Pashmina Memon -2022 - Present

Past Employees

• Arch. Anza Mashooque -2022

• Arch. Abdul Rauf Zaheer - 2022

• Int. Atiqa Zehra- 2022

• Arch. Touseef Memon - 2020

• Mishal Siddiqui - 2020

• Int. Ibrahim Murtaza - 2019-2020

• Int. Mohammed Mithai - 2018-2020

• Arch. Mah e Neema Rao - 2017-2019

• Arch. Arisa Samani - 2019

• Arch. Mariam Hanif - 2018-2019

• Arch. Ali Raza - 2016-2018

• Arch. Yumna Javed - 2015-2016

• Arch. Huzefah Haroon - 2015

• Arch. Abdul Malik - 2012-2014

• Arch. Tahir Baloch - 2014-2015

• Arch. Ishaque Shar- 2013-2015