Publications
In terms of research my interests lie in the analyzing the everyday adaptations of architectural and urban spaces at the grass root level in the global south. I also dwell into the mitigation processes adapted by the common man in the face of challenges due to globalization, localization and informalization which gives shape to everyday spaces within an urban setting. In this processes the local and global identities are also studied and analyzed by me. I have also researched and written about public architecture in my home town Karachi, and how it has shaped the built form identity of the city. I have authored various research papers, book chapters, newspaper articles and presented in conferences around these issues/ themes/ ideas. My first solo authorship is entitled “Urban Architecture and Local Spaces in Pakistan’ published by Routledge.
Books
2024
Pakistan’s COASTAL WONDERLAND
“Discover, Learn, and Create: Nurturing Young Minds through the Marvels of Karachi’s Mangroves – Connecting Nature, Knowledge, and Creativity for a Sustainable Tomorrow!”
Oct 2022
‘Urban Architecture and Local Spaces in Pakistan’
Publisher: Routledge
Oct 2022
‘Understanding Karachi’s Architecture: A Documentation of Public Buildings,’ co-author Madiha Salam.
Publisher: Royal Books, Karachi
Nov 2015
‘Karachi from the Prism of Urban Design’, co-authors: Noman Ahmed, Asiya Sadiq and Masooma Shakir.
Publisher: Department of Architecture and Planning, NED UET, Karachi
Book Chapters
2024
Sustainable Makerspace Pedagogy in Architecture Education
Published: 02 September 2024
DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.1006314
2024
‘An Alternative Understanding of Space: Maqamiat as a Tool for Karachi’s Urban Space Designing’ in: Shakur and Ghafur (eds) Mega Cities in the Global south in the 2020s: Growth Transformation, Contested/ Negotiated Spaces and Changing Liveabilities, pp. 92-103, Publisher Global Built Environment Review (GBER)
July 2022
‘Indus River and Cultural Heritage: Commemoration of three sites in Sindh’ in: Rehman, MM (ed), Handbook of Waterfront Cities and Urbanism.
Publisher: Routledge, UK
click here for details
2021
‘Creative Tactics as form of Urban Resilience: Surviving in the face of Adversity along the Gujjar Nala in Karachi, in Resilient and Responsible Smart Cities’ (within book series tilted Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI)).
Publisher: Springer Publication Series
2010
Hassan Aulia Village, Karachi, pp. 59-71 edited by Yves Cabannes
Silvia Guimarães Yafai, Cassidy Johnson
Development Planning Unit and Building and Social Housing Foundation
Publisher: Development Planning Unit
2007
Lyari Expressway. Exploring Alternative Scenarios, in 02 Cities + 05 Studios, Design Studio Investigation in South Asia: 21-32.
Publisher: European Union
2007
Multi nuclei city, in Studio Investigation in South Asia Urban Design, Galle, Matara, Karachi.
Publisher: European Union
2007
07-09 June
Centre for Housing Planning and Building Battaramulla [Colombo], Sri Lanka
Working Papers
2022
Beall, J., Ali, M., Ahmed, S., Ahmed, S., Desta, H., Gebremariam, E. , da Cruz, N.F. (2022). Why Integrated Solid Waste Management is so elusive – learning from Africa and Asia. Research Strand 03. LSE Cities Working Papers.
Microsoft Word – LSE Cities WP – ISWM – final
Click here for details
Publisher: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
2022
Ahmed, S., Ali, M., Ahmed, S. (2022). Social research and the uncertainties of a pandemic: report from the field in Karachi and Faisalabad. Field Report 02 (September 2022), Rubbish, Resources and Residues. LSE Cities.
Microsoft Word – LSE Cities field report 02 – RRR – Pakistan.docx
Click here for details
Publisher: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
2010
Planning for High Density in Low Income Settlements: Four Case Studies from Karachi, IIED Human Settlements Working Paper Series.
Publisher: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Journal Papers
2024
There are many researches that explore alternate tools for studio teaching in Architecture, ranging from hands-on material explorations, working on live sites, reliance on digital technologies
2024
Culture of Poverty and Sustainable Development: Case of Machar Colony in Karachi. Journal of Art, Architecture and Built Environment, 7(1), 17-34. Retrieved from
2023
Conflicting Binaries and Urban Spaces: The Case of Merewether
Tower Precinct in Karachi (Pakistan), Journal of Architecture and Planning , Vol. 35(2) , pp. 269-283
Publisher: Journal of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University
2022
Rental housing policies and associated legal covers: Case of middle income formal housing in Karachi, Journal of Urban Management, 11 (2022) 488-499.
Publisher: Journal of Urban Management
2022
Predicaments and Possibilities Experienced by Homeless in Karachi. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 0(0).
Publisher: Journal of Asian and African Studies
2022
Critical Regionalist Approach to Architecture: Lessons to be Learnt From Three Case Studies From Karachi’ Journal of Architecture and Planning, Vol 34(1): 101-119.
Publisher: Journal of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University
2021
Impacts of Judicial Verdicts on Land Acquisition Practices for Real Estate In Pakistan’, ICONARP, Vol 9, Issue 2, 680-702.
Publisher: ICONARP- International Journal of Architecture and Planning
2020
Examining the usage of city walls for wall chalking: cases from Karachi, Pakistan’, Bhúmi, The Planning Research Journal, Vol.07, No.2.
Publisher: Bhumi, The Planning Research Journal
2020
Loss of Intrinsic Qualities of Urban Form and Local Social Processes in
the Face of Globalisation: Case Of Karachi’s Old Town’, Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, Middle East Technical University, Vol 37, No. 1: 149-168.
Publisher: Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, Middle East Technical University
2017
Impacts of Private Urban Mega Projects: Case of Bahria Icon, Karachi, Vol 4, Issue 1, Tekton.
Publisher: Tekton: A Journal of Architecture, Urban Design and Planning
2017
2017: Understanding localness of built form at the urban scale Case of Karachi, Pakistan‟, International Journal of Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development (ESSD), Vol 1, No.2, 2017 (DOI: 10.21625/essd.v1i2.87).
Publisher: International Journal of Environmental Science & Sustainable Development
2017
Urban Morphologies, Design Qualities and the Decision Making Process in Relationship to maqamiat: Case of Karachi, Pakistan‟ Engineering Science and Technology International Research Journal (ESTIRJ), Volume 1, Number 1.
Publisher: Engineering Science and Technology International Research Journal
2014
Economic Functions of Secondary Cities of Pakistan and its Integration with Physical Land use: Case of Larkana and Mansehra‟ in Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning, Vol 16: 33-54.
Publisher: Journal of Research in Architecture
2013
Role of Architects and Localness of the Global City: Discussion on Operationalization of Key Theories for Understanding Notions of Localness in Built Form‟ in Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning, Vol 15: 25-44.
Publisher: Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning, NEDUET
Periodicals
- https://www.dawn.com/authors/4094/suneela-ahmed
- https://www.architimesonline.com/site/flood-responsive-house-design/
- https://www.architimesonline.com/site/?s=suneela+ahmed
- https://www.designboom.com/architecture/students-bamboo-flood-responsive-housing-karachi-local-vernacular-04-13-2023/
- https://tribune.com.pk/author/2502/suneela-ahmed
- https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/977966-urban-future-of-the-global-south
- https://southasia.com.pk/2022/04/28/my-zatara/
Conferences
06 2024
DSA2024: Social justice and development in a polarising world, SOAS University of London
Click here to read more
06 2023
Heritages: Past and Present- Built and Social, arranged by Architecture Media Politics Society (AMPS), Prague, Czech Republic
11 2021
5th International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning (CURP) NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
04 2019
2nd Edition of the International Conference Resilient and Responsible Architecture and Urbanism, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
11 2017
International Conference on Protecting Cultural Heritage of the Muslim World, Istanbul, Turkey
04 2017
International Conference entitled Cities Identity though Architecture and Arts, Cairo, Egypt.
Learning
Research and Professional Involvements
2020-2022: “Rubbish, Resources and Residues: A project investigating the need for integrated approaches to solid waste management”, Project funded by British academy, http://www.lse.ac.uk/cities/research/urban-governance/Rubbish-Resources-and-Residues
2019-ongoing: “Indus River, Worship, Heritage and Communities: Interdisciplinary research on the legacy related to Uderolal/ Zinda Pir in Sindh”, Pakistan and the communities associated with livelihoods around the Indus River in relation. Co-PI, HEC French Peridot Funded Project https://uderolalresearchproject.wordpress.com/
2019-2021: Nomination by Educational Institute on the Executive Committee of Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP)
“How people face evictions: A mutual learning project”. It was a project in which organizations and popular movements in a few cities came together to document, reflect upon and share experiences of struggles against evictions. The project was coordinated by Development Planning Unit (DPU) – University College London, and was supported by the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) http://www.bshf.org
2018: Urban Design and Heritage Proposal for Merewether Precinct: An urban design research commissioned by Silk Bank Pvt. Ltd, Pakistan
2011: Coordinator for UN-HABITAT Pakistan and Department of Architecture and Planning NED University Karachi collaborative project under the umbrella of the “Sustainable Urbanization component within the Joint Program on Environment (JP-E4)”, which envisioned to build capacity to provide an effective and sustained improvement in urban poor living conditions, including urban issues relating to climate change (as a contribution to achieving MDG7D). The scope of the assignment included study and recommendation of 8 secondary selected cities.
2010-present: Features Editor, Archi Times, monthly newsletter of Architecture and Planning, Pakistan http://www.architimesonline.com/
2010: International Institute of Environmental Design (IIED) Density Research Project: Urban Research and Design Cell (URDC) at the Department of Architecture and Planning, NED University of Engineering and Technology (DAP-NED UET), was engaged as a partner in this research through case study documentation, analysis and design alternatives formulation https://pubs.iied.org/search/?k=Four+case+studies+from+Karachi.
