The charity Vision Pakistan offers a ‘second chance’ to disadvantaged 16-to-25-year-old males who have fallen into aggression, depression, drug use and/or crime. Its holistic year-long programme trains them as master tailors and equips them with literacy, life skills for harmonious social independence and a basic, peace-focused understanding of Islam.
Its new facility in this dense peri-urban area accommodates 40-50 students plus tutors, management and support staff. The programme includes five flexibly designed classrooms; dining room; recreation spaces; management offices; limited staff boarding; exhibition areas; shops; and rooftop prayer area with student-maintained kitchen garden. Some spaces can be rented out individually as a funding stream. A central atrium with tall anchor tree fosters daylighting, natural ventilation, calm and visual connectivity throughout the building. Exposed services promote ease of maintenance. Some windows feature colourful pierced metal screens (jaali), offering sun shading and privacy while bringing a festive presence to the bare concrete walls. Their geometric patterns are inspired by Pakistani and Arab crafts and 1960s Islamabad architecture, and their colours echo those used in the neighbourhood’s vernacular culture to evoke positivity.
Who is Muhammad Saifullah Siddiqui? The Architect of Vision Pakistan
Mohammad Saifullah Siddiqui is a Principal Architect at DB Studios (since 2006) and Co-Founder & CEO of Banjaiga Pvt Ltd (since 2016), a leading architecture and design platform in Pakistan. A graduate of the National College of Arts, Lahore (2004), he is a member of PCATP and IAP, and has served on the CDA Design Vetting Committee.
He has earned multiple awards, including the IAP Design Excellence Awards (2022, 2024), IAP Young Architect Award (2013), and was shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2025 cycle). His work has been published internationally in ArchDaily, World Architecture, Landscape Middle East, and several local journals, alongside frequent guest lectures at NCA, NUST, COMSATS, and BNU.
At DB Studios, his design philosophy emphasizes context-driven, sustainable, and culturally rooted architecture, using local materials, natural inspirations, and originality over Western imitations. His projects include Vision Pakistan Institutional Building, Karachi Steel Industrial Building, and multiple residences in Islamabad.
Through Banjaiga, Siddiqui champions Pakistan’s architectural identity, showcasing talent via exhibitions, publications, and dialogue platforms that empower young architects and reduce reliance on Western design paradigms.
