Engineer Asadullah is a head of the Electrical Department in EA Consulting. His engineering specializes in multiple national and international projects for Hospitals, Commercial Towers, Residential towers, Hotels, and also worked on many prestigious public and private sector projects. In this exclusive Interview to ARCHI TIMES in Newage Cables Engineers Series, he talks about the engineering and other professional related issues.
ARCHI TIMES (AT): Before we begin talking about your engineering, would it be good to know your educational background?
Asadullah Jan (AJ): I did my Bachelors in Electronics in 2000 from Dawood College which was affiliated with NED University where we got a strong foundation of Electrical and Electronics Engineering principles, from our great teachers. I started my career with Matrix Consultants and learned many aspects of building construction in coordination with Architect ASA (Arshad Shahid Abdulla). After Matrix Consultant, I switched to NESPAK, and then I went to Saudi Arabia and joined Alfanar Group in Riyadh. There I worked as an Electrical Systems designer for a Hospital project named KFMC. In 2011, I came back to Pakistan and joined EA Consulting. Currently, I am heading the Electrical Department in EA Consulting working on multiple national and international projects for Hospitals, Commercial towers, Residential towers, Hotels, etc.
AT: Tell us about your role in EA consulting.
AJ: My role in EA is to Head the Electrical Department. Being the HoD, I deal with the management of departmental affairs as well as conducting daily meetings with clients and contractors. I get to learn a lot from competent Architects, MEP Engineers, and Project Managers as well as with different clients at this position making me stronger in decision making and moving ahead.
AT: What kind of services and programs are offered at EA consulting, and how are these designed?
AJ: EA Consulting Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Engineering Associates) is one of the leading multidisciplinary consulting firms in Pakistan. We provide full services in the fields of Engineering, Architecture, and Project Management to the public and private sector organizations in Pakistan and the Middle East region. Headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, EA offers expertise in various disciplines including City Planning, Urban Infrastructure, Project/ Construction Management, Architecture, Structural, MEP, HVAC, and Public Health engineering.
AT: What should be the role of engineers in our society?
AJ: First of all, Engineers tend to invent new technologies, such as the solar or the silicon chip. They also work hard to make the ideas work, proposed by different individuals, such as structural and geotechnical engineers creating technical solutions to make an architect’s design for a building stand up. Engineers are at the forefront of technological advancement, designing new machines and algorithms to help tackle societal problems. Technology is being used to combat climate change, improve the quality of life and bring people closer together. Most people aren’t familiar with the work engineers do, because if it’s working, you don’t notice it.
AT: The role of engineer you have mentioned, do you think engineers are playing their role today?
AJ: Of course, Engineers nowadays have a specialized platform on which they have served to produce quality inventions in the technology sector. Such as renewable technology energy like solar and wind. They have made great advancements in such fields.
AT: How can the efficiency of electricity generation, transmission, and consumption improved in Pakistan?
AJ: To improve the efficiency, a very popular idea is to add a gasifier (or pyrolyzer) to produce combustible gas from the same fuel and to burn the combustible gas in the flue gas. The efficiency of Electricity Production from all Fossil Fuels in Public Electricity and CHP Plants in India and China are 28% and 32% compared to those in the investigated European countries.
AT: Nowadays global warming and climate change are the main challenges, how are you addressing these challenges, particularly in Pakistan?
AJ: Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to the climate change effects, and the government should make efforts to save forests and should undertake urgent reforestation and afforestation programs on mountain slopes, build dams in Thar to store rainwater, devise and implement a waste management strategy for mountainous areas and the utilization of diesel should be completely banned.
AT: Can you explain the link between energy sustainability and technology?
AJ: Sustainable development is closely linked to the use of technology. Modern technologies do not only lead to positive effects. On the contrary, many problems, for example in the environmental sector, result directly from the application and implementation of technology. We should all make efforts to switch vehicles and other means of transportation to renewable energy sources like electricity as soon as possible.
AT: How important is architecture lighting for a spatial environment while designing any project and what considerations do you keep in mind?
AJ: Whether it’s daylighting or artificial lighting, light draws attention to textures, colors, and forms of space, helping architecture achieve its true purpose. Vision is the single most important sense through which we enjoy architecture. Plus, lighting enhances the way we perceive architecture even more. All these are done in coordination with the theme defined by the architect and through lighting software.
AT: What type of problems have you ever faced from the owner and contractor?
AJ: Mainly, we tend to face the problems regarding time management from the owners, and on the other hand, looking at the problems we face from the contractor’s end are related to project completion to a great degree.
AT: What are the considerations for building safety in terms of electrical designing and what important tips would you like to give designers and the public at large?
AJ: We are very particular in terms of following international standards for life safety such as the codes of NFPA as they have been developed after extensive experience around the world.
AT: What measures would you suggest to be considered for reducing electrical loads in buildings?
AJ: Using LEED compliance strategy systems in MEP which helps to reduce Electrical load as well as Environmental friendly design for a building is also developed.
AT: What is your opinion about the use of solar energy in buildings in general and houses in Pakistan vis a vis cost of the project?
AJ: The use of Solar with net metering will definitely reduce your electricity bills and also conserve energy. However, there is a new technology called BIPV which also helps those buildings which haven’t space to put traditional solar plates on top or other spaces.
AT: Any message for young professionals?
AJ: Build your basics strong and work hard in the initial stages of your careers because once you have strong theoretical as well as practical knowledge, you’re going to prove that you’re limitless and no one would be able to beat you on any forum.
AT: What are your comments on this Newage Engineers Interview series? Do you think young professionals, particularly students, are benefitting?
AJ: This Newage Interview Series will genuinely help young engineers and professionals to think and learn. Plus, it will also help them to improve their capabilities. An illustrious magazine like ARCHI TIMES will be the best platform for young engineers to learn and advance from our vast experience.
