Subtractive is an award winning interdisciplinary studio that provide architecture, interior, environmental, industrial design and LEED® consultancy services. We maintain conscientious strategies towards incorporating sustainable features into an environment.

Founded by Ahmed Mian in January 2011, the studio now in its 7th year has been created with over 20 years of architecture and design experience, with projects in Pakistan, UK and USA. Ahmed is a LEED®AP and strives to design projects conforming to sustainable standards, in today's world pushed to extremes due to excessive carbon footprints of our cities and built environments. He is also a member of PCATP, IAP (Institute of Architects Pakistan) and previously held a position as an Executive Committee Member IAP-Karachi. Ahmed has also been an associate professional member of AIA (American Institute of Architects) and IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America). Ahmed also has been a visiting faculty member at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi - his alma mater.

At Studio Subtractive we are committed to creating holistic, edgy, dynamic, and environmentally sound design solutions specific for each individual project. We take into consideration the client’s needs and requirements, as well as the restrictions or opportunities provided by the site context, all the while forwarding our own design investigations, convictions and the identity of the client or brand we are working for. As one of the only LEED® accredited practices in Pakistan, we pay particular attention to sustainable design and are constantly striving to apply international standards of “green” architecture to all our designs
 

WHY SUBTRACTIVE

“Form Follows Fiction - Bernard Tschumi”
We believe that a design from us comes from a inherent desire to be planned per a narrative, a story, a script, a thought. Without the tangible boundaries; a script sculpts forms that are fluid driven purely by the narrative, the program, the functions, the ideation, the performances that we are questioning.
Imagine a perfect balance in life that bonds our culture and religion, social behaviors and practices with the unfussiness of modernity. We would all be content within the physical boundaries of our realm. As a developing country we find many facets of “norms” within the various strata’s of society. But where does one find the pre-eminent median of a human experience – where “it’s all good”. In a place of worship? On the street? In a public park? As a captive audience within the confines of an airplane? Can design of a product, environment or a building dictate a response in a public sphere? Can design change the environment?
Incidentally many elements of our daily lives transcend physical man made borders. Information, fashion, music, cars, cosmetics to architectural styles, craft and materials all find place within our urban fabric. But to what broader consequence than what is visible. Can we afford to lavishly presume overseas manufactured products and lifestyles to take inception into our lives, our social and economic parameters without due diligence? Beauty only runs skin deep and so what makes anything look beautiful can only be meaningful if it responds to the environment around it, morphing it to an evolved state.
At Studio Subtractive our work strives to make objects and environments look beautiful and meaningful. A meaningful solution has a larger impact than one that is borrowed and applied. Anything beautiful and meaningful requires to be manufactured, the parameters of which are vast and complex. Ranging from capital investment, production, distribution, demand/viability and quality to ecology. A perfect balance for product or spatial development requires conscientious design and fabrication ideals.
Our lives are dependent on the attitude of design. From shoes to cars, homes to furniture ….. we are critical of what makes good design. As creative problem solvers our vision delves into the realm of providing design solutions from the micro to the macro, for any function or medium and in any context.
 

Ahmed I . Mian - founder Studio Subtractive
Leed® AP, PCATP, IAP

Ahmed Mian received his Bachelors of Architecture from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi in1996, and a Masters of Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, New York in October 2002. In the ten years he spent practicing in the US, he had the opportunity to work on single and multi-family residences, as well as retail and commercial developments in the United States. He gained expertise in large scale public projects and educational institutions (K-12) in both interiors and architecture. He returned to Karachi in 2009 as one of the few LEED® accredited practitioners in the country. Ahmed was Executive Committee Member of the Institute of Architects, Pakistan– Karachi Chapter (IAP-KC) for the years 2011-2013. He collaborated with the IAP in developing a Green Building Manual for sustainable design construction and practices for the emerging Pakistan Green Building Council. He also helped develop recommendations for the Government Of Sind in formulating Handicap Accessibility Standards for built environments. He has also been a part-time design studio faculty at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi.

Collaboration
noun: collaboration; plural noun: collaborations "the action of working with someone to produce something"

At Studio Subtractive we truly believe in team work and a continuous discourse and debate with those who belong to our fraternity . We empathize with our colleagues, as a joint effort to fabricate solutions to attain a much higher quality of design at any scale and function. Previously being a collaborator and partner at Subtractive, we maintain a close relationship with Seher Aziz - principal at Studio Sera and continue to collaborate with her on various projects and thoughts. You may discover more about the work ethos of Seher by visiting studiosera.com

collaborate with us
We welcome collaborations with us for projects or sharing of ideas or just have a cup of coffee at Studio Subtractive. Write to us at info@subtractive.pk

Business Hours: 9:30am-7pm

Services:
 

View our Capability Statement >>

Ambiance: Professional, Contemporary, Creative & Passionate

Special Services: We provide LEED certification consultancy services for any type of project ranging from commercial, retail, industrial or residential.

Our Style: We strive to make objects and environments both meaningful and beautiful. A perfect balance for product or spatial development requires conscientious design and a commitment to fabrication ideals. We understand the importance of providing our clients with a unique and holistic approach, catered to their specific requirements, so that they may celebrate their own individual validity.

Eco Friendly: We believe in eco-friendly and minimum wastage materials usage for our projects. We also plan our projects in such a way as to get maximum natural light and ventilation in our projects and greatly consider water and energy conservation.

Clients: Esquires, Afgi, Bella Vita, Loco, Farah Talib Aziz, Al Karam Studio, Bose, Hobo, Dawood Hercules, Tissot & Rado, Arpatech, Mews, Kiran Fine Jewelry, Neemar, Bonsai, Cote Rotie, Yasemeen Jiwa, Brentwood Development, Izhar Construction, Muse.

What's New? Designer jewelry brand from Lahore, Neemar has it’s first store in Karachi opening soon. Al-Karam Studio rebranded with a whole new look, across Pakistan from Karachi to Lahore to Bahawalpur to Islamabad, opened this summer. Coming soon, an international coffeehouse Esquires, making its debut in Karachi with Studio Subtractive as the local architects!

Recently won first prize for an IAP sponsored design competition for a sustainable and handicap access toilet.