Hafeez Contractor Emphasizes Three-Dimensional City Planning at MIT-WPU Conference
Pune, September 17, 2026: MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) hosted the inaugural conference of the Hafeez Contractor School of Architecture, focusing on sustainability, technology, and evolving urban landscapes. The event featured round-table discussions on integrating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and future-ready technology interventions into architectural practice.
Addressing the gathering, Hafeez Contractor, Chief Guest and Architect, said, “Being associated with an architectural college that carries my name is a big responsibility. Students must learn the basic principles of architecture and understand that whatever they do should have a purpose. As our cities continue to grow, we have to think about a new way of construction and rethink how we design our cities.”
He added, “The way we have been expanding our cities, consuming farmland and forest land, cannot continue. We have to protect our forests, farmland and wetlands because if we destroy our environment, we cannot live. We have to think about new approaches to construction and how we can build higher while considering cost and the needs of millions of people coming to our cities. Our city planning cannot remain two-dimensional; we have to think about our cities in three dimensions… The way we design our cities is going to shape the future, and I feel this school should concentrate on creating new ideas because the future is theirs.”
Rahul V. Karad, Executive President, MIT-WPU, said, “Hafeez Contractor’s association with this school is an honour, but it also places a greater responsibility on us to ensure that the institution remains relevant to its time… With technology and artificial intelligence transforming how we learn, design and work, academia and industry must work together to prepare students for what tomorrow will require.”
Pavan Anand, Fine Jeweller and Guest of Honour, said, “Architecture is a wonderful canvas for creativity, but it is also about experience… Identify your individual sensibility, skill set and talent, pursue what you are truly passionate about, and do not be afraid to take your creative practice in a different direction.”
Pushkar Kanvinde, Architect and Guest of Honour, said, “Your learning does not stop after five years; you have to become a lifelong learner. With AI emerging as a disruptive technology, you have to go beyond it and nurture the creativity that makes you a good architect.”
