Discrepancy in regulatory provisions and practices – the design of public buildings in Lahore, Pakistan

Lack of clarity in building regulations and associated byelaws results in poor quality of building design. This is the case, particularly in Lahore, where the quality of public buildings is compromised along these dimensions namely, Building Environment, Building Comfort and Building Function which impacts both users and neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, such public buildings include as sensitive buildings as hospitals, hostels, and family homes. This study produces an account of implications of the planning approval process and practice of erecting public buildings by public and private developers in Lahore. The entailing objectives are, firstly, to review and analyze regulatory provisions and prevailing practices of erecting public buildings in the city. Secondly, to carry out non technical / social evaluation of performance of public buildings by end-user. and, thirdly, to consolidate the technical views of the concerned officials regarding regulations/byelaws and their implementation. A mixed method approach (comprising both quantitative and qualitative) is applied to capture and analyze data collected from the identified target groups. The study establishes that the building regulations/byelaws for the public buildings are not sufficient as well as generic in nature, therefore seeking enhancement in terms of categorical specification. There should be Additional regulations/byelaws also need to be devised and introduced which consider types, purpose, and activity levels in public buildings. On the other hand, in terms of practice, there is lack of appropriate building and development control, when it comes down to the erection of public buildings. This results in low satisfaction of the end-user/occupant and the general public, despite the building is for the public. Further research areas are also indicated which can attract interest of a diverse range of researchers, practitioners, and planners related to the construction and wider built environments.