The street front
Drag the handle to compare the design with the concrete frame at five floors.
As designedOn site, May 2026
Levon - 55C
Commercial, DHA Phase 8, Karachi, Pakistan
A commercial building on a 200 sq yd plot in DHA Phase 8, Karachi, built as column-free floors that tenants can fit out as restaurants, offices or showrooms.
- Location
- DHA Phase 8, Karachi, Pakistan
- Year
- 2025
- Status
- In progress
- Typology
- Commercial building
- Area
- 200 sq yd plot
Going up
Levon 55C is under construction in DHA Phase 8. This is the building so far, from the first setting-out to the frame standing.
As designedOn site, May 2026Site diary
Setting out the lift pit from the drawing.
Excavation for the foundations.
The concrete frame reaches the upper floors.
Blockwork closes in the frame.
Inside the ground floor, before finishes.
Site review with the client.
About the project
Brief
A compact, flexible building near Zulfiqar Street and Creek Walk, ready for food and beverage on the lower floors and offices or showrooms above.
The plot
Levon 55C is a commercial building in DHA Phase 8, Karachi, near Zulfiqar Street and Creek Walk, on a 200 sq yd plot. The street around it is cafes, restaurants and shops, busy by day and in the evening. The building is designed to be seen from that street and to open onto it, with seating spilling out at ground level.
Floors that can change
Each level is a shell, not a fixed use. Post-tensioned slabs give column-free rectangular floors that one tenant can take whole or that can be divided. The ground floor is 16 ft high, the basement 12 ft and the upper floors 11 to 12 ft, enough for a mezzanine, services and feature ceilings. Every floor has its own washrooms, pantry and meters, so it works as a complete unit.
Glass to the north
The glass facade faces north, which brings in daylight without the harsh sun of Karachi's other orientations. The first-floor terrace projects 8 to 9 ft, shading the ground-floor glass and giving the tenant above an outdoor room.
Built for restaurants and tenants
The basement and ground floor are planned for restaurant and cafe use, with a dumbwaiter linking the kitchen to the floors above. The lift opens to both the lobby and the tenant side and continues to the roof, beside a 9 ft wide stair. The roof is ready for solar panels and the basement has a sump for water management.
Materials
- Glass curtain wall
- Post-tensioned concrete slabs
- Blockwork infill
Key features
- North-facing glass facade for daylight without harsh sun
- Column-free floors on post-tensioned slabs
- 16 ft ground floor, 12 ft basement, 11 to 12 ft upper floors
- First-floor terrace projecting 8 to 9 ft, shading the glass below
- Dumbwaiter between the basement kitchen and the floors above
- Lift opening to both lobby and tenant sides, continuing to the roof
- Rooftop solar provision and separate meters for each tenant
From the journal
Gallery
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