Yasmin Sabina Khan

The second text is a quotation from my father. He was being interviewed by Engineering News-Record in 1971 for an article about his selection as ENR’s Man of the Year. While discussing his many influential innovations for high-rise design, he reminded the journalist that structures should help make people’s lives better, that technological advancement is not a goal in itself. He always kept this in mind, believing, for instance, that a tall building with a plaza can be preferable to a short, bulky building. What he said at the time of the interview, and what is written on the memorial plaque, is: “The technical man must not be lost in his own technology. He must be able to appreciate life; and life is art, drama, music, and most importantly, people.”