Margalla Orchard Islamabad
Avenir Developments designs and builds houses on 1 Kanal, 14 Marla and 10 Marla plots in Margalla Orchard, Park Road. See what to design before possession.
House Design and Construction in Margalla Orchard, Islamabad
Avenir Developments designs and builds houses on 1 Kanal, 14 Marla and 10 Marla plots in Margalla Orchard, the FGEHA, Supreme Court Bar Association and DHA scheme on Park Road, opposite COMSATS University. Each design starts from your plot's real dimensions and the rules DHA confirms for the scheme, and every drawing is prepared so it can be built as drawn.
Architecture, structural and MEP drawings, submission drawings, interiors and construction from one team. Our Islamabad office is in Gulberg Greens.
Where the scheme stands: development is under way, and at a Ministry of Housing and Works review on 22 September 2026, possession of Block A was discussed for June 2027.
Last reviewed 25 September 2026
Margalla Orchard at a glance
Margalla Orchard is the housing scheme formerly called the Park Road Housing Scheme. On 26 September 2025 the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA), the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBA) and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) signed a tripartite agreement under which DHA carries out the development work.
Residential plots were allotted to SCBA members and federal government employees, so other buyers acquire plots by transfer from an allottee.
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Margalla Orchard Housing Scheme, formerly the Park Road Housing Scheme. Also written Margalla Orchards. | Ministry of Housing and Works |
| Location | Park Road, opposite COMSATS University Islamabad, on land in the Tamma, Moriyan and Chak Farash revenue estates | Dawn |
| Partners | FGEHA, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and DHA Islamabad, with DHA responsible for development | Ministry of Housing and Works |
| Residential plots | 4,781 under the layout FGEHA published: 2,088 for federal government employees and 2,693 for SCBA members. A ministerial briefing in February 2026 reported a total of 4,611. | Dawn; The News |
| Plot sizes | 50 x 90 ft (1 Kanal), 40 x 80 ft (about 14 Marla) and 32 x 70 ft (about 10 Marla) | FGEHA |
| Commercial district | Margalla Orchards Walk, a DHA Islamabad project with a published provisional master plan | DHA Islamabad |
| Possession | Not yet handed over. At a Ministry of Housing and Works review on 22 September 2026, possession of Block A was discussed for June 2027. | Capital News Point |
| Building regulations | None published for the scheme that we could find, as of 25 September 2026 | Avenir review of DHA, FGEHA and CDA sources |
Margalla Orchard and Margalla Enclave are different schemes
Both schemes are in Zone IV and both involve DHA, so the names are often confused. Their partners, plot sizes and allotment routes differ, and so may their building rules.
| Margalla Orchard | Margalla Enclave | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Park Road, opposite COMSATS University | Jinnah Avenue (formerly Kuri Road) |
| Partners | FGEHA, SCBA and DHA | CDA and DHA |
| Residential plots | 50 x 90, 40 x 80 and 32 x 70 ft | 125, 250 and 500 sq yd |
| How plots were allotted | To SCBA members and federal government employees | Public ballots |
Margalla Enclave details are from DHA's Margalla Enclave website.
What you can do before possession, and what should wait
DHA took over development after the September 2025 agreement, and work is under way. Until DHA hands over possession and demarcates your plot, three things that shape the design remain open: the final plot geometry, the plot's level against its road and neighbours, and the regulations that will govern submission drawings.
The layout itself may also change. After DHA joined, the scheme's layout plan was reported to be under revision, and the plot total given at a February 2026 ministerial briefing differs from the original layout. A revised layout can change plot numbers, block boundaries and road frontage, so design should start from the current approved layout, not a brochure map.
None of this is a reason to wait. The decisions that make a house work, such as how the family lives, where the rooms sit and what the house should cost, can be settled now. Settling them early is what lets construction start soon after possession rather than months later.
| Design stage | When | What it waits for |
|---|---|---|
| Brief: rooms, family needs, budget range, future plans | Now | Nothing |
| Concept layouts for your plot size, in options | Now, on the current layout | Final plot geometry, to lock |
| Plinth level, basement and drainage strategy | Options now | Demarcation and site levels |
| Elevations and 3D views | Now, as a direction | Approved layout and confirmed rules |
| Structural and MEP design | After concept approval | Soil investigation on the demarcated plot |
| Submission drawings | After possession | Confirmed regulations and possession |
| Construction | After approval | Approved drawings and demarcation |
Which building rules will govern a Margalla Orchard house
DHA manages development in Margalla Orchard under the September 2025 agreement. As of 25 September 2026 we could not find building regulations published for the scheme, or a public statement of which authority will approve building plans there. Ask DHA Islamabad before submission drawings are prepared.
DHA's own Islamabad and Rawalpindi phases are governed by the DHA Islamabad and DHA Rawalpindi Revised Byelaws and Regulations 2022 (updated 2023). They extend to DHA's 'specified as well as notified area' (Regulation 1.1.2, page 1). Whether Margalla Orchard is brought under them or given its own regulations is for DHA and the scheme partners to confirm. Until then, setback, coverage and height figures from DHA phases or CDA sectors are a reference, not Margalla Orchard's rules. For where DHA's other Islamabad projects stand, see our guide to the future of DHA Islamabad.
The byelaws do show how DHA runs building control in Islamabad, and owners should expect a process of the same shape. In DHA's Islamabad phases, the 2022 byelaws (updated 2023) set these requirements:
| Requirement in DHA's Islamabad phases | Regulation, page | What it means for your project |
|---|---|---|
| Plans prepared by a PCATP-registered architect and a PEC-registered structural engineer, both on DHA's panel | 1.2.48, 1.2.61, 8.5 (pp. 4, 22) | Ask any architect or engineer to confirm their standing with DHA in writing before you appoint them. |
| Soil investigation with at least two boreholes before structural design | 8.4.1 (p. 22) | Structural design is finalised after the plot is demarcated and tested. |
| Compliant plans returned approved within 15 working days | 8.7.2 (p. 23) | Complete, compliant drawings are the quickest route through approval. |
| Approved drawings must be revalidated, for a fee, if construction has not started within three months | 8.9 (p. 24) | Approve submission drawings when you are ready to build. |
| Road-side boundary wall built to DPC level and checked before the main building starts | 7.19 (p. 20) | The boundary wall is the first construction stage. |
| Construction only through a DHA-registered contractor, unless DHA permits self-construction | 7.27 (p. 20) | Ask your contractor for proof of DHA registration. |
| No excavation during the monsoon | 8.19.1 (p. 25) | Plan excavation for the dry months. |
| 5 ft safety distance when excavating a basement or level-difference plot beside a built house | 8.21.1 (p. 26) | This shapes basement design on plots between built houses. |
| Termite-proofing during construction | 8.24 (p. 26) | Include it in the specification and the bill of quantities. |
| Construction completed within three years of plan approval, or a penalty applies | 8.31.1 (p. 27) | Match the construction programme and cash flow to the approval date. |
When DHA confirms the rules for Margalla Orchard, we check the design against that edition, regulation by regulation, before submission.
Designing on 1 Kanal, 14 Marla and 10 Marla plots in Margalla Orchard
Margalla Orchard has three residential plot sizes, and under the layout FGEHA published, nearly two thirds of the residential plots are 1 Kanal. The drawing at the top of this page shows all three to the same scale. Check your own plot against your allotment letter and the current approved layout.
| Plot | Dimensions | Area | Plots in FGEHA's layout | Allotted to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Kanal | 50 x 90 ft | 4,500 sq ft (500 sq yd) | 3,104 | FGEHA 1,188; SCBA 1,916 |
| 14 Marla | 40 x 80 ft | 3,200 sq ft (about 356 sq yd) | 900 | FGEHA |
| 10 Marla | 32 x 70 ft | 2,240 sq ft (about 249 sq yd) | 777 | SCBA |
Counts are from the layout FGEHA published; a February 2026 ministerial briefing reported a total of 4,611 plots, so the revised layout may differ. Marla figures use 225 sq ft (25 sq yd), the unit DHA Islamabad's byelaws use (Regulation 6.10, page 17). Under the 272.25 sq ft Marla still used in parts of Punjab, the same plots would count as about 16.5, 11.8 and 8.2 Marla. The design works from square feet, not the Marla label; Avenir's land area converter converts between the units.
50 x 90 ft
4,500 sq ft
1 Kanal plots (50 x 90 ft)
A 50 ft frontage is wide enough to keep the car porch apart from the main entrance, so guests do not walk past parked cars to reach the door. The 90 ft depth forces the first planning decision: a larger front lawn facing the street, or a deeper, private rear lawn with the house brought forward. That choice sets where the drawing and dining rooms sit, how the kitchen and service entry work, and which bedrooms get the winter sun.
The second early decision is the basement. It adds floor area below the ground-floor footprint, but it brings excavation beside neighbours, waterproofing, drainage and ventilation, and it is harder where a plot sits below its road. Decide it at concept stage, once the plot level is known, rather than adding it to a finished layout. More on planning this size: 1 Kanal house design.
40 x 80 ft
3,200 sq ft
14 Marla plots (40 x 80 ft)
A 40 x 80 ft plot is uncommon in Islamabad, and plans drawn for 10 Marla or 1 Kanal plots rarely adapt well to it. The 40 ft width can take a car porch beside a separate entrance, and the 80 ft depth usually allows a guest zone at the front of the ground floor with family rooms behind.
Stair position is the critical choice. A stair against one side wall frees the centre of the plan but lengthens the first-floor corridor; a central stair shortens circulation and, with a skylight above, brings daylight into the middle of the house.
32 x 70 ft
2,240 sq ft
10 Marla plots (32 x 70 ft)
At 32 ft wide, these plots are narrower than many 10 Marla plots elsewhere, and every foot of width counts once the porch, entrance and stair are placed. Rooms along the long sides get daylight only if the plan brings it in through a court or the stairwell, so the light strategy has to be designed with the layout.
A narrow plot rewards a compact plan: short corridors, few wasted corners and a structure that spans simply. More: 10 Marla house design.
Levels, rain and sun: site conditions in Margalla Orchard
Plot levels
Marketing material for the scheme describes some blocks as sitting on higher ground. Whatever the final grading, your plot's level against its road and its neighbours is fixed when DHA demarcates it, and it decides the plinth height, the driveway slope, whether a basement is sensible and where rainwater goes. DHA's Islamabad byelaws already deal with this: seepage treatment between plots at different levels must be shown on submission drawings (Regulation 8.18), and a lower plot must take a temporary 6 inch drain from a higher plot behind it until that plot is built (Regulation 8.20).
Monsoon and drainage
Islamabad's heaviest rain comes with the monsoon, and DHA does not allow excavation in its Islamabad phases during that season (Regulation 8.19.1). Roof drainage, driveway falls, basement waterproofing and the boundary wall on the low side of the plot need to be detailed in the drawings, not improvised on site. DHA also requires roof water to drain through concealed pipes rather than spouts (Regulation 8.19.5).
Sun and orientation
Which side of the plot faces the road changes the plan. A south-facing rear lawn takes the winter sun and can be shaded in summer; a west-facing front elevation needs deep window reveals, shading or smaller openings to control afternoon heat. Where a plot's level gives a view north towards the Margalla Hills, the upper lounge or main bedroom can take the view while the living rooms keep the southern light.
Earthquake resistance
Islamabad is in Seismic Zone 2B under the Building Code of Pakistan (Seismic Provisions 2007). How a house performs in an earthquake is set by its structural design, which is why engineered structural drawings are part of the design package and are completed before site work begins.
If your plot came through the SCBA or FGEHA allotment
Many allottees have waited years for this stage. The scheme was started under Supreme Court orders in 2015, and the Ministry of Housing and Works acknowledged its delays when the DHA agreement was signed. For allottees, the practical question now is how to be ready for possession without paying for drawings twice.
What to bring to the first conversation
- Your allotment details: plot number, block and size.
- The current approved layout or site plan, if DHA has issued one.
- Any DHA, FGEHA or SCBA notice about possession or layout changes.
- Who will live in the house now, and in ten years.
- A construction budget range, even an approximate one.
- When you would like construction to start.
Planning points that come up in this scheme
Chambers and studies. A study for your own work is straightforward. A room for receiving clients, with its own entrance, is a different matter: DHA's byelaws for its Islamabad phases prohibit home businesses (Regulation 4.4, page 12). Confirm what Margalla Orchard's rules allow before designing a separate client entrance.
Parents and later years. If the house has to work for older parents or for your own retirement, a ground-floor bedroom with an accessible bathroom costs far less to plan now than to retrofit.
Plots bought by transfer. Confirm the plot's number, block, dimensions and road frontage against the current approved layout before commissioning detailed design, because a layout revision can change them.
Architecture, construction and Design + Build for Margalla Orchard
Avenir Developments provides architectural design and construction for houses and commercial buildings in Margalla Orchard. Our Islamabad office is at Luxus Mall, Gulberg Greens, and Margalla Orchard is within our Islamabad and Rawalpindi construction area. We take on a construction contract only where our team can be on site through the working week.
Design
The design package for a Margalla Orchard house covers concept options and space planning; elevations and 3D visualisation; structural and MEP drawings coordinated with the architecture; submission drawings, with support through the authority's comments according to the agreed scope; construction drawings and schedules; and interior design where you appoint it. The approval decision rests with the authority. See how the architecture and house design process runs stage by stage.
Construction
Avenir builds from grey structure to turnkey, priced from coordinated drawings and a bill of quantities. Materials, quality checks, programme and payment stages are set out in a separate construction agreement before work starts. If your drawings were prepared elsewhere, we review them first and tell you where the set is incomplete before any rate is discussed. More on construction services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Three ways to appoint Avenir
| Single service | Staged appointment | Design + Build | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | One scope: design, interiors or construction | Services appointed in sequence, each confirmed before the next | Design and construction under one contract |
| Who coordinates architecture, structure and MEP | You, or your other consultants | Avenir within each stage; you between stages | Avenir throughout |
| Suits | Owners who have already chosen a builder or designer | Owners waiting for possession who want to decide stage by stage | Owners who want one accountable team, including those abroad |
Details on how to appoint Avenir.
Managing a Margalla Orchard project from abroad
If you hold an allotment or bought a plot while living abroad, the design stage can run remotely: video meetings, shared drawing sets, digital approvals and a written record of each decision. For construction, the reporting frequency and the approval process are set out in the proposal before work begins. See how Avenir works with clients abroad.
- Approve submission drawings when construction can start.In DHA's Islamabad phases, drawings not acted on within three months must be revalidated for a fee (Regulation 8.9).
- Decide early who will represent you at possession and demarcation.Confirm which authority document DHA requires for that representative.
- Keep every decision in writing.Finishes, changes and variations should be recorded and priced before they are built.
Commercial buildings in Margalla Orchards Walk
Margalla Orchards Walk is the scheme's commercial district, launched by DHA Islamabad. DHA's provisional master plan sets out the plot sizes and the streets around them.
- Commercial plots
- 30 x 40 ft (5.33 Marla) and 40 x 45 ft (8 Marla)
- Parking in front of plots
- 16 ft bays with 24 ft circulation lanes
- Roads around the district
- 80 to 180 ft wide
- Status of the plan
- Provisional
Source: DHA Islamabad, Margalla Orchards Walk provisional master plan.
Marketing material cites a lower ground, ground and five upper floors and a Spanish architectural theme. Neither appears in DHA's published plan, so confirm the permitted height, basement and any facade guidelines in your allotment terms before design starts.
On these plots the design has to settle a structural grid that works for both shops and offices, stair, lift and fire-escape positions that leave lettable floor plates, space for MEP risers and roof plant, and a facade that meets any theme DHA sets. On a 30 ft frontage, the position of the stair core decides how much shopfront you keep.
Before design, Avenir can prepare a feasibility study covering market demand, financial viability and risk, drawing on its experience developing NORA Residences, its own apartment project in Islamabad. See project consultancy.
Mistakes that cost Margalla Orchard owners time and money
- Designing against a brochure map.Start from the current approved layout; a revision can change plot numbers and road frontage.
- Borrowing another scheme's rules.Setbacks from a DHA phase or coverage limits from a CDA sector are not Margalla Orchard's rules until DHA says so.
- Fixing the plinth and basement before demarcation.The plot's level against its road and neighbours decides both.
- Using a plan drawn for a different plot.A plan for a 35 ft wide plot does not fit a 32 ft plot, and few ready plans exist for 40 x 80 ft.
- Planning excavation into the monsoon.DHA stops excavation in its Islamabad phases during the monsoon, and an open pit waiting for the rains to end costs money and puts neighbouring walls at risk.
- Letting approved drawings lapse.Approval is worth most when construction follows it.
- Designing a client entrance without checking the rules.DHA's Islamabad byelaws prohibit home businesses.
- Building before structural and MEP drawings are coordinated.Changes made after the structure is cast are the most expensive changes in a house.
From first message to construction
Fees depend on plot size, scope and deliverables; see architecture and design fees. For a planning range for construction, use the construction cost calculator.
- Plot and document review.Allotment, plot number and size, current layout and possession status. You learn what can be done now.
- Brief and family workshop.How the house must work now and later, and a budget range.
- Concept options.Tested against the plot's dimensions and the likely range of rules, with levels assumed until demarcation.
- Design development.The chosen concept refined with structural and MEP coordination, elevations and 3D views.
- Submission drawings.Prepared once the governing regulations and possession allow, with revisions made according to the agreed scope.
- Construction drawings and bill of quantities.The set a site team builds from, and the basis for a construction price.
- Construction, if you appoint us.Grey structure to turnkey, with stages, checks and reporting set out in the construction agreement.
Avenir's work in Islamabad
Our Islamabad office is at 101, Luxus Mall, Gulberg Greens. Alongside houses, Avenir develops and designs apartment buildings in Islamabad, which is the experience behind the commercial and development advice on this page.
NORA Residences
Developer and architectAvenir's own apartment development in Islamabad, on GT Road near DHA Phases 2, 3 and 5, designed by Avenir's architects.
1 Kanal modern house, Naval Anchorage
1 Kanal house, IslamabadA 1 Kanal house in Avenir's portfolio, the plot size that makes up most of Margalla Orchard. The project page shows the design.
For apartment, retail, office and mixed-use projects, Avenir also provides feasibility studies, project management, and marketing and sales consultancy alongside the design.
Questions about building in Margalla Orchard
Facts that can change are dated. We review this page when DHA announces possession or building rules for the scheme.
Can I start designing my Margalla Orchard house before possession?
Yes, up to concept and early design development. The brief, room planning and concept options for your plot size can be done now on the current approved layout. Final levels, structural design and submission drawings should wait until DHA demarcates the plot and confirms the building regulations for the scheme, so that you do not pay to have them redrawn.
When will plots in Margalla Orchard be handed over?
No handover date has been formally announced for the whole scheme. At a Ministry of Housing and Works review of Margalla Orchard on 22 September 2026, possession of Block A was discussed for June 2027, according to a news report of the visit. Owners who want to build soon after possession should settle the brief and concept well before their block is handed over.
Which authority approves building plans in Margalla Orchard?
DHA Islamabad manages development in Margalla Orchard under the tripartite agreement signed with FGEHA and the Supreme Court Bar Association on 26 September 2025. As of 25 September 2026, we could not find building regulations published for the scheme or a public statement naming the approving authority. Confirm with DHA Islamabad before submission drawings are prepared.
Do DHA Islamabad's byelaws apply to Margalla Orchard?
Not automatically. The DHA Islamabad and DHA Rawalpindi Revised Byelaws and Regulations 2022 (updated 2023) extend to DHA's specified and notified areas (Regulation 1.1.2). Whether Margalla Orchard falls under them or receives its own regulations had not been published as of 25 September 2026. Until it is, setbacks and coverage limits from DHA phases are a reference, not Margalla Orchard's rules.
What are the plot sizes in Margalla Orchard?
Residential plots in Margalla Orchard are 50 x 90 ft (1 Kanal, 4,500 sq ft), 40 x 80 ft (about 14 Marla, 3,200 sq ft) and 32 x 70 ft (about 10 Marla, 2,240 sq ft), according to FGEHA. Under the layout FGEHA published, 3,104 of the 4,781 residential plots are 1 Kanal, 900 are 40 x 80 ft and 777 are 32 x 70 ft; a February 2026 ministerial briefing reported a total of 4,611 plots. Check your plot against your allotment and the current approved layout.
Is Margalla Orchard the same as Margalla Enclave?
No. Margalla Orchard, the former Park Road Housing Scheme, is a joint venture of FGEHA, the Supreme Court Bar Association and DHA on Park Road, opposite COMSATS University. Margalla Enclave is a CDA and DHA joint venture on Jinnah Avenue, with 125, 250 and 500 sq yd plots allotted by public ballot. Do not assume the two schemes share rules or procedures.
How much covered area can I build on a 1 Kanal plot in Margalla Orchard?
That depends on the ground coverage, setback and height rules that will apply to Margalla Orchard, which had not been published as of 25 September 2026. Avenir tests concept layouts against a realistic range and fixes the covered area once the rules are confirmed. A budget built on another society's covered-area figures can be materially wrong.
Can I build a basement in Margalla Orchard?
That depends on the regulations DHA confirms for Margalla Orchard and on your plot's level. A basement means excavation beside neighbours, waterproofing, drainage and ventilation. In DHA's Islamabad phases, excavation is not allowed during the monsoon and a 5 ft safety distance applies when excavating beside a built house (Regulations 8.19.1 and 8.21.1). Decide at concept stage, once the plot level is known.
Does Avenir build in Margalla Orchard, or only design?
Both. Avenir Developments provides construction in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including Margalla Orchard, from grey structure to turnkey. You can appoint Avenir for design only, for staged services, or for Design + Build under one contract, where one team coordinates architecture, structure, MEP and site work.
How much will it cost to build a house in Margalla Orchard?
Cost depends on covered area, specification, basement and site conditions, and covered area in Margalla Orchard cannot be fixed until the scheme's rules are confirmed. For a current planning range, use Avenir's construction cost calculator, which states its rates and the period they apply to. A quotation follows from coordinated drawings and a bill of quantities.
I bought my Margalla Orchard plot by transfer. What should I check before paying for design?
Confirm the plot's number, block, dimensions and road frontage against the current approved layout, because a layout revision can change them. Then confirm the possession position with DHA Islamabad. Design fees are best spent once you know exactly which plot you are designing for.
What can I build on a Margalla Orchards Walk commercial plot?
DHA's provisional master plan for Margalla Orchards Walk shows commercial plots of 30 x 40 ft and 40 x 45 ft. Marketing material cites a lower ground, ground and five upper floors and a Spanish architectural theme, but neither appears in DHA's published plan. Confirm the permitted height, basement and facade requirements in your allotment terms before commissioning design.
Start with your plot details
Send the plot size, block and plot number, and tell us whether you need design, construction or both. The first consultation is free of charge.
- WhatsApp and phone
- +92 300 1101807
- Islamabad office
- 101, Luxus Mall, Gulberg Greens, Islamabad 44000
- Lahore office
- 139, CCA, DHA Phase 5, Lahore 54000