“His sudden death is a shock for all of us. He was a great teacher and a very good human being. He always raised the level of dialogue among students. He inspired in me an interest in the history of Indian landscapes. And he had a generosity of intellect,” said Priyaleen Singh, Head, Conservation Department, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA).

After his masters at SPA in urban design, Shaheer took a second masters in landscape architecture from the University of Sheffield. He taught at SPA for over two decades from 1976, after his return from Northern Ireland. A Ford Fellow, Shaheer wrote about and practised landscape design, giving direction to many in the field. His Delhi-based practice, of over four decades, Shaheer Associates, has projects across the country, largely in the public domain.

“Most of the landscape architects in the country have studied under him. He was an optimist and always had five different solutions for every problem,” said architect Yogesh Kapoor, Senior Associate, Shaheer Associates.