Baharuddin Abu Kassim was born on October 1, 1929. He pursued his higher education at the University of Manchester, where he obtained a Diploma in Architecture in 1956. He furthered his studies and earned a Diploma in Town Planning in 1958.

He has had a distinguished career in architecture and town planning, holding key positions in various firms and government departments. He is currently the Executive Chairman of Jurubena Bertiga International Partnership (JBIP) in collaboration with ATSA Architects Sdn Bhd, a joint venture. He has held this position at Jurubena Bertiga International Sdn Bhd since 1974. Prior to that, he was the Founder Partner of Jurubena Bertiga/Architects Team 3 from 1967 to 1981. He also served as a Partner at Malayan Architects Co-Partnership from 1965 to 1981. His early career saw him working in government agencies. He started as an Assistant Town Planning Officer at the Federal Town Planning Department from 1958 to 1959. He then joined the Public Works Department in 1959 as an Assistant Architect and was later promoted to Senior Architect, serving until 1966.

In addition to his professional roles, he was appointed as a Consultant Architect by the Malaysian Government in 1965 for High Commission projects in New Delhi, India, and Islamabad, Pakistan. In 1963, he was also selected as one of the Assessors for the National Architectural Competition of the Negeri Sembilan State Mosque.