2. LIFE HISTORY
Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was born in Pune,
India in 1927.
He did his bachelors from J. J. School of Art,
Bombay in 1950.
He worked for four years with Le Corbusier as
senior designer (1951-54) in Paris.
In 1956 he established a private practice in Vastu-
Shilpa, Ahmedabad and in 1962 he established
the Vastu-Shilpa Foundation for Environmental
Design.
3. LIFE HISTORY
He also founded and designed the School of
Architecture and Planning in Ahmedabad.
Doshi has worked in partnership as Stein,
Doshi & Bhalla since 1977.
Doshi worked closely with Louis khan
andAnant raje, when Kahn designed the
campus of the Indian Institute of Management.
In 1958 he was a fellow at the Graham
Foundation forAdvanced Studies in the Fine
Arts.
4. LIFE HISTORY
Doshi has been a member of the Jury for
several international and national competitions
including the Indira Gandhi National Centre for
Arts and Aga Khan Award forArchitecture.
He was presented in 1995,Aga Khan Award for
Architecture, for the Aranya Community
Housing in Indore, India.
Doshi's architecture provides one of the most
important models formodern Indian
architecture
5. PHILOSOPHIES
According to him Architecture of a building is
conceived not as a container of specific activities
but as a place to be inhabited, as a place to
facilitate the course of human environment
Doshi's work has consistently revolved around the
interrelationship of indoor and outdoor space, an
appropriate and honest approach to materials,
proper climatic response and observance of
hierarchy and order that has always been present
in the best modern architecture.
6. PHILOSOPHIES
It is this so called ‘filter’ between contemporary
and traditional architecture which Doshi has
masterfully brought in.
The success of any project depends on
effective construction, contracting, logistic
planning and co-ordination.
An essential part of the philosophy is the
construction of scale models and of full scale
mockups to make decisions jointly with the
client about the building.
7. PRINCIPLES
* Doshi has categorized 8 principles in
traditional architecture which he believes
would greatly enrich contemporary practice.
1. Doshi belief in the ‘Mythical Sense’ of space
often evident in traditional architecture which
is not simply confined to open or closed
areas. According to him space can be
modified according to the desire of the
perceiver and is never static.
8. PRINCIPLES
2. The structural and formal systems that Doshi has adopted
led him to assimilate the 2nd
principle of Vaastu-Purusha
Mandala to ensure minimum standards of health and
hygiene in each project .
Vaastu’ (environment), ‘Purusha’ (energy) and
‘Mandala’ (astrology) are combined in the diagram that
has evolved to assist builders in determining proper
orientation. North relates to the lord of wealth, south
relates to the lord f death , east to the lord of light (the
rising sun), and west to the lord of wind. The centre is
attributed to the lord of the Cosmos .
9. PRINCIPLES
Following this chart has generally indicated a southwest
orientation , favoring he prevailing breeze and also has
defined the use of central courtyard.
3. Transformation of Energy between the building and
people using the space for functional use. The Energy
takes place between the walls, columns and space of
the building. The natural energy produces through sun
radiations or natural elements, surroundings, species
around it etc.
Doshi followed it in his architecture by providing
openness in buildings through colonnades, pergolas,
porticos, sky lights etc. for e.g.- IIM, Bangalore.
10. PRINCIPLES
4. Doshi has persisted a deep belief in importance of
‘Human Institutions’, just as Louis-i-Kahn did
before him. This belief, is amplified by his own
deep cultural experience and popular evolution of
new institutions. The name of his office itself, the
Vaastu-Shilpa foundation, is a ringing affirmation
of Doshi’s faith in the dialogue between people
and architecture of which he speaks and powers
of dialogue to bring about old institutions and
create new ones.
11. PRINCIPLES
5. A more specific principle is to follow ‘flexible ratherthan
rigid approach to the structure’. This is how transformation
of space from the mere static container ; to a place where
people actually feel a psychic interchange is best achieved.
Here Doshi refers to the multiple mixed structural systems,
of the type found in Madurai temple and city of Fatehpur
Sikri.
6. The idea of flexibility leads him to a principle, of
incorporating “symbolism”. He believes that it can only be
accommodated by mixture of structural systems.
Symbolically charged space must be designed as
receptacle for human activity.
12. PRINCIPLES
7. Doshi also advocates “Amorphous ratherthan
finite forms” ; used with multiple structural
systems so that ‘experience with them may be
loose meandering and multiple’. For e.g.-
Aranya low cost housing, Indore.
8. As an eighth and final principle, doshi seeks
“Timelessness” in his architecture much as
Louis khan did when describing his quality in
historical precedents as' open endedness’.
14. It is located 6 kms. From the centre of
Indore on Agra-Bombay highway.
Aranya site is flat.
Doshi was commissioned by the Indore
Development Authority to provide housing
for the “Economically weaker sector”.
Ar. Decided to integrate some upper-
income units to subsidize the lower cost
units.
The target pollution was 40,000 on a 80
hectare site, incorporating 6,500 plots
ranging b/w 35 & 475 sq. mts.
Of these 65% were allocated for the very
poor, 11% for lower income, 14% for
middle income, 9% for high income group.
15. The Aranya housing scheme divided as
58% residential use, 23.5% pedestrian &
vehicular access roads, 8% open space,
7% shared community.
Doshi divided the site with a north-south
spine where the main amenities are
clustered, feeding 3 zones of housing on
each side.
The choice of orientation, as well as the
use of offsets, also maximizes shade.
Houses are clustered in groups of 10.
A Septic tank has been provided for
every cluster or 20 houses.
Water is drawn from 3 local reservoirs to
serve the entire project.
18. The outer periphery consist units for
H.I.G and most weaker section is inside.
Each house provided with an OTTA- an
outdoor platform.
For economic resources use of shared
foundations and party walls been carved
out.
Brick, stone, and concrete are available
locally, but owners are free to use any
material they choose for house
construction and decoration.
The main street runs at the centre of
plan in zig-zag pattern.
External patios is provided as the
spaces for interaction.
22. A Centrally located site of 2.87 acres
(11,642 sq. mts.) in Hauz-Khas was
selected.
The institute was visualized as an
international fashion center.
The NIFT site is surrounded by housing &
institutional uses.
Fashion Design demands continuous
innovation, for this changing environment
highly visible display and show areas are
essential.
Doshi’s concept of surrounding the inner
court with each of the main blocks of
complex b/w 3 & 4 stories high gives the
feeling of traditional chowk (courtyard).
26. A series of high and low
platforms, a variety of galleries
and areas for formal and casual
activities and direct & indirect
display of the designs implies a
series of internal courtyards and
terraces at various heights.
A glazed walkway of reflective glass looks down in
to inner courtyard.
An Auditorium in basement occupies the space
directly beneath the Amphitheatre on ground floor.
The rest of basement is used for car parking spaces
and mechanical facilities.
27. Angled glazed surfaces of the
administration block.
Flight of brick steps lead to the courtyard
from the main gate.
The administrative block located in the
foreground of the complex with library and
exhibition area.
First courtyard- Modified kund or saucer-
shaped rainwater store.
Second courtyard- Informal
Amphitheatre.
Both courtyards form the central space of
institute & have glazed corridors around
them that allow a clear view of the
galleries, the classroom cluster, the adm.
28. Central water channel
leading from outside in to
heart of complex.
Entrance at the top of the inner court.
The centre of the complex create a dramatic descent to a
pool with reflective angled glass multiplying the effect.
There is an undulating painted steel pergola above the
internal court as a symbolic gateway.
30. The Gufa is a collaborative effort b/w
B.V Doshi and the Indian artist M.F
(Maqbul Fida) husain; began as an Art
Gallery for the Exhibition of artists work.
It is located in the campus, of the
Centre for environment planning &
technology (CEPT) in Ahmedabad.
Site Area- 1000 sq.mt.
Built up Area- 280 sq.mt.
Project cost- Rs.1.8 million
This is a combination of high
technology and traditional techniques
that also describes the essential
timelessness of technology itself.
31. The construction of the
Gufa was finally
dependent upon the
knowledge & skill of
builders who had to
translate highly
sophisticated diagrams
into reality.
The references for the
Gufa are elemental and
primeval. The circle,
mountains, historical
precedents as Caves
(Karli, Ajanta), Stupas
etc.
33. This structure is in form of
skeletal skin & wire mesh
sandwiched on each side by
layers of cement.
The concrete is then
covered with a
compacted layer of
vermiculite followed
by mosaic of pieces of
broken china.
White tiles reflects the
sun rays, helps to keep
the interior cool.
34. The structure is specifically oriented to
let in the maximum amount of heat &
light to give the interior a golden glow.
To enhance the cave like feeling of
gallery, the contours of the site were
retained, rather than being levelled.
The gently undulating surface of the
earth can still be perceived beneath the
thin concrete floor slab poured over it.
The entrance is approached down a
flight of steps in to the cave like interior.
Some shells consists appeared snouts
with apertures (hole), used to capture
fresh air & light.
35.
36. The central hall is supported by 2 rows
of columns which divide the interior in
to a wider centre aisle & 2 side aisle.
The columns have octagonal shafts
wider at base & tapered at capital.
The ribs, which spans from column
line to column line, create the vaulted
roof of cave.
The snouts seems as skylights to
throw light inside.
38. Sloping topography of the site.
Built up area 54000 sq. mts.
Building includes the external spaces
and the link between the buildings.
Functional and physical attributes of
the design are related to the local
traditions of pavilion like spaces &
courtyards.
Ample provision for plantation.
Use of local material.
The forecourt and entrance are at the
lower left of plan. Dormitories are
arranged diagonally around an
interlocking series of courtyards in
upper part.
41. Design included long and unusually high
“three storeyed” corridors with
innumerable vistas of focal points.
corridors are sometimes seem
open, sometimes with only pergolas
and sometimes partly covered
with skylight.
Varying direct and indirect sunlight
coupled with solid-void combination.
To further heighten the spatial
experience, the width of the corridors
was modulated in many places to allow
casual sitting , interaction or moving
forward to one destination or more.
42. Corridors of columns beneath concrete pergolas
create a rhythm of light & shadow.
Use of varying rhythm of solids and voids i.e. walls
and openings.
43. The main area- is
a complex of
courtyards linked by
walkways or internal
streets, some
covered & some
open to sky, creating
vistas or
Focal points.
