BV DOSHI

LIFE HISTORY
• BORN- PUNE,MAHARASHTRA

• DOB- AUGUST 26, 1927

• ALMA MATTER- JJ COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

• MENTORS- LE CORBUSIER AND LOUIS KAHN

• AWARDS-

 PRITZKER AWARD
BUILDINGS-
 PADMA BHUSHAN

 PADMA SHRI  IIM AHEMDABAD

 AGA KHAN AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE  IIM UDAIPUR

 ORDE DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES  NIFT DELHI

 AMDAVAD NI GUFA

 CEPT UNIVERSITY

 ARANYA LOW COST HOUSING

PHILOSOPHIES
 Doshi made an intensive and sustained study of traditional Indian philosophy and ancient architectural texts,
while maintaining a deep commitment to modernism.

 architecture is a matter of transformation. Transformation of all adverse situations into favourable conditions

 For him architecture is a search, only a search. Search for that unknown that he have not known, neither he know
how it will manifest .That’s actually essence of his work”. The statement clearly indicates that he is searching
something new always which is indication of creativity of an architect. While talking about the transformation, he
is clear about his objective of project and transformation should take place to meet these objectives but he is
flexible in his approach to reach to these objectives

 The main key aspect of his philosophy remains the openness of ideas

 Doshi understand the importance of foundation and that is nothing but looking back to traditional architecture of
India and he is opening to new window which are adaption with new technology, new living style etc,

 He has said “A deep understanding of the past and a comfortable relationship with the present was the only way
that India could invent a sustainable future for herself, was his belief.”

 Doshi’s work reflects the interrelationship of indoor and outdoor spaces and he focus on openness through
colonnades, pergola, porticos, skylights etc. He does not only focus on design but gives important to many other
factors and in his own words “success of any project depends on effective construction, contracting, logistic
planning and co-ordination”.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
•  Flexible rather than rigid approach to the structure

•  Timelessness in his architecture.

•  Mythical sense –moving beyond historical examples of his

own region

•  Transformation between the building and the people that

transcends the functional use.

•  The notation of flexibility and symbolism.

• The architectonic scale and massing (vaulting), the clear

sense of space and an attraction towards materials remain
thematically strong throughout his works.
ARANYA LOW COST HOUSING
TOWNSHIP,INDORE(1983-86)
• It is located 6km from the central Indore on Agra-Bombay
highway.

• 65%-very poor, 11%-lower incomes, 14%-poor, 14%

middle income, 9%-high income group.

• The master plan called for a central spine of private

businesses and houses constructed on each side.
TOP VIEWS
• A cluster of 10 residences share a central courtyard,
while paved streets and squares break up the ordered
space

• Doshi offered future inhabitants a selection of 80 models

that ranged from one-room units to larger houses that
suited different needs and incomes.

• The minimalist designs show Doshi’s dedication to waste

little space and material. The completed township
 ROUGH
SKETCHES

INSIDE VIEWS
SANGATH,AHEMDABAD(1981)
• Vastu-Shilpa built its own studio in Ahmedabad in 1981. Called Sangath, this
structure is defined by a series of barrel-vaulted roofs covered in porcelain mosaic
tiles

• Described by Doshi's team as "sunken vaults", the building is partially

subterranean. It is organised around a garden, and one if its features is an outdoor
amphitheatre that is used for lectures and other activities.

• Natural light filters gently into the building beneath the vaults, as well as through
an assortment of skylights and windows

• Along with natural connections, Sangath holds connections to India's culture. The
layout resembles the way that a temple develops a series of stages into a final
platform while the form loosely imitates the boldness of a stupa.

• The sunken interior spaces are insulated by clay within the structure. Heat from
the sun is reduced by grassy mounds and the white reflective china mosaic that
covers each vault. Natural light is also filtered into the interior spaces during the
day, while the moon is reflected in the ponds and across the china mosaics at
night.

• Other references to modern styles are also apparent with the Le Corbusier ear
shaped pool; amphitheater steps resembling those by Aalto and Wright; Gaudi's
broken china mosaic; and a water feature similar to that of Kahn's Salk Institute.
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE,AHEMDABAD
• the design school that Doshi both founded and
planned. With its simple brick and concrete buildings,
shaded courtyards and staircases, and open layout,
the project shows the influence of both Le Corbusier
and Louis Kahn, who had worked with Doshi on a
project just before, but it is also reminiscent of the
traditional Indian townscape.

• The school was completed in 1966, but continued to

evolve and grow in the following decades, and was
eventually renamed Cept University in 2002.

• Students were actively involved in designing new

additions to the campus, but the focus remained the
same – to create spaces that promote collaborative
learning.
AMDAVAD NI GUFA,1995
• One of of Doshi's most experimental projects is also located nearby.
His Amdavad ni Gufa, built in 1995, is a cave-like art gallery that
exhibits the work of artist Maqbool Fida Husain.

• Tortoise shells and soap bubbles are cited as the inspirations for
the domed structures that form this building. Like at Sangath, this
structures are covered in mosaic tiles.

• Inside, artworks have been applied directly onto the walls like
hieroglyphics, while metal sculptures are propped up against the
irregular columns.

• In addition to addressing practical needs, Doshi’s work could also

be playful, as seen in one of his most experimental projects,
Amdavad Ni Gufa in Ahmedabad (1994). The art gallery features
the colourful work of artist Maqbool Fida Husain within an
underground space. The cavernous interior uses irregular columns
that resemble mineral deposits and, like a cave, offers a cool refuge
from India’s heat. The bulbous roof, which is covered in a mosaic of
white tiles, is low enough to the ground that visitors can walk upon
it, sit, and interact with one another