Ar.

BALKRISNA VITHALDAS DOSHI

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.

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 for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.

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 for Architecture. 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 for modern Indian architecture

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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 Doshis 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.

PRINCIPLES
5. A more specific principle is to follow flexible rather than 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.

PRINCIPLES
7. Doshi also advocates Amorphous rather than 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.

ARANYA LOW-COST HOUSING TOWNSHIP

INDORE , (1983-86)

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 upperincome 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.

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.

SITE PLAN

SITE PLAN

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.

Varied faade treatments with material control

Various arrangements done in plots.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

NEW DELHI , (1997)

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. Doshis 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).

SITE PLAN

GROUND F. PLAN

BASEMENT PLAN

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.

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 saucershaped 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.

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.

HUSAIN DOSHI GUFA

AHMEDABAD , (1992-95)

 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.

 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.

PLAN

 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.

 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.

 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.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

BANGALORE , (1977-85)

 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 tr aditions 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.

PLAN

MODEL SHOWING CAMPUS PLANNING

 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.

 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.

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.