REPORT ON B. V.

DOSHI

SUBMITTED BY
ABHAY

( 09601)

NEETIKA (09618)

Name

Balkrishna Vithaladas Doshi

Nationality

Indian

Date of birth

26th August, 1927

Place of birth

Pune, India

Profession

Architect, Educator &

Academician

He belongs to that generation which came of age just

after Independence, and which was confronted with
the massive tasks of constructing a new nation.
o Doshis family had been in the furniture
business for two generations.
o In 1947, he enrolled himself in JJ College of
architecture, Bombay. .

o After initial study in Bombay, he worked with Le

Corbusier in Paris (1951-1954) as senior
designer.
o In 1955 he returned to India to supervise Le
Corbusiers projects in Ahmadabad and
Chandigarh.

AWARDS & HONORS

1971
1971
1976
1981
1984
1987
1987

Honorary Fellow, American Institute of

Architects
Fellow, Indian Institute of Architects
"Padma Shree" National Award, Government
of India
Pan Pacific Architectural Citation, American
Institute of Architects, Hawaii
Paul Philippe Cret Professor of Architecture,
University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Distinguished Professor, School of Planning,
Ahmedabad
Distinguished Professor, School of
Architecture, Ahmedabad

1988

M. B. Achwal Memorial Gold Medal instituted

by Indian Institute of Architects

1988

Chicago Architecture Award by the Illinois

Council/
American Institute of Architects and
Architectural Record, U.S.A.
Great Gold Medal for Architecture, Academy of
Architecture, Paris
G.B. Mhatre Gold Medal instituted by Indian
Institute of Architects
International Fellow - Academician of the Year,
International Academy of Architecture,
Bulgaria
Hon. Doctorate from the University of
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

1988
1988
1989

1990

1993
1993
1995

1996
1996
1997

Hon. Member,Mexican Academy of Architects,

Mexico, U.S.A.
Architect of the Year Award - 1991 instituted
by J.K. Cement Works, India
Member, International Committee for
preparing International Charter on the
Education of Architects sponsor ed by
International Union of Architects in Association
with UNESCO
Great Master's Award - 1994 instituted by J.K.
Cement Works, India
Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Nagar Bhushan Award instituted by
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

2000
2003
2003
2003

2004
2006
2011

Prime Minister's National Award for Excellence

in Urban Planning and Design
Lifetime Achievement Award by IIA Gujarat
Chapter, Surat
Gujarat Bhushan Award by IIA Gujarat Chapter
, Vadodara Gujarat
CAA Robert Mathew Lifetime Achievement
award by Commonwealth Association of
Architect , South Africa
Golden Architect Award by A+D & Spectrum
Foundation Architecture Awards 2003
Honorary degree of Doctor of Science from
McGill University, Canada
Inside Outside Lifetime Achievement Award

HIS PROJECTS
Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad 1957-62
School of Architecture, Ahmedabad 1968
Gujarat State Fertilizers Corporation, Baroda
1964-69
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
1977-85
Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board, Jabalpur
1979-89
Sangath, Ahmedabad 1979-81
Gandhi Labour Institute, Ahmedabad 1980-84
Aranya Low-Cost Housing, Indore 1983-86
Hussain Doshi Gupha, 1992-95

 National Institute of Fashion Technology, New

Delhi 1997
Bharat Diamond Bourse, Mumbai 1998
PHILOSOPHY
Access network
Collective open spaces
Built form character
Common amenities
Climate & environment
Social mix
Form & type
Form variation & flexibility
Structure & construction
Space organization
ACCESS NETWORK
Use of cul-de-sac to discourage unwanted
through traffic & help inculcate sense of
territory.
T & Y junction on domestic roads for safety
of traffic through reduced point of movement
conflicts. Twist & bend in street alignment to
discourage speed & through movement.
Segregation of vernacular & pedestrian traffic
for safety & clarity & Hierarchy of streets for
intimacy of scale, clarity of movement &
sense of character.
Roads to follow land contours to minimize cut
& fill.
COLLECTIVE OPEN SPACES
Open spaces to be interlinked to form their own
network for increased community & interaction.

The built form & the unbuilt spaces to be

mutually complementary. Built form to positively
define the unbuilt so that the unbuilt spaces do
not remain as defunct residual spaces.
Houses to front the unbuilt spaces for increased
rapport & sense of belonging.

BUILT FORM CHARACTER

Contiguity of built forms along formal streets
for better street edge definition.
Silhouette & massing for the visual richness &
street character.
Variation of house form for indivisual identity
with in overall visual conformity.
Staircase, courts & house extensions are
critical elements of street building interface.
COMMON AMENITIES
Amenities to be centrally located such that
they become visual focus as well as activity
generators which help in uniting the
settlements together as one.
Amenities to be easily & equally accessible to
all within walking distances.
Amenities to be combined with community
open spaces for overlapping uses of land at
different times.
Amenities to be disbursed in respective
hierarchy (of their use & type) for their
effectiveness & proximity to the threshold
population served.
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
North- south orientation of houses for natural sun
shading.

 Sharing of wall stacking units to reduce solar

exposure & optimize of material resource.
Plan & sectional profiles to allow for breeze &
wind flow.
Trees / vegetation for macro climate &
environmental balance.
Waste water treatment & recycling along with
rain water harvesting from roof top & site.
House profile & massing to benefit from mutual
shading & protection against adverse climate
conditions.
Compact volumes & sharing of planes
(walls/floors) to optimize material consumption &
to reduce solar exposure.
Combine lower volumes (dining, store, toilet,
verandah) with higher volumes (living, sleeping,
kitchen) for space efficiency, material & climatic
advantages.
Internal space organization to optimize climate
conditions by orienting active living spaces to
favorable directions while service, storage &
circulation areas as buffer.
Staircases as volume connecting floors to be
strategically located to effectively duplicate as
light lantern, ventilating shaft or windscoops.
Use of vegetation & water to create favorable
micro climate.
SOCIAL MIX
Mix various economic background groups for
healthy society & community interaction.
Avoid friction amongst mixed community groups
by providing easy transition of movement,
respecting the sense of territory & compatible
mixing looking through their mutual inter
dependence.

 Provide various types of dwelling to offer choices

of selection, references & affordability of various
range of use groups.
Mix housing types for variation of form & visual
interest.
FORM & TYPE
Low-rise dwelling (not more than 4 storey) in
order to maintain contact with ground.
Each dwelling to have large private spaces of
outdoor activity & growth.. Compound & court on
ground floor units while terraces on upper floor
units provide for such private spaces.
The built & unbuilt spaces to be integrated as a
cohesive whole.
Terraces to be accessible & usable to multiply as
living space.
FORM VARIATION & FLEXIBILITY
Kitchen, store, wash, stair & toilet to constitute
basic utility core as constant; while living &
sleeping spaces to add on as variable.
Provide for flexible, multipurpose & alternating
uses of spaces in living & dining zones.
Provide for various house extensions onto street
or semipublic open spaces like floor projections,
balconies, terraces, ottas, stairs, weather sheets.
Allow for the natural growth of house over a
period of time.
Offer selection choices for size, type & space
organization of dwelling unit to suite individual
preferences & level of affordability.
Accommodate in design the inhabitants
tendencies or personalization & identity. These
help to create a sense of belonging an offer
visual interest through variety in built form.

(House extension & facade treatments can satisfy

such tendencies.)
STRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION
Dwelling to be in systems module (bays / zones)
& dimensional coordination for clarity of space
organization, discipline of structure & ease of
construction.
Consider a composite structure (load bearing
external & frame internal) to allow for
partitioning flexibility & thin internal walls.
Combine precasting of components with cast in
situ structure for quality control, performance
efficiency & speed of construction.
Use of locally available construction materials &
technology.

1.

ARANYA

Architect

Year
Client
Site area
No. of dwelling
units
ost

LOW COST HOUSING

Vastushilpa
foundation,
B. V. Doshi
1983 1986
Indore Development
Autority
88.72 Ha
12847
Rs. 100 Million

House type distribution

Typ Area
No.
%
e
1.
613.9
1
00.01
%
2.
474
91
01.43
%
3.
325
173
02.72
%
4.
223
255
04.01
%
5.
139
559
08.81
%
6.
93
269
04.24
%
7.
55
575
09.06
%
8.
46.9
126
01.98
%
9.
35.3
4296
67.70
%
GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF ARANYA
To create a township, where a sense of continuity &
fundamental values of security exist in good living
environment.
To achieve a community character be establishing
harmony between the built environment & the
people.
To create a balanced community of various
socioeconomic groups encouraging co- operation,
tolerance & help through a physical planning
process.
To evolve a framework through design, where
increment physical development can take place.

Aranya has demonstrated an innovative approach to

the integrated development creating holistic
environment, rooted in socio cultural and economic
milieu of the place and while being sympathetic to the
way of life of the Urban Poor.
It is an innovative, Site and Services approach,
yet it has Optimization of Land use: Depending
on the Land cost and Land development cost
with respect to the levels of services, the scale
and the density determines the affordability
and the feasibility of the project.
Cutting down the infrastructure layout cost with
a detailed research of the local conditions,
technology, materials and culture.
Participation of the dweller, in his own house.
Reduces the financial pressure on the
Government.
The quality of the public space of better quality.
Innovative Micro Credit system worked out.
ARANYA ACCESS NETWORK

 Squatter settlements repeat some of the

spatial layouts of villages but without the
beauty and lyricism of rural forms.
In the Indore project a hierarchy of streets was
suggested which gradually diminished in size
as they penetrated the different sectors.

ARANYA OPEN SPACE

ARANYA BUILD FORM

\

ARANYA ENVIRONMENT

ARANYA AMENITY DISTRIBUTION

ARANYA HOUSE TYPE DISTRIBUTION

ARANYA BUILT FORM

ARANYA SPACE ORGANIZATION

ARANYA STRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION

ARANYA CLIMATE &

ENVIRONMENT

PLAN OF A HOUSE UNIT

PLAN OF A HOUSE UNIT

FORM VARIATIONS (USER INITATIVE)

2.

HUSSAIN DOSHI GUFA

Name of bulding

Amdavad-ni-Gufa

Location

CEPT Campus, Ahmedabad

Function of building

Exibition gallery of paintings made

by M. F. Hussain
1992-95

Year

CONCEPT OF DESIGN
Doshi was inspire from some old natural & Indian
context like the cave, the circle, the mountain ,
the breast and historical precedential in India. He
was also inspired from the Buddhist Stupas and
its appearance in the cave monasteries of Kari
and Ajanta.
The Stupas, as the primary reference, as a dual
significance as the both Tomb of Buddha and
symbol of pursuit of knowledge, one of his 4
noble truths.
The Stupa formally signifies & implies the
enlightening nature of knowledge.

Street shrine to shiva

with decorative
stupas varied
in shape
ceramic
mosaic from the
dome & cones
hemispherecovering
to pyramids

Originally
prevelent
& werw
often covered from top to bottom with small small
triangular recesses oil lamps, so that the whole
monument could be illuminated & appeared as one
huge, rediating dome of light.
The use of light to enhance its dome like shape
also emphasized the sky vault, as well as life cycle
of Destruction and creation , death and birth. In
this way, it captured the essence of Buddhist
philosophy of regeneration.
The rounded shape of stupa suggests eternity &
envelopment, focusing the attention of an entire
society on its group identity & structure.
It represents the community & unity of body &
mind that is essential in the spiritual training of
Buddhism.

The stupa is a
monolithic
The pair of stupas
with inverted
stepped finials.
Chaitya hall at

Ajanta caves

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF GUFA

The structure consists of domes, curvilinear
walls, undulating floors and non rectilinear

leaning columns, which floats on a part buried

space.
The art used in this gufa is reminiscent of
Paleolithic art. This gives the visitor the sense of
being in a cave.
Paleolithic art- Paleolithic art is the art of most
recent ice age. This art was came during the
period of 14000 B.C. 13500 B.C.
This art contains some significant pantings of
humnans & animals & also some abstract
paintings.

Characteristics of Paleolithic art

1. The art concerned itself with
either food (hunting scenes,
animal carvings) or fertility
(Venus figurines). Its
predominant theme was
animal.
2. It is considered to be an
attempt, by Stone Age
peoples, to gain some sort of
control over their
environment, whether by
magic or ritual.
3. It represents a giant leap in
human cognition of abstract
thinking.

The external structure of gufa is made of 25

millimeter shell, handmade from reinforcing bars &
mesh buttered with cement.

 The concrete was then covered with a compact

layer of vermiculite followed by a mosaic of pieces
of broken china.
The whole gallery is depressed more than a meter
into the ground for the purpose of effective
insulation.
White tiles are used at the upper surface of the
shell to reflect the sunrays, helping to keep the
interior cool.
To enhance the cave like feeling of the gallery, the
contours of the site were retained, rather then
being levelled.
The protuberant parthole windows are provided in
the shell structure, specifically oriented to let in the
maximum amount of light & minimum amount of
heat giving the interior a golden glow.

Plan of gufa

Entrance

Vaults are
supported by
pillars

Entrance
Entrance

Section of Hussain
Doshi Gugfa

Entrance of gufa

The skylights on the roof that

makes the Gufa space glow.

3. INSTITUTE OF INDOLOGY

Name of building

Institute of Indology

Year

1957-62

Site area

3.7 Ha

Material used

Reinforced Concrete Cement

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

The Institute of Indology was built to house a

valuable collection of ancient document.
The institute is located on a lush 3.7 hectare site
donated by Ahmedabad education society on
periphery of Gujarat university.
It houses a collection of ancient manuscripts
which had previously been stored below ground
in Jain Temple.
The main aim of the design is to preserve the
The collection
building isofstretched
across
ancient document
without air
the site
to present
a long
conditioning
using
natural ventilations.
faade.
Building is partially recessed
into ground so that the
manuscripts are stored in a half
basement cooled by crossventilation which enter and
leaves the lower level through
distinctive angled air scoops.
This creates an entry level
which is a half storey above
grade reached by a raised
bridge that connects the
entrance deck with the street.
It contains a lush magical
garden with hibiscus,
bougainvillea and peacocks .
The garden was chosen instead
of the plan pools between the
building and the street, to
promote the convective effect.
The cool air retained by the
surface area of plants and

 The second museum phase of institute was

added at the southern edge of the site,
behind the existing building and separated
from it by a paved courtyard .
This courtyard accelerates the process of
convective cooling , originally established by
the system of apposing air vents.
The concrete shading screen in front of the
southern faade of the building recalls Le
Corbusier's work.
The heat generated by the hard paved
courtyard behind the Institute cause hot air to
rise , creating a convective cycle which draws
cooler air from the garden through the
building.

Second phase of
institute

4.SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE,
AHMEDABAD (CEPT)

Name of building
Year

The center of Environmental

Planning & Technology
1968

Site area

5 acre

Material used

Reinforced Concrete & Bricks.

CEPT was sponsored by the Ahmedabad education

society AES, a premier voluntary non profit
organization established in 1935 devoted to all
levels in several branches of learning .
CEPT was started in1962, offering an under
graduate program in architecture. This was followed
by a postgraduate program in planning under the
school of planning in 1972.

 CEPT has 5 acre campus near Gujarat university,

accommodating Vicram Sarabhai community
science Centre, the Hatheesingh visual arts Centre,
the Husain Doshi Gufa and Kanoria Centre of arts.

The primary concept CEPT was that it should be

open space with hardly any door,
To do so, he used an L- shaped configuration
based on parallel bearing walls on a north south
axis to capture and direct prevailing breezes
through the studios, offices and class rooms .

PLAN

The long side of the L shaped

plan is exposed to the
prevailing wind. A funnel
shaped entrance under the
south faade is designed
to direct the breeze through the building.
Institute complex presents the shortest , solid
elevations to the hottest east west axis . The
longer class room wing extends to the south and
delineates one edge of harder surfaced plaza on
the opposite side of studio wing , which draws
cool air contained in the green area through the
open , shaded rooms below.
While this partially submerged outdoor room is a
favourate meeting space for students, the entire
school is extremely accessible and users friendly
and always hums with activity .
The studio are high and airy, with north light
from angled glass monitors, and wide doors

which serve more as panels hinged at the third

point , giving unhindered visual access to outside
and allowing a free flow of air .

The artist studio , near the school of architecture

are even more permeable . Their logical balance
between interior studio and exterior equivalent
covered by a concrete frame roof revels Doshi
pragmatism , and reflects similar range of
sources.
There is less brick used on the studios and so
they have not suffered as much from the hot ,
humid climate.
Covered streets, shaded passages and outdoor
rooms allows free scope to teach and learn
anywhere. These sheltered porticos and
promenades evoke an ancient Greek stoa.
Outdoor rooms in the cooler air of the garden
allow work to continue in extreme weather
conditions.

5. SANGATH

Building/ project
name

Sangath An architects studio

Year

1979-1981

Location

Ahmedabad

Client/owner

Balkrishna trust

Principle architect

Balkrishna Doshi

Assistant
architects
Climate

J.Joshipura, S. Patankar, H.M. Siddhpura

Site area

2346 sq. m

Covered area

586 sq. m

Cost of project

Rs. 6,00,000

Structural
Engineer
Project Engineer

G.A.Tambe

Hot & dry

B.S. Jethwa, Y. Patel

Sangath means moving together through

participation. Sangath is alive, well and growing.
As an architects office, it has created an
imaginative, simple , friendly ,relaxed and
subdued physical and psychological environment
most conducive for creative thinking and
development of ideas.
Building complex called sangath has total floor
area of 473 square meters and located on a flat
2425 square meter site on the fringe of
Ahmedabad in India.

 The site was a quadrilateral looking south over a

road towards open country with camels and tribal
villagers
going in one direction, diesel trucks and new
suburbanites passing in the other.
The building is largely buried under the ground to
use the earth masses for natural insulations.
Storage walls- external wall of the building is
nearly a meter deep but have been hollowed out
as alcoves to provide storage that becomes an
insulative walls with efficiency of space.
Vaulted form used at first minimally was later
developed an extensively used to relate to Indian
sensibilities. The vaulted roof separated by
lower , flat surfaces were designed to make the
best use of natural light .
The pools were developed as a natural cooling
system.
Mosaic tiles, purchased as waste material, were
used as an inexpensive means to reflect harsh
sunlight and there by reduce heat absorption.

Sangath live, well

and growing

Landscaped steps towards

entrance spaces

Pools developed as natural

cooling system

 The ventilating window at upper volume releases

the accumulated hot air through pressure
difference.
The top finish of china mosiac glazed tiles further
enhances insulation by being white and glossy to
reflect sun and being of clay to retard heat
transmission
The structural system is post and beam with
reinforced concrete slabs.
The ferro concrete cavity vaults with high
insulation values are used on upper floors.
Facades are either of mosaic tiles or cement
plaster.
Interiors are characterized by the buildings various
shapes and forms.
Light enters from different directions. Decoration is
based on construction materials with exposer of
shuttering impressions on concrete ceiling
contrasted to smooth red oxide cement floor
All materials and the 60% skilled labor were of
local origin.
The external finishes of vaults were recycled
broken glazed white tiles provided additional
function of heat reflection.
Internally surfaces are either plastered or left in
their natural off form concrete state.

Natural light patterns

within the interior

Recycled glazed
mosaic tile and chips

Terraced court leading to

main entrance areas

CLIMATE & TOPOGRAPHY

Ahmedabad city is located on the banks of
Sabarmati river at
23 degrees N and 72.58 degrees E. The city has
hot
and humid climate.
There are typically three main seasons summer,
monsoon and winter characterized by different
climatic conditions.
Situated at the height of 55m above the sea
level, Ahmadabad experiences extreme climate.
There is great difference between the
temperatures of days and nights.
Summers start from the month of March and end
by June.
Winters are cool and dry and period includes the
month of November to February.
Monsoons are from July to September.
Sangath is a fragment of Doshi's private dream: a
microcosm of his intentions and obsessions.
CONCEPT
The relative organization of form elements, layering
of spaces, controlled interiors & transitions to
outside, the interruption of the skyline through
varying outlines that break the sun shadow & open
the roof into the night sky was the concept of this
building, because these themes well respond to the
hot & arid climate.
Sangath, the architectural studio comprises of
reception areas, design studio, office spaces,

workshop, library, conference room & other

ancillary spaces.
These spaces has been designed to naturally
manage the forces of nature.
There are spatial, constructional & landscape
responses to combat the vagaries of nature in hot
dry climate
In Ahmedabad, the summer temperature reaches
upto 45C & the heat is very intense. It is the heat
rather than breeze that becomes critical, so natural
comfort can be achieved by protecting spaces from
the heat & glare of the sun.
Inspired by the earth-hugging forms of the Indian
vernacular, it also draws upon the vault
suggestions of Le Corbusier.
A warren of interiors derived from the traditional
Indian city, it is also influenced by sources as
diverse as Louis I. Kahn, Alvar Aalto and Antonio
Gaudi.
A work of art stands on its own merits and Sangath
possesses that indefinable quality of authenticity ,
Even local labourers and passing peasants like to
come and sit next to it, enjoying the low mounds of
the vaults or the water-jars overgrown with
creepers
CONCEPTUAL SKETCH OF SANGATH B. V. DOSHI

DESIGN RESPONSE TO HOT DRY CLIMATE

Subterranean spaces - The building is largely
buried under the ground to use eath masses for
natural insulation.
Storage walls External walls of the building are
nearly a metre deep, but have been hollowed out
as alcoves to provide storage that becomes an
insulative wall with efficiency of space (for
storage functions).
Vaulted roof form
The roof form creats efficiency surface/
volume ratio optimizing material quantities.
The higher space volume thus created provides
for hot air packets due to convective currents
that keeps lower volumes relatively cool.
The ventilating window at upper volume releases
the accumulated hot air through pressure
differences.

Sandwiched construction of vault

 The vaulted roof is of locally made clay fuses

over the concrete slab, which provide a nonconductive layer.
The top finish of china mosaic glazed tiles further
enhances insulation by being white & glossy to
reflect sun & being of clay to retard heat
transmission.
Microclimate through vegetation Lawn &
vegetation cover all around create favorable
microclimate by absorbing solar radiation &
providing cooler passage of air through humidity.

Indirect/diffused light - Sun light brings heat &

haze with it. To maximize daylight (intensity of
illumination) & to diffuse heat & glare, the light is
received in indirect manner by diffusing it. There
are three ways by which natural light is drawn
within
By upper-level large openings towards north
direction, which is cool & the white inner wall
surface, which is cool & consistent light is
reflected off the clouds.
Skylight, which are projected masses from the
roof, reflect the light on the white inner wall
surface, which further radiates light in the room.
Innermost spaces are lit up through small cut
outs in the roof slab, which are then filled with
hollow glass blocks that take away the glare &
transmit diffused light.

 Water channels - Rainwater & overflow of

pumped water from the roof tank are harnessed
through roof channels that run through a series
of cascading tanks & water channels to finally
culminate in a pond from where it is recycled
back or used for irrigating vegetation. Water
cascade also provide interesting visual
experiences.
Water is a major modifier of the microclimate.
Rainwater & overflow of roof tank are harnessed
through roof channels & reused. Water also moderates
the harsh ambient conditions near the building.

 Exposed natural finishes - Concrete of slab &

wall surfaces are kept bare unplastered as final
visual finishes, which provide its own natural look
& save on finishing material quantity.
Use of secondary waste material Paving material is a stone chip waste while roof
surface is glazed tiles waste, which are available
as waste material from factories at no cost.
These have been creatively hand-crafted
integrated in design by fully using waste
material.
The application is also skill-oriented & involves as
well as promotes craftsman & our traditional
heritage.
PERFORMACE OF BUILDING
The above measures have ensured excellent
climate control within in terms of keeping inside
cool & increasing time lag for heat transfer.
There is a difference of about 8C between
interior & exterior of the roof skin temperature.
The time lag for heat transfer is nearly 6 hours.
The natural elements are harmoniously blended
with the built environment & water recycling &
waste material reuse have ensured cost economy
as well as environmental consciousness.
The exposed surfaces have been nearly 10% of
the project cost usually spent on finishes.
Water recycling has been most rewarding
economically to keep lawn areas possible.
Natural daylight ensures minimum electrical
consumption for artificial light & all insulative
measures have resulted in nearly 30% to 50%
cost reduction in cooling energy.

Ground floor
plan

First floor plan

WEST ELEVATION

SOUTH ELEVATION

6.

SECTION THROUGH BUILDING

GAN

DHI LABOUR INSTITUTE,

AHMEDABAD, 1980-84
CONCEPT

The concept of this building was a long, ledgelike plinth base with vaults emerging from it like
huts on a stone plateau.
That image captures Gandhis great strength &
dematerialistic humility, his realization of the

enormous power that comes from simplicity &

calm.

FEATURES
It consists of offices for directors & assistance
directors, a reception & exhibition space,
boardroom, general staff offices, seminar rooms,
a computer room, library, auditorium, dining hall
& a cluster of residences across from an outdoor
amphitheater at the back of the site.
The institute is organized around a square central
courtyard that gives the various space cohesion.

 The entrance, which is hidden from the front gate

& the court commonly used for arrival by car, is
recessed with banks if stairs gradually leading
upto it past a misting fountain used to defray the
heat.
The diagonal axis that Doshi has intentionally
established from the gate to the front door
generates a sense of mystery, as well as obliging
visitors to see the front elevation in perspective,
giving the impression of great dignity & strength.
Penetration past the long walls of the directors
office on the left & the auditorium on the right,
when that axis changes from diagonal to orthogonal,
heightens that impression & formalizes it.
The high vertical scale & width of the first passage
after entry, which is perpendicular to it & is
technically designates an exhibition space,
effectively transfers the external experience of
progression inside, even though the sudden gloom
comes as something of a shock & this darkness is

not relieved until reaching the arcade around the

central court.

The court is the heart of the institute, signifying

Doshis observations over many years that
architecture in a hot & dry climate has evolved
as a dual system of structuring one main system
to support the activity areas & another to support
the envelope which protects the inside.
This duality of building within a building around a
court is like the body & soul, where the shell
represents the body & the open court is its soul.
The effects of slowly ascending onto a platform,
through a long defile, down a generously scaled
dark hall & finally coming out into the light at the
middle level of courtyard is memorable & is a
sequence the architect has controlled tightly.
The shortest vaults, a pair over the offices near
the front entrance, resemble sentinels when seen
from the court arcade, or towers which protect its
security.

This kind of originality continues around each of the

edges of the courtyard, the articulated rim where the
human-made profile interacts with or locks into the
sky a configuration intended to inspire.

The duality of which Doshi speaks was a different

metaphor to sustain in the residential wing,
which includes the rectors residence & 20 living
units, arranged 10 to a floor, clustered behind it
around a small triangular courtyard near the
southern site.
His answer has been to bring the two clusters
into balance, while the courtyard was created to
be geometrically ordered replica of nature , the
symbolically appropriate core of the institute,
nature itself becomes the focal point of its
residential component.

 The open air amphitheater, a favorite component

of Doshis design sets up a diagonal axis which
opposes the approach from the main gate to the
entrance at the north eastern edge of this natural
mirror image.
As the outdoor replica of the indoor auditorium. It
is attached to the demising wall that separates
the main building from its outdoor garden & is
positioned to respond visually to the housing
cluster across the law.
The housing units are clustered around a small
interior court, but the garden itself is their
interior world, an intension that is symbolized by
a circular pool near the amphitheater.
It is bisected with nearly clipped grass on the half
facing the institute & water in the half facing the
residences, the solid & liquid characteristics of
their respective references implied in the
division.
The staircase to all levels of the stacked housing
units, which step up in terraces to encourage
sitting outdoors overlooking the garden &
institute below, has been vertically accentuated
& painted white to differentiate it from the grey
stone of the housing it serves.
This straight forward measure allows the tower
effectively to terminate the diagonal line sit up
by the outdoor amphitheater , allowing this entire
cluster to hold its own visually.

Terraces in the stacked housing

units overlook the gardens

 The individual vaults each represent a house

cluster around the village square, whose green
replaces the farmers fields.
The vault created with cone shaped clay plugs
manually covered with a thin layer of concrete in
which pieces of broken china were embedded,
was also intended as a prototype.
The resulting composite construction is
inexpensive, remarkably strong yet light &
environmentally intelligent with the mud
contributing high thermal mass & the white
ceramic surface providing high reflectivity.

NATI
7.
ONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY,
DELHI

To encourage the fast growing garment industry,

the Government of India decided to establish
National Institute of Fashion technology, Delhi to
provide education in clothing design as a service
to the ready made Garment industry.
New research in this field , in keeping with Indias
culture Heritage , training personnel in the field
of garment marketing were also important
objectives of the project.
A centrally located site of 3.5 acres in Hauz Khas
was selected , but due to encroachments and
other technical difficulties , the site was
constricted to 2.87 acres .

 The client asked for a resource centre ,

consisting of library an Indian and western
garment and textile collection , a research
laboratory and design studios, not only to be
used for the industry, but as an example to the
general public , as well as exporters showrooms,
textile manufacturers showrooms and outlets for
the sale of Indian Fashion goods.

The site is located just off the Mehrauli road with

an approach from a road leading to Asian games
village.
Access is through a plot set aside as green
spaces now given over to NIFT on condition that
no building be built on this part of land, which

has calculated in Floor Area Ratio(FAR)

considerations.
The NIFT site is surrounded by housing and
institutional uses.

While allocating the plot , the Delhi Development

Authority(DDA) stipulated certain conditions:
That the permissible FAR will not exceed one
hundred so that NIFT can only built on an area
equivalent to the side allocated
That the maximum ground coverage will not
exceed 25% of the total site area is permissible
but may not exceed the set back lines
That this basement can be used only for car
parking and mechanical facilities.
Any other use of basement will be calculated in
the FAR but not in ground cover.

 DDA also stipulated that the maximum height of

the building from the ground should not exceed
15 m, other wise it would be classified as multi
storeyed building and would have to fulfill many
additional bylaws applicable to fire hazardous
building.
Through car parking at 1.14 car spaces per
92.93 square meters of built up area is required
to be provided in the basement and the
remainder on the ground surface .
Doshi arrived at following conclusions:
Fashion design demands continuous
innovation. For this changing environment
highly visible displays and show areas are
essential fashion shows are indeed theatrical
acts with an emphasis on dramatic effects.
All this implies continuous movement in space
and time which must be modulated.
In architectural terms , this suggest an
introverted bazaar like atmosphere enlivened
by the movement by the students and by the
visitors.
The theatrical elements suggest a series of
high and low platforms, a variety of galleries,
and areas for formal and casual activities and
direct and indirect display of the designs.

Glazed pathway overlooking the

sunken road

View from above the sunken court

Central water channel
leading from outside
into the heart of the
complex.
The bridge spans the
area above it, linking
the two main buildings.
The entrance to the
court is at the top of

 The Gate announces the activities of the institute

in the form of artifacts and costumes all year
around , with its flight of steps leading to two
courtyards.
The one is in the form of a modified kund , or
saucer- shaped rainwater store,
And other is in an informal amphitheater .
Both form central space of institute and have
glazed corridors around them that allows a clear
view of galleries the classroom cluster , the
administration block , and library and dormitory
blocks .

8.

MAD
HYA PRADESH ELECTRICITY BOARD
JABALPUR

It is an iconic symbol of development at Jabalpur

designed by Doshi.
The building has been designed to reflect the
byzantine internal dynamics of such a system.
Doshi has chosen an octagon as the basic building
block of the complex, really a square with each
corner clipped of, as another of his evolving
strategies to accommodate a complex programe
inside a unifying framework.

This system, which has resulted in sixteen

interlocking cells distributed across a hilly, rocky
site along an east-west axis, might initially seems
to be rigid, but works brilliantly as an organizing
device for a large administrative complex on
difficult terrain.

 The deterministic plan, with service pods attached

to the long sides of the clipped square, allows for
vertical differentiation or stacking .
Office spaces spread out across seven
administrative departments & one main executive
block, rise up as much as a sign of status as a way
of accommodating function.
Only office areas have tall monitors which bring
natural light down through central courts into work
areas on various levels below.
Other facilities such as a recreational centre, 800 seat
auditorium, dining room & kitchen, amphitheatre &
shopping areas as well as terraced gardens, bridges &
shaded passages, have been located to vary the
profile of the 43000 square meter city.

Plan containing sixteen interlocking

cells, distributed across the hilly rocky
site

Recesed openings &

Internal

9.GUJARAT STATE FERTILIZERS CORPORATION ,

overhangs provides
shade, 1964-69courtyard
BARODA

showing
balconies &

 Doshi deliberate focus on institutions and his active

involvement in LOUIS KHAN s IIM Ahmedabad in
the mid 1960s has resulted in the slowly evolving
theoretical position on the intrinsic character of
such a large complex.
Following seen after khan IIM , the Gujarat state
fertilizer corporation (GSFC) in Baroda, marks the
beginning of the evolution and there are many
similarities between it and its predecessor.
GSFC is technically a corporate training facility, but
still confirms to the type . A township of 1800
dwellings units designed to reflect the hierarchical
status of the inhabitants.

From the beginning of his carrier, he has been

determined to break the monotony so commonly
found in new housing projects in India and to
reflect socio- cultural patterns , climate and
aesthetics, regardless of the economic status of the
inhabitants.

in the large township projects where the government

controls finances , there is a definite pattern of rules
and conditions to be followed in spite of locational
needs or changes in basic costs of material . The
projects usually emphasize the size and areas of the
rooms , rather than living concepts ; four walled
rooms instead of place , the living shell instead of
house . As a result , housing in India has always
remained a package of boxes and not housing. There
is very little attempt to elevate the standard of
overall living environment owing to the wrong
emphases on the notion of a formal living pattern ,.
In my projects I have tried to work the other way
around ; to create the pattern of old communities
which are still valid and cherished by the inhabitants
in an area , a pattern still seen even today in the old

cities of India. The elements which traditionally have

converted adverse climatic conditions into comfort
are again used , such as verandah , courts, and
narrow streets. These solutions are born out of direct
needs and informal character is the reason for the
survival.
Cantilevered landings at the end of generous
sculptural stairways, inside courts and bridges from
these landings that give access to the upper level, all
contribute to the strategy of using every opportunity
to provide shelter from the sun.
A central green, with an auditorium and a water
tower as a vertical accent, is the focal point of the
entire scheme , with all roads patterned on a
diagonal axis, leading to it.
The pattern of road around the township provides
access, while ensuring zone remains free of motor
traffic. The roads, which are planted with the shade
are oriented to reduce the adverse effects of the sun.

Narrow pedestrian walkways

give the complex something of
the atmosphere of an old,
traditional pol(urban district) .
High walls built from local brick

Shaded verandahs
overlook gardens. Local
brick is both economical
and provides practical

CONCLUSIONS
Balkrishna Doshi has a much larger following in
India than he does internationally, despite of the
fact that he has realized over one hundred large
scale projects over his long carrier.
Doshis four year as an apprentice in the Paris
office of Le Corbusier, largely spent working on
the High court Building I Chandigarh, was a more
pronounced influence than others had.
Local mythology about him includes a well known
story about his appetite for knowledge and long
hours spent in library of education association in
London. What he realized he could not change
and to understand it quickly.
The high parasol roof projected above the
flattered roof is one of the 1st instances of a
major formal recognition of regional
environmental to be found during this past phase
of pioneering period of modern movement, a
profile that is frequently glossed over a being no
more than a metaphor.

The common explanation given for Doshis

personal intellectual growth has moved from
intellectual growth has been that he has moved
from international style Modernism , from the
sway of Le Corbusier and Louis Khan, towards a
mystical understanding of many alien influences
that have shaped the rich vernacular of his country
to create a new architecture rooted in the past,
which is contemporary, but not Modernism.

 INSTITUTIONS : Doshi believed that even the

single home is an institution , the repository of the
family. The extended family is still part of the
Indian social structures; the social fragmentation
found in the west, frequently blamed on the
affluence provided by industrialization , has yet to
occur. Religion too is still an important part of
Indian life. So it is no surprise that Doshis
inspiration for the creation of institutions began
with the interaction he has witnessed when visiting
a temple , moving him to recreate.
SPACE : The concern for the volume contained
within a building is an undeniable legacy of the
Modern movement , with structural expressions
,light, progression and procession, honesty of
material , and form following function all
subservient to this idea. Yet the most profound
shift Doshi has made , while still retaining the
premise, is in the nature of space in his building
and projects. Doshi referred mythical sense of
space in traditional architecture which he has
been trying to replicate .
STRUCTURE: Structure , one of the most
important definers of interior spaces in modern
canon , is converted in this exterior ethos to an
articulating pattern on the walls surrounding the
outdoor rooms that Doshi joined together. Doshi
uses structure in an inverse way to modulate ,
enliven and even to comment on the character of
the outdoor spaces he create.