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. Doshis 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 of 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.

INSTITUTE OF INDOLOGY
AHMEDABAD

The Lalbhai Dalpathbhai Institute of

Indology,Ahmedabad was started in 1956,
to preserve a repository of rare art,
manuscripts and archaelogical objects of
India. In 1984, a museum was opened to
cover topics ranging from Buddhism,
Jainism and itsdarshans (expressions),
grammar,tantraand poetry, Vedas and
other different branches of Indian
philosophy.

This building is set on a large site which gives

it an opportunity to take advantage of the
immediate natural environment.
The entry into the building is through a lush
green lawn and then there is a bridge that
crosses over the moat that is around the
building.
The moat provides humidity to the lower part
of the building,which is needed to preserve the
manuscripts.
Through the building on the other side is a
large outdoor patio which gathers all the heat
from the sun.
Cool breeze flows through the building from
the lush green garden towards the hot patio
thus allowing constant breeze in public areas of
the building.
An addition to the building was added later

CIRCULATION PLAN

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

 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

SECTIONS

 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 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.

 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.
Buildingincludestheexternalspac
es andthelink betweenthe
buildings.
Functional and physical
attributes of the design are
related to the local traditions of
pavilion likespaces & 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

 Designincluded
longandunusuallyhigh three
storeyed corridorswith
innumerablevistasof focal points.
corridorsaresometimesseem
open,sometimes with only pergolas
andsometimes partly covered
withskylight.
Varying direct and indirect sunlight
coupled with solid-void
combination.
Tofurtherheightenthespatial
experience,thewidthofthecorrido
rs
wasmodulatedinmanyplacestoal

 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 areais a complex of

courtyards linked
by walkways or
internal streets,
some covered &
some open to sky,
creating vistas or
Focal points.