BALKRISHNA VITHALDAS DOSHI (1927

-)
By Arshath, Sabour
BACKGROUND
 BV Doshi studied the Sir JJ School of
at Architecture
 1951-4 – Worked for Le Corbusier in Paris
 1954-7 – Returned back to India as Site architect
for Chandigarh
 1964-72 – Worked for LouisI Khanas site
architect in IIM project
 1965 – Founded the Center for
Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT)
in Ahmedabad
PHILOSOPHY
 BV Doshi had a influence in Northern India as
educator and designer, not only as transmitter
of Le Corbusier’s and Louis I Khan’s
philosophy but also in providing exemplar of
work for others to follow.
 He was concerned with the Indian context to a
greater extent, providing a quality
environment rather than modern buildings
AWARDS

 He has received numerous international awards

and honors, including Padma Shri from the
Government of India, and an honorary doctorate
from the University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

 Professor Doshi served a member of the 1992

Award Master Jury, and was presented a 1995
Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the Aranya
Community Housing in Indore, India.
PROJECTS
1. Institute of Indology
Ahmadabad 1957-62
2. School of Architecture
Ahmadabad 1968
3. Gujarat State Fertilizers Corporation
Baroda 1964-69
4. Indian Institute of Management
Bangalore 1977-85
5. Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board
Jabalpur 1979-89
PROJECTS
6. Sangath
Ahmedabad 1979-81
7. Gandhi Labour Institute
Ahmedabad 1980-84
8. Aranya Low-cost Housing
Indore 1983-86
9. Husain-Doshi Gufa
Ahmedabad 1992-95
10. National Institute of Fashion Technology
New Delhi 1997
11.Bharat Diamond Bourse
Mumbai 1998
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
MANAGEMENT

 Location : BANGALORE
 Client : Indian Institute of
Management
 Date : 1963
 Building Type : Educational
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
MANAGEMENT
 Designed to contain a
complete space for training
and education
 It is based on the design of
the town of Fatephur Sikri,
laid out by the emperor
Akbar in the 16th century
 by adopting a
Achiev of corridors
ed together
network courtyards,
volumes, all and
linking spaces, the project
external
allows for future
extensions.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF
MANAGEMENT
• Courtyards
• Rich and Varied Architectural
texture
• Heavy building stone
and delicate concrete
• Traditional Built form
in Modern Language
• Semi-formal Landscape
• Exterior Grey Monotony
• Interior – soft and varied play
of light
• Underlying Geometric
order
Vs surprise and
apparent eccentricities
SANGATH, ARCHITECT’S OWN
OFFICE

 Location : Ahmedabad,
 Date : 1980
 Building Type :commercial
 Building Usage : office building
SANGATH
• Sangath means
‘moving together’
• Building + Garden
• Complete environmental
design
• Structure – small scale
• Long Barrel vault
• 3 level structure
• A porous post and beam
structure holds the
vaults
SANGATH
 The complex is an ensemble of vaulted
and flat roofed buildings of differing
heights at a number of varying angles
and arranged around a large, terraced
entrance court.
 The court contains a fountain
surrounded by split level pools.
 Some of the buildings have been sunk
below ground level so that certain
vaulted roofs rise only to eye level
 Inspired by the earth-hugging forms of
the Indian vernacular, it also draws
upon the vault suggestions of Le
Corbusier.
SANGATH
HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART
GALLERY

 Location : Ahmedabad
 Client : Maqbul Fida Husain
 Date : 1993
 Building Type :
 Building Usage public/cultural
: art gallery
HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART
GALLERY
 An underground art gallery
exhibiting paintings and
sculptures of noted artist M.F.
Hussain, onthe
located campusthe Centre
Environmental Planning for
of Exterior view showing protruding domical cave
Technology in Ahmedabad &
 The form of roof shells is
guided by computer designs
and the structure, built in
ferrocement, is in the form of
skeletal skin and wire mesh,
sandwiched on each side by
layers of cement.
Interi
HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART
GALLERY
The Gufa is a
configuration of cave-
like structures buried
under the ground. This
marvel of contemporary
architecture is a fusion of
the modern and ancient
ideas.

Exterior detail of wire frame

HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART
GALLERY

Interior view showing stone facing and light shaft

Exterior view to brick path entering domical

INFERENCE

 BV Doshi uses a mix of two philosophies

combined with his own research and application
of contextual factors – like economical viable
policy solutions, Ferro-cement and china-
mosaic etc..
BIBLIOGRAPHY

× www.archnet.org

×THE COMPLETE ARCHITECTURE OF

BALAKRISHNA DOSHI
BY JAMES STEELE