This Presentation covers the impact, philosophy and Works of an Indian Architect Balakrishna Vithaldas Doshi

1. Architect Balkrishna
Vithaldas Doshi
His Philosophy and Works

2. About an
Architect
• Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi (born 26 August 1927) is an Indian architect, considered an important figure of
South Asian architecture and noted for his contributions to the evolution of architectural discourse in India.
• Apart from his international fame as an architect, Dr. Doshi is equally known as an educator and institution
builder. Dr. Doshi has been instrumental in establishing the nationally and internationally known research
institute VastuShilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design. The institute has done
pioneering work in low cost housing and city planning.
• Over the years Doshi has created architecture that relies on a sensitive adoption and refinement of modern
architecture within an Indian context.

3. Building Styles
and Forms
• The building profile will have Natural Light, Air Movement and Access Elements against the sky to express the
Cosmic Relationship.
• The building base will gradually widen towards the ground through Platforms, Terraces, and Steps.
• The building mass will integrate roof, rainwater, cascades, water bodies, natural landscapes, gardens and
foliage
• The external finish of the building will express one homogenous mass but will have adequate details, textures
and surface modulations
• The main arrival to the building will be at a higher or a raised level- with provision for a lower entry to express
duality.
• Not all movements within the building will be symmetrical but will shift axis to give unexpected experiences
and provide ambiguous or dual impressions…”
• Finally aesthetic considerations will take into account local symbolism, context, and associations
• Casting of shadows, breaking of mass, rhythms in the structure, solids, voids, will be the mode of expression

5. His Famous
Works
• Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad(1957- 62)
• School of Architecture, Ahmedabad 1968
• Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (1977-85)
• Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board, Jabalpur (1979-89)
• Sangath, Ahmedabad (1979-89)
• Aranya low-cost housing, Indore (1983- 86)
• Husain Doshi Guffa (1992-95)
• National Institute of Fashion Technology New Delhi (1997)
• Gandhi labour Institute, Ahmedabad

6. Aranya
Housing
• Location – 6km from Indore , M.P , India.
• Client – IDA (Indore Dev. Authority)
• Principal Architect – B.V Doshi
• Total Area – 100,000 m sq
• Project Cost – 1 Crore

7. Requiremen
ts
• To improve & upgrade existing slum area
• To provide site for new housing developments instead of building complete houses.
• To provide for 6,500 residential plots ranging from 35 sq m to 450 sq m
•To create sense of community & good living environment
•Achieve community character by Harmony between built environment & people
Object
ive

9. Climate Responsive
Feature
• North-South opening permit light & cross ventilation
• Local Building material only
• North-South orientation helps in less heat gain
•Cost effective
•Progressive development of facilities
•Houses built by people themselves to suite their needs
Advantages

11. Amdavadi
ni Gufa
• Amdavad ni Gufa is an underground art gallery in Ahmedabad, India. Designed by the architect
Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi, it exhibits works of the Indian artist Maqbool Fida Hussain.
• The gallery represents a unique juxtaposition of architecture and art. The cave-like underground
structure has a roof made of multiple interconnected domes, covered with a mosaic of tiles.
• On the inside, irregular tree-like columns support the domes. It was earlier known as Hussain-Doshi
ni Gufa. There are facilities for special painting exhibitions and for projecting films. Gardens and a
café are located above ground.

12. Etymology and
Development
• The gallery is called gufa ("cave" in Gujarati) because of its resemblance to a cave. It was known
earlier as Hussain-Doshi ni Gufa, after its architect, B.V. Doshi, and the artist, M.F. Hussain.
• Later it was renamed after the city of Ahmedabad, known locally as Amdavad. The structure's
contemporary architecture draws on ancient and natural themes.
• The domes are inspired by the shells of tortoises and by soap bubbles. The mosaic tiles on the
roof are similar to those found on the roofs of the Jain temples at Girnar, and the mosaic snake is
from Hindu mythology.
• The Buddhist caves of Ajanta and Ellora inspired Doshi to design the interior with circles and
ellipses, while Hussain's wall paintings are inspired by Paleolithic cave art.
• The interior is divided by tree trunks or columns similar to those found at Stonehenge.

14. Constru
ction
• While visiting Ahmedabad, Hussain asked his friend Doshi to design a permanent art gallery for the
exhibition of his works. Together they planned an underground structure capable of withstanding
the area's severe summer heat.
• Computer-assisted planning facilities were used to resolve the structure's unorthodox design.A
simple floor of wire mesh and mortar was used instead of a traditional foundation. All the
structure's components are self supporting, relieving stress by their ubiquitous continuity. Ferro
cement, only one inch thick, was used for the undulating walls and domes in order to reduce load.
• The cave was constructed by unskilled tribal labourers using only hand tools. Broken ceramic
crockery and waste tiles were used to cover the domes' exterior, which bears a transversal mosaic
of a snake.
• Work was carried out in two phases: the first was the construction of the main cave as an
underground art gallery, while the second covered the surrounding structures including the paving,
the café, and a separate art

15. Structur
e
• The gallery space is below ground level. A partially hidden staircase leads to a circular door which
opens into a cave-like space.
• Though designed to display paintings, the cave has no straight walls, instead using a continuation
of the curved dome structure which extends down to the floor.
• The domes themselves are supported by irregularly shaped inclined columns, similar to those
found in natural caves. They are also said to resemble the trunks of trees.
• The entire design is made up of circles and ellipses. Light arrives though snouts, creating spots of
light on the floor which move around as the day progresses, intended to create a mystic
atmosphere.

16. Art
• Hussain used the gallery's walls as a canvas, painting on them with bold strokes and bright colors.
The artwork depicts human figures and motifs of animals, including his famous horse figures.
• He also decorated features such as doors and even air conditioners. The figures were designed to
resemble ancient cave paintings in a modern environment.
• Hussain also placed a few metal sculptures of human figures between the inclining columns. His
largest work, Sheshnag (the divine serpent), stretches over a length of 100 feet (30 m).

17. Conclu
sion
• Hussain-Doshi Gufa is a unique project blending state of art engineering know how with very
primitive construction skills of execution. Enigmatic in its spatial experience the form of Gufa is a
direct translation of climatic and constructional obligations and knob an abstraction of personals
fancies.
• Buried spaces, earth mounds, raised volumes and china mosaic finish renders the architectural
energy conscious, in an otherwise harsh hot dry climate.
• Material resources are further optimized through its shell like forms and Ferro cement
construction techniques. A simple wire mesh and mortar lined floor in a form of natural sag of
cloth, evolved through scaled model studies, eliminates the need of any kind of foundation, as the
basic form is continuous and efficient in optimizing the stresses and its distribution.
• Similar economy of material is achieved through roof shells in a form guided by computer designs
which resolve stresses to a minimum, requiring only an inch thick Ferro cement shell without any
form work. The construction is carried out with simple hand tools and by semi and unskilled
workers on site.

18. IIM
Bangalore
• Date of establishment-1971
• Location-site is in hilly area in south Bangalore
on Banerghatta.
• Context-urban setting , linked by a highway.
• Site area- 102 acres
• Topography- Undulating terrain with gentle
slope
• Climate-temperature arid climate.
• Vegetation-lush green belt of tropical rain
forest, beautifully landscaped and maintained.

19. IIM
Bangalore
• The 54,000 sq mt IIM B complex, built on a 100-acre campus, is based on the design of the town of
Fatehpur Sikri, laid out by Akbar in the 16th century. The architect, B V Doshi, achieved this vision by
linking a network of corridors, courtyards and external spaces allowing for future extensions.

20. Design
Concept
• Fatehpur Sikri’s courtyards and the gardens of Bangalore merged in B V Doshi’s mind’s eye. He picked
up the gardens and put them in the courtyards, and the vision for a ‘glocal’ campus was born. Instead
of courtyards that are dry and rigid, he made green corridors, which allow for academic exchanges to
be carried beyond the classroom.

21. Site Plan

22. The
Structure
• The design of IIMB reflects the architect’s perfect sense of scale, proportion and light.
• From the logo that portrays the rays of the rising sun to the design of the IIMB complex, light plays a
crucial role.

23. The
Structure
• IIMB’s design therefore symbolizes a deep understanding of the past and a comfortable relationship
with the present. The aim, said B V Doshi, was “to create an atmosphere where you don’t see divides
and doors”.
• The ‘building’ includes external spaces, and the links between the buildings in the Bangalore climate
permit academic exchange beyond the classrooms.
• The functional and physical attributes of its design are related to the local traditions of pavilion-like
spaces, courtyards, and ample provision for plantations.
• A good integration of climatical factors ,the ‘Sun Path diagrams’, and proper implementation of ‘Vastu
Shashtra’ was one of the best qualities of B.V.Doshi’s architecture.
• A perfect blend of modern and traditional architectural style.

26. The
Structure
• The construction of the entire complex is made simple and standardized using exposed concrete,
lattices, frames, and wall system using rough blocks of local gray granite.
• Local craftsmen worked on it with local material; it is low on maintenance; the building is cool and
light is controlled.

27. The
Structure
• Access to classrooms and administrative offices is provided through these corridors.
• The design offers students and faculty the ability to see and feel nature even when inside the
classroom.

28. The
Structure
• The IIMB campus was envisaged as a place to be inhabited, as a place to facilitate the course of
human interaction.
• The design therefore conserves energy – human or mechanical, optimizes technologies, adopts
innovative ways of building and uses alternative materials.

29. The
Structure
• Three-storied hallways, open quadrangles with ample area for greenery, a rough texture finish are
the unique features of this ‘glocal’ design.

30. The
Structure
• The voids in the structure lets in the fresh air from the green surroundings.
• The pergolas and geometrical roofs let in the controlled ‘Sun Light’ creating a dramatic effect and
eventually avoiding the excess heat from entering in.

31. The
Hallways

32. Skylights
• Natural illumination is achieved due to provision of ‘Sky Lights’ and also saves lots of electricity.
• Creates a dramatic effect by highlighting a certain area.

34. The
Stairs

35. Thank You
The presentation by;
Aishwary Kaushal
(15BAR1047)
Pravin Verma (15BAR1072)
Utkarsh Singh (15BAR1061)