Padma Shri Achyut P. Kanvinde is considered one of the forefathers of modern Indian architecture. He graduated with a degree in architecture in 1942 and furthered his studies at Harvard. Upon his return to India, he joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and later opened his own firm. Some of his notable works include the IIT Kanpur campus, National Science Centre in Delhi, and the ISKCON temple. Kanvinde's designs were slender, balanced and well-crafted with an emphasis on natural light and ventilation. He believed in vernacular architecture and treating buildings according to ancient texts. His career spanned over 50 years during which he produced many institutional buildings in a conservative modern

2. • Padma Shri Achyut
P. Kanvinde (1916–
28 December 2002)
is considered as one
of forefathers of
modern Indian
Architecture

3. Early life and education
• He was born in Achare, in the Konkan region
of Maharastra, in 1916 in a large family. His mother died
when he was two and his father was an arts teacher in
Mumbai. Kanvinde was also influenced by his father,
who was portrait and landscape painter. Kanvinde
graduated in architecture from Sir J.J. School of Arts,
Mumbai in 1942. He was then sent by the government of
India to study at Harvard University where he worked
under Walter Groupius and was influenced by his
thinking and teaching.

4. Career
• When he returned to India he joined the council for
“Scientific and Industrial Research”. In 1985, he was the
winner of IIA “Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal”.
• The University of Agricultural Sciences,
Bangalore campus designed by Kanvinde and Rai
• Along with his partner S. Rai, he opened a
firm Kanvinde, Rai and Chowdhury in New
Delhi (which is currently run by Sanjay Kanvinde, B.K.
Tanuja and Murad Chowdhury). The firm has been
responsible for IIT Kanpur, National Science Centre,
Delhi, The National Council of Applied Economic
Research (NCAER) in New Delhi, NII Pune, numerous
dairy buildings under NDDB and many other great
buildings

5. Philosophies
• Kanvinde plays with space and forms.
His designs are slender, balanced,
proportionate, neat and well crafted. The
building is important but most important
is the gate of the user. Example is
“ISKCON Temple”. He gave much
importance to natural light. He gave
such a form to the building that it can
solve the problem of ventilation as well
as excessive heat. He believed in
Vernacular Architecture.
He believed that the image should be such that can set the
mood and interest for which the building stands for. Both
inherent values and historical influences contributed towards
good architecture.

6. Design concept
• An art can be to nourish the
senses.
• Art is purely an aesthetic
exercise.
• He believed that a grid of columns
forming a matrix giving structural
and spatial aspect would turn a
design to more sophisticated and
faceted.
• He treated his building with
“Vastushastra”.

7. Timeline of his Work
• 1954 - 1964
Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad

8. • 1954 - 1964
Ahmedabad Textiles Industries Research Association

9. • 1954 - 1964
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

10. • 1960 - 1964
Harivallabdas House, Ahemdabad

11. • 1965
Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra Bangalore

12. • 1966
IIT Kanpur Campus

13. 1973
Doodhsagar Dairy ,Mehsana
(National Dairy Development Board)

14. 1975
Institute of Rural Management, Anand

15. 1985
Nehru Science Center, Mumbai

16. 1992
National Science Center, New Delhi

17. 1992
National Insurance Academy, Pune

18. 1998
ISKCON Temple, East of Kailash, Delhi

19. AN ANALYSIS OF THE TIMELINE
• The institutional buildings he designed in the
first five years, are conservative. All having:
• similar facades.
• Horizontal, clean volumes,
• aesthetically pleasing proportions of
fenestration.
• Ribbon windows.
• A grid frame structure- unexposed, and
plastered exterior finish.

20. • The Doodhsagar dairy is monstrous, raw, and
probably one of the first outbursts of what can be
called Kanvinde’s brutalism.
•
The form is very rough, and blocky. He has always
been described to be modest and approachable, and
always has preferred to keep a low profile. This
building presents a stark contrast to his character
His major work speaks of his adaptation of the
modernist/ brutalist style

21. National Science Center,
New Delhi, India (1991)

22. • Site Location-
Bhairon Road,
Adjacent Pragati
Maidan, New Delhi.
• Site Area-
7000m2
• Materials Used:
RCC frame, brick
infill plastered in a
fine stone grit finish.

23. • The skylights- which are the dominant highlight of the
design are a common repeating element in many of his
works- such as the Doodhsagar Dairy, and the Nehru
Science Center, Mumbai.
• The building seems to have a simple & efficiently designed
structural system, and a functional approach in its layout.
• The building accommodates a complex of workshops,
library, lecture halls and observatory.
A set of vertical volumes
that rise gradually- this
buildings is visually
appealing, and
unimposing. It has a
large grand flight of
steps on its entrance

24. Harivallabdas House
Ahemdabad, India

25. Site info
• Site Location-
Ahemdabad.
• Site Area- 1200m2
• Materials Used:
RCC frame, brick
and grit finish.

26. Analysis
• Visual appeal- due to its
divided massing, their
proportions and
horizontality.
• Modern for its time- built in
1964.
• Exposed circulation
spaces
• Dull neutral colors used,
like in most of his other
works.

27. CONCLUSION
• Kanvinde’s career spanned a period
of about 50 years. It was a prolific
career in that the scale and number
of projects he worked on from the
beginning are incomparable.
" The role which the schools have to play is to
expose students to various situations and train
them to cultivate and appreciate values so that
they can experience and sharpen their senses
through observation and practice“ - Kanvinde

28. Thank you