AR. Achyut Purushottam Kanvinde was an Indian architect born in 1916 who played a crucial role in promoting modern architecture in India. He graduated with a B.Arch from J.J. College of Architecture and further studied at Harvard, being influenced by Walter Gropius. Kanvinde established his own firm in 1955 and is known for buildings combining functionalism with regional materials and sustainable practices, including the IIT Kanpur campus, ISKCON temple, and Doodhsagar Dairy. His designs emphasized natural light, ventilation, and the user experience.

1. AR. ACHYUT PURUSHOTTAM KANVINDE
1916-2002

2. Life
His father was an arts teacher in Mumbai.
Kanvinde, influenced by his father, a
portrait and landscape painter, took up
art and graduated in architecture.
Born in Achara,
Konkan region of
Maharashtra in 1916
B.Arch. – J.J. college of
architecture
Sent to Harvard for
further studies in 1942
Influenced by works
of Walter Gropius
INFLUENCES
BIRTH EDUCATION

3. Philosophy &
concept
• Functionalism
• Logic of lightness
• Modern architecture & Brutalism
• Regionalism
• Rationalist
• Sense of space
• Kanvinde played a crucial role in promoting modern architecture in
India and encouraging the use of local materialsand sustainable
design practices.
• Kanvinde plays with space and forms. His designs are balanced,
proportionate, neat and well crafted.
• The building is important but most important is the gate of the
user.
• He gave much more importance to the 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.
• An art can be used 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”.

4. Work
His works stands apart for its soundness and
technical superiority combined, with an
abstract aesthetic dimension.
Established a firm “Kanvinde, Rai ” in 1955
with a civil engineer shaukat rai who had been
with him at Harvard.
The firm name grew up to “Kanvinde Rai &
Chaudhry” in 1980s
ISKCON
Temple
Nehru Science
Center
National Insurance
Academy,Pune
IIT Kanpur campus

5. IIT Kanpur
• The IIT campus occupies a 1055 acre area.
• The Academic Complex is located centrally at the site and
free from traffic noise.
• Academic buildings: 13 departments, PK Kelkar Library,
Computer Centers faculty offices, laboratories and
administrative buildings.
• The site is flat with the canal on one side and
transportation route on the other side.
P.K. KELKAR LIBRARY - Exposed brickwork:
reduces maintenance costs and enhances
aesthetic appeal.
Built in-1969

6. • The residential campus is planned and landscaped with a hope for
environmental freedom.
• Halls of residence, faculty and staff houses and community
buildings surround the central academic area to provide flexibility
in movement and communication.
• Core Pedestrian island which consist of lecture halls surrounded
by landscaping and water body forming the main focus of the
campus.
• The academic area is set up in vicinity of hostels to provide quick
accessibility to students.
CONCEPTS & IDEOLOGY
Visual expression of structure rather than
hiding its structural components.
Quiet & private hostels giving a sense of
family feeling to the students.

7. DOODHSAGAR DAIRY , MEHSANA
Design Features
• Putting an example of art by using true colours of material.
• The form is very rough and blocky.
• Fortified structure.
• One of the first brutalism based building of Kanvinde.
• The natural slope of the site utilized to advantage of a multi level
processing system.
• Milk receiving is done at the roof.
• Processing is done at the second level.
• The third and the lower most level accommodate the worker’s
amenities.
• Ventilation points are expressed as large shafts that rise above
the roof level.
• They evacuate the hot air by natural convection eliminating the
need for mechanical exhaust system.
National dairy development board built in 1973.
One of the largest milk processing unit in gujarat.
FLOOR PLAN