BV Doshi is an Indian architect known for establishing the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology in Ahmedabad. He studied under Le Corbusier in the 1950s and worked with Louis Kahn on the IIM Bangalore campus. Doshi's work is influenced by modernist philosophies but focuses more on the Indian context by providing quality environments suited to local needs and materials. Notable projects include the IIM Bangalore campus which draws from Fatehpur Sikri's layout, the Sangath office complex arranged around courtyards, and the underground Husain-Doshi Gufa art gallery with protruding domical structures. Doshi combines influences from modernism and vernacular Indian architecture in innovative and economical designs.

1. BALKRISHNA VITHALDAS DOSHI (1927 - )
By Arshath, Sabour

2. BACKGROUND
 BV Doshi studied at the Sir JJ School of
Architecture
 1951-4 – Worked for Le Corbusier in Paris
 1954-7 – Returned back to India as Site architect
for Chandigarh
 1964-72 – Worked for Louis I Khan as site
architect in IIM project
 1965 – Founded the Center for Environmental
Planning and Technology (CEPT) in Ahmedabad

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
 Location : BANGALORE
 Client : Indian Institute of
Management
 Date : 1963
 Building Type : Educational

8. 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
 Achieved by adopting a
network of corridors
linking together all
volumes, courtyards, and
external spaces, the project
allows for future
extensions.

9. 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

10. SANGATH, ARCHITECT’S OWN OFFICE
 Location : Ahmedabad,
 Date : 1980
 Building Type :commercial
 Building Usage : office building

11. 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

12. 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.

13. SANGATH

14. HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART GALLERY
 Location : Ahmedabad
 Client : Maqbul Fida Husain
 Date : 1993
 Building Type : public/cultural
 Building Usage : art gallery

15. HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART GALLERY
 An underground art gallery
exhibiting paintings and
sculptures of noted artist M.F.
Hussain, located on the
campus of the Centre for
Environmental Planning &
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.
Interior view showing supportive columns, light shafts and
Exterior view showing protruding domical caves

16. HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART GALLERY
Exterior detail of wire frame
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.

17. HUSAIN-DOSHI GUFA ART GALLERY
Interior view showing stone facing and light shaft
Exterior view to brick path entering domical

18. 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..

19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
× www.archnet.org
× THE COMPLETE ARCHITECTURE OF
BALAKRISHNA DOSHI
BY JAMES STEELE